ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

"Keep some state in thy exit, andsovanish."

"Speakon, brave Hector; we are much delighted."

"A heavy heart bears not a humble tongue."

I conjecturednimble, in which I had been preceded, as usual, by Theobald. "You have animblewit." (As You Like It, iii. 2.) The error, however, may be, and I think is, in 'not,' for which I readbut, as these words are so constantly confounded. Collier's folio makes the same correction.

"And though the mourning brow of progeny."

For 'And' I incline to readThen. (See on M. N. D. ii. 1.)

"Full of straying shapes, of habits, and of forms."

Coleridge read 'stray,' which seems better.

"Suggested us to make'em. Therefore, ladies."

"But more devout than this in our respectsHave we not been."

"But more devout than this in our respects

Have we not been."

This is the reading of Hanmer generally received. That of the folio is 'thanthese areour respects,' where, if we read 'than these our respects are,' we get perhaps as good a sense. 'Devout' seems to mean devoted, or serious, or in earnest; 'respects'sc.of you, behaviour respecting you.

"And what to me, my love?... of people sick."

This passage should certainly be omitted as a repetition. See on iv. 3.

"Call them forth quickly;andwe will do so."

"Itwould have made nature immortal."

"Hel.If the living be enemy to the grief, the excessmakes it soon mortal.Laf.How understand we that?"

"Hel.If the living be enemy to the grief, the excessmakes it soon mortal.

"Hel.If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess

makes it soon mortal.

Laf.How understand we that?"

In the folio the first of these speeches is given to the Countess; but Tieck saw rightly that it could only belong to Helena. I have transposed the next two speeches; for Lafeu must reply immediately; metrically also his reply is the complement of the speech of Helena, in which 'living' and 'grief' should perhaps change places.

"Advise him.—He cannot want the bestadvice."

"And these great tears grace his remembrance moreThan those I shed for him.... What was he like?"

"And these great tears grace his remembrance more

Than those I shed for him.... What was he like?"

For 'his' I readthis, i.e. that of Bertram, whose departure has caused her tears to flow. There is an evident aposiopesis ofgraced his, arising from the perturbation of her mind, as is proved by the falling of the metricictuson 'him,' and which also proves that 'his' could not have been the poet's word.

"Carries no favour in it but Bertram'sonly."

Bertram isalwaysa dissyllable. We might also read 'butonly,' but with less force.

"He that hangs himself is a virgin."

This is sheer nonsense; 'virgin,' suggested by the following 'virginity,' should beself-murderer, as I have given it in my Edition, or rather perhaps the legal termfelo de se; for what Parolles means is that as suicides were 'buried in highways,' Virginity being such should be treated in the same manner.

"Out with it; within ten years it will make itself two."

For 'two' Hanmer readten, and Steevens for 'ten'two.The best reading seems to be that of Singer's folio,monthsfor 'years,' which I have given in my Edition.

"Not my virginity yet."

This is complementary to the preceding speech, of which it completes the metre. The emphasis is to be on 'my,' as her meaning is that her virginity is not yet old and withered. She stops there, and enters on a new subject, and it is evident that at least the first line is lost. It may have been like this, "Monsieur Parolles, you are for the Court," which I have ventured to insert in my Edition; it seems so essential to the sense.

"A mother, and a mistress, and a friend."

None of the editors seem to have perceived that in this and the six following lines Helena is enumerating the titles, mostly Euphuistic, that lovers at that time used to give their mistresses (comp. L.L.L. iii. 1ad fin.), "Christendoms,"i.e.baptismal names, as she styles them, to which Cupid stood gossip. As 'mother' could hardly have been one of these, I feel almost certain that the original word waslover, which being damaged and onlyerremaining (see on ii. 1), the printer made 'mother' of it. There is, however, it seems a termmautherormotherstill in use in the Eastern counties, and signifying young girl. In Fletcher's Maid in the Mill (iii. 2), the miller says of his daughter,

"A pretty child she is, although I say it,A handsomemother."

"A pretty child she is, although I say it,

A handsomemother."

