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Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a groffer quality, is cried up

For our beft act.' If we fhall stand still,

In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we fit, or fit
State ftatues only.

K. HEN.

Things done well,❜

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their iffue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commiffion? I believe, not any.
We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
A trembling contribution! Why, we take,

From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber; 3

ones; but once is not unfrequently used for sometime, or at one time or other, among our ancient writers.

So, in the 13th Idea of Drayton :

"This diamond fhall once confume to duft." Again, in The Merry Wives of Windfor: "I pray thee, once to-night give my fweet Nan this ring."

Again, in Leicefter's Commonwealth:

if God fhould take from us her most excellent majesty (as once he will) and fo leave us deftitute-." STEEVENS.

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or not allow'd ;] Not approved. See Vol. V. p. 95, MALone.

what worst, as oft,

Hitting a groffer quality,] The worst actions of great men are commended by the vulgar, as more accommodated to the groffness of their notions. JOHNSON.

For our beft a&t.] I fuppofe, for the fake of measure, we should read-action. Perhaps the three laft letters of this word were accidentally omitted by the compofitor. STEEvens.

2 Things done well,] Sir T. Hanmer, very judiciously in my opinion, completes the measure by reading:

Things that are done well. STEEVENS.

3 From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber ;] Lop is a fubftantive, and fignifies the branches. WARBURTON.

And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
The air will drink the fap. To every county,
Where this is queftion'd, fend our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has denied
The force of this commiffion: Pray, look to't;
I put it to your care.

WOL.

A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

Let there be letters writ to every thire,
Of the king's grace and pardon.

commons

The griev'd

Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,

That, through our interceffion, this revokement And pardon comes : 4 I fhall anon advise you

Further in the proceeding.

[Exit Secretary.

Enter Surveyor.5

Q. KATH. I am forry, that the duke of Buck

ingham

Is run in your displeasure.

K. HEN. It grieves many: The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker,

4 That, through our interceffion, &c.] So, in Holinfhed, p. 892: "The cardinall, to deliver himself from the evill will of the commons, purchased by procuring and advancing of this demand, affirmed, and caused it to be bruted abrode that through his interceffion the king had pardoned and released all things." STEEvens.

5 Enter Surveyor.] It appears from Holinshed that his name was Charles Knyvet. RITSON.

• The gentleman is learn'd, &c.] We understand from "The Prologue of the tranflatour," that the Knyghte of the Swanne, a French romance, was translated at the request of this unfortunate nobleman. Copland, the printer, adds, "this prefent hiftory compyled, named Helyas the Knight

To nature none more bound; his training fuch, That he may furnish and inftruct great teachers, And never feek for aid out of himself."

Yet fee

When these so noble benefits shall prove

Not well difpos'd,8 the mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man fo cómplete,
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with ravifh'd lift'ning, could not find
His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monftrous habits put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black
As if befmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you fhall hear
(This was his gentleman in truft,) of him
Things to ftrike honour fad.-Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices; whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

WOL. Stand forth; and with bold spirit relate what you,

Most like a careful subject, have collected
Out of the duke of Buckingham.

of the Swanne, of whom linially is defcended my faid lord." The duke was executed on Friday the 17th of May, 1521. The book has no date. STEEVENS.

"And never seek for aid out of himself.] Beyond the treafures of his own mind. JOHNSON.

Read:

And ne'er feek aid out of himself. Yet fee,-. RITSON. noble benefits

Not well difpos'd,] Great gifts of nature and education, not joined with good difpofitions. JOHNSON.

is become as black

As if befmear'd in hell.] So, in Othello:

-Her name, that was as fresh

"As Dian's vifage, is now begrim'd and black
"As mine own face." STEEVENS.

K. HEN.

Speak freely.
SURV. Firft, it was ufual with him, every day
It would infect his fpeech, That if the king
Should without iffue die, he'd carry it1 fo
To make the scepter his: These very words
I have heard him utter to his fon-in-law,
Lord Aberga'ny; to whom by oath he menac'd
Revenge upon the cardinal.

WOL.

Please your highness, note This dangerous conception in this point. Not friended by his with, to your high perfon His will is moft malignant; and it ftretches Beyond you, to your friends.

Ο. ΚΑΤΗ.

Deliver all with charity.

K. HEN.

My learn'd lord cardinal,

Speak on:

How grounded he his title to the crown,

Upon our fail? to this point haft thou heard him At any time speak aught?

SURV.

He was brought to this

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.3.

1-he'd carry it-] Old copy-he'l. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.

* This dangerous conception in this point.] Note this particular part of this dangerous defign. JOHNSON.

3 By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.] In former editions:

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Henton.

We heard before from Brandon, of one Nicholas Hopkins; and now his name is changed into Henton; fo that Brandon and the furveyor seem to be in two ftories. There is, however, but one and the fame perfon meant, Hopkins, as I have restored it in the text, for perfpicuity's fake; yet it will not be any difficulty to account for the other name, when we come to confider that he was a monk of the convent, called Henton, near Briftol. So both Hall and Holinfhed acquaint us. And he might, according

K. HEN. What was that Hopkins?

Sir, a Chartreux friar,

SURV.
His confeffor; who fed him every minute

With words of fovereignty.

K. HEN.

How know'st thou this?

SURV. Not long before your highness fped to

France,

The duke being at the Rofe, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney,4 did of me demand
What was the speech ainongst the Londoners
Concerning the French journey: I replied,
Men fear'd, the French would prove perfidious,
To the king's danger. Prefently the duke
Said, 'Twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted,
'Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy monk; that oft, says he,
Hath fent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Court, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of fome moment:
Whom after under the confefsion's feal 5

to the custom of these times, be called Nicholas of Henton, from the place; as Hopkins from his family. THEOBALD.

This mistake, as it was undoubtedly made by Shakspeare, is worth a note. It would be doing too great an honour to the players to suppose them capable of being the authors of it.

STEEVENS.

Shakspeare was perhaps led into the mistake by inadvertently referring the words, "called Henton," in the paffage already quoted from Holinfhed, (p. 26, n. 9,) not to the monastery, but to the monk. MALONE.

• The duke being at the Rofe, &c.] This houfe was purchafed about the year 1561, by Richard Hill, fometime master of the Merchant Tailors company, and is now the Merchant Tailors school, in Suffolk-lane. WHALLEY.

5

-under the confeffion's feal-] All the editions, down from the beginning, have-commiffion's. But what commiffion's

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