As, let them have their rights, they are ever for

ward

In celebration of this day with shows,
Pageants, and fights of honour.

1 GENT.

Never greater,

Nor, I'll affure you, better taken, fir.

2 GENT. May I be bold to ask what that contains,

That paper in your hand?

1 GENT.

Yes; 'tis the lift

Of those, that claim their offices this day,
By custom of the coronation.

The duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims
To be high steward; next, the duke of Norfolk,
He to be earl marshal; you may read the rest.

2 GENT. I thank you, fir; had I not known thofe

customs,

I should have been beholden to your paper.
But, I befeech you, what's become of Katharine,
The princess dowager? how goes her business ?

1 GENT. That I can tell you too. The archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learned and reverend fathers of his order,
Held a late court at Dunstable, fix miles off
From Ampthill, where the princess lay; to which
She oft was cited by them, but appear'd not:
And, to be short, for not appearance, and

6

-this day-]) Sir Thomas Hanmer reads:

these days

But Shakspeare meant fuch a day as this, a coronation day.
And fuch is the English idiom, which our author commonly pre-

fers to grammatical nicety. JOHNSON.

7

not appearance,] I suppose, our author wrote-non

appearance. So, in The Winter's Tale :

"the execution did cry out

"Against the non-performance." STEEVENS.

1

The king's late scruple, by the main assent
Of all these learned men she was divorc'd,
And the late marriages made of none effect :
Since which, she was removed to Kimbolton,
Where she remains now, fick.

2 GENT.

Alas, good lady![Trumpets.

The trumpets found: stand close, the queen is

coming.

THE ORDER OF THE PROCESSION.

A lively flourish of Trumpets; then, enter

1. Two Judges.

2. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace be

fore him.

3. Choristers finging.

4. Mayor of London bearing the mace.

[Musick.

Then

Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his head, a gilt copper crown.

5. Marquis Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold, on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With him, the Earl of Surrey, bearing the rod of filver with the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet. Collars of SS.

6. Duke of Suffolk, in his robe of estate, his coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as high-steward. With him, the Duke of Nor

5

- the late marriage-] i. e. the marriage lately confidered as a valid one.

9

STEEVENS.

-in his coat of arms,] i. e. in his coat of office, emblazoned with the royal arms. STEEVENS.

folk, with the rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head. Collars of SS.

7. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports; under it, the Queen in her robe; in her hair richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each fide of her, the Bishops of London and Winchester.

8. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of gold, wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen's

train.

9. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain circlets1 of gold without flowers.

2 GENT. A royal train, believe me. -These I know;

Who's that, that bears the scepter?

1 GENT.

Marquis Dorset :

And that the earl of Surrey, with the rod.

2 GENT. A bold brave gentleman: And that

should be

The duke of Suffolk.

1 GENT.

:

'Tis the same; high-steward.

2 GENT. And that my lord of Norfolk ?

1 GENT.

2 GENT.

Yes.

Heaven bless thee! [Looking on the Queen.

Thou haft the sweetest face I ever look'd on.-
Sir, as I have a foul, she is an angel;

I

- coronal circlets-) I do not recollect that these two words occur in any other of our author's works; a circumstance that may serve to strengthen Dr. Farmer's opinion-that the directions for the court pageantry throughout the present drama, were drawn up by another hand. STEEVENS.

Our king has all the Indies in his arms,
And more, and richer, when he strains that lady:

I cannot blame his confcience.

1 GENT.

They, that bear

The cloth of honour over her, are four barons
Of the Cinque-ports.

2 GENT. Those men are happy; and so are all, are near her.

I take it, she that carries up the train,

Is that old noble lady, duchess of Norfolk.

1 GENT. It is; and all the rest are countesses.

2 GENT. Their coronets say so. These are stars,

indeed;

And, sometimes, falling ones.

1 GENT.

No more of that.

[Exit Procession, with a great flourish of Trumpets.

Enter a third Gentleman.

God save you, fir! Where have you been broiling?

2

3 GENT. Among the croud i'the abbey; where a finger

-when he strains that lady:] I do not recollect that our author, in any other of his works, has used the verb-ftrain in its present sense, which is that of the Latin comprimere. Thus Livy, I. 4: "Compressa vestalis, quum geminum partum edidiffet," &c. Again, in Chapman's version of the 21st Iliad:

"Bright Peribæa, whom the flood, &c.
"Compress'd."

I have pointed out this circumstance, because Ben Jonfon is fufpected of having made some additions to the play before us, and, perhaps, in this very scene which is descriptive of the perfonages who compose the antecedent proceffion. See Dr. Farmer's note on the Epilogue to this play. STEEVENS.

Could not be wedg'd in more; and I am ftifled 3
With the mere rankness of their joy.

3 GENT. As well as I am able. The rich ftream4

Of lords, and ladies, having brought the queen
To a prepar'd place in the choir, fell off
A distance from her; while her grace fat down
To rest a while, some half an hour, or so,
In a rich chair of state, oppofing freely
The beauty of her perfon to the people.
Believe me, fir, she is the goodlieft woman
That ever lay by man: which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noise arose
As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks,
(Doublets, I think,) flew up; and had their faces
Been loose, this day they had been loft. Such joy
I never faw before. Great-bellied women,

3-and I am stifled-] And was introduced by Sir T.

Hanmer, to complete the measure. STEEVENS.

- ingentem foribus domus alta fuperbis
"Mane falutantum totis vomit ædibus undam."

Virg. Georg. II. 461. MALONE.

Again, in the second Thebaid of Statius, v. 223 :

- foribus cum immissa superbis

" Unda fremit vulgi."

So, in Timon of Athens, Act I. fc. i:

66

-this confluence, this great flood of vifitors."

See Dr. Johnson's note on this passage. STEEVENS.