Do not believe him: O, behold this ring, He gave it to a commoner o' the camp, ar 31. If be one, Count. He blushes, and 'tis it33: Of six preceding ancestors, that gem Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue, Hath it been ow'd and worn. This is his wife: That ring's a thousand proofs. sein King. Methought, you said, With all the spots o' the world tax'd and debosh'd25; King. 22 i, e. value. 23 Malone remarks that the old copy reads, 'tis hit, and that in many of our old chronicles he had found hit printed instead of it. It is not in our old chronicles alone, but in all our old writers that the word may be found in this farm. The acute author of the Diversions of Purley has shown the reason at p. 53. of his second volume. Pope had changed hit to his, and Henley proposed to read fit. Tooke treats poor Malone with sarcastic commiseration for taking the old orthography for a mistake of the printer. 24 Noted. 25 Debauch'd. Her insult coming with her modern grace26, Dia. I must be patient; You that turn'd off a first so noble wife, (Since you lack virtue, I will lose a husband), Ber. King. What ring was yours, I pray you? Dia, ang onlySir, much like The same upon your finger. King. Know you this ring? this ring was his of late. Dia. And this was it I gave him, being a-bed. King. The story then goes false, you threw it him Out of a casement. Dia. I have spoke the truth. Enter PAROLLES. Ber. My lord, I do confess the ring was hers. King. You boggle shrewdly, every feather starts you. Is this the man you speak of? this the man you Dia. Ay, my lord. King. Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge you, Not fearing the displeasure of your master master197 (Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off), By him, and by this woman here, what know you? Par. So please your majesty, my master hath 106 Every thing that obstructs love is an occasion by which love is heightened, and to conclude her solicitation concurring with her common or ordinary grace she got the ring. It may be remarked that Shakspeare and some of his contemporaries ase the word modern for trivial, common, ordinary; the reason of this has not yet been satisfactorily explained. Modernaglie, says Florio, moderne things; also taken for young wenches." Modern may therefore mean youthful in this instance. been an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. King. Come, come, to the purpose: Did he love this oman? Par Faith, sir, he did love her; But how? Par. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves a woman.ell the7 King. How is that? Par. He loved her, sir, and loved her not. King. As thou art a knave, and no knave:What an equivocal companion27 is this? Par. I am a poor man, and at your majesty's command. 745 Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator. Dia. Do you know, he promis'd me marriage? Par. Faith, I know more than I'll speak. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? Par. Yes, so please your majesty: I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her, for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talk'd of Satan, and of limbo; and of furies, and I know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what to I know. King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: But thou art too fine28 in thy evidence: therefore stand aside. This ring, you say, was yours 3. Ay, my good lord. King. Where did you buy it? or who gave it you? Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it. King. Who lent it you? Dia. 27 i. e. fellow. It was not lent me neither. 28 In the French sense trop fine. So in Bacon's Apophthegms, 1625, p. 252-Your majesty was too fine for my Lord Burleigh. Dia. King. Where did you find it then?ho I found it not. King. If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it him? Dia. I never gave it him. Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure, King. This ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. Dia. It might be yours, or hers, for aught I know. King. Take her away, I do not like her now; To prison with her: and away with him.Unless thou tell'st me where thou hadst this ring, Thou diest within this hour. Dia. away,oue Dia. I am Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; He knows I am no maid, and he'll swear to't; I'll swear I am a maid, and he knows not. Great King, I am no strumpet, by my life; either maid, or else this old man's wife. [Pointing to LAFEU. .King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal [Exit Widow. The jeweller that owes30 the ring is sent for, And he shall surety me. But for this lord, Who hath abus'd me, as he knows himself, Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him: He knows himself my bed he hath defil'd; And at that time he got his wife with child: Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick; sir; penis 19 i. e. common woman, with whom any one may be familiar. 30 Owns, So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick: And now behold the meaning. King. Re-enter Widow, with HELENA. Is there no exorcist31 Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes? Is't real that I see? Hel. No, my good lord; "Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, The name, and not the thing, Ber. Both, both: 0, pardon! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter: This it says, When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child, &c. This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly; ever, ever dearly. Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you! 0, , my dear mother, do I see you living? Laf. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon: Good Tom Drum [To PAROLLES], lend me a handkerchief: So, I thank thee; wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee: Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones. King. Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow:If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower, 31 Thus, in Julius Caesar, Ligarius says: "Thou like an exorcist hast conjur'd up My mortified spirit." [To DIANA. Exorcist and conjurer were synonymous in Shakspeare's time. The great poet has been accused of using this word erroneously in a sense peculiar to himself, but the dictionaries of his time show thaf it was the universal acceptation of the word, Thus Florio in his Italian Dictionary, ed. 1598. 'Essorcista, a conjurer, an exorcist. Essorcismi, exorcismes, conjurations, incantations, spels; and so throughout: this definition is not peculiar to Florio, all the dictionaries have it. Vol. III. 14 |