shed" the only widowhead of Elizabeth Grey, though she were in all other things convenient for you, should yet suffice, as me seemeth, to restraine you from her marriage, sith it is an unfitting thing, and a verie blemish and high disparagement to the sacred majestie of a Prince, (that ought as nigh to approach priesthood in cleanness, as he doth in dignity) to be defouled with bigamie in his first marriage." Malone. P. 92, 1.6-8. More bitterly could I expostulate. Save that, for reverence to some alive, I give a sparing limit to my tongue.] The Duke here hints at a topick which he had touched upon in his address to the citizens, the pretended bastardy of Edward and Clarence. By some alive," is meant the Dutchess of York, the mother of Edward and Richard. Malone. ·P. 92, 1. 29.- remorse, i. e. pity. See our author, passim. STEEVENS. P. 94, 1. 4. To this act should, perhaps, be added the next scene, so will the coronation pass between the acts; and there will not only be a proper interval of action, but the conclusion will be more forcible. JOHNSON. P. 94, 1. 11. Anne Duchess of Gloster,] We have not seen this lady since the second scene of the first act, in which she promised to meet Richard at Crosby - place. She was married about the year 1472. MALONE. P. 94, 1, 14- 16. My niece Plantagenet Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloster?] Here is a manifest intimation, that the Dutchess of Gloster leads in somebody in her hand; but there is no direction marked in any of the copies, from which we can learn who it is. I have ventured to guess it must be Clarence's young daughter. The old Dutchess of York calls her niece, i. e. granddaughter; as grand-children are frequently called nephews. THEOBALD. So, in Othello, nephews for grandchildren: "you'll have your daughter cover'd with a Barbary horse,, you'll have your nephews neigh to yon." MALONE. P. 95, 1. 22. I may not leave it so ;] That is, I may not so resign my office, which you offer to take on you at your peril. JOHNSON. P. 96, 1. 24. The cockatrice is a serpent supposed to originate from a cock's egg. STEEVENS. P. 96, 1. 29-31. O, would to God, that the inclusive verge Of golden metal, that must round my brow, Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brain!] She seems to allude to the ancient mode of punishing a regicide, or any other egregious criminal, viz. by placing a crown of iron, heated red-hot upon his head. In some of the monkish accounts of a place of future torment, a burning crown is likewise appropriated to those who deprived any lawful monarch of his kingdom. STEEVENS. John the son of Vaivode Stephen having defeated the army of Hungarian peasants, called Croisadoes, in 1514, caused their general, "called George, to be stript naked, upon whose head the executioner set a crown of hot burning iron." Goulart's Admirable and Memorable Histories, 1607. This is the fact to which Goldsmith alludes: ,,Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel." Though it was George, and not his brothec Luke, who was so punished: but George's would not suit the poet's metre. The Earl of Atholl, who was executed on Account of the murder of James I. King of Scots, was, previous to his death, "crowned with a hot iron. " See Holinshed. RITSON. For never yet one hour in his bed P. 97, 1. 23-25. Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep, But with his timorous dreams was still awak'd.] "Tis recorded by Polydore Vergil, that Richard was frequently disturbed by terrible dreams: this is therefore no fiction. JOHNSON. P.98,1.7.Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen,] Shakspeare has here, I believe, spoken at random. The present scene is in 1483. Richard Duke of York the husband of this lady,had he been then living, would have been but seventy-three years old, and we may reasonably suppose that his Duchess was younger than he was. Nor did she go speedily to her grave. She lived till 1495. MALONE. P. 98, 1. 8. And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.] Teen is sorrow. STEEVENS. "Short pleasure, long lament," is one of Ray's proverbial sentences. MALONE. P. 98, 1. 14. Rude ragged nurse! old sullen play-fellow] To call the Tower nurse and play-fellow is very harsh: perhaps part of this speech is addressed to the Tower, and part to the lieutenant. JOHNSON. The last line of this speech, So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell, proves that the whole of it is addressed to the Tow er, and apologizes for the absurdity of that address, by attributing it to sorrow. M. MASON. P. 98, 1. 16. Hither the third act should be extended, and here it very properly ends with a pause of action. JOHNSON. P. 99 l. 3. To play the touch is to represent the touchstone. STEEVENS. 1. P. 99, 1. 32. The King is angry; see, he gnaws his lip. Several of our ancient historians observe, that this was an accustomed action of Richard, whether he was pensive or angry. Steevens... P.99, last 1. unrespective boys ;] Unrespective is inatttentive to consequences, inconsiderate. Unrespective is, tial consideration. STEEVENS. devoid of cautious and prudenMALONE. close exploit -] Is secret - witty] In this place signifies judicious or cunning. A wit was not at this time employed to signify a man of fancy, but was used for wisdom or judgement. STEEVENS. P. 100, 1. 24. 25. How now, Lord Stanley? what's the news? Stan.Know,my loving Lord,] Surely, we should adopt Sir Thomas Hanmer's regulation, and give the passage thus: How now, Lord Stanley? what's the news? 4 Are the omitted words •know and loving, of so much value, that measure must continue to be sacrificed for their preservation? STEEVENS. - P. 100, 1.-31. I will take order for her keeping close.] i. e. I will take measures that shall oblige her to keep close. STEEVENS. P. 101, first 1. The boy is foolish,] Shakspeare has here perhaps anticipated the folly of this youth. He was at this time, I believe, about ten years old, and we are not told by any historian that he had then exhibited any symptoms of folly. Being con fined by Henry VII. iminediately after the battle of Bosworth, and his education being consequently entirely neglected, he is described by Polydore Vergil at the time of his death (in 1499) as an idiot; and his account (which was copied by Hall and Holinshed) was certainly a sufficient authority for Shakspeare's representation. MALONE. - P. 101, 1. 5. it stands me much upon.] i, e. is of the utmost consequence to my designs. seems, STEEVENS P. 101, 1. 15. Is thy name Tyrrel?] It that a late editor (who boasts much of his fidelity in “marking the places of action, both general and particular, and supplying scenical directions") throughout this scene, has left King Richard on his throne; whereas he might have learnt from a passage in Sir John Harrington's Metamorphosis of Ajax, 1596, that the Monarch appeared, during the present interview with Tyrrel, on an elevation of much less dignity. A STEEVENS. For Richard's mode of proceeding on this occasion, there are, it appears, many ancient and dignified precedents. "Maximilian the Emperor," says old Montaigne, "with other customes of his had this one, most contrary to other Princes, (who, to dispatch their weightiest affaires, make often their c-es- 1 their regal throne or councilchamber,) which was, "&c. MALONE. P. 101, 1. 27. deal upon ie act upon. We should now say deal with; but the other was the phraseology of our author's time. MALONE. P. 102, 1. 15. The earldom of Hereford, Tho «mas Duke of Gloster, the fifth son of Edward the |