FLO.

I bless the time,

When my good falcon made her flight across

Thy father's ground 3.

PER.

Now Jove afford you cause! To me, the difference forges dread; your great

ness

Hath not been us'd to fear. Even now I tremble
To think, your father, by some accident,
Should pass this way, as you did: O, the fates!
How would he look, to see his work, so noble,
Vilely bound up'? What would he say?
say? Or

how

and the words "to shew myself," appear to me inconsistent with that reading.

Sir Thomas Hanmer probably thought the similitude of the words sworn and swoon favourable to his emendation; but he forgot that swoon in the old copies of these plays is always written sound or swound. MALONE.

5 When my good FALCON made her flight across

Thy father's ground.] This circumstance is likewise taken from the novel: " And as they returned, it fortuned that Dorastus (who all that day had been hawking, and killed store of game,) incountered by the way these two maides." MALONE.

6 To me the DIFFERENCE forges dread ;] Meaning the difference between his rank and hers. So, in A Midsummer-Night's Dream:

7

"The course of true love never did run smooth,

"But either it was different in blood-." M. MASON. his work, so noble,

Vilely bound up?] It is impossible for any man to rid his mind of his profession. The authorship of Shakspeare has supplied him with a metaphor, which, rather than he would lose it, he has put with no great propriety into the mouth of a country maid. Thinking of his own works, his mind passed naturally to the binder. I am glad that he has no hint at an editor. JOHNSON, The allusion occurs more than once in Romeo and Juliet: "This precious book of love, this unbound lover, "To beautify him only lacks a cover.”

Again:

"That book in many eyes doth share the glory,
"That in gold clasps locks in the golden story.

STEEVENS.

Should I, in these my borrow'd flaunts, behold
The sternness of his presence?

FLO. Apprehend Nothing but jollity. The gods themselves, Humbling their deities to love 8, have taken The shapes of beasts upon them: Jupiter Became a bull, and bellow'd; the green Neptune A ram, and bleated; and the fire-rob❜d god, Golden Apollo, a poor humble swain, As I seem now: Their transformations Were never for a piece of beauty rarer; Nor in a way so chaste: since my desires Run not before mine honour; nor my lusts Burn hotter than my faith.

PER.

9

O but, sir1, Your resolution cannot hold, when 'tis

Oppos'd, as it must be, by the power o' the king: One of these two must be necessities,

Which then will speak; that you must change this purpose,

Or I my life.

8

FLO.

Thou dearest Perdita,

The gods themselves,

Humbling their deities to love,] This is taken almost literally from the novel: "The Gods above disdaine not to love women beneath. Phoebus liked Daphne; Jupiter lo; and why not I then Fawnia? One something inferior to these in birth, but far superior to them in beauty; born to be a shepherdesse, but worthy to be a goddesse." Again: "And yet, Dorastus, shame not thy shepherd's weed.-The heavenly gods have sometime earthly thought; Neptune became a ram, Jupiter a bull, Apollo a shepherd: they gods, and yet in love;-thou a man, appointed to love.' MALONE.

9 Nor IN A way -]

Read:- -Nor any way.

RITSON.

"Nor in a way so chaste." It must be remembered that the transformations of gods were generally for illicit amours; and consequently were not "in a way so chaste as that of Florizel, whose object was to marry Perdita. A. C.

O but, DEAR sir,] In the oldest copy the word—dear, is wanting. STEEVENS.

With these forc'd thoughts, I pr'ythee, darken

not

The mirth o' the feast: Or I'll be thine, my fair, Or not my father's: for I cannot be

Mine own, nor any thing to any, if

I be not thine: to this I am most constant, Though destiny say, no. Be merry, gentle; Strangle such thoughts as these, with any thing That you behold the while. Your guests are

coming:

Lift up your countenance; as it were the day
Of celebration of that nuptial, which

We two have sworn shall come.

PER.

O lady fortune.

Stand you auspicious!

Enter Shepherd, with POLIXENES and CAMILLO, disguised; Clown, MOPSA, DORCAS, and Others.

