And make us wade even in our kindred's blood; - But tread the stranger paths of banishment. by tranfcribers. But his business is to alter as his fancy leads him, not to reform errors as the text and rules of criticifm direct. In a word then, the true original of the blunder was this: the editors, before Mr. Pope, had taken their editions from the folios, in which the text ftood thus: the dire aspect Of civil wounds plough'd up with neighbour swords; fright fair peace. This is sense. But Mr. Pope, who carefully examined the first printed plays in quarto (very much to the advantage of his edition) coming to this place, found five lines, in the first edition of this play printed in 1598, omitted in the first general colletion of the poet's works; and, not enough attending to their agreement with the common text, put them into their place. Whereas, in truth, the five lines were omitted by Shakspeare himself, as not agreeing to the reft of the context; which, on revise, he thought fit to alter. On this account I have put them into hooks, not as spurious, but as rejected on the author's revise; and, indeed, with great judge, ment, for, To wake our peace, which in our country's cradle as pretty as it is in the image, is abfurd in the sense: for peace awake is ftill peace, as well as when afleep. The difference is, that peace asleep gives one the notion of a happy people funk in floth and luxury, which is not the idea the speaker would raise, and from which state the fooner it was awaked the better. WARBURTON. To this note, written with such an appearance of tafte and judgement, I am afraid every reader will not subscribe. It is true, that peace awake is skill peace, as well as when asleep; but peace awakened by the tumults of these jarring nobles, and peace indulging in profound tranquillity, convey images sufficiently oppofed to each other for the poet's purpose. To wake peace is to introduce difcord. Peace asleep, is peace exerting its natural influence, from which it would be frighted by the clamours of war. STEEVENS. BOLING. Your will be done: This must my comfort be, That fun, that warms you here, shall shine on me; And those his golden beams, to you here lent, Shall point on me, and gild my banishment. K. RICH. Norfolk, for thee remains a heavier Which I with some unwillingness pronounce: NOR. A heavy sentence, my most sovereign liege, Have I deserved at your highness' hand, * The fly-flow hours - ) The old copies read hours. Mr. Pope made the change; whether it was neceffary or not, let the poetical reader determine. STEEVENS. The ly-ow The latter word appears to me more intelligible: - " the thievish minutes as they pass. " MALONE. 9 A dearer merit, not so deep a maim Have I deferved - To deserve a merit is a phrase of which I know not any example. I wish some copy would exhibit: A dearer meed, and not so deep a maim. To deferve a meed or reward, is regular and easy. JOHNSON. As Shakspeare uses merit in this place, in the sense of reward, he frequently uses the word meed, which properly fignifies reward, to express merit. So, in Timon of Athens, Lucullus says no meed but he repays "Seven fold above itself. And in the Third Part of Henry VI. Prince Edward fays - And again, in the fame play, King Henry says "That's not my fear, my meed hath got me fame." M. MASON. 1 The language I have learn'd these forty years, My native English, now I must forego: Than an unstringed viol, or a harp; Or like a cunning instrument cas'd up, Or being open, put into his hands That knows no touch to tune the harmony. breath? K. RICH. It boots thee not to be compassionate;* To dwell in folemn shades of endless night. [ Retiring. K. RICH. Return again, and take an oath with Lay on our royal sword your banish'd hands; 2 3 compassionate] for plaintive. WARBURTON. (Our part, &c.] It is a question much debated amongst the writers of the law of nations, whether a banished man may be still tied in his allegiance to the state which sent him into exile. Tully and Lord Chancellor Clarendon declare for the affirmative; Hobbes and Puffendorf hold the negative. Our author, by this line, seems to be of the same opinion. WARBURTON. 1 You never shall (fo help you truth and heaven!) NOR. And I, to keep all this. 4 3 advised] i. e. concerted, deliberated, So, in The Merchant of Venice: with more advised watch." STEEVENS. 4 Norfolk, So far, &c. ) I do not clearly fee what is the sense of this abrupt line; but suppose the meaning to be this. Hereford immediately after his oath of perpetual enmity addresses Norfolk, and, fearing some misconstruction, turns to the king and fays-fo far as to mine enemy -- that is, I should say nothing to him but what enemies may say to each other. Reviewing this passage, I rather think it should be understood thus. Norfolk, fo far I have addressed myself to thee as to mine enemy, I now utter my last words with kindness and tenderness, Confess thy treasons. JOHNSON. So fare, as to my enemy; i. e. he only wishes him to fare like his enemy, and he difdains to say fare well as Aumerle doés in the next fcene. TOLLET. The firft folio reads fare; the second farre. Bolingbroke only ufes the phrafe by way of caution, left Mowbray should think he was about to address him as a friend. Norfolk, says he, fo far as a man may speak to his enemy, &c. RITSON. 1 Surely fare was a mifprint for farre, the old fpelling of the word now placed in the text. Perhaps the author intended that Hereford in speaking this line should show fome courtesy to Mowbray; and the meaning may be, So much civility as an enemy has a right to, I am willing to offer to thee. MALONE. Sir T. Hanmer's marginal direction is - In Salutation. STEEVENS. Banish'd this frail fepulcher of our flesh, 5 NOR. No, Bolingbroke; if ever I were traitor, My name be blotted from the book of life, And I from heaven banish'd, as from hence! But what thou art, heaven, thou, and I do know; And all too foon, I fear, the king shall rue, Farewell, my liege: - Now no way can I ftray; Save back to England, all the world's my way. 6 [Exit. K. RICH. Uncle, even in the glasses of thine eyes I fee thy grieved heart: thy fad aspéct Hath from the number of his banish'd years Pluck'd four away; - Six frozen winters spent, Return [To BOLING. ) with welcome home from 5 banishment. BOLING. How long a time lies in one little word! 66 this frail sepulcher of our flesh, So afterwards: thou King Richard's tomb, "And not King Richard. And Milton, in Samfon Agonistes": 6 " "Myfelf my fepulchre, a moving grave." HENLEY. all the world's my way.) Perhaps Milton had this in his mind when he wrote these lines: "The world was all before them, where to choose " JOHNSON. The duke of Norfolk after his banishment went to Venice, where, fays Holinshed, " for thought and melancholy he deceafed." I should point the passage thus: Now no way can I ftray, 1 MALONE. Save back to England:- all the world's my way. There's no way for me to go wrong, except back to England. 1 M. MASON. |