A phoenix, 4 captain,5 and an enemy,
A guide, a goddefs, and a fovereign,'
A counfellor, a traitrefs," and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility,'
His jarring concord, and his difcord dulcet,
His faith, his fweet difafter; with a world
Of pretty, fond, adoptious chriffendoms,7

That

4 A phoenix, &c.] The eight lines following friend, I am perfuaded, is the nonfenfe of fome foolish conceited player. What put it into his head was Helen's faying, as it fhould be read for the future:

There fhall your mafter have a thousand loves;
"A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,

I know not what he shall—God fend him well.

Where the fellow, finding a thousand loves fpoken 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 the fe three fpecies of love in nature) he would help out the number, by the intermediate nonfenfe; and, because they were yet too few, he pieces out his loves with enmities, and makes of the whole fuch finished nonfenfe, as is never heard out of Bedlam. WARBURTON.

5 Our author often ufes 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 Helena to the king, he says,-" You are like a traytor, but fuch traytors his majefty does not much fear." JOHNSON.

I cannot conceive that traitress (fpoken feriously) was in any age a term of endearment. From the prefent, paffage, we might as well fuppofe 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 fhall prove every thing to Bertram. Our ancient writers delighted in catalogues, and always characterize love by contrarieties. STEEVENS.

Falstaff, in The Merry Wives of Windfor, fays to Mrs. Ford: "Thou art a traitor to fay fo." In his interview with her, he certainly meant to ufe the language of love.

Helena however, I think, does not mean to fay that she shall prove every thing to Bertram, but to exprefs her apprehenfion that he will find at the court fome lady or ladies who shall prove every thing to him; (“ a phoenix, captain, counfellor, traitrefs; &c.") to whom he will give all the fond names that blinking Cupid goffips. MALONE.

I believe it would not be difficult to find in the love poetry of those. times an authority for moft, if not for every one, of thefe 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.

7 This word, which fignifies the collective body of chriftianity, every place

That blinking Cupid goffips. Now fhall he
I know not what he fhall:-God fend 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 withing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt that we, the poorer born,
Whose bafer stars do fhut us up in withes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends,
And fhow what we alone must think;8
8 which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter a Page.

Page. Monfieur 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. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable

ftar.

Par. Under Mars, I.

Hel. I efpecially think, under Mars.

Par. Why under Mars?

Hel. The wars have fo 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 fo much backward, when you fight.

Par. That's for advantage.

"Hel. So is running away, when fear propofes the fafety: But the compofition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

Par.

place where the chriftian religion is embraced, is furely used with much licence on the prefent occafion. STEEVENS.

8 And how by realities what we now muft only think. JOHNSON.

9

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 phrafe, however, is taken from falconry, as may appear from the following pailage in Marfton's Farone, 1606: " I love my horfe

after

Par. I am fo full of bufineffes, I cannot answer thee acutely I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall ferve to naturalize thee, fo thou wilt be capable of a courtier's counfel, and understand what advice fhall thrust upon thee; else thou. dieft in thine unthankfulnefs, and thine ignorance makes thee away: farewell. When thou haft leifure, fay thy prayers; when thou haft none remember thy friends, get thee a good husband, and ufe him as he ufes thee: fo farewell. [Exit.

Hl. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we afcribe to heaven: the fated fky
Gives us free fcope; only, doth backward puli
Our flow defigns, when we ourfelves are dull.
What power is it, which mounts my Love fo high;
That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye 23.
The mighticft fpace in fortune nature brings
To join like likes, and kifs like native things.4
Impoffible be ftrange attempts, to thofe

That weigh their pains in fenfe; and do suppose,
What hath been 'cannot be : Who ever ftrove
To fhow her merit, that did mifs her love?

