1 Gent. I cannot delve him to the root: His

father

Was call'd Sicilius, who did join his honour,
Against the Romans, with Caffibelan;
But had his titles by Tenantius, whom
He ferv'd with glory and admir'd fuccefs;
So gain'd the fur-addition, Leonatus:
And had, besides this gentleman in question,
Two other fons; who, in the wars o'the time,
Dy'd with their fwords in hand: for which, their
father

(Then old and fond of iffue) took fuch forrow,
That he quit being; and his gentle lady,
Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceas'd
As he was born. The king, he takes the babe
To his protection; calls him Pofthumus;
Breeds him, and makes him of his bed-chamber:
s Puts to him all the learning that his time
Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, faft as 'twas minister'd; and
In his fpring became a harvest: Liv'd in court,
(Which rare it is to do) most prais'd, most lov'd:
A fample

6

s Puts to him all the learnings that his time, &c.] is the reading of most other modern editions, and, probably, of the ancient, which, however, is in thofe of Steevens, &c. well altered to "learning" in the fingular. EDITOR.

(Which rare it is to doj moft prais'd, moft lov'd:] This encomium is high and artful. To be at once in any great degree loved and praised, is truly rare. JOHNSON,

A fample to the youngest; to the more mature
A glafs that feated them; and to the graver,

"A glafs that featur'd them ;— -] all the modern editions, I know not

for

A glass that feared them ;

A child

Such is the reading in by whom first substituted

I have displaced featur'd, though it can plead long prefcription, because I am inclined to think that feared has the better title. Mirrour was a favourite word in that age for an example, or a pattern, by noting which the manners were to be formed, as dress is regulated by looking in a glass. When Don Bellianis is stiled The Mirrour of Knighthood, the idea given is not that of a glass in which every knight may behold his own resemblance, but an example to be viewed by knights as often as a glass is looked upon by girls; to be viewed, that they may know, not what they are, but what they ought to be. Such a glass may fear the more mature, as displaying excellencies which they have arrived at maturity without attaining. To fear, is here, as in other places, to fright.

If feated be the right word, it must, I think, be explained thus: a glafs that formed them; a model, by the contemplation and inspection of which they formed their manners. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnfon is certainly wrong in faying that Mirrour of Knighthood does not give the idea of a glass, but of an example. Miroir de Chevalerie, Specchio di cavalleria, Efpejo de cavallerias, are all a looking-glafs for chivalry. And fo is the word properly rendered in our English versions of the history of Don Quixote, who is called " a looking-glass, in which all the valiant knights of the world may behold themselves." REMARKS CRITICAL, &c.

Feated is the old reading.

This passage may be well explained by another in the first part of King Henry IV :

He was indeed the glass

Wherein

8

A child that guided dotards: to his mistress, For whom he now is banish'd,-her own price Proclaims how the esteem'd him and his virtue; By her election may be truly read,

What kind of man he is.

2 Gent. I honour him

Even out of your report. But, pray you, tell me, Is the fole child to the king?

1 Gent. His only child.

He had two fons, (if this be worth your hearing,
Mark it) the eldest of them at three years old,
I' the fwathing clothes the other, from their

nurfery

Wherein the noble youths did dress themselves. Again, Ophelia defcribes Hamlet, as

The glass of fashion, and the mould of form.

Were

To dress themselves therefore may be to form themselves, Dreffer, in French, is to form. To drefs a Spaniel is ta break him in.

Feat is nice, exact. So in the Tempest:

--look, how well my garments fit upon me,

Much feater than before.

To feat therefore may be a verb meaning-to render nice, exact by the dress of Pofthumus, even the more mature courtiers condefcended to regulate their external appearance. STEEVENS.

I cannot but suspect, after all, that featur'd was the genuine word. EDITOR.

-to his miftrefs, &c.] The prefent pointing shews a break in the fenfe, and that fomething is left to be supplied by ourselves; which is eafily deducible from what goes be

forc

Were ftol'n; and, to this hour, no guess in

knowledge

Which way they went.

92 Gent. How long is this ago?

I Gent. Some twenty years.

2 Gent. That a king's children fhould be fo convey'd !

So flackly guarded! And the fearch fo flow,
That could not trace them!

1 Gent. Howfoe'er 'tis ftrange,

Or that the negligence may well be laugh'd at,
Yet is it true, fir.

2 Gent. I do well believe you.

I Gent. We muft forbear: Here comes the

gentleman,

The queen, and princefs.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

II.

Enter the QUEEN, POSTHUMUS, and IMOGEN.

Queen. No, be affur'd, you shall not find me,

daughter,

After

The place is the fame, and no interval of time between the business of this and the former Scene.

fore;-" to his mistress, &c." (it is needless to say what he was ;) the value that fhe difcovered in him, may be eftimated by that of herself. CAPELL.

9 How long is this ago?] The ignorance of the fecond gentleman respecting matters which we must neceffarily fuppofe

to

After the flander of moft ftep-mothers,
Evil-ey'd unto you: you're my prisoner, but
Your gaoler fhall deliver you the keys

That lock up your restraint. For you, Pofthumus,
So foon as I can win the offended king,

I will be known your advocate: marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him; and 'twere good,
You lean'd unto his fentence, with what patience
Your wifdom may inform you.

Poft. Please your highness,
I will from hence to-day.

Queen. You know the peril :

I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying
The pangs of barr'd affections; though the king
Hath charg'd you fhould not speak together. [Exit.
Imo. O

Diffembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant

Can tickle where fhe wounds !-My deareft huf

I

band,

I fomething fear my father's wrath; but nothing, (Always referv'd my holy duty) what

His

to be of fuch general notoriety, can only be accounted for by imagining him a stranger, or one long abfent from the Court.

1

EDITOR.

I fomething fear my father's wrath, c.] Her refpect and affection for her father makes her fear to encounter his wrath, though the dreads not any punishment which it may prompt kim to inflict upon her.

2

EDITOR.

(Always referv'd my holy duty)] I fay I do not fear my father, fo far as I may say it without breach of duty.

JOHNSON.