Richard II. Robert Vere, earl of Oxford, was the first, who, as a diftinct dignity, received the title of marquis, 1ft Dec. anno nono Ricardi Secundi. See Afhmole's hiftory of the order of the garter, p. 456. JOHNS. L. 32. The lips of thofe, that breathe them in the air] i. e. Of those who make a practice of curfing their enemies, and do it as often as they breathe. So that the fenfe is, the curfes of fuch never afcend to the throne of vengeance. Never pafs the lips, i. e. get paft or further than the lips. WARB. * P. 449. 1. 28. He is frank'd up to fatting for his pains.] A frank is an old English word for a bog-fly. 'Tis poffible he uses this metaphor to Clarence, in allufion to the creft of the family of York, which was a boar. Whereto relate thofe famous old verfes on Richard III. The cat, the rat, and Lovel the dog Rule all England under a hog. He uses the fame metaphor in the last scene of act 4. POPE. P. 451. 1. 14. Faithful man.] Not an infidel. JOHNS. P. 452. 1. 13. That woo'd the flimy bottom.] By feeming to gaze upon it. Dr. Warburton fays woo'd fignifies ogled. JOHNS. Ibid.] The figure of wooing the deep is as far fetched, as the extremity of metaphorical writing will admit; but Mr. Warburton thinks, there can never be too much of a good thing; and fo by his explanation, wooed for ogled, makes downright burlesque of it. CAN.* Ibid.] The metaphor appears not only fo overftrained beyond all proportion of nature, but fo naufeous too, that I can scarce think the common reading genuine, but should rather imagine the poet might have written, That strew'd the flimy bottom of the deep. REVIS.* P. 453. 1. 4.] Fleeting is the fame as changing fides. JOHNS. L. 18. O God! if my deep prayers, &c.] The four following lines have been added fince the first edition. POPE. L. 25. Sorrow breaks feafons, &c.] In the common editions the keeper is made to hold the dialogue with Clarence till this line. And here Brakenbury enters, pronouncing thefe words: which feem to me a reflection naturally refulting from the foregoing conversation, and therefore conti nued to be spoken by the fame perfon, as it is accordingly in the first edition. L. 27. Princes bave but their titles for their glories, POPE. An outward bonour, for an inward toil.] The firft line may be understood in this fenfe. The glories of princes are nothing more than empty titles: but it would more impress the purpose of the speaker, and correspond better with the following lines, if it were read, Princes have but their titles for their troubles. JOHNS. For unfelt imaginations, L. 29. They often feel a world of reftlefs cares.] They often fuffer real miseries for imaginary and unreal gratifications. JOHNS. P. 455. 1. 28. Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him not: he would infinuate with thee, &c.] One villain fays, confcience is at his elbows perfuading him not to kill the duke. The other fays, take the devil into thy nearer acquaintance, into thy mind, who will be a match for thy conscience, and believe it not, &c. It is plain then, that bim in both places in the text should be it, namely, confcience. WARB. Ibid.] The common reading was, believe him not, be would infinuate,' which Mr. Warburton altered in both places to, it, in order to make room in the construction for confcience, which is plainly and undoubtedly intended here. But he forgot to use the fame precaution in the reply, which full as much requires it. I am frong-fram'd, be cannot prevail with me. This threefold repetition, bis, be, and, be, gives me a ftrong fufpicion, that the mistake is in the first part of this fentence, and not in what follows; and I am confirmed in it by the aukwardness of the expreffion, take the devil in thy mind,' for, take the devil for thy counsellor.' I am inclined therefore to believe that the poet might have written, Shake off this devil in thy mind, and believe him not: he would infinuate with thee but to make thee figh. With this the reply, according to the common reading, will be perfectly confiftent. REVIS.* L. 31. Spoke like a tall fellow.] The meaning of tall, in old English, is fout, daring, fearless and frong. JOHNS. P. 456. 1. 6. We'll reafon.] We'll talk. JOHNS. L. 27. Are you call'd forth from out a world of men.] I think it may be better read, Are ye cull'd forth. L. 30.] Queft is inqueft or jury. JOHNS. JOHNS. HANMER." P. 458. 1. 2. Springing Plantagenet.] Blooming Plantagenet; a prince in the fpring of life. JOHNS. L. 3. Novice.] Youth; one yet new to the world. JoHNS. L. 9. If you are bir'd for need,-] I have chose to reftore the word, which poffeffes all the old copies, meed; THEOB.* L. 19. And charg'd us from bis foul, &c.] This neceffary line is reftored from the old edition. POPE.* - P. 459. 1. 7. and fave your fouls, &c.] The fix following lines are not in the old edition. POPE.* Ibid.] They are not neceffary, but fo forced in, that fomething feems omitted to which these lines are the answer. L. 8, 9. 10, 11, 12. rejected by JOHNS. HANMER.