Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an empress' love. To grant one boon that I shall ask of you. Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endued with worthy qualities; Forgive them what they have committed here, They are reformed, civil, full of good, And fit for great employment, worthy lord. Duke. Thou hast prevail'd: I pardon them and thee; Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts. With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity. Come, let us go; we will include all jars. Val. And, as we walk along, I dare be bold With our discourse to make your grace to smile: What think you of this page, my lord? Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along, That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; One feast, one house, one mutual happiness. [Exeunt. In this play there is a strange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country; he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Proteus, after an interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture: and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed, and sometimes forsook; sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot. That this play is rightly attributed to Shakspeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest. JOHNSON. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. Sir John Falstaff. Fenton. Shallow, a Country Justice. Mr. Page, two Gentlemen dwelling at Windsor. William Page, a Boy, Son to Mr. Page. Dr. Caius, a French Physician. Host of the Garter Inn. Bardolph, Pistol, Followers of Falstaff. Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Page: Mrs. Ann Page, her Daughter, in love with Fenton. Mrs. Quickly, Servant to Dr. Caius. Servants to Page, Ford, &c. SCENE, Windsor; and the Parts adjacent. |