Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft, For our beft act.' If we fhall stand still, In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at, K. HEN. Things done well,❜ And with a care, exempt themselves from fear; 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. 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, WOL. A word with you. [To the Secretary. Let there be letters writ to every thire, 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, 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 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 K. HEN. Speak freely. 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. 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 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 ᎠᏎ |