BUCK. What think'st thou then of Stanley? will

not he ?

CATE. We will do all in all as Hastings doth.
BUCK. Well then, no more but this: Go, gentle
Catesby,

And, as it were far off, sound thou lord Hastings,
How he doth stand affected to our purpose;
[And summon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To sit about the coronation *.]

If thou dost find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too; and so break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils",
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ'd.

6

* Quarto 1597 omits the two lines between brackets.

DIVIDED Councils,] That is, a private consultation, separate from the known and publick council. So, in the next scene, Hastings says;

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Bid him not fear the separated councils." JOHNSON. This circumstance is conformable to history. Hall, p. 13, says, "When the protectour had both the chyldren in his possession, yea, and that they were in a sure place, he then began to threst to se the ende of his enterprise. And, to avoyde all suspicion, he caused all the lords which he knewe to bee faithfull to the kynge, to assemble at Baynardes Castle, to comen of the ordre of the coronacion, whyle he and other of his complices, and of his affinitee, at Crosbies-place, contrived the contrary, and to make the protectour kyng: to which counsail there were adhibite very fewe, and they very secrete." REED.

Mr. Reed has shown from Hall's Chronicle that this circumstance is founded on historical fact. But Holinshed, Hall's copyist, was our author's authority: "But the protectoure and the duke after they had sent to the lord Cardinal,-the lord Stanley and the lord Hastings then lord Chamberlaine, with many other noblemen, to commune and devise about the coronation in one place, as fast were they in another place, contriving the contrarie, and to make the protectour king."- the lord Stanley, that was after carle of Darby, wisely mistrusted it, and said unto the lorde Hastings, that he much mislyked these two several councels." MALOne.

GLO. Commend me to lord William: tell him,

Catesby,

His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
BUCK. Good Catesby, go, effect this business
soundly.

CATE. My good lords both, with all the heed I

can.

GLO. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?

CATE. You shall, my lord.

GLO. At Crosby-place, there shall you find us both. [Exit CATESBY. BUCK. Now, my lord, what shall we do, if we perceive

Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?
GLO. Chop off his head, man;-somewhat we
will do' :-

And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and all the moveables
Whereof the king my brother was possess'd.

BUCK. I'll claim that promise at your grace's hand.

GLO. And look to have it yielded with all kind

ness.

Come, let us sup betimes; that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some form.

[Exeunt.

will Do:] The folio reads-will determine. STEEvens.

SCENE II.

Before Lord HASTINGS' House.

Enter a Messenger.

MESS. My lord, my lord,—

HAST. [Within.]- -Who knocks?
MESS. One from the lord Stanley.
HAST. [Within.] What is't o'clock?
MESS. Upon the stroke of four.

Enter HASTings.

[Knocking.

HAST. Cannot thy master sleep these tedious nights ?

MESS. So it should seem by that I have to say. First, he commends him to your noble lordship. HAST. And then,

MESS. And then he sends you word, he dreamt To-night the boar had rased off his helm *9:

* Quarto 1597, He dreamt to-night the boare had raste his helm.

8 Scene II.] Every material circumstance in the following scene is taken from Holinshed's Chronicle, except that it is a knight with whom Hastings converses, instead of Buckingham. STEEVENS.

9 the BOAR had RASED off his helm :] This term rased or rashed, is always given to describe the violence inflicted by a boar.

So, in King Lear, 4to. edit. :

"In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs."

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Again, in Warner's Albion's England, 1602, b. vii. ch. xxxvi. : ha, cur, avaunt, the bore so rase thy hide!" By the boar, throughout this scene, is meant Gloster, who was called the boar, or the hog, from his having a boar for his cognizance, and one of the supporters of his coat of arms. STEEVENS.

So Holinshed, after Hall and Sir Thomas More: "The selfe night next before his death the lorde Stanley sent a trustie secret messenger unto him at midnight in all haste, requiring him to rise and ride away with him, for he was disposed utterlie no longer to byde, he had so fearful a dreame, in which him thought

Besides, he says, there are two councils held;
And that may be determin'd at the one,

Which may make you and him to rue at the other.

Therefore he sends to know your lordship's plea

sure,

If presently, you will take horse with him,

And with all speed post with him toward the north,

To shun the danger that his soul divines.

HAST. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;
Bid him not fear the separated councils:
His honour1, and myself, are at the one;
And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby 2:
Where nothing can proceed, that toucheth us,
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.

Tell him, his fears are shallow, wanting instance 3:

that a boare with his tuskes so rased them both by the heades that the bloud ran about both their shoulders. And forasmuch as the Protector gave the boare for his cognizance, this dreame made so fearful an impression in his heart, that he was thoroughly determined no longer to tarie, but had his horse readie, if the lord Hastings would go with him," &c. MALONE.

1 His HONOUR,] This was the usual address to noblemen in Shakspeare's time.

So, in our poet's Dedication of his Venus and Adonis, to Lord Southampton, 1593: "I leave it to your honourable survey, and your honour to your heart's content. MALONE.

See note on Timon of Athens, Act I. Sc. I. where the same address occurs: "All happiness to your honour!" STEEVENS.

2 And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby, &c.] So, in the Legend of Lord Hastings, Mirrour for Magistrates, 1575: "I fear'd the end; my Catesby being there

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"Discharg'd all doubts; him hold I most entyre." MALONE.

3 - wanting instance:] That is, wanting some example or act of malevolence, by which they may be justified or which, perhaps, is nearer to the true meaning, wanting any immediate ground or reason. JOHNSON.

This is the reading of the quarto 1597. MALONE.
The folio reads-without instance. STEEVENS.

And for his dreams-I wonder, he's so fond
To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers:
To fly the boar, before the boar pursues,
Were to incense the boar to follow us,
And make pursuit, where he did mean no chase.
Go, bid thy master rise and come to me;
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where, he shall see, the boar will use us kindly.
MESS. I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you
[Exit.

say.

Enter CATESBY.

CATE. Many good morrows to my noble lord! HAST. Good morrow, Catesby; you are early

stirring :

What news, what news, in this our tottering state?
CATE. It is a reeling world, indeed, my lord;
And, I believe, will never stand upright,
Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.
HAST. HOW! wear the garland? dost thou mean
the crown?

CATE. Ay, my good lord.

HAST. I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders,

Before I'll see the crown so foul misplac'd.

But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it? CATE. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you forward

Upon his party, for the gain thereof:

* Quarto 1597, Upon my life, my lord.

Instance seems to mean, symptom or prognostick. We find the word used in a similar sense, in The Comedy of Errors, where Egeon, describing his shipwreck, says:

4

"A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,

"Before the always wind-obeying deep

"Gave any tragick instance of our harm." M. MASON.

SO FOND- i. e. so weak, silly.

"I am a very foolish, fond old man."

Thus, in King Lear:

STEEVENS.