In the original tale she expressly excepts the _children_ and relatives of the King. * * * * * SC. 2. "An end, sir, to your business. Give Helen this." For 'An end' I feel almost certain we should read _Attend_, or possibly _And now_. I have, however, made no change in the text of my Edition. Some point 'An end, sir: to your business.' * * * * * SC. 3. "_Mort de vinaigre!_ is not that Helen_a_?" * * * * * "And writ as little beard." For 'writ' we should, I think, read _wore_ or _with_. Mr. Dyce, however, says it was "the phraseology of Shakespeare's time." He should, then, have given us examples of it; for _write man_ and such like are not such. Perhaps this and the following speeches of Lafeu should be _Asides_. * * * * * "Do they all deny her? An they were sons of mine," etc. The folio reads, "Do all they." * * * * * "From lowest place, whence virtuous things proceed." So the folio reads and punctuates. The context shows that we should read _when_, with Thirlby. Two lines further on we have 'additions swell's,' which, reading 'swells,' is grammatically right; but the 2nd folio read '_addition_,' and Malone, who is usually followed, _swell_. * * * * * "Where dust and damn'd oblivion is the tomb." For 'damn'd' we might feel inclined to read _dim_, _damp_, or _dank_. "And in a dark and _dankish_ vault," Com. of Err. v. 1; or (as in Tr. and Cr. iii. 2) _blind_. The text, however, is probably right, for 'damn'd' often merely meant what is odious, or hateful, was to be condemned or simply was reprehensible. "Surfeits, impostumes, grief, and _damn'd_ despair."--Ven. and Adon. (See on Othel. i. 1.) * * * * * "My honour's at the stake, which to defeat." I have read, with Theobald, _defend_. Farmer's explanation of 'defeat' is untenable. * * * * * "Whose ceremony Shall seem expedient on the now borne brief, And be perform'd to-night." By 'brief' I would understand the marriage-contract; for _brief_ is used with great latitude. So in v. 3 we have "a sweet verbal _brief_," _i.e._ commission or address. The 'now borne' of the folio is, I think, _now-born_, _i.e._ which has just come into being, been made. Possibly we might read _new-born_, like "things _new-born_" (W. T. iii. 3), "_new-born_ gauds" (Tr. and Cr. iii. 3). We have _now_ for _new_ (M. N. D. i. 1). I read _come_ for 'seem.' (See on Macb. i. 2.) * * * * * "Than the commission of your birth and virtue give you heraldry for." Hanmer transposed 'commission' and 'heraldry'; and most editors have followed him. They seem to be right, and I agree with them. * * * * * "What, what, _what_, sweetheart?"