Dreaming on both: for all thy bleffed youth" 6 for all thy blessed youth Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms Of palfied eld; and when thou'rt old and rich, The drift of this period is to prove, that neither youth nor age can be faid to be really enjoyed, which, in poetical language, is, We have neither youth nor age. But how is this made out? That age is not enjoyed he proves, by recapitulating the infirmities of it, which deprive that period of life of all fenfe of pleasure. To prove that youth is not enjoyed, he uses these words, -for all thy bleed youth Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms Of palfied eld; Out of which, he that can deduce the conclufion, has a better knack at logic than I have. I fuppofe the poet wrote, -For pall'd, thy blazed youth Becomes affuaged; and doth beg the alms i, e. when thy youthful appetite becomes palled, as it will be in the very enjoyment, the blaze of youth is at once affuaged, and thou immediately contracteft the infirmities of old age; as parti cularly the palfy and other nervous diforders, confequent on the inordinate ufe of fenfual pleasures. This is to the purpose; and proves youth is not enjoyed, by fhewing the fhort duration of it. WARBURTON. Here again I think Dr. Warburton totally mistaken. Shakefpeare declares that man has neither youth nor age; for in youth, which is the happieft time, or which might be the happiest, he commonly wants means to obtain what he could enjoy; he is dependent on palfied eld: muft beg alms from the coffers of hoary avarice; and being very niggardly fupplied, becomes as aged, looks, like an old man, on happiness which is beyond his reach. And, when he is old and rich, when he has wealth enough for the purchase of all that formerly excited his defires, he has no longer the powers of enjoyment; -bas neither heat, affection, limb, nor beauty, To make his riches pleasant. I have explained this paffage according to the prefent reading, which may ftand without much inconvenience; yet I am willing to perfuade my reader, because I have almost perfuaded myself, that our author wrote, -for all thy blasted youth Of Of palfied eld; and when thou art old, and rich, Claud. I humbly thank you. To fue to live, I find, I feek to die; And, feeking death, find life: Let it come on. 7 Enter Ifabella. Ifab. What, ho! Peace here; grace and good company! Prov. Who's there? Come in the with deferves a welcome. Duke. Dear fir, ere long I'll vifit you again. palfied eld; Eld is generally used for old age, decrepitude. It is here put for old people, perfons worn out with years. So in Marston's Dutch Courtezan, 1604: "Let colder eld their strong objections move." Again, in our author's Merry Wives of Windfor: "The fuperftitious idle-headed eld.' Gower ufes it for age as oppofed to youth: "His elde had turned into youth." De Confeffione Amantis. lib, v. fol. 106. STEEVENS, 8-beat, affection, limb, nor beauty] But how does beauty make riches pleasant? We should read bounty, which completes the fenfe, and is this; thou haft neither the pleasure of enjoying riches thyfelf, for thou wanteft vigour; nor of feeing it enjoyed by others, for thou wantest bounty. Where the making the want of bounty as infeparable from old age as the want of health, is extremely fatyrical, though not altogether juft. WARBURTON. I am inclined to believe, that neither man nor woman will have much difficulty to tell how beauty makes riches pleafant. Surely this emendation, though it is elegant and ingenious, is not fuch as that an opportunity of inferting it fhould be purchased by declaring ignorance of what every one knows, by confeffing infenfibility of what every one feels. JOHNSON. 9 -more thousand deaths:-] For this fir T. Hanmer reads: -a thousand deaths: The meaning is not only a thousand deaths, but a thousand deaths befides what have been mentioned. JOHNSON. Claud. Claud. Moft holy fir, I thank you. Ifab. My bufinefs is a word or two, with Claudio. Prov. And very welcome. Look, fignior, here's your fifter. Duke. Provoft, a word with you, Duke. Bring them to speak where I may be conceal'd, Yet hear them'. Exeunt Duke and Provost. Claud. Now, fifter, what's the comfort? Ifab. Why, as all comforts are; moft good in deed': Lord Angelo, having affairs to heaven, Where you fhall be an everlafting leiger 3: Bring them to fpeak where I may be concealed, There Thus the modern editions. The old copy, published by the players, gives the paffage thus: Bring them to hear me speak, where I may be conceal'd. I believe we should read: Bring me to hear them fpeak, where I may be conceal'd. STEEVENS. The fecond folio authorizes the reading of the modern editions. TYRWHITT. 2 as all comforts are; moft good in deed:] If this reading be right, Ifabella muft mean that the brings fomething better than words of comfort, fhe brings an affurance of deeds. This is harth and constrained, but I know not what better to offer. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads, -in speed. The old copy reads: Why, JOHNSON. "As all comforts are: moft good, most good indeede." I believe the old reading, as explained by Dr. Johnfon, is the true one. So in Macbeth: "We're yet but young in deed." STEEVENS. 3 --an everlafting leiger: Therefore your best appointment] Leiger is the fame with refident. Appointment; preparation; act of fitting, or state of being fitted for any thing. So in old books, we have a knight well appointed; that is, well armed and mounted or fitted at all points. JOHNSON. The Therefore your best appointment + make with speed; To-morrow you set on. Claud. Is there no remedy? Ifab. None, but fuch remedy, as, to fave a head, To cleave a heart in twain. Claud. But is there any? Ifab. Yes, brother, you may live; If you'll implore it, that will free your life, Claud. Perpetual durance? Ifab. Ay, juft, perpetual durance; a restraint, Cland. But in what nature? Ifab. In fuch a one as (you confenting to't) Would bark your honour from that trunk you bear, And leave you naked. Claud. Let me know the point. Ifab Oh, I do fear thee, Claudio; and I quake, The word lieger is thus used in the Comedy of Look about You, "Why do you stay, Sir? 1600: "Madam, as leiger to folicit for your abfent love." STEEVENS. your beft appointment-] The word appointment, on this occafion, fhould feem to comprehendcon feffion, communion, and abfolution. "Let him (fays Efcalus) be furnish'd with divines, and have all charitable preparation." The King in Hamlet, who was cut off prematurely, and without fuch preparation, is faid to be dif-appointed. Appointment, however, may be more fimply explained by the following paffage in The Antipodes, 1638: -your lodging "Is decently appointed.' a reftraint, To a determin'd fcope.] i. e. prepar'd, furnished. STEEVENS. A confinement of your mind to one painful idea; to ignominy, of which the remembrance can neither be fuppreffed nor escaped. JOHNSON. Left Left thou a feverous life fhould'ft entertain, Claud. Why give you me this fhame ? And hug it in mine arms. Ifab. There fpake my brother; there my father's grave Did utter forth a voice! Yes, thou must die: In bafe appliances. This outward-fainted deputy,— Nips youth i' the head, and follies doth emmew His The poor beetle, &c.] The reasoning is, that death is no more than every being must fuffer, though the dread of it is peculiar to man; or perhaps, that we are inconfiftent with ourselves, when we fo much dread that which we carelefly inflict on other creatures, that feel the pain as acutely as we. JOHNSON. 7 I will encounter darkness as a bride, So in the first part of Feronimo, or the Spanish Tragedy, 1605: 8 66 "That yawning beldam, with her jetty skin, "'Tis the I bug as mine effeminate bride." STEEVENS. -follies doth emmew.] Forces follies to lie in cover without daring to fhow themselves. JOHNSON. 9 As faulcon doth the fowl,-] In whofe prefence the follies of youth are afraid to fhew themselves, as the fowl is afraid to flut-ter while the falcon hovers over it, So in the Third Part of K. Henry VI: "The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, "Dares ftir a wing, if Warwick shakes his bells." To |