A phanix, 4 captain, and an enemy,
A guide, a goddefs, and a sovereign,'
A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear
His humble ambition, proad humility,
His jarring concord, and his discord dulcet,
His faith, his fweet difafter ; with a world
Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms;7

That 4. A phenix, &c.] The eight liftes following friend, I am persuaded, is the nonsense of some foolish conceited player. What put it into his head was Helen's saying, as it should be read for the future :

There shall your master have a thousand loves ;
" A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,

I knour not wbat be shall-Gud send him well. Where the fellow, finding a thousand loves spoken of, and only three reckoned up, namely, a mother's, a mistress’s, and a friend's, (which, by the way, were all a judicious writer could mention ; for there are but there three species of love in nature) he would help out the number, by the in termediate nonsense; and, because they were yet too few, he pieces out his loves with enmities, and makes of the whole luch finished nonsense, as is never heard out of Bedlam. WARBURTON.

5 Our author often uses this word for a head or chief. MALONE.

6 It seems that traitress was in that age a term of endearment, for when Lafeu introduces Helená to the king, he says,~"You are like a traytor, but such traytors his majesty does not much fear.” JOHNSON.

I cannot conceive that traitress (spoken seriously) was in any age a term of endearment. From the present paslage, we might as well suppose enemy (in the last line but one) to be a term of endearment. In the other paffage quoted, Lafeu is plainly speaking ironically. TYRWHITT.

Traditora, a traitress, in the Italian language, is generally used as a term of endearment. The meaning of Helen is, that the shall prove every ibing to Bertram. Our ancient writers delighted in catalogues, and al. ways characterize love by contrarieties. : STEEVENS.

Falstaff, in Tbe. Merry Wives of Windsor, says to Mrs. Ford : “ Thou art a traitor to say fo.” In his interview with her, he certainly meant to use the language of love. 1

Helena however, I think, does not mean to say that she shall prove every thing to Bertram, but to express her apprehension that he will find at the court fome lady or ladies who shall prove every thing to him; (“ a phenix, captain, counsellor, traitress; &c.") to whom he will give all the fond names that 6 blinking Cupid goflips. MALONE.

I belicve it would not be difficult to find in the love poetry of those times an authority for most, if not for every one, of these whimsical titles. At least I can affirm it from knowledge, that far the greater part of them are to be found in the Italian lyrick poetry, which was the model from which our poets chiefly copied. HEATH. ? This word, which fignifies the collective body of christianity, every

That blinking Cupid gossips. Now shall he-----
I know not what he mall :-God send him well!
The court's a learning-place ;~and he is one-

Par. What one, i'faith?
Hel. That I wish well,— 'Tis pity-
Par. What's pity ?
Hel. That wilhing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt that we, the poorer born,
Whose baser stars do shut us up in wishes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends,
And show what we alone must think ; 8 which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter a Page.
Page. Monsieur Parolles, my lord calls for you.

[Exit Page. Par. Little Helen, farewell : if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court.

Hel. Monsieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable ftar.

Par. Under Mars, I.
Hel. I especially think, under Mars.
Par. Why under Mars ?

Hel. The wars have so kept you under, that you must needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.
Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.
Par. Why think you

fo
Hel. You go so much backward, when you fight.
Par. That's for advantage.

Hel. So is running away, when fear proposes the safety : But the composition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, 9 and I like the wear well.

Par. place where the christian religion is embraced, is surely used with much licence on the present occasion." STEEVENS. & And show by realities what we now muft only tbink.. JOHNSON.

is a virtue of a good wing,] Mr. Edwards is of opinion, that a virtue of a good wing refers to his nimbleness or fleetness in running away. The phras, however, is taken from falconry, as may appear from the following poilage in Marston's Fawne, 1606 : " I love my horse

thee ;

Par. I am so full of businesses, I cannot answer thee acutely: I will return perfect courtien; in the which, my instruction shall serve to naturalize thee, so thou wilt be ca. pable of a courtier's counsel, 2 and understand what advice Thall thrust upon

else thou dieft in thine unthankfulmess, and thine ignorance makes thee away : farewell. When thou hast leisure, say thy prayers; when thou halt none remember thy friends, get thee a good husband, and. use him as he uses thee : so farewell.

[Exit.. Hil. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie; Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull Our low designs, when we ourselves are dull. What power is it, which mounts my Live so high; That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye ? 3. The mightieft fpace in. fortune nature brings To join like likes, and kiss like native things. Impossible be strange attempts, to those That weigh their pains in fenfe ; and do fuppofe, What hath been scannot be : Who ever trove To low her merit, that did miss her love?

