King. Rebuke me not for That, which you pro voke ; The virtue of your eye muft break my oath. Prin. You nick-name virtue; vice you should have spoke : For virtue's office never breaks men's troth, A world of torments though I fhould endure, King. How, Madam, Ruffians? Prin. Ay, in truth, my lord; Trim gallants, full of courtship, and of state. Rof. Madam, fpeak true. It is not fo, my lord; My lady, to the manner of these days, In courtesy gives undeserving praise. We four, indeed, confronted were with four The virtue of your eye MUST break my oath.] Common fenfe requires us to read, MADE break my oath, i. e. made me. And then the reply is pertinent-It was the force of your beauty that made me break my oath, therefore you ought not to upbraid me with a crime which you yourself was the caufe of. WARBURTON. I believe the author means that the virtue, in which word goodness and power are both comprifed, muft diffolve the obligation of the oath. The princefs, in her anfwer, takes the most in vidious part of the ambiguity, Biron. This jeft is dry to me. Fair, gentle, fweet, Your wit makes wife things foolish; when we greet With eyes best seeing heaven's fiery eye, By light we lose light; your capacity Is of that nature, as to your huge store Wife things feem foolish, and rich things but poor. Rof. This proves you wife and rich; for in my eye Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty. Rof. But that you take what doth to you belong, It were a fault to fnatch words from my tongue. Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I poffefs. Rof. All the fool mine? Biron. I cannot give you lefs. Rof. Which of the vizors was it that you wore? Biron. Where? when? what vizor? why demand you this? Rof. There, then, that vizor, that fuperfluous Cafe, That hid the worfe, and fhew'd the better face. King. We are defcried; they'll mock us now downright. Dum. Let us confefs, and turn it to a jeft. Prin. Amaz'd, my lord? why looks your Highness fad? Rof. Help, hold his brows, he'll fwoon: why look you pale? Sea-fick, I think, coming from Muscovy. Biron. Thus pour the ftars down plagues for Per jury. Can any face of brafs hold longer out? Here ftand I, lady, dart thy skill at me; Bruise me with fcorn, confound me with a flout; Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my ignorance; And I will with thee never more to dance, This is a very lofty and elegant compliment. O! ne O! never will I truft to fpeeches penn'd, Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue, Nor never come in vizor to my friend, Nor woo in rhime, like a blind harper's fong. Taffata-phrafes, filken terms precife, Three-pil'd hyperboles, fpruce affectation, Figures pedantical, thefe fummer-flies, Have blown me full of maggot oftentation: I do forfwear them; and I here proteft, By this white glove, (how white the hand, God Henceforth my wooing mind fhall be expreft Biron. Yet I have a trick Of the old rage: bear with me, I am fick. Prin. No, they are free, that gave these tokens to us. Biron. Our ftates are forfeit, seek not to undo us. Rof. It is not fo; for how can this be true 2, That you stand forfeit, being those that fue? Biren. Peace, for I will not have to do with you. Rof. Write, &c.] This was the infcription put upon the door of the houses infected with the plague, to which Biron compares the love of himself and his companions; and pursuing the metaphor finds the tokens likewife on the ladies. The tokens of the plague are the firft fpots or dif colorations by which the infec tion is known to be received. 2 how can this be true That you should forfeit, being thofe that Jue.] That is, how can those be liable to forfeiture that begin the process. The jeft Rof. Nor fhall not, if I do as I intend. Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end. King. Teach us, fweet Madam, for our rude tranfgreffion Some fair excuse. Prin. The fairest is confeffion. Were you not here, but even now, disguis'd? King. Madam, I was. Prin. And were you well advis'd? King. I was, fair Madam. Prin. When you then were here, What did you whisper in your lady's ear? King. That more than all the world I did refpec her. Prin. When the fhall challenge this, you will reject her. King. Upon mine honour, no. Your oath once broke, you force not to forfwear3. Rof. Madam, he fwore, that he did hold me dear As precious eye-fight; and did value me Above this world; adding thereto, moreover, That he would wed me, or elfe die my lover. Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord Moft honourably doth uphold his word. King. What mean you, Madam? by my life, my troth, I never swore this lady such an oath. Rof. By heav'n, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this; but take it, Sir, again. jeft lies in the ambiguity of fue, which fignifies to projecute by law, or to offer a petition." 3 You force not to forfwear.] You force not is the fame with you make no difficulty. This is a very juft obfervation. The crime which has been once committed, is committed again with lefs reluctance. King. My faith, and this, to th' Princess I did give; I knew her by this jewel on her fleeve. Prin. Pardon me, Sir, this jewel did fhe wear: (Knowing aforehand of our merriment) Some carry-tale, fome please-man, fome flight zany, That fmiles his cheek in years 4, and knows the trick Foreftal our sport, to make us thus untrue? |