Lies he not bed-rid ? and again does nothing,
But what he did being childish ?
Flo.

No, good sir;
He has his health, and ampler strength, indeed,
Than most have of his age.
Pol.

By my white beard,
You offer him, if this be fo, a wrong
Something unfilial : Reason, my son
Should choose himself a wife; but as good reason,
The father, (all whose joy is nothing else
But fair pofterity,) should hold some counsel
In such a business.

I yield all this ;
But, for some other reasons, my grave sir,
Which 'tis not fit you know, I not acquaint
My father of this business.
Pol.

Let him know't.
Flo. He shall not.

Pr’ythee, let him.
Flo.

No, he must not. Shep. Let him, my fon; he shall not need to

grieve
At knowing of thy choice.

Come, come he must not :-
Mark our contract.
Pol.

Mark your divorce, young fir,

[Discovering himself. Whom son I dare not call; thou art too base To be acknowledg'd: Thou a scepter's heir, That thus affect'fta sheep-hook!- Thou old traitor, I am sorry, that, by hanging thee, I can but

POL.

Flo.

It probably means" Can he assert and vindicate his right to his own property ?" M. Mason.

Shorten thy life one week. And thou, fresh piece
Of excellent witchcraft; who, of force, must know
The royal fool thou cop'st with;
SHEP,

O, my heart !
Pol. I'll have thy beauty scratch'd with briars,

and made More homely than thy state.--For thee, fond boy, If I may ever know, thou dost but figh, That thou no more shalt see this knack, (as never I mean thou shalt,) we'll bar thee from succession; Not hold thee of our blood, no not our kin, Far than? Deucalion off: Mark thou my words; Follow us to the court.--Thou churl, for this time, Though full of our displeasure, yet we free thee From the dead blow of it.-And you, enchant

ment, Worthy enough a herdsman; yca, him too, That makes himself, but for our honour therein, Unworthy thee,-if ever, henceforth, thou These rural latches to his entrance open, Or hoop his body & more with thy embraces,

3- who, of force,] Old Copy-wbom. Corrected by the cditor of the second folio. MALONE.

6 That thou no more salt see this knack, (as never--] The old copy reads, with absurd redundancy :

“ That thou no more shalt never see,” &c. STEVENS, 7 Far than — ] I think for far than we hould read far as. We will not hold thee of our kin even so far off as Deucalion the common ancestor of all. Johnson.

The old reading farre, i, e. further, is the true one. The ancient comparative of fer was ferrer. See the Glossaries to Robert of Glocester and Robert of Brunne. This, in the time of Chaucer, was foftened into ferre,

“ But er I bere thee moche ferre," H. of Fa. B. II. v.92. « Thus was it peinted, I can say no ferro."

Knight's Tale, 2062. TYRWHITT. 8 Or hoop his body -] The old copy has-hope. Corrected by Mr. Pope. "Malone.

I will devise a death as cruel for thee,
As thou art tender to't.

[Exit. Per.

. Even here undone! I was not much afeard : 9 for once, or twice, I was about to speak; and tell him plainly, The selfsame sun, that shines upon his court, Hides not his visage from our cottage, but Looks on alike. —Wilt please you, fir, be gone?

[To FLORIZEL.

9 I was not much afeard : &c.] The character is here finely suftained. To have made her quite astonished at the king's discovery of himself had not become her birth; and to have given her presence of mind to have made this reply to the king, had not become her education. WARBURTON. 2 I was about to speak; and tell him plainly,

The felfsame sun, that shines upon his court,
Hides not his visage from our cottage, but

Looks on alike.] So, in Nofce Teipfum, a poem by Sir John Davies, 1599:

“ Thou, like the funne, dost with indifferent ray,

“ Into the palace and the cottage Thine.” Again, in The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, 1597:

- The sunne on rich and poor alike doth shine." L-oks on alike is sense, and is supported by a passage in King Henry VIII:

“— No, my lord,
“ You know no more than others, but you blame

« Things that are known alike." j. e. that are known alike by all.

To look upon, without any substantive annexed, is a mode of expression, which, though now unusual, appears to have been legiti. mate in Shakfpeare's time. So, in Troilus and Crepida :

“ He is my prize; I will not look upon." Again, in K. Henry VI. P. III:

" Why stand we here
“ And look upon, as if the tragedy

“ Were play'd in jest by counterfeited actors.” MÅlone. To look upon, in more modern phrase, is to look on, i. e. to be a mere idle spectator. In this sense it is employed in the two preceding instances. STEVENS.

- the selfsame fun, &c.] “ For he maketh his fun to rise on the evil and the good.” St. Matthew, v. 45. DOUCE.

CAM.

I told you, what would come of this : 'Beseech you, Of your own state take care: this dream of mine, Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch further, But milk my ewes, and weep.

Why, how now, father? Speak, ere thou dieft. SHEP.

I cannot speak, nor think, . Nor dare to know that which I know.-0, sir,

[To FLORIZEL. You have undone a man of fourscore three, That thought to fill his grave in quiet; yea, To die upon the bed my father died, To lie close by his honeft bones : but now Some hangman must put on my shroud, and lay me Where no priest shovels-in dust. -Ocursed wretch!

[To PERDITA. That knew'st this was the prince, and would'st ad

venture
To mingle faith with him.-Undone! undone !
If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd
To die when I desire.*

[Exit. Flo.

Why look you so upon me? 5

2 You have undone a man of fourscore three, &c.] These sentiments, which the poet has heighten’d by a strain of ridicule that runs through them, admirably characterize the speaker; whose selfishness is seen in concealing the adventure of Perdita; and here supported, by showing no regard for his son or her, but being taken up entirely with himself, though fourscore three. WARBURTON.

3 Where no priest shovels-in duft.] This part of the priest's office might be remembered in Shakspeare's time : it was not left off till the reign of Edward VI. FARMER. That is in pronouncing the words earth to earth, &c.

HENLEY, 4 If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd To die when I desire.] So, in Macbeth :

“ Had I but died an hour before this chance,

“ I had liv'd a blessed time.” STEEVENS. 5 Why look you so upon me?] Perhaps the two last words should be omitted. STEVENS.

I am but sorry, not afeard; delay'd,
But nothing alter'd: What I was, I am:
More straining on, for plucking back; not following
My leash unwillingly.
| Ca M.

Gracious my lord,
You know your father's temper : 6 at this time
He will allow no speech,—which, I do guess,
You do not purpose to him ;—and as hardly
Will he endure your fight as yet, I fear:
Then, 'till the fury of his highness settle,
Come not before him.
Flo.

I not purpose it.
I think, Camillo.
CAM.

Even he, my lord.
Per. How often have I told you, 'twould be thus?
How often said, my dignity would last
But till 'twere known?
Flo.

It cannot fail, but by The violation of my faith; And then Let nature crush the sides o’the earth together, And mar the seeds within!?-Lift up thy looks: 8 From my succession wipe me, father! Í Am heir to my affection. CAM.

Be advis'd. Flo. I am; and by my fancy:9 if my reason Will thereto be obedient, I have reason;

6 You know your father's temper:] The old copy reads my father's. Corrected by the editor of the second folio. Malone. 7 And mar the feeds within!] So, in Macbeth :

“ And nature's germins tumble all together.” Steevens. 8 Lift up thy looks : ] “ Lift up the light of thy countenance.” Psalm, iv. 6. Steevens.

9 — and by my fancy:] It must be remembered that fancy in our author very often, as in this place, means love. Johnson. So, in A Midsummer Night's Dream:

“ Fair Helena in fancy following me." See Vol. V. p. 132, n. 6. Steevens.