My pain encreaseth : Hold open, whilst another pumps both legs; Idie: fly, fly, my foul, to Gro.er's-Hall. [dies. THEOB.* L. 23. thy tough commixtures] Perhaps better, the tough commixtures. JOHNS. L. 25. The common people fwarm like fummer flies.] This line, which is a neceffary introduction to that which follows, and which is left out in all the other impreffions, I have reftor'd from the old quarto. ТНЕОБ.* P. 362. 1. 14. No way to fly, nor firength to hold our ̧ flight.] This line is clear and proper as it is now read, yet perhaps an oppofition of images was meant, and Clifford faid, No way to fly, nor ftrength to hold out fight. JOHNS. P. 363. 1. 4. like life and death's departing.] Sir T. Hanmer reads, like life in death departing, which Dr. Warburton has received. JOHNS. L. 30. Eager words] Sour words; words of afperity. JOHNS. P. 365. 1. 6. For Glofter's dukedom is too ominous.] This paffage feems fneer'd at by B. Jonfon in his Devil's an Afs: where a foolish fellow is duped into the opinion of being created a duke. Meer-cr. I think, we ha' found a place to fit you now, Sir: Gloucefter. Fitz-dot. O, no; I'll none. Meer-cr. Why, Sir? Fitz-dot. "Tis fatal. Meer-cr. That you fay right in. Spencer, I think, the younger, had his laft honour thence. But he was but an earl. Fitz-dot. I know not that, Sir: But Thomas of Woodftock, I'm fure, was duke; and he was made away at Calice, as duke Humphry was at Bury: And Richard the Third, you know, what end he came to. Sir. Meer-cr. By my faith, you're cunning in the chronicle, Fitz-dot. No, I confess, I ha't from the play-books; and think, they're more authentick. THEOB.* -] This is an image very frequent in the works of Shakespeare. So again in this fcene, I was anointed king. It is common in thefe plays to find the fame images, whether jocular or ferious, frequently recurring. P. 367. 1. 3. In the former act was the fame line, JOHNS. Inferring arguments of mighty force. JOHNS. P. 368. 1. 25. Sir John Gray.] Vid. Hall, 3d year of Edward IV. folio 5. It was hitherto falfly printed Richard. L. 29. Because, in quarrel of the house of York, POPE. The worthy gentleman did lofe his life.] I am afraid, our poet puts falfe colours on the death of Sir John Gray, to palliate king Edward's marriage with the widow. Sir John Gray was flain at the last battle of St. Albans, by the power of king Edward; as Hall exprefsly fays: fo that he was in queen Margaret's army, and really flain on the quarrel of Lancaster. And king Edward's Queen, in Richard III. is reproach'd with this by Gloucefter. In all which time you and your husband Gray Was not your husband In Marg'ret's battle at St. Alban's flain? THEOB.* P. 369. I. 11. Widow, we will confider.] This is a very lively and fpritely dialogue; the reciprocation is quicker than is common in Shakespeare. -JOHNS. P. 374. 1. 11. Unlick'd bear-whelp.] It was an opinion which, in fpite of its abfurdity, prevailed long, that the bear brings forth only fhapeless lumps of animated flesh, which the licks into the form of bears. It is now well known that the whelps of the bear are produced in the fame ftate with thofe of other creatures. JOHNS. L. 16. To o'er-bear fuch As are of better person than myself.] Richard fpeaks here the language of nature. Whoever is ftigmatised with deformity has a conftant fource of envy in his mind, and would counter-ballance by fome other fuperiority these advantages which they feel themselves to want. Bacon re marks that the deformed are commonly daring, and it is almoft proverbially obferved that they are ill-natured. The truth is, that the deformed, like all other men, are difpleafed with inferiority, and endeavour to gain ground by good or bad means, as they are virtuous or corrupt. JOHNS. P. 375- 1. 11. And fet the murth'rous Machiavel to school.] As this is an Anachonifm, and the old quarto reads, And fet th' afpiring Catiline to fchool, WARB. I don't know why it fhould not be preferr'd. P. 376. 1. 30. 0, but impatience waiteth on true forrow; And fee, where comes the breeder of my forrow.] How does impatience, more particularly, wait on true forrow! On the contrary, fuch forrow as the Queen's, which came gradually on, through a long course of misfortunes, is generally lefs impatient than that of those who have fallen into fudden miferies. The true reading feems to be, O, but impatience waiting, rues to morrow : And fee, where comes the breeder of my forrow. i. e. When impatience waits and folicits for redrefs, there is nothing the fo much dreads as being put off till to-morrow, (a proverbial expreffion for procraftination.) This was a very proper reply to what the king faid laft, and is a fentiment worthy the poet. A rhime too is added as was customary WARB. with him, at the closing a scene. Ibid.] It is ftrange that, when the fenfe is fo clear, any commentator fhould thus laboriously obfcure it, to introduce a new reading; and yet ftranger that he fhould fhew fuch confidence in his emendation as to infert it in the text, JOHNS. P. 379. 