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1 Lord. Farewel, Captain.

2 Lord. Sweet Monfieur Parolles!

Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin; good fparks and luftrous. A word, good metals. (7) You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his finifter cheek; it was this very fword entrench'd it; fay to him, I live, and obferve his reports of me.

1 Lord. We fhall, noble captain.

Par. Mars doat on you for his novices! what will ye do ?

Ber. Stay; the King

[Exeunt Lords.

Par. Ufe a more fpacious ceremony to the noble Lords, you have restrain'd your self within the lift of too cold an adieu; be more expreffive to them, for they wear themselves in the cap of the time; there, do muster true gate, eat, fpeak, and move under the influence of the most receiv'd ftar; and tho' the devil lead the meafure, fuch are to be follow'd: after them, and take a more dilated farewel.

Ber. And I will do fo.

Par. Worthy fellows, and like to prove moft finewy fword-men. [Exeunt.

Enter the King, and Lafeu.

Laf. Pardon, my Lord, for me and for my tidings. King. I'll fee thee to ftand up.

Laf. Then here's a man ftands, that hath bought his pardon.

I would, you had kneel'd, my Lord, to ask me mercy; And that at my bidding you could so stand up..

(7) · You shall find in the Regiment of the Spinii one Captain Spurio, his Cicatrice, with an Emblem of War here on his finifter Cheek ;] It is furprizing, none of the Editors could fee that a flight Tranfpofition was abfolutely neceffary here, when there is not common Sense in the Paffage, as it ftands without fuch Tranfpofition. Parolles only means, " You fhall find one Captain "Spurio in the Camp with a Scar on his left Cheek, a Mark of War that my Sword gave him."

VOL. III.

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King. I would, I had; fo I had broke thy pate, And ask'd thee mercy for't.

Laf. Goodfaith, across: but, my good Lord, 'tis

thus ;

Will you be cur'd of your infirmity?

King. No.

Laf. O, will you eat no grapes, my royal fox? Yes, but you will, my noble grapes; an if

My royal fox could reach them: (8) I have feen a Med'cin,

That's able to breathe life into a stone;

Quicken a rock, and make you dance Canary
With fprightly fire and motion; whose fimple touch
Is powerful to araife King Pepin, nay,

To give great Charlemain a pen in's hand,

And write to her a love-line.

King. What her is this?

Laf. Why, doctor-fhe: my Lord, there's one arriv'd,

If you will fee her. Now, by my faith and honour, If feriously I may convey my thoughts

In this my light deliverance, I have spoke

With one, that in her fex, her years, profeffion,
Wisdom and conftancy, hath amaz'd me more
Than I dare blame my weakness: will you fee her,
For that is her Demand, and know her business?
That done, laugh well at me.

King. Now, good Lafeu,

Bring in the admiration, that we with thee

May spend our wonder too, or take off thine,

By wond'ring how thou took'ft it.

Laf. Nay, I'll fit you,

And not be all day neither.

[Exit Lafeu.

King. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues.

(8) I have seen a Medecine,] Lafeu does not mean that he has feen a Remedy, but a Person bringing fuch Remedy. I therefore imagine, our Author ufed the French Word, Medecin, i. e. a Phyfician; this agrees with what he fubjoins immediately in Reply to the King,

Why, Doctor-She;

and

write to her a Love-line.

Laf.

Laf. [Returns.] Nay, come your ways.

[Bringing in Helena.

King. This hafte hath wings, indeed.
Laf. Nay, come your ways,

This is his Majefty, fay your mind to him;
A traitor you do look like; but fuch traitors
His Majesty seldom fears; I'm Creffid's uncle,
That dare leave two together; fare you well.

[Exit.

King. Now, fair One, do's your business follow us?
Hel. Ay, my good Lord.

Gerard de Narbon was my father,

In what he did profefs, well found.
King. I knew him.

Hel. The rather will I fpare my praise towards him;
Knowing him, is enough: on's bed of death

Many receipts he gave me, chiefly one,
Which as the deareft iffue of his practice,
And of his old experience th'only darling,
He bade me ftore up, as a triple eye,

Safer than mine own two: more dear I have fo;
And hearing your high Majesty is touch'd
With that malignant caufe, wherein the honour
Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.

King. We thank you, maiden;
But may not be fo credulous of cure,
When our most learned doctors leave us; and
The congregated college have concluded,
That labouring art can never ransom nature
From her unaidable estate: we must not
So ftain our judgment, or corrupt our hope,
To prostitute our paft-cure malady
To empericks; or to diffever fo

Our great felf and our credit, to esteem

A fenfeless help, when help paft sense we deem.
Hel. My duty then shall pay me for my pains;
I will no more enforce mine office on you;
Humbly intreating from your royal thoughts
A modeft one to bear me back again.

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King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful;
Thou thought'ft to help me, and fuch thanks I give,
As one near death to thofe that wish him live;
But what at full I know, thou know'ft no part;
I knowing all my peril, thou no art.

Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try,
Since you set up your reft 'gainst remedy.
He that of greatest works is finisher,

Oft does them by the weakest minister:
So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown,

When judges have been babes; great floods have flown
From fimple fources; and great feas have dry'd,

When mir'cles have by th' greatest been deny'd.
Oft expectation fails, and most oft there

Where most it promises: and oft it hits
Where hope is coldeft, and despair most fits.

King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind
Maid;

Thy pains, not us'd, muft by thy felf be paid :
Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward.
Hel. Infpired merit fo by breath is barr'd:
It is not fo with him that all things knows,
As 'tis with us, that square our guess by fhows:
But most it is prefumption in us, when

The help of heav'n we count the act of men.
Dear Sir, to my endeavours give confent,
Of heav'n, not me, make an experiment.
I am not an impostor, that proclaim
My felf against the level of mine aim;

But know I think, and think I know most fure,
My art is not paft power, nor you paft cure.

King. Art thou fo confident? within what space
Hop'ft thou my cure?

Hel. The greatest grace lending grace,
Ere twice the horses of the fun fhall bring
Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring;
Ere twice in murk and occidental damp
Moift Hesperus hath quench'd his fleepy lamp;
Or four and twenty times the pilot's glafs
Hath told the thievish minutes how they pass;

What

What is infirm from your found parts shall fly,
Health fhall live free, and fickness freely die.
King. Upon thy certainty and confidence,
What dar'ft thou venture?

Hel. Tax of impudence,

A ftrumpet's boldnefs, a divulged fhame
Traduc'd by odious ballads: my maiden's name
Sear'd otherwise, no worse of worft extended;
With vilet torture let my life be ended.

King. Methinks, in thee fome bleffed Spirit doth speak

His powerful found, within an organ
And what impoffibility would flay

weak;

In common fenfe, fenfe faves another way.
Thy life is dear; for all that life can rate
Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate:
(9) Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all
That happiness and prime can happy call;
Thou this to hazard, needs must intimate
Skill infinite, or monftrous defperate.
Sweet Practifer, thy phyfick I will try ;
That minifters thine own death, if I die.

Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property
Of what I fpoke, unpitied let me die,

And well deferv'd! Not helping, death's my fee;
But if I help, what do you promise me?

(9) Touth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all, &c.] This Verse is too hort by a Foot; and apparently fome Diffyllable is drop'd out by Mifchance. Mr. Warburton concurr'd with me in Conjecture to fupply the Verse thus:

Touth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all, &c. Helena had laid a particular Strefs on her maiden Reputation; and the King, afterwards, when he comes to speak of her to Bertram, fays;

If the be

All that is virtuous, (fave, What thou diflikt,

A poor Phyfician's Daughter;) thon diflik'ft

of Virtue for her name :

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