Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

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.
Glo. It is too weighty for your grace to wear.
York. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
Glo. What, would you have my weapon, little

lord?

York. I would, that I might thank you as you call

me.

Glo. How?
York. Little.

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;
Because that I am little like an ape,

He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
Buck. With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons!
To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,

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:
So cunning, and foryoung, is wonderful.
Glo. My lord, will't please you pass along?
Myself, and my good coufin Buckingham,
Will to your mother; to entreat of her,
To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you.
York. What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?
Prince. My lord protector needs will have it so.
York. I shall not fleep in quiet at the Tower.
Glo. Why, what should you fear?

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,
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?

Glo. No doubt, no doubt: O, 'tis a parlous boy;

Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable;
He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.

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

[ocr errors]

Thou know'st our reasons urg'd upon the way;
What think'st thou? is it not an eafy matter
To make William lord Hastings of our mind,
For the instalment of this noble duke
In the feat royal of this famous ifsle?

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,
How he doth stand affected to our purpose;
And fummon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To fit about the coronation.

If thou doft find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our reafons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too; and so break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,
Wherein thyfelf shalt highly be employ'd.

Glo. Commend me to lord William: tell him,
Catesby,

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

[ocr errors]

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

[ocr errors]

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
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.

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

[blocks in formation]

And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and all the moveables
Whereof the king my brother was possess'd.

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.
Enter a Messenger.

Mes. My lord, my lord,-
Hast. [Within.] Who knocks?
Mes. One from lord Stanley.

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?
Mes. Upon the stroke of four.

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,

[ocr errors]

Mes. Then certifies your lordship, that this night
He dreamt, the boar had rafed off his helm 4:
Besides, he says, there are two councils held;
And that may be determin'd at the one,
Which may make you and him to rue at the other.
Therefore he sends to know your lordship's pleasure,
If presently you will take horse with him,
And with all speed post with him toward the north,
To shun the danger that his foul divines.

Haft. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;
Bid him not fear the feparated councils :
His honour, and myself, are at the one;
And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby;
Where nothing can proceed, that toucheth us,
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.

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,
VOL. VII.

G

And

۱

« FöregåendeFortsätt »