Speed. Launce! by mine honefty, welcome to 7 Milan. Laun. Forfwear not thyfelf, fweet youth; for I am not welcome. I reckon this always-that a man is never undone, till he be hang'd; nor never welcome to a place, till fome certain fhot be paid, and the hoftess say, welcome. Speed. Come on, you mad-cap, I'll to the alehouse with you prefently; where, for one fhot of five pence, thou fhalt have five thousand welcomes. But, firrah, how did thy mafter part with madam Julia? Laun. Marry, after they clos'd in earnest, they parted very fairly in jeft. Speed. But fhall fhe marry him? Laun. No. Speed. How then? fhall he marry her? Laun. No, neither. Speed. What, are they broken? Laun. No, they are both as whole as a fifh. Speed. Why then how ftands the matter with them? Laun. Marry, thus; when it ftands well with him, it ftands well with her. Speed. What an afs art thou? I understand thee not. Laun. What a block art thou, that thou canst not? My staff understands me. Speed. 7 It is Padua in the former editions. See the note on act III. POPE. My staff understands me.] This equivocation, miferable as it is, has been admitted by Milton in his great poem. B. vi: Speed. What thou say'st? Laun. Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me. Speed. It ftands under thee, indeed. Laun. Why, ftand-under and understand is all one. Speed. But tell me true, will't be a match? Laun. Afk my dog: if he fay, ay, it will; if he say, no, it will; if he shake his tail, and fay nothing, it will. Speed. The conclufion is then, that it will. Laun. Thou shalt never get fuch a fecret from me, but by a parable. Speed. 'Tis well that I get it fo. But, Launce, how fay'st thou, that my mafter is become a notable lover? Laun. I never knew him otherwife. Speed. Than how? Laun. A notable lubber, as thou reporteft him to be. Speed. Why, thou whorfon afs, thou mistakest me. Laun. Why, fool, I meant not thee; I meant thy mafter. Speed. I tell thee, my mafter is become a hot lover. Laun. Why, I tell thee, I care not though he burn himself in love. If thou wilt go with me to the ale-house, fo; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and not worth the name of a Chriftian. Speed. Why? Laun. Because thou haft not fo much charity in thee, as to go to the ale-house with a Chriftian: wilt thou go? Speed. At thy fervice. [Exeunt. SCENE 66 -The terms we fent were terms of weight, JOHNSON. the ale-houfe] The old copy reads only-the ale; and Ales Pro. To leave my Julia, fhall I be forfworn; To love fair Silvia, fhall I be forfworn; To wrong my friend, I fhall be much forfworn; Love bad me fwear, and love bids me forfwear: Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken; Ales were merry-meetings instituted in country places. Thus Ben "And all the neighbourhood, from old records It is to be obferved, that in the first folio edition, the only edition of authority, there are no directions concerning the fcenes; they have been added by the later editors, and may therefore be changed by any reader that can give more confiftency or regularity to the drama by fuch alterations. I make this remark in this place, because I know not whether the following foliloquy of Protheus is fo proper in the street. JOHNSON. 20 feet-fuggefting love,] To fuggeft is to temp: in our author's language. So again: "Knowing that tender youth is foon fuggefted." The fenfe is. O tempting love, if thou haft influenced me to fin, teach me to excufe it. Dr. Warburton reads, if I have finn’d; but, I think, not only without neceflity, but with lefs elegance. JOHNSON. But But there I leave to love, where I should love. If I keep them, I needs must lose myself; And Silvia, witnefs heaven, that made her fair!. I will forget that Julia is alive, 3 Myfelf, who am his competitor or rival, being admitted to his counfel. JOHNSON. Competitor is confederate, affiftant, partner. So in Antony and Cleopatra: "It is not Cæfar's natural vice, to hate and he is fpeaking of Lepidus, one of the triumvirate. STEEVENS, +-pretended flight ;] We may read intended flight. JOHNSON, Pretended flight is propofed or intended flight. So in Macbeth : What good could they pretend?" STEEVENS. 66 I fufpect that the author concluded the act with this couplet, and that the next scene should begin the third act; but the change, as it will add nothing to the probability of the action, is of no great importance. JOHNSON. ful. Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, affist me! And, even in kind love, I do conjure thee,— Who art the table wherein all my thoughts, Are vifibly character'd and engrav'd,To leffon me; and tell me fome good mean, How, with my honour, I may undertake A journey to my loving Protheus. Luc. Alas! the way is wearifome and long. ful. A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps; Much lefs fhall fhe, that hath love's wings to fly; And when the flight is made to one fo dear, Of fuch divine perfection, as fir Protheus. Luc. Better forbear, till Protheus make return. Jul. Oh, know'st thou not, his looks are my foul's food? Pity the dearth that I have pined in, By longing for that food fo long a time. Luc. I do not feek to quench your love's hot fire; But qualify the fire's extreme rage, Left it fhould burn above the bounds of reafon. burns: The current, that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'ft, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage; But, when his fair courfe is not hindered, He makes fweet mufick with the enamel'd ftones, Giving a gentle kifs to every fedge He |