And, as the long divorce of steel falls on me, Make of your prayers one sweet facrifice, And lift my foul to heaven.-Lead on, o'God's name. Lov, I do befeech your grace, for charity, If ever any malice in your heart Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly. There cannot be those numberless offences 'Gainft me, that I can't take peace with; no black envy Lov. To the water fide I muft conduct your grace; Vaux. Prepare there, The duke is coming: fee, the barge be ready; -no black envy Shall make my grave.-] Shakspeare, by this expreffion, meant no more than to make the duke fay, No action expreffive of malice fball conclude my life. Envy by our author is ufed for malice and batred in other places, and, perhaps, in this. Again, in the ancient metrical romance of Syr Bevis of Hampton, bl. 1. no date: "They drewe theyr fwordes haftely, "And fmot together with great envy." And Barrett, in his Alvearie, or Quadruple Dictionary, 1580, thus interprets it. STEEVENS. Envy is frequently used in this fenfe by our author and his contemporaries. See Vol. III. p. 73, n. 2; and p. 116, 1. 9. I have therefore no doubt that Mr. Steevens's expofition is right. Dr. Warburton reads mark my grave; and in fupport of the emendation it may be obferved that the fame error has happened in K. Henry V.; or at least that all the edi. tors have fuppofed fo, having there adopted a fimilar correction. See Vol. V. p. 487, n. 6. MALONE. -for fake me,] The latter word was added by Mr, Rowe. MALONE. And And fit it with fuch furniture, as fuits The greatness of his perfon. Buck. Nay, fir Nicholas, Let it alone; my ftate now will but mock me. And duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun*: That never knew what truth meant: I now feal it 3; Who first rais'd head against ufurping Richard, Flying for fuccour to his fervant Banister, 2 - poor Edward Bohun:] The duke of Buckingham's name was Stafford: Shakspeare was led into the mistake by Holinfhed. STEEVENS. This is not an expreffion thrown out at random, or by mistake, but one ftrongly marked with hiftorical propriety. The name of the duke of Buckingham moft generally known, was Stafford; but the Hift. of Remarkable Trials, 8vo. 1715, p. 170, fays: " it feems he affected that furname [of Bobun] before that of Stafford, he being defcended from the Bobuns, earls of Hereford." His reafon for this might be, because he was lord high conftable of England by inheritance of tenure from the Bebuns; and as the poet has taken particular notice of his great office, does it not feem probable that he had fully confidered of the duke's foundation for affuming the name of Bobun? In truth, the duke's name was BAGOT; for a gentleman of that very ancient family married the heirefs of the barony of Stafford, and their fon relinquifhing his paternal furname, affumed that of his mother, which continued in his pofterity. TOLLET. Of all this probably Shakspeare knew nothing. MALONE. 3- I now feal it ; &c.] 1 now feal my truth, my loyalty, with blood, which blood hall one day make them groan. JOHNSON. Yet Yet thus far we are one in fortunes,--Both Heaven has an end in all: Yet, you that hear me, Where you are liberal of your loves, and counfels, Like water from ye, never found again But where they mean to fink ye. All good people, Farewel: And when you would fay fomething that is fad, Speak how I fell.-I have done; and God forgive me! [Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Train, 1. Gen. O, this is full of pity!-Sir, it calls, I fear, too many curfes on their heads, That were the authors. 2. Gen. If the duke be guiltless, 'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling Of an enfuing evil, if it fall, Greater than this. 1. Gen. Good angels keep it from us! What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, fir? 2. Gen. This fecret is fo weighty, 'twill require Aftrong faith to conceal it, 1. Gen. Let me have it; I do not talk much. 1. Gen. I am confident; You fhall, fir: Did you not of late days hear A buzzing, of a feparation Between the king and Catharine? 1. Gen. Yes, but it held not: And when you would fay fomething that is fad, &c.] So, in K Richard II: "Tell thou the lamentable tale of me, "And fend the hearers weeping to their beds. STEEVENS. 5 Strong faith-] is great fidelity. JOHNSON. For For when the king once heard it, out of anger 2 Gen. But that flander, fir, Is found a truth now: for it grows again 1 Gen. 'Tis the cardinal; And meerly to revenge him on the emperor, The archbishoprick of Toledo, this is purpos'd. 2 Gen. I think, you have hit the mark: But is't not cruel, That she should feel the smart of this? The cardinal Will have his will, and fhe muft fall. 1 Gen. 'Tis woeful. We are too open here to argue this ; [Exeunt. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, reading a letter. Cham. My lord,-The horfes your lordship fent for, with all the care I had, I faw well chofen, ridden, and furnished. They were young, and handsome; and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to fet out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by commiffion, and main power, took em from me; with this reafon,-His mafter would be ferved before a fubject, if not before the king: which stopp'd our mouths, fir. I fear, he will, indeed: Well, let him have them; Enter Enter the Dukes of NORFOLK, and SUFFOLK, Nor. Well met, my lord chamberlain, Full of fad thoughts and troubles. Nor. What's the cause? Cham. It seems, the marriage with his brother's wife Has crept too near his conscience. Suf. No, his conscience Has crept too near another lady. Nor. 'Tis fo; This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal: That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune, Turns what he lifts. The king will know him one day. And with what zeal! For, now he has crack'd the league He counfels a divorce: a lofs of her, Thefe news are every where; every tongue speaks them, -lifts.-] Old Copy-lift. Corrected by Sir Thomas Hanmer. MALONE. 7 That, like a jewel, has bung twenty years, &c.] See Vol. IV. p. 240, n. 7. MALONE. Look |