ginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion; richly fuited, but unfuitable; just like the brooch and the tooth-pick, which we wear not now; your date is better in your pye and your porridge, than in your cheek; and your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French wither'd pears; it looks ill, it eats drily; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was formerly better; marry, yet 'tis a'wither'd pear. Will you any thing with it?

Hel. Not my virginity yet.

There fhall you mafter have a thousand loves,
A mother, and a miftrefs, and a friend,
A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,
A guide, a goddess, and a Sovereign,
A counsellor, a traitrefs, and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility;
His jarring concord; and his difcord dulcet;
His faith, his fweet difafter; with a world
Of pretty fond adoptious christendoms,
That blinking Cupid goffips. Now fhall he
I know not, what he fhall-God fend him well!
The court's a learning place and he is one-
Par. What one, i' faith?

Hel. That I wish well-tis pity

Par. What's pity?

Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt; that we the poorer born,
Whofe bafer ftars do fhut us up in withes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends;
And fhew what we alone must think, which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter Page.

Page. Monfieur Parolles,

My Lord calls for you.

Exit Page.

Par. Little Helen, farewel; if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court.

Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable ftar.

Hel. I especially think, under Mars.

Par. Why under Mars?

Hel. The wars have kept you fo under, that you muft needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.

Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.
Par. Why think fo?

you

Hel. You go. fo much backward, when you fight.
Par. That's for advantage.

Hel. So is running away, when fear propofes fafety :: but the compofition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

Par. I am fo full of bufineffes, as I cannot answer, thee acutely: I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall ferve to naturalize thee, so, thou wilt be capable of courtiers counfel, and under.. ftand what advice fhall thruft upon thee; elfe thou, dieft in thine unthankfulnefs, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou haft leisure,. fay thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember thy friends; get thee a good hufband, and use him as he ufes thee: fo farewel. [Exit..

Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we afcribe to heav'n. The fatal fky
Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull.
What power is it, which mounts my love fo high,,
That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?
The mightieft fpace in fortune nature brings
To join like likes; and kifs, like native things.
Impoffible be ftrange attempts, to those

That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do fuppofe,
What hath been, cannot be. Who ever ftrove
To fhew her merit, that did mifs her love?
The King's disease-my project may deceive me,
But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me. [Exit.

SCENE changes to the Court of France. Flourish Cornets. Enter the King of France with letters,

King

T

and divers Attendants.

HE Florentines and Senoys are by th' ears; Have fought with equal fortune, and continue: A braving war.

1 Lord. So 'tis reported, Sir.

King. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it,
A certainty vouch'd from our coufin Auftria;
With caution, that the Florentine will move us
For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the bufinefs, and would feem.
To have us make denial.

1 Lord. His love and wisdom,. Approv'd fo to your Majefty, may plead For ample credence.

King. He hath arm'd our answer;

And Florence is deny'd, before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to fee
The Tufcan fervice, freely have they leave
To ftand on either part.

2 Lord. It may well ferve

A nursery to our gentry, who are fick
For breathing and exploit.

King. What's he comes here?

Enter Bertram, Lafeu and Parolles.

1 Lord. It is the Count Roufillon, my good Lord,, Young Bertram.

King. Youth, thou bear'ft thy father's face..
Frank nature, rather curious than in hafte,

Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts.
May'ft thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

Ber. My thanks and duty are your Majefty's.
King. I would, I had that corporal foundness now,
As when thy father and myself in friendship
First try'd our foldiership: he did look far
Into the fervice of the time, and was
Difcipled of the brav't. He lafted langs

Bat

But on us both did haggish age fteal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father; in his youth
He had the wit, which I can well obferve
To day in our young Lords; but they may jeft,
Till their own fcorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour:
So like a courtier, no contempt or bitternefs (4)
Were in him, pride or fharpnefs, if there were,
His equal had awak'd them; and his honour,
Clock to itself, knew the true minute when
Exceptions bid him fpeak; and at that time
His tongue obey'd his hand.. Who were below him.
He us'd as creatures of another place,

And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks;
Making them proud of his humility,

In their poor praise he humbled: Such a man

Might be a copy to these younger times;

Which, follow'd well, would now demonstrate them

But goers backward.

Ber. His good remembrance, Sir,

Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb;
So in approof lives not his epitaph,

As in your royal speech.

King. Would, I were with him! he would always fay (Methinks, I hear him now; his plaufive words He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them

To grow there and to bear ;) Let me not live,
(Thus his good melancholy oft began,
On the catastrophe and heel of pastime,,

(4) So like a courtier, no contempt or bitterness Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were, His equal bad awak'd them.—]

This paffage feems. fo very incorrectly pointed, that the author's meaning is loft in the careleffness. As the text and ftops are res form'd, these are most beautiful lines, and the fenfe this" He "had no contempt or bi terness; if he had any thing that look'd like "pride or fharpness, (of which qualities contempt and bitterness are "the excelles,) his equal had awak'd them, not his inferior; to "whom he fcorn'd to discover any thing that bore the fhadow of pride or harpness," Mr. Warburton.

When it was out,) let me not live, (quoth he,)
After my flame lacks oil; to be the fnuff
Of younger fpirits, whofe apprehensive fenfes
All but new things difdain; whofe judgments are
Mere fathers of their garments; whofe conftancies
Expire before their fathions:-this he wish'd.
I, after him, do after him with too,

(Since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home,)
I quickly were diffolved from my hive,

To give fome labourers room.

2 Lord. You're loved, Sing

They, that leaft lend it you, fhall lack you first.
King. I fill a place, I know't. How long is't, Count,
Since the phyfician at your father's died ?

He was much fam'd.

Ber. Some fix months, fince, my Lord.

King. If he were living, I would try him yet;Lend me an arm the reft have worn me out With feveral applications; nature and fickness. Debate it at their leisure.

My fon's no dearer,

Ber. Thank your Majefty,

Welcome, Count,

[Flourish, Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Counters's at Roufillon. Enter Countess, Steward and Clown.

Count. I

I

Will now hear; what fay you of this gentle woman?

Stew. Madam, the care I have had to even your content, I wish might be found in the calendar of my paft endeavours; (5) for then we wound our modesty,

and

(5) For then we wound our modefty, and make foul the clearness of dur deservings, zoben of ourselves we publish them.] This sentiment our author has again inculcated in his Troilus and Creffida.

The worthiness of praise distains his worth,

If he, that's prais'd, himself bring the pra fe forth.

I won't pretend, that Shakespeare is here treading in the Aeps of febylus; but that poet has fomething in his Agamemnon, which might very well be a foundation to what our author has advanced in both thefe paffages.