ALL'S WELL, that ENDS WELL. ACTI. SCENE I. The Countess of Roufillon's House in France. Enter Bertram, the Countess of Roufillon, Helena, and Lafeu, all in black. I COUNTESS. N delivering my fon from me, I bury a fecond husband. Ber. And I in going, Madam, weep o'er my father's death anew; but I must attend his Majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward, evermore in fubjection. 1 In DELIVERING my fou from me -] To deliver from, in the fenfe of giving up, is not English. Shakspeare wrote, in DISSEVERING my fon from me The following Words, too, 1 bury a fecond husband demand this reading. For to aiffever implies a violent divorce; and therefore might be compared to the baring a buband; which delivering does not. WARB. Of this change I fee no need: the prefent reading is clear, and, perhaps, as proper as that which T Laf. You fhall find of the King a husband, Madam; you, Sir, a father. He, that fo generally is at all times good, must of neceffity hold his virtue to you; whofe worthinefs would ftir it up where it wanted, rather than flack it where there is fuch abundance. Count. What hope is there of his Majefty's amendment? Laf. He hath abandon'd his phyficians, Madam, under whofe practices he hath perfecuted time with hope; and finds no other advantage in the procefs, but only the lofing of hope by time. 4 Count. This young gentlewoman had a father, (O, that bad! how fad a paffage 'tis !) whofe fkill was almost as great as his honefty; had it ftretch'd fo far, it would have made nature immortal, and death fhould have play'd for lack of work. 'Would, for makes a reflection upon it, which, This emendation is ingenious, When the the King's fake, he were living! I think, it would be the death of the King's disease. Laf. How call'd you the man you speak of, Madam? Count. He was famous, Sir, in his profeffion, and it was his great right to do fo: Gerard de Narbon. Laf. He was excellent, indeed, Madam; the King very lately spoke of him admiringly, and mourningly: he was skilful enough to have liv'd ftill, if knowledge could have been set up against mortality. of? Ber. What is it, my good lord, the King languishes Laf. A fiftula, my lord. Ber. I heard not of it before. Laf. I would it were not notorious. Was this gentlewoman the daughter of Gerard de Narbon? Count. His fole child, my lord, and bequeathed to my overlooking. I have thofe hopes of her good, that her education promises her; difpofition fhe inherits, which makes fair gifts fairer; for where an unclean $ where an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there, commendations go with pity; they are Virtues and Traitors too: in her they are the better for THEIR fimpleness; fhe derives her honefty, and atchieves her goodness.] This obfcure encomium is made ftill more obfcure by a flight corruption of the text. Let us explain the paffage as it lies. By virtuous qualities are meant qualities of good breeding and erudition; in the fame fenfe that the Italians fay, qualità virtuofa; and not moral ones. On this account it is, fhe fays, that, in an ill mind thefe virtuous qualities are virtues and traitors too: i. e. the advantages of education enable an ill 5 clean mind carries virtuous qualities, there commendations go with pity, they are virtues and traitors too; s in her they are the better for their fimpleness; fhe derives her honefty, and atchieves her goodness. Laf. Your commendations, Madam, get from her tears. Count. 'Tis the best brine a maiden can season her praise in. The remembrance of her father never approaches her heart, but the tyranny of her forrows takes all livelihood from her cheek. No more of this, Helena, go to, no more; left it be rather thought you affect a forrow, than to have it. Hel. I do affect a sorrow, indeed, but I have it too. Laf. Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead, exceffive grief the enemy to the living. 6 Count. If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess makes it foon mortal. words, he derives her bonefty, and achieves her goodness, i. e. She derives her bonefly, her fimpleness, her moral Character, from her Father and Ancestors; But fhe atchieves or wins her goodnefs, her virtue, or her qualities of good breeding and erudition, by her own pains and labour. WARBURTON. This is likewife a plaufible but unneceffary alteration. Her virtues are the better for their fimpleness, that is, her excellencies are the better because they are artlefs and open, without fraud, without defign. The learned commentator has well explained virturs, but has not, I think, reached the force of the word traitors, and therefore has not fhewn the full extent of Shakespeare's mafterly obfervation. Virtues in an unclean mind are virtues and trai tors too. Ber. Eftimable and useful qualities, joined with evil difpofition, give that evil difpofition power over others, who, by admiring the virtue, are betrayed to the malevolence, The Tatler, mentioning the sharpers of his time, obferves, that some of them are men of fuch elegance and knowledge, that a young man who falls into their way is betrayed as much by his judgment as his passions. If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess makes it foon mortal.] This feems very obfcure; but the addition of a Negative perfectly difpels all the mift. If the living be not enemy, &c. exceffive grief is an enemy to the living, fays Lafeu: Yes, replies the Countefs; and if the living be not enemy to the grief, [i. e. i ftrive to conquer it,] the excefs makes Ber. Madam, I defire your holy wishes. Laf. How understand we that? Count. Be thou bleft, Bertram, and fucceed father thy In manners as in fhape! thy blood and virtue 'Tis an unfeafon'd courtier, good my Lord, Laf. He cannot want the best, That fhall attend his love. Count. Heav'n blefs him! Farewel, Bertram. 8 [Exit Countefs, Ber. [To Helena.] The best wishes, that can be forg'd in your thoughts, be fervants to you! Be comfortable to my mother, your miftrefs, and make much of her. Laf. Farewel, pretty Lady, you must hold the credit of your father. [Exeunt Bertram and Lafeu. make it foon mortal. WARBURTON. This emendation I had once admitted into the text, but readmitted the old reading, because I think it capable of an eafy explication. Lafeu fays, exceffive grief is the enemy of the living: the Countefs replies, If the living be an enemy to grief, the excess foon makes it morial: that is, if the living do not indulge grief, grief destroys infilf by its own excess. By the word mortal I understand that which die, and Dr. Warburton, that which defroys. I think that my interpretation gives a fentence more acute and more refined. Let the reader judge. That thee may furnish.] That may help thee with more and better qualifications. The bft wishes, &c.] That is, may you be mistress of your withes, and have power to bring them to effect. SCENE |