The after a journeying eafi efs as he is eafy in journeying; my hawk, for the goodnefs of bis wing, &c." Or it may be taken fr m. drefs: So, in Every Man out of bis Humour: "I would have mine fuch a fuit without a difference; fuch stuff, fuch a wing, fuch a fleeve," &c.. Mr. Tollet obferves, that a good wing fignifies a ftrong wing in Lord Bacon's Natural Hftory, experiment 866: "Certainly many birds of a good wing (as kites and the like) would bear up a good weight as they fly." STEEVENS.

The meaning of this paffage appears to be this :: «If your valour will a fuffer you to go backward for advantage, a d your fear for the fame reafon will make you run away, the c pofition that your valour and fear make in you, must be a virtue that wil Ay far and swiftly."A bird of a good wing, is a bird of íwift and strong flight.

Though the latter part of this sentence is sense as it ftands, I cannot help thinking that there is an erro: in it, and that we ought to readAnd is like to wear well."-Instead of "I like the wear well.

2 i. e. thou wilt comprehend it. MALONE.

M. MASON.

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

4 Things formed by nature for each other. M. MASON.

5 Thefe four lines are obfcure, and, I believe, corrupt; I shall propofe

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

SCENE II.

Paris. A Room in the King's Palare.

Flourish of cornets.

[Exit.

Enter the King of France, with letters; Lords and others attending.

King. The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears; Have fought with equal fortune, and continue

A braving war.

1 Lord.

So 'tis reported, fir.

King. Nay, 'tis moft credible; we here receive it
A certainty, vouch'd from our coufin Austria,
With caution, that the Florentine will move us
For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business, and would feem

To have us make denial.

1 Lord.

His love and wisdom,

Approv❜a

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

Through mightiest space in fortune nature brings.

Likes to join likes, and kifs like native things..

That is, nature brings like qualities and difpofitions to meet through any diftance that fortune may fet between them; the joins them and makes them kifs like things born together.

The next lines I read with Sir T. Hanmer:

Impoffible be ftrange attempts to thofe

That weigh their pains in fenfe, and do fuppofe

What ha'n't been, cannot be.

Nero attempts feem impoffible to those who estimate their labour or enterprises by sense, and believe that nothing can be but what they see before them. JOHNSON.

I understand the meaning to be this-The affections given us by nature often unite perfons between whom fortune or accident has placed the greateft dif tance or disparity; and cause them to join, like likes, (instar parium) like perfans in the fame fituation or rank of life. MALONE.

6 The Sanefi, as they are termed by Boccace. Painter, who tranffates him, calls them Senois. They were the people of a small republick,' of which the capital was Sienna. The Florentines were at perpetual variance with them. STEEVENS.

Approv'd fo to your majesty, may plead
For ampleft credence.

King.

He hath arm'd our anfwer,
And Florence is denied before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen, that mean to fee
The Tuscan fervice, freely have they leave
To ftand on either part.

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

King.

What's he comes here?

Enter BERTRAM, LA FEU, and PAROLLES.

1 Lord. It is the count Roufillon, my good lord, Young Bertram.

King.

Youth, thou bear'ft thy father's face;
Frank nature, rather curious than in hafte,

Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts
May'ft thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

Ber. My thanks and duty are your majefty's.
King. I would I had that corporal foundness now,
As when thy father, and myfelf, in friendship
First try'd our foldierfhip! He did look far
Into the fervice of the time, and was
Difcipled of the bravest: he lafted long;
But on us both did haggish age fteal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father: In his youth
He had the wit, which I can well obferve
To-day in our young lords; but they may jeft,
Till their own scorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour."

7 The old copy reads Rofignoll. STEEVENS.

To repair, in these plays, generally fignifies, to renovate.

So

MALONE.

9 I believe boncur is not dignity of birth or rank, but acquired reputation:-~ Your father, fays the king, had the fame airy flights of fatirical wit with the young lords of the prefent time, but they do not what he did, hide their unnoted levity, in honour, cover petty faults with great merit.

This is an excellent obfervation. Jocofe follies, and flight offences,

are