Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me: And for alliance' sake,-declare the cause Plan. Discover more at large what cause that was; For I am ignorant, and cannot guess. Mor. I will; if that my fading breath permit, Of Edward king, the third of that descent: Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne: 8 Nephew has sometimes the power of the Latin nepos, signifying grandchild, and is used with great laxity among our ancient English writers. It is here used instead of cousin. Ritson has remarked that both uncle and nephew might formerly signify cousin; for in The Troublesome Raigne of King John, Part II. Prince Henry calls his cousin, the bastard, uncle. In French, as in Latin, neveu signified grandchild, and by a prefix several other degrees of consanguinity. See The Menagiana, vol. ii. p. 191, &c. ed. Amst. 1713. Malone thinks that the mistake here arose from the author's ignorance in conceiving Richard to be Henry's nephew. I was the next by birth and parentage; From Lionel duke of Clarence, the third son But mark; as, in this haughty9 great attempt, Plan. Of which, my lord, your honour is the last. Plan. Thy grave admonishments prevail with me: But yet, methinks, my father's execution Was nothing less than bloody tyranny. Mor. With silence, nephew, be thou politick; 9 Haughty is high, lofty. So in the fourth act: Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage.' 10 i. e. thinking. This is another falsification of history. Cambridge levied no army; but was apprehended at Southampton, the night before Henry sailed from that town for France, on the information of this very earl of March. i. e. I acknowledge thee to be my heir; the consequences which may be collected from thence I recommend it thee to draw. Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster, As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd Plan. O, uncle, 'would, some part of my young years Might but redeem the passage of your age 13! Mor. Thou dost then wrong me; as the slaught'rer doth, Which giveth many wounds, when one will kill. And so farewell: and fair be all thy hopes! [Dies. 12 Thus Milton, Paradise Lost, book iv.:- 13 The same thought occurs in the celebrated dialogue between Horace and Lydia. There is some resemblance to it in the following lines, supposed to be addressed by a married lady, who died very young, to her husband. Malone thinks that the inscription is in the church of Trent : 'Immatura perî; sed tu diuturnior annos Some traces of a superstitious belief that this was possible may be found in the traditions of the Rabbins; it is enlarged upon in the Alcestes of Euripides. Such offers are ridiculed by Juvenal, Sat. xii. Dion Cassius insinuates that Hadrian sacrificed his favourite Antinous with this design. Reimarius Annot. in Dion Cass. vol. ii. p. 1160; ed. Hamburg. 'De nostris annis, tibi Jupiter augeat annos,' said the Romans to Augustus.-See Lister's Journey to Paris, p. 221. Mr. Pye justly remarks that the offer would never be made unless known to be impossible; it is a mere hyperbolical compliment. Keepers, convey him hence; and I myself [Exeunt Keepers, bearing out MORtimer. Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer, Or make my ill 15 the advantage of my good. [Exit. ACT III. SCENE I. The same. The Parliament House1. Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, EXETER, GLOS- 14 i. e. oppressed by those whose right to the crown was not so good as his own. 15 My ill is my ill usage. This sentiment resembles another of Falstaff, in the Second Part of King Henry IV.:-'I will turn diseases to commodity.' 1 This parliament was held in 1426 at Leicester, though here represented to have been held in London. King Henry was now in the fifth year of his age. In the first parliament, which was held at London shortly after his father's death, his mother Queen Katharine brought the young king from Windsor to the metropolis, and sat on the throne with the infant in her lap. 2 i. e. articles of accusation. Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Glo. Presumptuous priest! this place commands Or thou should'st find thou hast dishonour'd me. Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe |