Glo. A greater gift than that I'll give my cousin. York. A greater gift! O, that's the sword to it? Glo. Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough. York. O then, I see, you'll part but with light gifts; In weightier things you'll fay a beggar, nay. lord? York. I would, that I might thank you as you call me. Glo. How? Prince. Mylord of York will still be cross in talk; Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him. York. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me: Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me; He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders. He This reading, made a little more metrical, has been followed, I think erroneously, by all the editors. JOHNSON. The quarto 1612 reads: _ no grief STEEVENS. * I weigh it lightly, &c.] i. e. I should still esteem it but a trifling gift, were it heavier. But the Oxford editor reads: I'd weigh it lightly, i. e. I could manage it, tho' it were heavier. WARBURTON. Dr. Warburton is right. So, in Love's Labour's Loft, act V. fc. ii: "You weigh me not, - that's you care not for me." STEEVENS. Because that I am little like an ape,] The reproach seems to consist in this: at country shews it was common to set the monkey on the back of fome other animal, as a bear. The duke therefore, in calling himself ape, calls his uncle bear. JOHNSON. To He prettily and aptly taunts himself: York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost;' My grandam told me, he was murther'd there. Prince. I fear no uncles dead. Glo. Nor none that live, I hope. Prince. An if they live, I hope, I need not fear, But come, my lord, and, with a heavy heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower. [Exeunt Prince, York, Hastings, Cardinal and attendants. Buck. Think you, my lord, this little prating York Was not incensed by his fubtle mother, Glo. No doubt, no doubt: O, 'tis a parlous boy; Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable; Buck. Well, let them reft. -Come hither, Catesby; thou art sworn As deeply to effect what we intend, As closely to conceal what we impart: To this custom there seems to be an allusion in Ben Jonfon's Masque of Gypsies: "A gypsy in his shape, "More calls the beholder, "Than the fellow with the ape, "Or the ape on his shoulder." Again, in The first Part of the Eight liberall Science, entituled Ars Adulandi &c. devised and compiled by Ulpian Fulwel, 1576: "-thou hast an excellent back to carry my lord's ape." STEEVENS. Thou Thou know'st our reasons urg'd upon the way; Cates. He for his father's fake so loves the prince, That he will not be won to aught against him. Buck. What think'ft thou then of Stanley? will not he?, Catef. He will do all in all as Hastings doth. Buck. Well then, no more but this: Go, gentle Catesby, And, as it were far off, found thou lord Hastings, If thou doft find him tractable to us, Glo. Commend me to lord William: tell him, divided councils,] That is, a private confultation, feparate from the known and publick council. So, in the next scene, Hastings says: Bid him not fear the feparated councils. JOHNSON. This circumstance is conformable to history. Hall, p. 13, fays, " When the protectour had both the chyldren in his pof"fession, yea, and that they were in a fure place, he then be gan to threft to se the ende of his enterprise. And, to avoyde "all fufpicion, he caused all the lordes whiche he knewe to bee " faithfull to the kynge, to assemble at Baynardes Castle, to comen of the ordre of the coronacion, whyle he and other of " his complices, and of his affinitee, at Crosbies-place, con"trived the contrary, and to make the protectour kyng: to "which counfail there were adhibite very fewe, and they very "secrete." EDITOR. His ancient knot of dangerous adverfaries Buck. Good Catesby, go, effect this business foundly. Cates. My good lords both, with all the heed I can. Glo. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we fleep? Cates. You shall, my lord. Glo. At Crosby-place, there you shall find us both. [Exit Catesby. Buck. Now, my lord, what shall we do, if we per ceive Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots? Glo. Chop off his head, man;-fomewhat we will And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me Buck. I'll claim that promise at your grace's hand. Glo. And look to have it yielded with all kindness. Come, let us fup betimes; that afterwards We may digeft our complots in fome form. [Exeunt. SCENE II3. Before Lord Hastings' house. Mes. My lord, my lord,- 2 will do:] The folio reads will determine. STEEVENS. 3 Scene II. Every material circumstance in the following scene is taken from the Chronicles, except that it is a knight with whom Hastings converses, instead of Buckingham. STEEVENS. Haft. Haft. What is't o'clock? Enter Haftings. Haft. Cannot thy master sleep these tedious nights? Mes. So it should feem by that I have to say, First, he commends him to your noble lordship. Haft. And then, Mes. Then certifies your lordship, that this night Haft. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord; Tell him, his fears are shallow, 5 wanting instance: *the boar had rased off his helm) This term rafed or rashed is always given to describe the violence inflicted by a boar. So, in K. Lear, 4to. edit. " In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs." Again, in Warner's Albion's England, 1602, B. VII. ch. 36: "-ha, cur, avaunt, the bore so rafe thy hide!" By the boar, throughout this scene, is meant Glotter, who was called the boar, or the bog, from his having a boar for his cognizance, and one of the supporters of his coat of arms. STEEVENS. swanting instance :] That is, wanting some example or act of malevolence, by which they may be justified: or which, perhaps, is nearer to the true meaning, wanting any immediate ground or reason. JOHNSON. The folio reads without instance. STEEVENS, G And ۱ |