* L. 18. What beggar pities not] I cannot but fufpect that the lines, which Mr. Pope obferved not to be in the old edition, are now misplaced, and should be inferted here, fomewhat after this manner. Clar. A begging prince what beggar pities not ? Clar. Which of you if you were a prince's fon, &c. JOHNS. Ibid.] This and the following line rejected by HANMER.* P. 463. 1. 21. The forfeit] He means the remiffion of the forfeit. JOHNS. L. 24. Have I tongue to doom my brother's death ?] This lamentation is very tender and pathetick. The recollection of the good qualities of the dead is very natural, and no lefs naturally does the king endeavour to communicate the crime to others. JOHNS. P. 466. 1. 22. His images] The children by whom he was reprefented. JOHNS. HANMER.* P. 467. l. 11, 12, 13, rejected by L. 12. Being governed by the watry moon] That I may live hereafter under the influence of the moon, which governs the tides, and, by the help of that influence, drown the world. The introduction of the moon is not very natural. JOHNS. P. 469. 1. 3. Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd,] Edward the young prince, in his father's life-time and at his demife, kept his houfhold at Ludlow as prince of Wales; under the governance of Antony Woodville earl of Rivers, his uncle by the mother's fide. The intention of his being fent thither was to fee juftice done in the Marches; and, by the authority of his prefence, to reftrain the Welshmen, who were wild, diffolute, and ill-difpofed, from their accustomed murders and outrages. Vid. Hall, Holingshead, &c. THEOB. L. 27. To give your cenfures -] cenfures, for counfels. P. 470. 1. 2. My other felf, my counsel's confiftory, WARB.* My oracle, my prophet, my dear coufin!] I have alter'd the pointing of this paffage, whereby a strange and ridiculous anticlimax is prevented. WARB. L. 20. Which in his nonage] The word which has no antecedent, nor can the fenfe or connection be easily restored by any change. I believe a line to be loft in which fome mention was made of the land or the people. JOHNS. P. 472. I. 17. the wretched't thing] Wretched is here ufed in a fenfe yet retained in familiar language, for paltry, pitiful, being below expectation. JOHNS. L. 22. Been remembered] To be remembered is in Shakespeare, to have one's memory quick, to have one's thoughts about one. JOHNS. P. 473. 1. 15. For what offence ?] This question is given to the archbishop in former copies, but the meffenger plainly fpeaks to the queen or dutchefs. JOHNS. L. 22. Awless] Not producing awe, not reverenced. To jut upon is to encroach. JOHNS. P. 474. 1. 4. Or let me die, to look on earth no more] This is the reading of all the copies, from the first edition, put out by the players, downwards. But I have reftored the reading of the old quarto in 1597, which is copied by all the other authentick quarto's, by which the thought is finely and' properly improved. Or let me die, to look on death no more. THEOB. РОРЕ. L. 15. -to your chamber] London was antiently called Camera regia. P. 476. 1. 11. Too ceremonious, and traditional] Ceremonious for fuperftitious; traditional for adherent to old customs. WARB. L. 12. Weigh it but with the groffness of this age] But the more grofs, that is, the more fuperftitious the age was, the ftronger would be the imputation of violated fanctuary. The queftion, we fee by what follows, is whether fanctuary could be claimed by an infant. The speaker refolves it in the negative, because it could be claimed by thofe only whofe actions neceffitated them to fly thither; or by those who had an understanding, to demand it; neither of which could be an infant's cafe: It is plain then, the first line, which introduces this reasoning, fhould be read thus, Weigh it but with the greennefs of his age. i. e. the young duke of York's, whom his mother had fled with to fanctuary. The corrupted reading of the old quarto is fomething nearer the true. the greatness of his age. WARB. Ibid.] This emendation is received by Hanmer, and is very plaufible; yet the common reading may ftand. Weigh it but with the groffness of this age, you break not fanctuary. That is, compare the act of feizing him with the grofs and licentious practices of thefe times, it will not be confidered as a violation of fanctuary, for you may give fuch reafons as men are now ufed to admit. JOHNS. P. 477. l. 13. As 'twere retail'd to all pofterity;] And fo it is: And, by that means, like most other retail'd things, became adulterated. We fhould read, intail'd to all pofterity; which is finely and fenfibly expreffed, as if truth was the natural inheritance of our children; which it is impiety to deprive them of. Ibid.] Retailed may fignify diffufed, difperfed. WARB. JOHNS. I moralize two meanings in one word] By vice, the author means not a quality but a perfon. There was hardly an old play, till the period of the reformation, which had not in it a devil, and a droll character, a jefter; (who was to |