In the Alchemist (iv. 4) Kastrill says to his sister, "You talk like a foolishmauther." Tusser has in his Husbandry,

"No sooner a sowing but out by and by,Withmotheror (and?) boy that alarum can cry;And let them be armed with a sling or a bow."

"No sooner a sowing but out by and by,

Withmotheror (and?) boy that alarum can cry;

And let them be armed with a sling or a bow."

And again,

"A sling for amother, a bow for a boy."

But surely such a term could not be used of the ladies of the Court of France. The context shows that it is not mother-in-law that is meant. 'Captain' in the next line may appear suspicious; but lovers were in the habit of regarding their mistresses as commanders, whose orders they were bound to obey. "She that I spake of our great captain'scaptain," Othel. ii. 1. Steevens states thatguerrièreis a favourite term for a mistress in Ronsard.

"Use him as he uses thee;andso farewell."

"In his youthHe had the wit, which I can well observe," etc.

"In his youth

He had the wit, which I can well observe," etc.

I doubt if the editors have perfectly understood this passage. I cannot, for example, see that they have been aware that the 'tongue' and the 'hand' both belong to the metaphorical 'clock'—the former being the bell which sounds, when the latter gives the signal by arriving at the point of twelve, that is, when 'Exception,'i.e.contradiction, 'bids it speak.'

"In their poor praise he humbled. Such a man."

I would readwhosefor 'their,' evidently suggested by 'them' in the preceding line; and as the verb 'humble' rarely, if ever, occurs without its object, we should perhaps read, as I have done, 'humbledhim.'

"Whose judgements areMere fathers of their garments."

"Whose judgements are

Mere fathers of their garments."

I incline to suspect that 'fathers' should bechildren—not an unusual error. (See Introd. p.66.) "A parcel of conceited feather-caps,whose fathers were their garments."—Old Play quoted by Steevens. "Whose mother was her painting."—Cymb. iii. 4.

"Believe it, sir,That clothes do much upon the wit, as weatherDoes on the brain; and thence, sir, comes your proverb,The tailor makes the man."

"Believe it, sir,

That clothes do much upon the wit, as weather

Does on the brain; and thence, sir, comes your proverb,

The tailor makes the man."

Jonson, Staple of News, i. 1.

See, however, the character of Piso in Marston's Scourge of Villainy, Sat. xi.

"Fond done, done fond;for only heWas this King of Priam's joy."

"Fond done, done fond;for only he

Was this King of Priam's joy."

"And here fair Paris comes, the hopeful youth, of Troy,Queen Hecub's darling son,King Priam's only joy."

"And here fair Paris comes, the hopeful youth, of Troy,

Queen Hecub's darling son,King Priam's only joy."

Fletch. and Rowl. Maid in Mill, ii. 2.

"I'faith I do; her father bequeathed her to me."

"Extend his might,saveonly where qualities were level."

"Diana noqueen of virgins, that would suffer her poor knightto besurprised."

The words inItalics, absolutely necessary for the sense, were supplied by Theobald.

"I care no more for than I do for heaven,So I were not his sister. Can itbeno other?"

"I care no more for than I do for heaven,

So I were not his sister. Can itbeno other?"

I can only make sense here by reading 'I'dcaree'enmore forit.' The damp had probably effaced thed,e'e,it, ort, andbe. For a similar omission of'd, see on King John iv. 2. The 'no,' however, may have been a casual insertion of the printer's. In my Edition of these plays, unaware of the rime, I placedbeat the end of the line; but I corrected it.

"The mystery of your loneliness."

So Theobald properly corrected thelovelinessof the folio, then, as was so frequent, having been turned upside down.

"Confess it, th' one to th' other, and thine eyes."

The folio has'ton tooth to th' other. The 2nd folio made the necessary correction by rejectingtooth—a mere reduplication of 'to th'. Knight, it would appear, was the first to correct'ton.

"Yet in this captious and intenable sieveI still pour in the waters of my love,And lack not to lose still."

"Yet in this captious and intenable sieve

I still pour in the waters of my love,

And lack not to lose still."

For 'captious' we should certainly read, with Farmer,capacious. It was, in fact, only the omission of a letter. (See on M. for M. iv. 2.)Tandcwere often used indifferently beforeeandi.Reckmight be better than 'lack.'

