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Hel. I will tell truth; by Grace itself, I fwear.
You know, my father left me fome prefcriptions
Of rare and prov'd effects; fuch as his reading
And manifeft experience had collected

For general fov'reignty; and that he will'd me,
In heedfull'ft refervation to bestow them,
As notes, whofe faculties inclusive were,
More than they were in note: amongst the reft,
'There is a remedy, approv'd, fet down,
To cure the defperate languishings, whereof
The King is render'd loft.

Count. This was your motive for Paris, was it, fpeak?

Hel. My lord your fon made me to think of this; Elfe Paris, and the medicine, and the King, Had from the converfation of my thoughts, Haply, been absent then.

Count. But think you, Helen,

If you should tender your fuppofed aid,
He would receive it? he and his phyficians
Are of a mind; he, that they cannot help him:
They, that they cannot help. How fhall they credit
A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools,
Embowell'd of their doctrine, have left off
The danger to itself?

I

Hel. There's fomething hints

More than my father's fkill (which was the great'ft Of his Profeffion) that his good receipt

Shall for my legacy be fanctified

9 Notes, whofe faculties in clufive.] Receipts in which greater virtues were inclofed than appeared to obfervation.

There's fomething IN'T More than my father's skill

that kis good receipt, &c,] Here is an inference [that] with out any thing preceding, to

which it refers, which makes the fentence vicious, and fhews that we should read,

-

There's fomething HINTS More than my father's skill, that his good receipt· i. e. I have a fecret premonition or prefage.

WARBURTON.
By

By th' luckiest stars in heav'n; and, would your ho

nour

But give me leave to try fuccefs, I'd venture
The well-loft life of mine on his Grace's Cure,
By fuch a day and hour.

Count. Doft thou believ't?

Hel. Ay, Madam, knowingly.

Count. Why, Helen, thou fhalt have my leave and love:

Means and attendants; and my loving greetings
To those of mine in Court. I'll stay at home,
And pray God's bleffing into thy attempt:
Begone, to-morrow; and be fure of this,
What I can help thee to, thou shalt not miss.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

The Court of France.

Enter the King, with divers young Lords taking leave for the Florentine war. Bertram and Parolles.

F

Flourish Cornets.

KING.

Arewel, young Lords. Thefe warlike principles Do not throw from you. You, my Lords, farewel;

2 In all the latter copies thefe

Lines flood thus:

Farewel, young Lords; thefe
warlike principles
Do not throw from you. You,
my Lords, farewel;
Share the advice betwixt you;
if both again,

Share

The gift doth firetch itself as 'tis receiv'd.] The third line in that state was unintelligible. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads thus:

Farewel young Lord, these warlike principles

D.

Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all,
The gift doth ftretch itself as 'tis received,
And is enough for both.

I Lord. 'Tis our hope, Sir,

After well-enter'd foldiers, to return
And find your Grace in health.

King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart
Will not confefs, it owns the malady

That doth my life befiege; farewel, young Lords:
Whether I live or die, be you the fons
Of worthy Frenchmen; let higher Italy

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Of the loft Monarchy ;) fee, &c.] This is obfcure. Italy, at the time of this fcene, was under three very different tenures. The emperor, as fucceffot of the Roman emperors, had one part; the pope, by a pretended donation from Conftantine, another; and the third was compofed of free ftates. Now by the last monarchy is meant the Roman, the laft of the four general monarchies. Upon the fall of this monarchy, in the fcramble, feveral cities fet up for themselves, and became free ftates: now these VOL. III.

Thofe

might be faid properly to inherit the fall of the monarchy. This being premifed, let us now confider fenfe. The king fays, higher Italy; giving it the

rank of preference to France; but he corrects himself and says, I except thofe from that precedency, who only inherit the fall of the laft monarchy; as all the little petty ftates; for inftance, Florence to whom thefe voluntiers were going. As if he had faid, I give the place of honour to the emperor and the pope, but not to the free ftates.

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Thofe 'bated, that inherit but the Fall
Of the laft Monarchy; fee, that you come
Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when
The brave St. Queftant fhrinks, find what you feek,
That Fame may cry you loud: I fay, farewel.

2 Lord. Health at your bidding ferve your Majefty!
King. Thofe girls of Italy, take heed of them
They lay, our French lack language to deny,
If they demand. Beware of being captives,
Before you ferve.

Both. Our hearts receive your warnings.

King. Farewel. Come hither to me. [To Bertram.

[Exit. 1 Lord. Oh, my sweet Lord, that you will stay behind us!

Par. 'Tis not his fault; the fpark

Italy, their chief town being
Ariminum, now called Rimini,
upon the Adriatick.
HANMER.

Sir T. Hanmer reads,
Those baftards that inherit, &c.
with this note.

Reflecting upon the abject and degenerate condition of the Ci

ties and States which arose out of the ruins of the Roman Empire, the last of the four great Monarchies of the World.

HANMER.

Dr. Warburton's obfervation is learned, but rather too fubile; Sir Tho. Hanmer's alteration is merely arbitrary. The paffage is confeffedly obfcure, and therefore I may offer another explanation. I am of opinion that the epithet higher is to be underftood of fituation rather than of dignity. The fenfe may then be this, Let upper Italy, where you are to exercife your valour, fee that you come to gain honour, to the abatement, that is, to the 4

difgrace and depreffion of thfe that have now loft their ancient military fame, and inherit but the fall of the lafi monarchy. To abate is ufed by Shakespeare in the original fenfe of abatre, to deprefs, to fink, to deject, to fubdue. So in Coriolanus,

'till ignorance deliver you, As moft abated captives to fome

nation

That axon you without blows. And bated is ufed in a kindred fenfe in the Jew of Venice, in a bondman's ky With bated breath and whifp'ring humbleness.

The word has fill the fame meaning in the language of the law.

4

Beware of being cap

tives, Before you ferve. ] The word ferve is equivocal; the fenfe is, Be not captives before you ferve in the war. Be not captives before you are foldiers. 2 Lord.

2 Lord. Oh, 'tis brave wars.

Par. Moft admirable; I have feen thofe wars.

Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with, Too young, and the next year, and 'tis too early. Par. An thy mind ftand to it, boy,

bravely.

fteal away

Ber. Shall I ftay here a fore horse to a fmock, Creeking my fhoes on the plain masonry,

'Till Honour be bought up, and no fword worn But one to dance with? by heav'n, I'll steal away. 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft.

Par. Commit it, Count.

2 Lord. I am your acceffary, and fo farewel. Ber. I grow to you, and our parting is a tortur'd body.

1 Lord. Farewel, Captain.

2 Lord. Sweet Monfieur Parolles!

6

Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin; good fparks and luftrous. A word, good metals. 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. 2 Lord. We fhall, noble captain.. Par. Mars doat on you for his novices! what will

ye do?

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