Good duke, receive thy daughter,
Hymen from heaven brought her,
Yea, brought her hither;

That thou might'st join her hand with his,
Whose heart within her bosom is*.

company to be brought by enchantment, and is therefore introduced by a supposed aerial being in the character of Hymen.

JOHNSON.

In all the allegorical shows exhibited at ancient weddings, Hymen was a constant personage. Ben Jonson, in his Hymenæi, or the Solemnities of Masque and Barriers, at a Marriage, has left instructions how to dress this favourite character. "On the other hand entered Hymen, the god of marriage, in a saffron-coloured robe, his under vestures white, his sockes yellow, a yellow veile of silke on his left arme, his head crowned with roses and marjoram, in his right hand a torch." STEEVENS.

• That thou might'st join HER hand with his,

Whose heart within HER bosom is.] The old copy, instead of her, reads his in both lines. Mr. Rowe corrected the first, and I once thought that emendation sufficient, and that whose might have referred not to the last antecedent his, but to her, i. e. Rosalind. Our author frequently takes such licences. But on further consideration it appears to me probable, that the same abbreviation was used in both lines, and that as his was certainly a misprint in the first line for her, so it also was in the second, the construction being so much more easy in that way than the other. "That thou might'st join her hand with the hand of him whose heart is lodged in her bosom," i. e. whose affection she already possesses. So, in Love's Labour's Lost, the King says to the Princess:

"Hence ever then my heart is in thy breast." Again, in our author's Venus and Adonis:

"Bids him farewell, and look well to her heart,
"The which, by Cupid's bow she doth protest,
"He carried thence incaged in his breast.”

Again, in King Richard III.:

"Even so thy breast incloseth my poor heart." Again, in Romeus and Juliet, 1562:

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Thy heart thou leav'st with her, when thou dost hence depart,

"And in thy breast inclosed bear'st her tender friendly heart." In Love's Labour's Lost, vol. iv. p. 412, we meet with the error that has happened here. The Princess addressing the ladies who attend her, says:

"But while 'tis spoke, each turn away his face."

Ros. To you I give myself, for I am yours.

To you I give myself, for I am yours.

[To Duke S.

[TO ORLANDO.

DUKE S. If there be truth in sight, you are my

daughter.

ORL. If there be truth in sight, you are my Ro

salind.

PHE. If sight and shape be true,

Why then, my love adieu!

Ros. I'll have no father, if you be not he :

I'll have no husband, if you be not he:

[To Duke S.

[TO ORLANDO.

Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be be not she.

[To PHEBE.

HYм. Peace, ho! I bar confusion:
'Tis I must make conclusion
Of these most strange events:
Here's eight that must take hands,
To join in Hymen's bands,

If truth holds true contents".
You and you no cross shall part:

[TO ORLANDO and Rosalind.

You and you are heart in heart:

[TO OLIVER and CELIA. You [To PHEBE] to his love must accord,

Or have a woman to your lord:

Again, in a former scene of the play before us :

"Helen's cheek, but not his heart." MALOne.

5 If there be truth in sight,] The answer of Phebe makes it probable that Orlando says:

"If there be truth in shape:

that is, if a form may be trusted; if one cannot usurp the form of another. JOHNSON.

If my sight does not deceive me: Phebe's answer will support one word as well as the other. BOSWELL.

6 If truth holds true contents.] That is, if there be truth in truth, unless truth fails of veracity. JOHNSON.

You and you are sure together,

[To TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.

As the winter to foul weather.
Whiles a wedlock-hymn we sing,
Feed yourselves with questioning';
That reason wonder may diminish,
How thus we met, and these things finish.

SONG.

Wedding is great Juno's crown3 ;
O blessed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town;
High wedlock then be honoured:
Honour, high honour and renown,
To Hymen, god of every town!

DUKE S. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to

me;

Even daughter, welcome in no less degree.

PHE. I will not eat my word, now thou art

mine;

Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine 9.

[TO SILVIUS.

7 with QUESTIONING;] Though Shakspeare frequently uses question for conversation, in the present instance questioning may have its common and obvious signification. STEEVENS.

8 Wedding is, &c.] Catullus, addressing himself to Hymen, has this stanza :

9

Quæ tuis careat sacris,

Non queat dare præsides
Terra finibus: at queat

Te volente. Quis huic deo

Compararier ausit?

JOHNSON.

-combine.] Shakspeare is licentious in his use of this verb, which here, as in Measure for Measure, only signifies to

bind:

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"I am combined by a sacred vow,
"And shall be absent." STEEVENS.

Enter JAQUES DE BOIS.

JAQ. DE B. Let me have audience for a word, or two;

I am the second son of old sir Rowland,

That bring these tidings to this fair assembly :—
Duke Frederick', hearing how that every day
Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
Address'd a mighty power; which were on foot,
In his own conduct purposely to take

His brother here, and put him to the sword:
And to the skirts of this wild wood he came ;
Where, meeting with an old religious man,
After some question with him, was converted
Both from his enterprize, and from the world:
His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands restor'd to them again
That were with him exíl'd: This to be true,
I do engage my life.

DUKE S.

Welcome, young man ;
Thou offer'st fairly to thy brothers' wedding:
To one, his lands with-held; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.
First, in this forest, let us do those ends
That here were well begun, and well begot :
And after, every of this happy number,

That have endur'd shrewd days and nights with us,
Shall share the good of our returned fortune,
According to the measure of their states.
Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity,
And fall into our rustick revelry :-

1 Duke Frederick, &c.] In Lodge's novel the usurping Duke is not diverted from his purpose by the pious counsel of a hermit, but is subdued and killed by the twelve peers of France, who were brought by the third brother of Rosader (the Orlando of this play) to assist him in the recovery of his right. STEEVENS.

Play, musick;—and you brides and bridegrooms all,
With measure heap'd in joy, toth' measures fall.
JAQ. Sir, by your patience; If I heard you rightly,
The duke hath put on a religious life,

And thrown into neglect the pompous court?
JAQ. DE B. He hath.

JAQ. To him will I: out of these convertites There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.You to your former honour I bequeath; [To Duke S. Your patience, and your virtue, well deserves it :— You [TO ORLANDO] to a love, that your true faith

doth merit:

You [TO OLIVER] to your land, and love, and great allies:

You [TO SILVIUS] to a long and well deserved bed ;

And you [To TOUCHSTONE] to wrangling; for thy loving voyage

Is but for two months victual'd:-So to your plea

sures;

I am for other than for dancing measures.

DUKE S. Stay, Jaques, stay.

JAQ. To see no pastime, I:-what you would have I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave 2.

2 To see no pastime, I:-what you would have

[Exit.

I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.] Amidst this general festivity, the reader may be sorry to take his leave of Jaques, who appears to have no share in it, and remains behind unreconciled to society. He has, however, filled with a gloomy sensibility the space allotted to him in the play, and to the last preserves that respect which is due to him as a consistent character, and an amiable, though solitary moralist.

It may be observed, with scarce less concern, that Shakspeare has, on this occasion, forgot old Adam, the servant of Orlando, whose fidelity should have entitled him to notice at the end of the piece, as well as to that happiness which he would naturally have found, in the return of fortune to his master. STEEVENS.

It is the more remarkable, that old Adam is forgotten; since, at