"And manifest experience had collected."

With Collier's folio I readmanifold; "an epithet," says Mr. Dyce, "which, I apprehend, can hardly be applied to 'experience.'" Why not?

"He and his physiciansAre of a mind; he that they cannot help him,They that they cannot helphim."

"He and his physicians

Are of a mind; he that they cannot help him,

They that they cannot helphim."

One 'help' has evidently been suggested by the other; for the first I would readcure. (See Introd. p.65.)

"Embowell'd of their doctrine have left offThe danger to itself?—There's something in'tMore than my father's skill."

"Embowell'd of their doctrine have left off

The danger to itself?—There's something in't

More than my father's skill."

The best correction of the passage is to supplytells meafter 'in it.' This had evidently been effaced, as in Hen. VIII. i. 2.

"There's something tells me,—but it is not love,—I would not lose you."—Mer. of Ven. iii. 2.

"There's something tells me,—but it is not love,—

I would not lose you."—Mer. of Ven. iii. 2.

I arrange the passage thus:

"Embowell'd of their docterine, have leftThe danger to itself.—There is something in ittells me."

"Embowell'd of their docterine, have left

The danger to itself.—There is something in ittells me."

In the first line I inserted in my Editionall; but it was needless; for 'doctrine' was no doubt pronounced as a trisyllable. 'Off' was evidently added by the printer to complete the metre. (See Introd. p.67.) For 'in't' of the folio Hanmer readhints.

"And pray God's blessing into thy attempt."

Untooruponwould seem more correct; but no change is needed.

"Let higher Italy," etc.

This passage has never been understood, yet it is perhaps plain enough. By 'higher Italy' is meant the part more distant from France. "Will you travel higher [i.e.go further south], or return again to France," iv. 3. In this place it is Tuscany that is termed 'higher Italy.' "But thenup farther, and as far as Rome," Tam. of Shrew, iv. 2, where the speaker is at Padua. By 'bated' is meant abated, subdued, as weabatea nuisance; 'inherit' is, as usual, possess; and 'the fall of the last monarchy' is the fallen final state of the Roman Empire, the last monarchy according to the current interpretation of the Book of Daniel. "The antique ruins ofthe Roman Fall."—F. Q. i. 549. "The underseated deities that circle Saturn's fall."—Chap. II. xv. 208. "Redeem'd him from his fall and made him mine."—Fletch. Kt. of Burn.Pest. iv. 3. But perhaps we should readpall, as being still more contemptuous, indicating that the symbol only and not the real power had been inherited. By 'Those,' etc., I think are meant the Ghibelines or Imperial party, to which Siena belonged, while Florence was usually Guelf, the side which was always taken by France, out of opposition to the German Emperor. There is, however, no mention of Guelfs or Ghibelines either in the story in the Decamerone or in the Palace of Pleasure; so that Shakespeare must have gotten his knowledge elsewhere, which is to me one proof, among many, of the extent of his reading. I regard this as the only explanation that gives sense to the passage.

"And lustrous,ina word good metals."

"With his cicatrice, an emblem of war,"

The folio reads 'his cicatrice with.' As usual, Theobald made the correction.

"Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.—I'll see thee to stand up," etc.

"Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.—

I'll see thee to stand up," etc.

This is the arrangement of the folio, which Malone altered needlessly. For 'see' Theobald readfee, and in the next lineboughtfor 'brought.' These corrections most editors have adopted, but I see no great gain in them. I confess I do not clearly discern the meaning here of either 'see' orfee; and Mr. Staunton'ssueis not much better, and I suspect that the poet's word may have been a different one, which I think I can fix on with something like certainty. He wrote then 'Ibeseechthee,' butchbeing either blotted or rubbed out, the transcriber or printer readI be'Ile,' the usual form ofI'll. In Ham. iii. 4, and Tim. i. 2, we have a similar effacement of two letters. "Pardon, my lord.—I pray you all, stand up" (M. N. D. iv. 1), is exactly parallel. See also Hen. VIII. v. 1.

"Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary."

We should, I apprehend, readitfor 'you.' There had been no allusion yet to the king.

