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in the defence yet is weak: unfold to us some warlike refiftance.

Par. There is none: man, setting down before you, will undermine you, and blow you up.

Hel. Bless our poor virginity from underminers and blowers up! Is there no military policy, how virgins might blow up men?

Par. Virginity being blown down, man will quicklier be blown up: marry, in blowing him down again, with the breach yourselves made, you lose your city. It is not politick in the commonwealth of nature, to preserve virginity. Loss of virginity is rational increase; and there was never virgin got, 'till virginity was first loft. That, you were made of, is metal to make virgins. Virginity, by being once loft, may be ten times found : by being ever kept, it is ever loft; 'tis too cold a companion : away with't.

Hel. I will stand for't a little, though therefore I die a virgin.

Par. There's little can be faid in't; 'tis against the rule of nature. To speak on the part of virginity, is to accuse your mother; which is most infallible difobedience. He, that hangs himself, is a virgin virginity murthers itself, and should be buried in highways out of all fanctified limit, as a defperate offendress against nature. Virginity breeds mites, much like a cheese; confumes itself to the very paring, and so dies with feeding its own stomach. Besides, virginity is peevish, proud, idle, made of self-love, which is the most prohibited fin in the canon. Keep it not, you cannot chuse but lose by't. Out with't; within ten years it will make itself two, which is a goodly increase, and the principal itself not much the worse. Away with't.

Hel. How might one do, Sir, to lose it to her own liking?

Par. Let me fee. Marry, ill, to like him that ne'er it likes. 'Tis a commodity will lose the gloss with lying. The longer kept, the less worth off with't, while 'tis vendible. Answer the time of request. Virginity, like

an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion : richly futed, but unfutable; just like the brooch and the toothpick, which we wear not now: your date is better in your pye and your porridge, than in your cheek; and your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French wither'd pears; it looks ill, it eats drily; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was formerly better; marry, yet 'tis a wither'd pear. Will you any thing with it?

Hel. Not my virginity yet.
There shall your matter have a thousand loves,
A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,
A phœnix, captain, and an enemy,
A guide, a goddess, and a fovereign,
A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility;
His jarring concord; and his discord dulcet;
His faith, his sweet disaster; with a world
Of pretty fond adoptious christendoms,
That blinking Cupid gossips. Now shall he-
I know not, what he shall - God send him well!-
The court's a learning place - and he is one

Par. What one, i'faith?

Hel. That I wish well-'tis pity

Par. What's pity?

Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt; that We the poorer born,
Whose baser stars do shut us up in wishes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends:
And thew what we alone must think, which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter Page.

[Exit Page.

Page. Monfieur Parolles,

My lord calls for you.

Par. Little Helen, farewel; if I can remember thee,

I will think of thee at court.

Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a cha

sitable star.

Par. Under Mars, I.

Hel. I especially think, under Mars.

Par.

1

Par. Why under Mars ?

Hel. The wars have kept you so under, that you must

needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.

Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.

Par. Why think you fo?

Hel. You go so much backward, when you fight.
Par. That's for advantage.

Hel. So is running away, when fear proposes safety : but the composition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

Par. I am so full of businesses, as I cannot answer thee acutely: I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my instruction shall serve to naturalize thee, so thou wilt be capable of courtier's counsel, and understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; else thou diest- in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou hast leisure, say thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember thy friends: get thee a good husband, and use him as he uses thee: so farewel.

[Exito

Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we ascribe to heav'n. The fated sky
Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow designs, when we ourselves are dull.
What power is it, which mounts my love so high,
That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?
The mightiest space in fortune nature brings
To join like likes; and kiss, like native things.
Impoffible be strange attempts, to those
That weigh their pain in sense; and do suppose,
What hath been, cannot be. Who ever strove
To shew her merit, that did miss her love?
The King's disease - my project may deceive me,
But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me...

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[Exi

SCENE

1

SCENE changes to the Court of France.

Flourish Cornets. Enter the King of France with letters,

King. T

H

and divers Attendants.

E Florentines and Senoys are by th' ears; Have fought with equal fortune, and con

A braving war.

tinue

1 Lord. So 'tis reported, Sir.

King. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it,

A certainty vouch'd from our cousin Auftria;
With caution that the Florentine will move us
For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business, and would feem
To have us make denial.

I Lord. His love and wisdom,
Approv'd so to your Majesty, may plead
For ample credence.

King. He hath arm'd our answer;
And Florence is deny'd, before he comes :
Yet for our gentlemen that mean to fee
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To stand on either part.

2 Lord. It may well serve
A narsery to our gentry, who are fick
For breathing and exploit.

King. What's he comes here?

Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles.

1 Lord. It is the count Roufillon, my good lord, young

Bertram.

King. Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face. Frank nature, rather curious than in hatte, Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts May'st thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. Ber. My thanks and duty are your Majesty's. King. I would I had that corporal foundness now,

As when thy father and myself in friendship

First try'd our foldiership: he did look far
Into the service of the time, and was
Discipled of the brav'st. He lasted long;
But on us both did haggish age steal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father; in his youth
He had the wit, which I can well observe
To day in our young lords; but they may jest,
'Till their own scorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour:
So like a courtier, no contempt or bitterness (3)
Were in him; pride or sharpnefs, if there were,
His equal had awak'd them; and his honour,
Clock to itself, knew the true minute when
Exceptions bid him speak; and at that time
His tongue obey'd his hand. Who were below him
He us'd as creatures of another place,
And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks;
Making them proud of his humility,
In their poor praise he humbled: Such a man
Might be a copy to these younger times;
Which, follow'd well, would now demonstrate them
But goers backward.

Ber. His good remembrance, Sir,
Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb;
So in approof lives not his epitaph,

As in your royal speech.

King. 'Would, I were with him! he would always

fay,

(3) So like a Courtier, no Contempt or Bitterness Were in his Pride or Sharpness; if they were, His Equal bad awak' d them.] This Paffage feems so very incorrectly pointed, that the Author's Meaning is loft in the Carelessness. As the Text and Stops are reform'd, these are most beautiful Lines, and the Sense this" He had no "Contempt or Bitterness; if he had any thing that look'd like "Pride or Sharpness, (of which Qualities Contempt and Bit"terness are the Excesses,) his Equal had awak'd them, not "his Inferior; to whom he scorn'd to discover any thing that "bore the Shadow of Pride or Sharpnefs."

Mr. Warburton.

(Methinks,

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