1. 23. That this his love was an external plant.} The old quarto reads rightly eternal: Alluding to the plants of Paradife. WARB. L. 26. Exempt from envy, but not from difdain.] Envy is always fuppofed to have fome fafcinating or blafting power, and to be out of the reach of envy is therefore a privilege belonging only to great excellence. I know not well why envy is mentioned here, or whofe envy can be meant, but the meaning is that his love is fuperior to envy, and can feel no blaft but from the lady's difdain. Or, that if Bona refuse to quit or requite his pain, his love may turn to difdain, though the consciousness of his own merit will exempt him from the pangs of envy. JOHNS. -] This feems P. 380. 1. 21. You bave a father able ironical. The poverty of Margaret's father is a very frequent topick of reproach. JOHNS. L. 27. Thy fly conveyance.] Conveyance is juggling, and thence is taken for artifice and fraud. JOHNS. P. 381. 1. 27. Did I let pass th' abufe done to my niece?] Whom king Edward attempted in the earl of Warwick's houfe. Hollinghed. JOHNS. P. 383. 1. 5. Go, fear thy king.] That is, fright thy king. L. 22. In former copies, I'll join my eldest daughter and my joy, To him forthwith, -] Surely this is a miftake of the copyifts. Hall, in the 9th year of king Edward IV, fays Edward prince of Wales, wedded Anne fecond daughter to the earl of Warwick. And the duke of Clarence was in love with the elder, the lady Ifabel; and in reality was married to her five years before prince Edward took the lady Anne to wife. And in king Richard third, Gloucefter, who married this lady Anne when a widow, fays, For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter. i. e. prince Edward, and king Henry VI. her father-in-law. See likewife Holingfhed in his Chroniclc; p. 671 and 674. THEOB. P. 386. 1. 9. with the feas,] This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the intereft of England. JOHNS. L. 22. -you would not have beftow'd the heir] It must be remembered, that till the restoration the heireffes of great eftates were in the wardship of the king, who in their minority gave them up to plunder, and afterwards matched them to his favourites. I know not when liberty gained more than by the abolition of the court of wards. JOHNS. P. 388. 1. 24. Belike the elder; Clarence will have the younger.] I have ventured to make elder and younger change places in this line against the authority of all the printed copies. The reason of it will be obvious. THEOB. L. 29. You, that love me and Warwick, follow me,] That Clarence fhould make this fpeech in the king's hearing is very improbable, yet I do not fee how it can be palliated. The king never goes out, nor can Clarence be talking to a company apart, for he answers immediately to that which the Poft fays to the king. JOHNS. P. 390. I. II. ——— - night's overture,] The author muft, I think, have written night's coverture. For though coverture, which fignifies first an opening, then an offer, may likewise mean an opportunity, yet in an overture seems to be an animproper phrase. JOHNS. L. 13. His Soldiers lurking in the Town about,] Dr. Thirlby advised the reading Toruns here; the guard in the scene immediately following fays, but why commands the King, That his chief Foll'wers lodge in Towns about him, &c. THEOB. L. 20. So we, well cover'd with the night's black mantle,】 This line may confirm the reading of coverture. JOHNS. P. 392. 1. 12. And come now to create you Duke of York,] Might we read with a flight alteration? And come to new create you Duke of York. JOHNS. P. 397. 1. 3. few men rightly temper with the ftars ;] I fuppofe the meaning is, that few men conform their temper to their deftiny, which King Henry did, when finding himfelf unfortunate he gave the management of public affairs to more profperous hands. JOHNS. P. 398. 1. 13. This pretty lad,] He was afterwards Henry VII. A man who put an end to the civil war of the two houfes, but not otherways remarkable for virtue. Shakefpeare knew his trade. Henry VII. was Grandfather to Queen Elizabeth, and the King from whom James inherited. JOHNS. P. 400. 1. 19. The good old man would fain that all were well,] The mayor is willing we should enter fo he may not be blamed. JOHNS. P. 402. 1. 26. Let's levy men, and beat him back again,] This line expreffes a fpirt of war fo unfuitable to the character of Henry, that I would give the firft cold speech to the King, and the brifk anfwer to Warwick. This line is not |