We should, I apprehend, read _it_ for 'you.' There had been no allusion yet to the king. * * * * * "And write to her a love line." It would be better to read, with Hanmer, as I have done, '_To_ write.' * * * * * "Than I dare blame my weakness...." We thus get some appearance of sense; but I still am suspicious of 'blame.' _Task_ might seem better. "I dare not task my weakness with any more."--Othel. ii. 3. We meet, however, in the Faerie Queen with "Ne blame your honour with so shameful vaunt Of vile revenge," ii. 8. 16, where _blame_ seems to signify blemish, or expose to blame. * * * * * "With that malignant cause." We might suspect 'cause'; but it is right. "Leave us to cure this cause. For 'tis a sore upon us." Cor. iii. 1. * * * * * "Humbly entreating from your royal thoughts A modest one, to bear me back again." This would seem to mean that, notwithstanding her boldness, he would still continue to think her modest. It would be derogatory to Helena to read _sum_ for 'one.' * * * * * "When miracles have by the greatest been denied." Johnson saw rightly that a line had been lost after this. * * * * * "Where hope is coldest and despair most shifts." For 'shifts' Pope read _sits_, Theobald _fits_, which I think is right; _fits_ occurs in the sense of suits in "The humble salve which wounded bosoms _fits_." Son. cxx. * * * * * "Ne worse of worst extended With vilest tortures let my life be ended." She means, be racked to death. Malone read, as I do, _Nay, worst of worse_. 'Nay' was sometimes spelt _ne_. "Is't true? _Ne_, let him run into the war."--Chapman, All Fools, i. * * * * * "Youth, beauty, _virtue_, wisdom, courage all." Warburton also supplied _virtue_, but _after_ 'wisdom.' In the next scene but one, the King speaks again of her _virtue_. * * * * * "Ay, by my sceptre and my hopes of heaven." This is the correction of Thirlby; the folio has _help_ for 'heaven,' regardless of rime. * * * * * "What husband in thy power I will command." The proper word would seem to be '_de_mand'; but see on As You Like It, ii. 5. * * * * * "With any branch or image of thy state." For 'image' Warburton, whom Singer follows, read _impage_, while Steevens says (and, I believe, truly) there is no such word. By 'image' may be meant child, offspring, which is its signification in "I have bewept a worthy husband's death. And liv'd by looking on his images."--Rich. III. ii. 2.