Toko Thus, Coriolanus, speaking of the rabble, calls them:

STEEVENS.

P. 17, last but one 1. And Danger serves among them.} Could one easily believe, that a writer, who had, but immediately before, sunk so low in his expression, should here rise again to a height so truly sublime? where, by the noblest stretch of faney, Danger is personalized as serving in the rebel army, and shaking the established government.

WARBURTON.

Chaucer, Gower, Skelton, and Spenser, have personified Danger. The first, in Romaunt of the Rose; the second, in his fift book De Confessione Amantis; the third in his Bouge of Court and the fourth, in the 10th Canto of the fourth book of his Faery Queen, and again in the fifth book and the ninth Canto. STEEVENS.

P. 18, 1, 7, 8. and front but in that file Where others tell steps with me, I am but primus inter pares, I am but first in the row of counsellors. JOHNSON.

This was the very idea that Wolsey wished to disclaim. It was not his intention to acknowledge': that he was the first in the row of counsellors, but that he was merely on a level with the rest, and stept in the same line with them. M. MASON. P. 18, 1. 10. 11. You know no more than others: but you frame

Things, thate are known alike;] That is, you know no more than other counsellors, but you are the person who frame those things which are afterwards proposed, and known equally by

all. M. MASON. CA

P. 19, 1. 3. 4. That tractable obedience is a

slave

To each incensed will.] i. e. those who are tractable and obedient, must give way to others who are angry. MUSGRAVE,

The meaning of this is, that the people were so much irritated by oppression, that their resentgot the better of their obedience.

The meaning, I think, is

M. MASON Things are now in such a situation, that resentment and indign↔ ation predominate in every man's breast over duty® and allegiance. MALONE.

P. 19, 1. 6. There is no primer business.] In the old edition:

There is no primer baseness.

The Queen is here complaining of the suffering of the commons; which, she suspects, arose from the abuse of power in some great meu. But she is very reserved in speaking her thoughts concerning the quality of it. We may be assured then, that she did not, in conclusion, call it the highest baseness; but rather made use of a word that could not offend the Cardinal, and yet would incline the King to give it a speedy hearing. I read therefore:

There is no primer business.

i. e. no matter of state that more earnestly presses a dispatch. WARBURTON.

Dr. Warburton (for reasons which he has given in his note) would read:

no primer business:

but I think the meaning of the original word is sufficiently clear. No primer baseness is no mischief more ripe or ready for redress. STEEVENS.

P. 19, 1. 17.

P. 19, 1. 19.

To stint is to stop, to retard.

STEEVENS

To cope To engage with; to encounter. The word is still used in some counties. JOHNSON..

P. 19, I. 24. what worst, as oft,

Hitting a grosser quality, is cry'd up

For our best act.] The worst actions of great men are commended by the vulgar, as more accommodated to the grossness of their notions. JOHNSON.

P. 20, 1. 2. we take,

From every tree, lop, bark, &c.] Lop is a substantive, and signifies the branches.

WARBURTON.

P. 20, 1. 18. Enter Surveyor. It a appears from Holinshed that his name was Charles Knyvet.

RITSON P. 20, 1. 26. And never seek for aid out of himself.] Beyond the treasures of his own mind. JOHNSON, P. 20, 1. 28. 29. When these so noble benefits shall prove

Not well dispos'd,] Greats gifts of nature and education, not joined with good dispositions. Jonsson.

P. 21, I. 22. 23.

note

This dangerous conception in this point.] Note this particular part of this dangerous design.

JOHNSON. P. 21, 1. 34. By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.] In former edi

tions:

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Henton. We heard before, from Brandon, of one Nicholas Hopkins; and now his name is changed into Hen

ton, so that Brandon and the surveyor seem to be In two stories. There is, however, but one and the same person meant, Hopkins; as I have restored in the text, for perspicuity's sake: yet it will not be any difficulty to account for the other name, when we come to consider, that he was d monk of the convent, called Henton, near Bristol So both Hall and Holinshed acquaint us. And he

might, according 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 passage already quoted from Holin shed, (p. 17. n. 8.) not to the monastry, but to the monk. MALONE.

P. 22, 1. 6. the Rose, within the parish

Saint Lawrence Poultney,] This house was purchased about the year 1561, by Richard Hill, sometime master of the Merchant Tailors com pany, and is now the Merchant Tailors school, in Suffolk-lane. WHALLEY.

P. 23, 1. 13. Ha! what, so rank?] Rank weeds, are weeds grown up to great height and strength. What, says the King, was he advanced to this pitch? JOHNSON.

P. 23, 1, 18-23. Sir William Blomer, (Holinshed calls him Bulmer,) was reprimanded by the King in the star-chamber, for that, being his sworn servant, he had left the King's service for the Duke of Buckingham's. Edwards's MSS.

STEEVENS.

P. 25, 1. 25-54. The accuracy of Holished, if from him Shakspeare took his account of the accusations and punishment, together, with the qualities of the Duke of Buckingham, is proved in the most authentick manner by a very curious report of his case in East. Term, 13 Henry VIII. in the Year books published by authority, fol. 41 and 12, edit. 1597. After in the most exact man ner setting forth the arrangement of the Lord High Steward, the Peers, the arraignment, and other forms and ceremonies, it says: "Et issint fuit ar reine Edward due de Buckingham, le derrain jour de Terme le xij, jour de May, le duc de Norfolk donques estant Grand seneschal la cause fuit, pur ceo que il avoit entend l'mort de nostre Sur. le Roy. Car premierment un Moine del' Abbey de Henton in le countie de Somerset dit a lui que il sera Roy & command' luy de obtenir le benevolence del' communalte, & sur ceo il doña certaines robbes a cest entent. A que il dit que le moine ne onques dit ainsi a lui, & que il ne dona ceux dones a cest intent.. Donques auterfoits il dit, si le Roy morust sans issue male, il voul' estre Roy: & auxi que il disoit, si le Roy avoit lui commis al' prison, donques il voul' tui occire ove son dagger. Mes touts ceux matters il denia in effect, mes fuit trove coulp: Et per ceo il avoit jugement comme traitre, et fuit decolle le Vendredy devant le Feste del Pentecost que fuit le xiij jour de May avant dit. Dieu à sa ame grant mercy car il fuit tres noble, Prince & prudent, et mirror de tout courtesie."

VAILLANT

at

P. 24, 1. 20. By day and night,] This, I believe, was a phrase anciently signifying all times, every way, completely. In The Merry

Wives