*So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last, *And you yourself fhall fteer the happy helm. Enter King HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, Conversing with him; Duke and Duchefs of GLOSTER, Cardinal BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK. K. HEN. For my part, noble lords, I care not which; Or Somerfet, or York, all's one to me. YORK. If York have ill demean'd himfelf in France, 8 Then let him be denay'd the regentship. SOM. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be regent, I will yield to him. WAR. Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or no, Difpute not that; York is the worthier. CAR. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters fpeak. WAR. The cardinal's not my better in the field. BUCK. All in this prefence are thy betters, Warwick. WAR. Warwick may live to be the best of all. SAL. Peace, fon;--and fhow fome reason, Buckingham, *Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this. Q. MAR. Because the king, forfooth, will have 8 * it fo. GLO. Madam, the king is old enough himfelf To give his cenfure: these are no women's matters. be denay'd ] Thus the old copy. I have noted the word only to obferve, that denay is frequently used inftead of dený, among the old writers. STEEVENS. 9 his cenfure:] Through all these plays cenfure is used in an indifferent fenfe, fimply for judgement or opinion. JOHNSON. Q. MAR. If he be old enough, what needs your grace To be protector of his excellence? GLO. Madam, I am protector of the realm; And, at his pleasure, will refign my place. SUF. Refign it then, and leave thine infolence. Since thou wert king, (as who is king, but thou?) The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck; * The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the feas * And all the peers and nobles of the realm * Have been as bondmen to thy fovereignty. *CAR. The commons haft thou rack'd; the clergy's bags * Are lank and lean with thy extortions. * Have coft a mass of publick treasury. Q. MAR. Thy fale of offices, and towns in *If they were known, as the suspect is great,Would make thee quickly hop without thy head, [Exit GLOSTER. The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not? [gives the Duchefs a box on the ear. 2 So, in King Richard III: "To give your cenfures in this weighty bufinefs." In other plays I have adduced repeated inftances to fhow the word was thus ufed by all contemporary writers. STEEVENS. Give me my fan: ] In the original play the queen drops not a fan, but a glove : "Give me my glove; why minion, can you not fee?" MALONE, I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you? 'DUCH. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French woman: ⚫ Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'd fet my ten commandments in your face. 3 K. HEN. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. DUCH. Against her will! Good king, look to't in time; She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby: * Though in this place moft mafter wear no breeches, She fhall not ftrike dame Eleanor unreveng'd. [ Exit Duchefs.4 BUCK. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, *And liften after Humphrey, how he proceeds: *She's tickled now; her fume can need no fpurs, 5 3 I'd fet my ten commandments in your face. ] So, in The Play of the Four P's, 1569: "Now ten times I befeech him that hie fits, "Thy wife's x com. may ferche thy five wits." Again, in Selimus Emperor of the Turks, 1594: "I would fet a tap abroach, and not live in fear of my wife's ten commandments." Again, in Weftward Hoe, 1607: 66 your harpy has fet his ten commandments on my back." STEEVENS. Exit Duchefs.] The quarto adds, after the exit of Eleanor, the following: "King. Believe me, my love, thou wert much to blame. "I would not for a thousand pounds of gold, My noble uncle had been here in place.. "But fee, where he comes! I am glad he met her not.” STEEVENS. 5 She's tickled now; ] Tickled is here used as a trifyllable. The editor of the second folio, not perceiving this, reads her fume can need no fpurs;' in which he has been followed by all the fubfequent editors. MALONE. Were Mr. Malone's fuppofition adopted, the verfe would still halt moft lamentably. I am therefore content with the emendation of She'll gallop fast enough to her deftruction. * Re-enter GLOSTER. GLO. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown *With walking once about the quadrangle, I come to talk of commonwealth affairs. *As for your fpiteful falfe objections, Prove them, and I lie open to the law: But God in mercy fo deal with my foul, * As I in duty love my king and country! * But, to the matter that we have in hand: * I fay, my fovereign, York is meetest man *To be your regent in the realm of France. *SUF. Before we make election, give me leave To fhow fome reafon, of no little force, 'That York is molt unmeet of any man. YORK. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet. First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride: * Next, if I be appointed for the place, * My lord of Somerfet will keep me here, *Without difcharge, money, or furniture, *Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands. *Laft time, I danc'd attendance on his will, * Till Paris was befieg'd, famith'd, and loft. WAR. That I can witnefs; and a fouler fact * Did never traitor in the land commit. SUF. Peace, head-strong Warwick! WAR. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? the fecond folio, a book to which we are all indebted for reftorations of our author's metre. I am unwilling to publish what no ear, accustomed to harmony, can endure. STEEVENS. 6 fast enough -] The folio reads farre enough. Cor reated by Mr. Pope. MALONE. Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PETER. SUF. Because here is a man accus'd of treafon: Pray God, the duke of York excufe himself! YORK. Doth any one accufe York for a traitor? *K. HEN. What mean'ft thou, Suffolk ? tell me : What are these? SUF. Please it your majesty, this is the man That doth accuse his master of high treafon : His words were these; ;- that Richard, duke of York, Was rightful heir unto the English crown; And that your majefty was an ufurper. K. HEN. Say, man, were these thy words? HOR. An't fhall please your majefty, I never faid nor thought any fuch matter: God is my witness, I am falfely accus'd by the villain. PET. By these ten bones, my lords, [holding up his hands.] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were fcouring my lord of • York's armour. * YORK. Base dunghill villain, and mechanical, * I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's fpeech:. I do beseech your royal majefty, ` By thefe ten bones, &c.] We have just heard a duchefs threaten The jefts in this to fet her ten commandments in the face of a queen. play turn rather too much on the enumeration of fingers. So, in the myftery This adjuration is, however, very ancient. of Candlemas-Day, 1512: "But by their bonys ten, thei be to you untrue." Again, in The longer thou liveft the more Fool thou art, 1570: By thefe tenne bones I will, I have fworne." It occurs likewife more than once in the morality of Hycke ScorAgain, in Monfieur Thomas, 1637: ner. By thefe ten bones, fir, by thefe eyes and tears.' STEEVENS |