"And write to her a love line."

It would be better to read, with Hanmer, as I have done, 'Towrite.'

"Than I dare blame my weakness...."

We thus get some appearance of sense; but I still am suspicious of 'blame.'Taskmight seem better. "I dare not task my weakness with any more."—Othel. ii. 3. We meet, however, in the Faerie Queen with

"Ne blame your honour with so shameful vauntOf vile revenge," ii. 8. 16,

"Ne blame your honour with so shameful vaunt

Of vile revenge," ii. 8. 16,

whereblameseems to signify blemish, or expose to blame.

"With that malignant cause."

We might suspect 'cause'; but it is right.

"Leave us to cure this cause. For 'tis a sore upon us."

Cor. iii. 1.

"Humbly entreating from your royal thoughtsA modest one, to bear me back again."

"Humbly entreating from your royal thoughts

A modest one, to bear me back again."

This would seem to mean that, notwithstanding her boldness, he would still continue to think her modest. It would be derogatory to Helena to readsumfor 'one.'

"When miracles have by the greatest been denied."

Johnson saw rightly that a line had been lost after this.

"Where hope is coldest and despair most shifts."

For 'shifts' Pope readsits, Theobaldfits, which I think is right;fitsoccurs in the sense of suits in

"The humble salve which wounded bosomsfits."

Son. cxx.

"Ne worse of worst extendedWith vilest tortures let my life be ended."

"Ne worse of worst extended

With vilest tortures let my life be ended."

She means, be racked to death. Malone read, as I do,Nay, worst of worse. 'Nay' was sometimes speltne. "Is't true?Ne, let him run into the war."—Chapman, All Fools, i.

"Youth, beauty,virtue, wisdom, courage all."

Warburton also suppliedvirtue, butafter'wisdom.' Inthe next scene but one, the King speaks again of hervirtue.

"Ay, by my sceptre and my hopes of heaven."

This is the correction of Thirlby; the folio hashelpfor 'heaven,' regardless of rime.

"What husband in thy power I will command."

The proper word would seem to be 'demand'; but see on As You Like It, ii. 5.

"With any branch or image of thy state."

For 'image' Warburton, whom Singer follows, readimpage, while Steevens says (and, I believe, truly) there is no such word. By 'image' may be meant child, offspring, which is its signification in

"I have bewept a worthy husband's death.And liv'd by looking on his images."—Rich. III. ii. 2.

"I have bewept a worthy husband's death.

And liv'd by looking on his images."—Rich. III. ii. 2.

In the original tale she expressly excepts thechildrenand relatives of the King.

"An end, sir, to your business. Give Helen this."

For 'An end' I feel almost certain we should readAttend, or possiblyAnd now. I have, however, made no change in the text of my Edition. Some point 'An end, sir: to your business.'

"Mort de vinaigre!is not that Helena?"

"And writ as little beard."

For 'writ' we should, I think, readworeorwith. Mr. Dyce, however, says it was "the phraseology of Shakespeare's time." He should, then, have given us examples of it; forwrite manand such like are not such. Perhaps this and the following speeches of Lafeu should beAsides.

"Do they all deny her? An they were sons of mine," etc.

The folio reads, "Do all they."

"From lowest place, whence virtuous things proceed."

So the folio reads and punctuates. The context shows that we should readwhen, with Thirlby. Two lines further on we have 'additions swell's,' which, reading 'swells,' is grammatically right; but the 2nd folio read 'addition,' and Malone, who is usually followed,swell.

"Where dust and damn'd oblivion is the tomb."

For 'damn'd' we might feel inclined to readdim,damp, ordank. "And in a dark anddankishvault," Com. of Err. v. 1; or (as in Tr. and Cr. iii. 2)blind. The text, however, is probably right, for 'damn'd' often merely meant what is odious, or hateful, was to be condemned or simply was reprehensible. "Surfeits, impostumes, grief, anddamn'ddespair."—Ven. and Adon. (See on Othel. i. 1.)

"My honour's at the stake, which to defeat."

I have read, with Theobald,defend. Farmer's explanation of 'defeat' is untenable.