FLO.

See, your guests approach:

Address yourself to entertain them sprightly,

And let's be red with mirth.

SHEP. Fye, daughter! when my old wife liv'd, upon

This day, she was both pantler, butler, cook;
Both dame and servant: welcom'd all; serv'd all:
Would sing her song, and dance her turn: now
here,

At upper end o' the table, now, i' the middle;
On his shoulder, and his: her face o' fire

With labour; and the thing, she took to quench it,
She would to each one sip: You are retir'd,
As if you were a feasted one, and not
The hostess of the meeting: Pray you, bid
These unknown friends to us welcome: for it is
A way to make us better friends, more known.

2 With these FORC'D thoughts,] That is, thoughts far-fetched, and not arising from the present objects. M. MASON.

Come, quench your blushes; and present yourself That which you are, mistress o' the feast: Come

on,

And bid us welcome to your sheep-shearing,
As your good flock shall prosper.

PER.

Welcome, sir! [To POL. It is my father's will, I should take on me The hostess-ship o' the day :-You're welcome, sir! [TO CAMILLO. Give me those flowers there, Dorcas.-Reverend

sirs,

For you there's rosemary, and rue; these keep
Seeming, and savour, all the winter long:
Grace, and remembrance, be to you both *,
And welcome to our shearing!

POL.
Shepherdess,
(A fair one are you,) well you fit our ages
With flowers of winter.

PER.

Sir, the year growing ancient,

3 That which you are, MISTRESS O' THE FEAST:] From the novel: "It happened not long after this, that there was a meeting of all the farmers' daughters of Sicilia, whither Fawnia was also bidden as mistress of the feast." MALONE.

4 For you there's ROSEMARY, and RUE; these keep SEEMING, and SAVOUR, all the winter long:

GRACE, and REMEMBRANCE, be to you both,] Ophelia distributes the same plants, and accompanies them with the same documents. "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. There's rue for you: we may call it herb of grace." The qualities of retaining seeming and savour, appear to be the reason why these plants were considered as emblematical of grace and remembrance. The nosegay distributed by Perdita with the significations annexed to each flower, reminds one of the ænigmatical letter from a Turkish lover, described by Lady M. W. Montagu.

HENLEY.

"Grace, and remembrance.” Rue was called herb of Grace. Rosemary was the emblem of remembrance; I know not why, unless because it was carried at funerals. JOHNSON.

Rosemary was anciently supposed to strengthen the memory, and is prescribed for that purpose in the books of ancient physick. STEEVENS.

Not yet on summer's death, nor on the birth
Of trembling winter,-the fairest flowers o' the

season

Are our carnations, and streak'd gillyflowers,
Which some call nature's bastards: of that kind
Our rustick garden's barren; and I care not
To get slips of them.

POL.

Do you neglect them?

PER.

Wherefore, gentle maiden,

For I have heard it said 5,

There is an art, which, in their piedness, shares
With great creating nature.

POL.

Say, there be;

Yet nature is made better by no mean,

But nature makes that mean: so, o'er that art,

Which, you say, adds to nature, is an art

That nature makes. You see, sweet maid, we marry

A gentler scion to the wildest stock;

And make conceive a bark of baser kind

By bud of nobler race; This is an art

Which does mend nature,-change it rather: but The art itself is nature.

POL. Then make your garden rich in gillyflowers 7 9

And do not call them bastards.

5 FOR I have heard it said,] For, in this place, signifies-because that. So, in Chaucer's Clerke's Tale, Mr. Tyrwhitt's edit. v. 8092:

"She dranke, and for she wolde vertue plese,
"She knew wel labour, but non idel ese."

6 There is an art, which, in their piedness, shares

STEEVENS.

With great creating nature.] That is, as Mr. T. Warton observes, "There is an art which can produce flowers, with as great a variety of colours as nature herself."

This art is pretended to be taught at the ends of some of the old books that treat of cookery, &c. but, being utterly impracticable, is not worth exemplification. STEEVENS.