Leo. At the Queen's be't; good, fhould be pertinent; But fo it is, it is not. Was this taken By any understanding pate but thine ? For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in More than the common blocks; not noted, is't, But of the finer natures? by fome severals Of head-piece extraordinary; lower messes, Perchance, are to this bufinefs purblind? fay.

Cam. Bufinefs, my lord! I think, most underfland Behemia ftays here longer.

Leo. Ha?

Cam. Stays here longer.
Leo. Ay, but why?

Cam. To fatisfe your Highness, and th' intreaties Of our most gracious mistress.

Leo. Satisfie

Th' intreaties of your mistress? fatisfie?
Let That fuffice. I've trufted thee, Camillo,
With all the things nearest my heart; as well
My chamber-councels, wherein, prieft-like, thou
Haft cleans'd my bofom: I from thee departed
Thy Penitent reform'd; but we have been
Deceiv'd in thy integrity; deceiv'd
In that, which feems fo.

Cam. Be it forbid, my lord

Leo. To bide upon't ;-Thou art not honest; or,
If thou inclin'ft that way, thou art a coward;
Which hoxes honefty behind, reftraining

From courfe requir'd: or elfe thou must be counted.
A fervant grafted in my ferious Truft,

And therein negligent; or elfe a fool,

That feeft à game plaid home, the rich fake drawn,
And tak'it it all for jeft.

Cam. My gracious lord,

I may be negligent, foolish and fearful; (3)

(3) I may be negligent, foolish, and fearful;
In every one of thefe no man is free,
But that bis Negligence, bis Folly, Fear,
Among the infinite Doings of the World

In

Some

In every one of these no man is free,
But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Amongst the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth. In your affairs, my lord,
If ever I were wilful negligent,

It was my folly; if industriously

I play'd the fool, it was my negligence,
Not weighing well the end; if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the iffue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out

Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infects the wifeft: these, my lord,
Are fuch allow'd infirmities, that honesty
Is never free of.

But, 'beseech your Grace,
Be plainer with me, let me know my trespass
By its own vifage; if I then deny it,

'Tis none of mine.

Leo Ha'not you seen, Camillo,

(But that's paft doubt, you have; or your eye glass
Is thicker than a cuckold's horn ;) or heard,
(For to a vifion fo apparent, rumour

Cannnot be mute;) or thought, (for cogitation
Refides not in that man, that do's not think it ;)
My wife is flippery? if thou wilt, confefs;
(Or elfe be impudently negative,

To have nor eyes nor ears, nor thought,) then say,
My wife's a hobby-horse, deferves a name
As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight; fay't, and justify't.
Cam I would not be a ftander-by, to hear
My fovereign Mistress clouded fo, without

Sometimes puts forth in your Affairs, my Lord.] Most accurate Pointing this, and fine Nonfenfe the Refult of it! The old Folio's first blunder'd thus, and Mr. Rowe by Inadvertence (if he read the Sheets at all,) overlook'd the Fault. Mr. Pope, like a moft obfequious Editor, has taken the Paffage on Content, and pursued the Track of Stupidity. I dare fay, every understanding Reader will allow, my Reformation of the Pointing has entirely retriev'd the Place from Obscurity, and reconcil'd it to the Author's Meaning.

My

Leo. At the Queen's be't; good, fhould be pertinent;
But fo it is, it is not. Was this taken

By any understanding pate but thine?
For thy conceit is foaking, will draw in
More than the common blocks; not noted, is't,
But of the finer natures? by fome severals
Of head-piece extraordinary; lower meffes,
Perchance, are to this business purblind? fay.

Cam. Bufinefs, my lord! I think, most underfland
Behemia ftays here longer.

Leo. Ha?

Cam. Stays here longer.

Leo. Ay, but why?

Cam. To fatisfie your Highness, and th' intreaties Of our most gracious mistress.

Leo. Satisfie

Th' intreaties of your mistress? fatisfie?

Let That fuffice. I've trufted thee, Camillo,
With all the things nearest my heart; as well
My chamber councels, wherein, prieft-like, thou
Haft cleans'd my bofom: I from thee departed
Thy Penitent reform'd; but we have been
Deceiv'd in thy integrity; deceiv'd
In that, which feems fo.

