Grew a companion to the common streets, That being daily swallow'd by men's eyes, To loathe the taste of sweetness, whereof a little He was but as the cuckoo is in June, Heard, not regarded; seen, but with such eyes, Afford no extraordinary gaze, Such as is bent on sun-like majesty When it shines seldom in admiring eyes: But rather drowz'd, and hung their eye-lids down, Slept in his face, and render'd such aspéct As cloudy men use to their adversaries; Being with his presence glutted, gorg'd, and full. With vile participation; not an eye Save mine, which hath desir'd to see thee more; Make blind itself with foolish tenderness. P. Hen. I shall hereafter, my thrice-gracious lord, Be more myself. K. Hen. For all the world, As thou art to this hour, was Richard then one who affects wit, a dealer in comparisons: what Shakspeare calls, somewhere else, a similie-monger. 9 Enfeoff'd himself to popularity:] To enfeoff is a law term, signifying to invest with possession. Than thou, the shadow of succession: Through all the kingdoms that acknowledge Christ ? And shake the peace and safety of our throne. mer, Capitulate' against us, and are up. But wherefore do I tell these news to thee? P. Hen. Do not think so, you shall not find it so; And God forgive them, that have so much sway'd Your majesty's good thoughts away from me! 8 Capitulate - i. e. make head. So, to articulate, in a subsequent scene, is to form articles. 2 dearest —] Dearest is most fatal, most mischievous. I will redeem all this on Percy's head, Which, wash'd away, shall scour my shame with it. And that shall be the day, whene'er it lights, 'Would they were multitudes; and on my head K. Hen. A hundred thousand rebels die in this:Thou shalt have charge, and sovereign trust, herein. Enter BLUNT. How now, good Blunt? thy looks are full of speed. Blunt. So hath the business that I come to speak of. Lord Mortimer of Scotland hath sent word,3- K. Hen. The earl of Westmoreland set forth today; With him my son, lord John of Lancaster; Our business valued, some twelve days hence SCENE III. [Exeunt. Eastcheap. A Room in the Boar's Head Tavern. Enter FALSTAFF and BARdolph. Fal. Bardolph, am I not fallen away vilely since 'Lord Mortimer of Scotland hath sent word,] There was no such person as Lord Mortimer of Scotland; but there was a Lord March of Scotland, (George Dunbar,) who having quitted his own country in disgust, attached himself so warmly to the English, and did them such signal services in their wars with Scotland, that the Parliament petitioned the King to bestow some reward on him. He fought on the side of Henry in this rebellion, and was the means of saving his life at the battle of Shrewsbury, as is related by Holinshed. This, no doubt, was the lord whom Shakspeare designed to represent in the act of sending friendly intelligence to the King. 4 * Advantage feeds him fat,] i. e. feeds himself. VOL. V. Y this last action? do I not bate? do I not dwindle? Why, my skin hangs about me like an old lady's loose gown; I am wither'd like an old apple-John. Well, I'll repent, and that suddenly, while I am in some liking; I shall be out of heart shortly, and then I shall have no strength to repent. An I have not forgotten what the inside of a church is made of, I am a pepper-corn, a brewer's horse: the inside of a church! Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me. Bard. Sir John, you are so fretful, you cannot live long. Fal. Why, there is it:-come, sing me a bawdy song; make me merry. I was as virtuously given, as a gentleman need to be; virtuous enough: swore little; diced, not above seven times a week; went to a bawdy-house, not above once in a quarter-of an hour; paid money that I borrowed, three or four times; lived well, and in good compass: and now I live out of all order, out of all compass. Bard. Why, you are so fat, sir John, that you must needs be out of all compass; out of all reasonable compass, sir John. Fal. Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend my life: Thou art our admiral," thou bearest the lantern in the poop,-but 'tis in the nose of thee; thou art the knight of the burning lamp. Bard. Why, sir John, my face does you no harm. 5 while I am in some liking;] While I have some flesh, some substance. We have had well-liking in the same sense in a former play. MALONE. 6 Thou art our admiral, &c.] Decker, in his Wonderful Yeare, 1603, has the same thought. He is describing the Host of a country inn: "An antiquary might have pickt rare matter out of his nose.-' -The Hamburgers offered I know not how many dollars for his companie in an East-Indian voyage, to have stoode a nightes in the Poope of their Admirall, onely to save the charges of candles." |