(By Heav'n, he told it me in wine, and joy, had we done, Had we known this before? Romans, she's ye, For I must kneel, and on this virtuous hand Seal my new joy and thanks. Thou hast done truly. 3 Sen. Up with your arms; ye strike a Mayst thou live ever spoken our protector: Above the reach of envy, blood, and murder! EPILOGUE. WE Tis but a little liking, both are eas'd: Let not a brack i'th' stuff, or here and there -ye fling away We know, in meat and wine ye fling away And with the reckoning all the pleasure lost. Only to please the eye a while, and kiss, More time and wealth, which is but dearer pay.] The change of a letter seems here to have turned a beautiful sentiment into the grossest tautology. As it has hitherto stood, the sense must be, You take up with worse commodities, and pay dearer for them; for you 'spend more of your time and more of your wealth in meat and drink, and consequently 've pay dearer for them.' How flat and unnecessary is the conclusion! But if we read health instead of wealth, as I doubt not the Poets did, the sense will be perfectly poetical: You not only fling away more time, but even health too, on meats and wine; and this is a much dearer purchase than that which you buy of us for a little money. The pleasure ' eatables give is lost the moment you are filled; whereas the food we treat with may be a 'thousand times digested, and will never load or disease the mind.' Seward. Then noble friends, as ye would chuse a mistress, Only to please the eye a while, and kiss.] This is the reading of the first folio; but is it not surprising that after the second folio (by much the best authority for this play) had exhibited the obvious word, miss, the succeeding Editors should again introduce mistress, as was done in 1711, and by Mr. Seward? MONSIEUR THOMAS: A COMEDY. The quarto 1639 (the first edition of this excellent Comedy) mentions Fletcher's name only in the title. Monsieur Thomas has not been performed in its original state for many, many years; but an alteration of it, by Tom Durfey, appeared in the year 1678, under the title of Trick for Trick, or The Debauch'd Hypocrite. PERSONS REPRESENTED. VALENTINE, a Gentleman lately returned | ALICE, Valentine's Sister. from travel. MONSIEUR THOMAS, his Fellow-traveller. SEBASTIAN, his Father. FRANCIS, Valentine's Son, in love with Cellide. SAM, a Gentleman, his Friend. MICHAEL, a Gentleman,Valentine's Neighbour CELLIDE, leloved by Valentine, in love with Francis. MARY, Niece to Valentine and Alice, in love with Monsieur Thomas. DOROTHEA, Monsieur Thomas's Sister. SCENE, England. ACT I. And, my best sister, you as dear to my sight, And pray let this confirm it: How you've govern'd [vants, My poor state in my absence, how my serI dare and must believe, (else I should wrong ye) The best and worthiest. Alice. As my woman's wit, sir, Tell me how fares the gentle Cellide, Some youth but in his blossom, as herself is? Alice. They need not; for, believe me, So well you've manag'd her, and won her mind, [ripeness, Ev'n from her hours of childhood to this (And, in your absence, that by me enforc'd still) So well distill'd your gentleness into her, Observ'd her, fed her fancy, liv'd still in her, And, tho' Love be a boy, and ever youthful, And young and beauteous objects ever aim'd at, [Nature, Yet here you've gone beyond Love, "better'd Made him appear in years, in grey years fiery, His bow at full bent ever. Fear not, brother; For tho' your body has been far off from her, Yet every hour your heart, which is your goodness, [too, I have forc'd into her, won a place prepar'd And willingly to give it ever harbour; Believe she's so much yours, and won by miracle, (Which is by age) so deep a stamp set on her By your observances, she cannot alter. Were the child living now you lost at sea Among the Genoa gallies, what a happiness! What a main blessing! Val. Oh, no more, good sister! Touch no more that string, 'tis too harsh and jarring! [know, With that child all my hopes went, and, you The root of all those hopes, the mother too, Within few days. Alice. 'Tis too true, and too fatal; I hope the beauteous Cellide- For all she is, is yours. Val. For the poor boy's loss, I've brought a noble friend I found in travel; A worthier mind, and a more temperate spirit, If I have so much judgment to discern 'em, Man yet was never master of. Alice. What is he? Val A gentleman, I do assure myself, His honesty and modesty still fearing Shall be no more companions. Use him nobly; I make him free companion in, and partner, But only Alice. I observe you; hold your right there; Love and high rule allow no rivals, brother. He shall have fair regard, and all observance. Enter Hylas. Hylas. You're welcome, noble sir. Val. What, monsieur Hylas! I'm glad to see your merry body well yet. Hylas. I'faith you're welcome home! What news beyond seas? Val. None, but new men expected, such as you are, To breed new admirations. Tis my sister; Pray you know her, sir. [lady? Hylas. With all my heart. Your leave, Hylas. A shrewd smart touch! which does A body keen and active: Somewhat old, Val. What', the old 'Squire of Dames still? I love a woman of her years, a pacer, Forty, and somewhat fulsome, is a fine dish; These colts are too skittish. young 1 The poorest of your servants vows his duty Mary. Oh, 'tis a kiss you would, sir; I do perceive now, a blind ass, a blockhead; For this is handsomeness, this that that draws [head, us, Body and bones. Oh, what a mounted forc- Val. Oh, my dear life, my better heart! all dangers, Distresses in my travel, all misfortunes, Vul. Oh, dearest! My noble friend too? What a blessedness Have I about me now! how full my wishes Are come again! A thousand hearty wel comes I once more lay upon you! All I have, The fair and liberal use of all my servants What, the old 'Squire of Dames still?] Alluding to the squire of dames, who, in the seventh canto of the Legend of Chastity, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, tells Satyrane, that, by order of his mistress Columbel, (after having served the ladies for a year) he was sent out a second time, not to return till he could find three hundred women incapable of yielding to any temptation. R. A happy stock you have, &c.] This is made a continuation of Valentine's speech, by an Seward. mission of Hylas's name, in the former editions. 3 Val. Ye wrong my tender love now, even my service, Nothing accepted, nothing stuck between us And our entire affections, but this woman.] The first line is very obscure: Whoever considers the turn of the period will see that it is not to be joined with the second, as if his modesty would not accept his service. It is evident that the word accepted is a corruption, and should be excepted. There are two ways of solving the difficulty of the first line; either by making it no more than saying, Ye wrong my tender love and service.' But then the enhancing particle even is superfluous. I therefore turn this particle into a verb, and read, Ye wrong my tender love now. Even my service, Nothing excepted, &c.' i.e. You shall be served equal with myself; or expect a service equal to that which is 'payed to me.' The expression is, I allow, obscure; but the best poets are not always free from obscurity: brevity is the soul of poetry, but it often begets difficulties of construction. Seward. The change of accepted to excepted is admissible: but the conversion of the particle into a zerb, together with the new punctuation, is uncouth and almost unintelligible. Du gata whee] The expression Du cat a whee occurs in The Custom of the Country; upon which we have said (note 18) that we were assured it was not Welch,' as Theobald had asserted, though without declaring its signification. The genuine Welch, of which this is a vitiation, is, Duw cadw chwi, God bless or preserve you. Duw cadw ni is, God bless |