SCENE IV. The Prefence-Chamber in York-Place. Hautboys. A fmall Table under a State for the Cardinal, a longer Table for the Guests. Enter at one Door ANNE BULLEN, and divers Lords, Ladies, and Gentlewomen, as Guests; at another Door, enter Sir HENRY GUILDFORD. GUILD. Ladies, a general welcome from his grace Salutes ye all: This night he dedicates To fair content, and you: none here, he hopes, In all this noble bevy, has brought with her One care abroad; he would have all as merry As firft-good company, good wine, good welcome Can make good people.7- -O, my lord, you are 6 tardy; noble bevy,] Milton has copied this word: A bevy of fair dames." JOHNSON. Spenfer had, before Shakspeare, employed this word in the fame manner : "And whither runs this bevy of ladies bright?" Again, in his Fairy Queen: Shepheard's Calender. April. "And in the midft thereof, upon the flowre, "A lovely bevy of faire ladies fate." The word bevy was originally applied to larks. See the Gloffary to the Shepheard's Calender. MALONE. 7 As first-good company, &c.] As this paffage has been all along pointed, [As firft, good company,] Sir Harry Guildford is made to include all thefe under the first article; and then gives us the drop as to what fhould follow. The poet, I am perfuaded, wrote: As firft-good company, good wine, good welcome, &c. i.e. he would have you as merry as these three things can make Enter Lord Chamberlain, Lord SANDS, and Sir THOMAS LOVELL. The very thought of this fair company CHAM. You are young, fir Harry Guildford. SANDS. Sir Thomas Lovell, had the cardinal But half my lay-thoughts in him, some of these Should find a running banquet ere they rested, I think, would better please them: By my life, They are a sweet fociety of fair ones. you, the best company in the land, of the best rank, good wine, &c. THEOBALD. Sir T. Hanmer has mended it more elegantly, but with greater violence : As firft, good company, then good wine, &c. JOHNSON. 8 a running banquet-] A running banquet, literally fpeaking, is a hafty refreshment, as fet in oppofition to a regular and protracted meal. The former is the object of this rakish peer; the latter, perhaps, he would have relinquished to those of more permanent defires. STEEVENS. A running banquet feems to have meant a hafty banquet. "Queen Margaret and Prince Edward, (fays Habingdon, in his Hiftory of King Edward IV.) though by the Earle recalled, found their fate and the winds so adverse, that they could not land in England, to taste this running banquet to which fortune had invited them." The hafty banquet, that was in Lord Sands's thoughts, is too obvious to require explanation. It should feem from the following lines in the prologue to a comedy called The Walks of flington, 1657, that fome double meaning was couched under the phrase, a running banquet : "The gate unto his walks, through which you may "A play of walks, or you may please to rank it MALONE. Lov. O, that your lordship were but now confeffor To one or two of thefe! SANDS. They should find easy penance. Lov. I would, I were; 'Faith, how eafy ? SANDS. As eafy as a down-bed would afford it. CHAM. Sweet ladies, will it please you fit? Sir Harry, Place you that fide, I'll take the charge of this: His grace is ent'ring.-Nay, you must not freeze; Two women plac'd together makes cold weather:— My lord Sands, you are one will keep them waking; Pray, fit between thefe ladies. SANDS. By my faith, And thank your lordship.-By your leave, fweet ladies : [Seats himself between ANNE BULLEN and another Lady. If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me; I had it from my father. ANNE. Was he mad, fir? SANDS. O, very mad, exceeding mad, in love too: But he would bite none; juft as I do now, He would kiss you twenty with a breath. Снам. [Kiffes her. Well faid, my lord. So, now you are fairly feated :-Gentlemen, SANDS. Let me alone. For my little cure, Hautboys. Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, attended; and takes his ftate. WOL. You are welcome, my fair guests; that noble lady, Or gentleman, that is not freely merry, Is not my friend: This, to confirm my welcome; And to you all good health. SANDS. [Drinks. Your grace is noble:-. Let me have fuch a bowl may hold my thanks, WOL. My lord Sands, I am beholden to you: cheer your neighbours. Ladies, you are not merry ;-Gentlemen, Whofe fault is this? SANDS. The red wine firft must rife In their fair cheeks, my lord; then we fhall have Here's to your ladyfhip: and pledge it, madam, ANNE. You cannot show me. if I make my play.] i. e. if I make my party. Rather-if I may choofe my game. RITSON. STEEVENS, As the measure, in this place, requires an additional fyllable, we may, commodiously enough, read, with Sir T. Hanmer : Yes, if I may make my play. STEEVENS. SANDS. I told your grace, they would talk anon [Drum and Trumpets within: Chambers WOL. difcharged.1 CHAM. Look out there, fome of you. WOL. What's that ? [Exit a Servant. What warlike voice? And to what end is this?-Nay, ladies, fear not; By all the laws of war you are privileg❜d. Re-enter Servant. CHAM. How now? what is't? SERV. A noble troop of ftrangers; For fo they seem: they have left their barge, and landed; And hither make, as great ambaffadors From foreign princes. I WOL. Good lord chamberlain, chambers difcharged.] A chamber is a gun which ftands erect on its breech. Such are used only on occafions of rejoicing, and are fo contrived as to carry great charges, and thereby to make a noife more than proportioned to their bulk. They are called chambers because they are mere chambers to lodge powder; a chamber being the technical term for that cavity in a piece of ordnance which contains the combustibles. Some of them are ftill fired in the Park, and at the places oppofite to the parliament-house when the king goes thither. Camden enumerates them among other guns, as follows: cannons, demi-cannons, chambers, arquebufe, mufquet." Again, in A new Trick to cheat the Devil, 1636; -I ftill think o' the Tower ordinance, 66 "Or of the peal of chambers, that's ftill fir'd ? they have left their barge,] See p. 49, n. 5.. MALONE. |