Cam. Be it forbid, my lord

Leo. To bide upon't;-Thou art not honeft; or,
If thou inclin'ft that way, thou art a coward;
Which hoxes honefty behind, restraining

From courfe requir'd: or elfe thou must be counted
A fervant grafted in my ferious Truft,

And therein negligent; or elfe a fool,

That feeft & game plaid home, the rich fake drawn,
And tak'it it all for jeft.

I

Cam. My gracious lord,

may be negligent, foolish and fearful; (3)

(3) I may be negligent, foolish, and fearful;

In every one of these no man is free,
But that bis Negligence, bis Folly, Fear,
Amongst the infinite Doings of the World

In

Some

In every one of these no man is free,
But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Amongst the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth. In your affairs, my lord,
If ever I were wilful negligent,

It was my folly; if industriously

I play'd the fool, it was my negligence,
Not weighing well the end; if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the iffue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out
Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infects the wifeft: these, my lord,
Are fuch allow'd infirmities, that honesty
Is never free of. But, 'befeech your Grace,
Be plainer with me, let me know my trefpafs
By its own vifage; if I then deny it,
'Tis none of mine.

Leo Ha'not you feen, Camillo,

(But that's paft doubt, you have; or your eye glafs
Is thicker than a cuckold's horn ;) or heard,
(For to a vision so apparent, rumour

Cannnot be mute;) or thought, (for cogitation
Refides not in that man, that do's not think it ;)
My wife is flippery? if thou wilt, confefs;
(Or elfe be impudently negative,

To have nor eyes nor ears, nor thought,) then say,
My wife's a hobby-horfe, deferves a name
As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight; fay't, and justify't.
Cam I would not be a ftander-by, to hear
My fovereign Miftrefs clouded fo, without

Sometimes puts forth in your Affairs, my Lord.] Moft accurate Pointing this, and fine Nonfenfe the Refult of it! The old Folio's firft blunder'd thus, and Mr. Rowe by Inadvertence (if he read the Sheets at all,) overlook'd the Fault. Mr. Pope, like a moft obfequious Editor, has taken the Paffage on Content, and purfued the Track of Stupidity. I dare fay, every understanding Reader will allow, my Reformation of the Pointing has entirely retriev'd the Place from Obfcurity, and reconcil'd it to the Author's Meaning. My

My prefent vengeance taken; 'fhrew my heart,
You never spoke what did become you lefs
Than this; which to reiterate, were fin
As deep as that, tho' true.

Leo. Is whispering nothing?

Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meating noses?
Kiffing with infide lip? ftopping the career
Of laughter with a figh? (a note infallible
Of breaking honefty :) horfing foot on foot?
Skulking in corners? withing clocks more swift?
Hours, minutes? the noon, midnight, and all eyes
Blind with the pin and web, but theirs; theirs only,
That would, unfeen, be wicked? is this nothing?
Why, then the world, and all that's in't, is nothing;
The covering sky is nothing, Bohemia nothing;
My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these nothings,
If this be nothing.

Cam. Good my lord, be cur'd

Of this difeas'd Opinion, and betimes;
For 'tis most dangerous.

Leo. Say it be, 'tis true.

Cam. No, no, my lord.

Leo. It is; you lie, you lie :

I fay, thou lieft, Camillo, and I hate thee ;
Pronounce thee a grofs lowt, a mindless slave,
Or elfe a hovering temporizer, that

Canft with thine eyes at once fee good and evil,
Inclining to them both: were my wife's liver
Infected as her life, fhe would not live

The running of one glass.

Cam. Who does infect her?

Lea. Why he, that wears her like his medal, hanging

About his neck; Bohemia,

who, if I

Had servants true about me, that bare eyes

To fee alike mine honour, as their profits,

Their own particular thrifts, they would do That
Which should undo more Doing: I, and thou
His cup-bearer, (whom I from meaner forme
Have bench'd, and rear'd to worship; who may'ft fee
Plainly, as heav'n fees earth, and earth fees heav'n,

How