The after a journeying easi ess, as he is easy in journeying ;: my hawk, for the goodriefs of his wing, &c." Or it may be taken fr m.dress : So, in Every Man out of bis Hur.oun: “.] would have mine such a fw it without a difference ; luch ftult, such a wing, such a neeve," &c.. Mr. Toiles observes, that a good wing signifies a Arong wing in Lord Bacon's Natural Hjtory, experiment 866: “ Certainly many birds of a good wing (as kites and the like) would bear up a good weight as they Ay." STEEVENS.

The meaning of this pasage appears to be this :: " If your valour willy suffer you to go backward for advantage, a. di your fear for th: Came rea. fun will make you run away, the c) pofition that your valour and fear make in you, must be a virtue that wil Äy far and Iwiftly.". A bird of a good wing, is a bird of swift and strong Aight.

Though the latter part of this fentence is fense as it standsg, I cannot help thinking that there is an erroz in it, and that we ought to read " And is like to wear well.”. Instead of “I like .be wear well.

M. MASON. 2 i. e. thou wilt comprehendit. MALONE

3 She means, by what influence is my love directed to a perfon so much above me? why am I made to discern excellence, and left to long after it, without the food of hope Johnson.

Things formed by nature for each other. M. MASON, s These four lines are obscure, and, I bclicve, corrupt ; I shall propose

The king's disease-my project rnay deceive me,
But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave ine.

[Exil.

SCENE II.

Paris. A Room in the King's Palaie,
Flourish of cornets. Enter the King of France, with letters;

Lords and others attending.
King. The Florentines and Senoys 6 are by the ears ;
Have fought with equal fortune, and continue
A braving war.
i Lord.

So 'tis reported, fir.
King. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it
A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Austria,
With caution, that the Florencine will move us
For speedy aid ; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business, and would seem
To hare us make denial.
i Lord.
His love and wisdom,

Approva an emendation, which thofe who can explain the present reading, are at liberty to reject :

Through migbrieff space in fortune nature brings

Likes to join likes, and kiss like native ibings.. That is, nature brings like qualities and dispofitions to meet through any distance that fortune may let between them; the joins them and makes them kiss like things born togetber. The next lines I read with Sir T. Hanmer :

Impoffible be frange attempts to tbose
Ibat weigh ibeir pains in Jense, and do fui pose

Wbat ha'n't been, cannot be. New attempts feem impoffible to those who estimate their labour or en. terprises by fenfe, and believe that nothing can be but what they see before them. JOHNSON.

I understand the meaning to be this-Tbe affections given us by nature Ofren unite perfms berween wbom fortune or accident bas placed i be greatest disiance or disparity; and cause tbem to join, like likes, (initar parium) like pera fons in the fame frustion or rank of life. MALONE. 6 The Sanesi,

they are termed by Boccace. Painter, who tranf. fates nim, calls them Senois.' They were the people of a small republick, of which the capital was Sienna. The Florentines were at perpetual vari. arxe with them. STILVENS.

Approv'd so to your majesty, may plead
For amplest credence.
King

He hath arm’d our answer,
And Florence is denied before he comes :
Yet, for our gentlemen, that mean to see
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To stand on either part.
2 Lörd.

It may well ferve
A nursery to our gentry, who are fick
For breathing and exploit.
King:

What's he comes here?
Enter Bertram, Lofev, and PAROLLÉ S.
i Lord. It is the count Rousillon,7 iy good lord,
Young Bertram.
King

Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face;
Frank nature, rather curious than in haste,
Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts
May'lt thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

Ber. My thanks and duty are your majesty's.

King. I w.uld I had that corporal soundness now,
As when thy father, and myself, in friendship
First try'd our foldiership! He did look far
Into the service of the time, and was
Diseipled of the bravest : he lafted long;
But on us both did haggish

age steal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father : 8 In his youth
He had the wit, which I can well observe
To-day in our young lords ; but they may jest,
Till their own scorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour.'

So

? The old copy reads Rosignoll. STEEVENS.
8 To repair, in these plays, generally signifies, to renovate.

MALONE. 9 I believe honour is not dignity of birtb or rank, but acquired reputation :-Your father, says the king, bad i be fame airy flights of satirical wit with the young lords of the present time, but they do not wbat be did, hide their unnoted levity, in honour, cover petty faults with great merit.

This is an excellent observation. Jocose follies, and Night offences,

are