"Whose ceremonyShall seem expedient on the now borne brief,And be perform'd to-night."

"Whose ceremony

Shall seem expedient on the now borne brief,

And be perform'd to-night."

By 'brief' I would understand the marriage-contract; forbriefis used with great latitude. So in v. 3 we have "a sweet verbalbrief,"i.e.commission or address. The 'now borne' of the folio is, I think,now-born,i.e.which has just come into being, been made. Possibly we might readnew-born, like "thingsnew-born" (W. T. iii. 3), "new-borngauds" (Tr. and Cr. iii. 3). We havenowfornew(M. N. D. i. 1). I readcomefor 'seem.' (See on Macb. i. 2.)

"Than the commission of your birth and virtue give you heraldry for."

Hanmer transposed 'commission' and 'heraldry'; and most editors have followed him. They seem to be right, and I agree with them.

"What, what,what, sweetheart?"

"To the dark house and the detested wife."

The folio readsdetected; the correction is Rowe's.

"When I should take possession of the bride ...And ere I do begin."...

"When I should take possession of the bride ...

And ere I do begin."...

For 'And' Mr. Collier foundEndin MS. in a copy of the folio.

"Than you have or will deserve at my hand."

So the 2nd folio reads; the 1st has 'todeserve'; and perhaps a noun may have been omitted after 'have.'

"I thinknotso.—Why, do you not know him?"

Some would transfer 'not' to the former speech, but I think it more likely thatnotwas omitted.

Ber."Where are my other men?—Hel.Monsieur, farewell."

Ber."Where are my other men?—

Hel.Monsieur, farewell."

The folio gives all this to Helena; while Theobald, followed by the Cambridge editors, reads "Ber.Where are my other men, monsieur? Farewell."

"Upon your Grace's part; black and feärfulUpon the opposer's."

"Upon your Grace's part; black and feärful

Upon the opposer's."

"But I am sure the younger of our nature."

Rowe's reading ofnationfor 'nature' seems certain.

"Whosold a goodly manor for a song."

Both the sense and the metre require this addition. 'Sold' is the correction of 3rd folio forholdof the 1st.

"Your old ling and your Isbels of the court."

We should, I think, read 'newling,' as 'old ling' had just been mentioned.

"If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine,Thou robbest me of a moiety."

"If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine,

Thou robbest me of a moiety."

No doubtaregives sense, but I should preferas. I have, however, made no change.

"'Tis but the boldness haply of his handTowhich his heart was not consenting to."

"'Tis but the boldness haply of his hand

Towhich his heart was not consenting to."

The folio reads "of his hand haply."

"The fellow has a deal too much of that,Which holds him much to have."

"The fellow has a deal too much of that,

Which holds him much to have."

The folio reads "of that too much." As yet no one has made sense of the second line. Perhaps for 'holds' we should readhurts,foils, orsoils. I have adopted the first. 'To have' is, the having. (See Introd. p.70.)

"Move the still-peering airThat sings with piercing."

"Move the still-peering air

That sings with piercing."

No sense in whichpeeris used will answer here. I once thought that 'still' might be taken in the sense of quiet, tranquil; but I have been unable to find an instance of its being so used in composition. It seems, however, to have found favour in the eyes of Mr. Dyce. The reading generally adopted is that of Steevens,piecing; and though the usual meaning of this verb is, to eke, to add, it is also used in the sense of closing, filling. Mr. Dyce doubts if "a poet with a delicate ear would have writtenpiecing ... piercing," not recollecting that the latter was pronouncedpercing. I should, however, preferfleeting, which I have given in my Edition. In the Third Part of The Seven Champions (ch. xiii.), the author of which was more than once indebted to Shakespeare, orvice versâ, we read, "Whose feathery arrows outrun thepiercingeye, and cut a passage through thefleetiagair." Spenser, too, has (F. Q. ii. 8. 2) "theflittingsky (i.e.air)." Elsewhere he says (vii. 7 22) that the air is felt "toflit still," and in The Tempest (iii. 3) we meet with the "still-closing waters." At the same time, as 'peering' may have been suggested by 'piercing' in the next line, the poet's word may not have resembled it.

"I met the ravin lion when he roar'd."

As 'ravin' only occurs as a verb, the poet probably used here the part.ravening. "As a ravening and a roaring lion" (Ps. xxii. 13) was evidently in his mind.

"Enter old Widow of Florence, her daughter, Violenta, and Mariana, with other citizens."

This is the original stage-direction, in which Violenta—an evident mistake for Violante—might appear to be the name of the daughter, though she is always called Diana. Helen, however, at the end of the scene, mentions a 'gentle maid' along with Mariana, whom she invites to supper.

"I write good creature: wheresoe'er she is,Her heart weights sadly."

"I write good creature: wheresoe'er she is,

Her heart weights sadly."

Here, as in ii. 3, the verb 'write' makes no sense. The 2nd folio has 'I (ay) right,' which, from the punctuation, would seem to have been a mere makeshift; the ordinary reading is that of Malone, 'A right good creature,' which we may be very sure is not what the poet wrote. As in Hamlet (ii. 1) the 4to, 1604, has "a fetch ofwit" for "a fetch ofwarrant" of the folio, my first impulse was to readI warrant—also that of the editors of the Globe Shakespeare; but I then fixed on "I wis," and so it stands in my Edition. I am now convinced that the reading of the 2nd folio, when properly pointed, is the true one. I point it thus: "Ay, right.—Good creature! wheresoe'er she is." The 'Ay, right,' expresses the widow's assent to the truth of her daughter's observation; she then proceeds to speak of Helena. To my great surprise and gratification, I found, after I had made this natural and certain correction, that I had been completely anticipated in it by Capell. How it does provoke one to think of the wilful blindness or obtuseness of editors! For nearly an entire century they have had the true reading before their eyes, and never could see it! Singer has "Ay, right; good creature" etc.; but the punctuation shows he did not understand the passage.

"Oh, for the love of laughter let him fetchoffhis drum."

"This counterfeit lump of ore will be melted."

'Ore' is Theobald's correction ofoursin the folio.

"Hinder not the honour of his design."

For 'honour' I, with others, have adopted Theobald's correctionhumour; which, however, is not absolutely certain.

"That she'll demand. A ring the county wears."

As this is the only place in the play where 'county' occurs, and as we have had 'the count he' twice already in this scene, I think we ought to read so here also. (See on Twelfth Night, i. 5.)

"Herself most chastely absent. Afterthis."

The 2nd folio addedthis, which had evidently been effaced.

"Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed,And lawful meaning in a lawful act."

"Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed,

And lawful meaning in a lawful act."

If we were not aware of the abjectness of printer-worship, we might wonder at Warburton's most certain correctionwickedfor the last 'lawful' not having been adopted by every editor.

"And buy me another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils."

Warburton readmutefor 'mule,' and I think he was right. We have "Turkishmute" (Hen. V. i. 2).

"Informthemon that.—So I will, sir.—Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lockedup."

"Informthemon that.—So I will, sir.—

Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lockedup."

In the first line Rowe read'emfor 'on.'

"As you are now, for you are cold and stern."

Collier's folio readsas stonefor 'and stern,' which is very plausible.

"Who, moving others, are themselvesas stoneUnmoved, cold, and to temptation slow."—Son. xciv.

"Who, moving others, are themselvesas stone

Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow."—Son. xciv.

"To swear by him whom I profess to love,That I will work against him."

"To swear by him whom I profess to love,

That I will work against him."

I readtofor 'by,' in which I had been anticipated by Johnson, who was followed by Malone. 'Swear' naturally suggested 'by' to the printer's mind. (See on Macb. i. 5, R. and J. i. 1.)

"For what's more monstrous, more a prodigy,Than to hear me protest truth of affectionUnto a person that I would dishonour?"

"For what's more monstrous, more a prodigy,

Than to hear me protest truth of affection

Unto a person that I would dishonour?"

Jonson, New Inn, iii. 2.

The same sentiment is expressed in "Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him" (Meas. for Meas. ii. 3). In this speech of Diana's, Mr. Staunton would give 'Then pray you ... love you ill' to Bertram; but without any great advantage.

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