Two noble partners with you; the old duchess of Norfolk,
And lady marquis Dorset; Will these please you?
Once more, my lord of Winchester, I charge you,
Embrace, and love this man.

Gar. With a true heart,

And brother-love, I do it.

Cran. And let heaven

Witness, how dear I hold this confirmation.

K. Hen. Good man, those joyful tears shew thy true

The common voice, I see, is verified

[heart.

Of thee, which says thus, To my lord of Canterbury

A shrewd turn, and he is your friend for ever.→
Come, lords, we trifle time away; I long
To have this young one made a christian.
As I have made ye one, lords, one remain ;
So I grow stronger, you more honour gain.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The Palace Yard. Noise and tumult within: Enter Porter

and his Man.

Port. You'll leave your noise anon, ye rascals: Do you take the court for Paris-garden? ye rude slaves, leave your gaping."

Within. Good master porter, I belong to the larder. Port. Belong to the gallows, and be hanged, you rogue: Is this a place to roar in ?-Fetch me a dozen crab-tree staves, and strong ones; these are but switches to them.I'll scratch your heads: You must be seeing christenings? Do you look for ale and cakes here, you rude rascals? Man. Pray, sir, be patient; 'tis as much impossible (Unless we sweep them from the door with cannons,) To scatter them, as 'tis to make them sleep On May-day morning; which will never be : We may as well push against Paul's, as stir them. Port. How got they in, and be hang'd?

apostle spoons, because the figures of the apostles were carved on the tops of the handles. Such as were at once opulent and generous, gave the whole twelve; those who were either more moderately rich or liberal, escaped at the expence of the four evangelists; or even sometimes contented themselves with presenting one spoon only, which exhibited the figure of any saint, in honour of whom the child received its name. STEEVENS.

[6] The bear-garden of that time. JOHNSON.

7 Gaping-that is, shouting or roaring; a sense which this word has now almost lost. REED.- -Such being one of the ancient senses of the verb---to gape, perhaps the "gaping pig" mentioned by Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, has hitherto been misinterpreted. STEEVENS.

[8] It was anciently the custom for all ranks of people to go out a maying on the first of May. STEEVENS.

13

VOL. VII.

I

Man. Alas, I know not; How gets the tide in?
As much as one sound cudgel of four foot
(You see the poor remainder) could distribute,
I made no spare, sir.

Port. You did nothing, sir.

Man. I am not Sampson, nor sir Guy, nor Colbrand,” to mow them down before me but, if I spared any, that had a head to hit, either young or old, he or she, cuckold or cuckold-maker, let me never hope to see a chine again; and that I would not for a cow, God save her. Within. Do you hear, master porter ?

Port. I shall be with you presently, good master puppy. -Keep the door close, sirrah.

Man. What would you have me do ?

Port. What should you do, but knock them down by the dozens? Is this Moorfields to muster in ?' or have we some strange Indian with the great tool come to court, the women so besiege us? Bless me, what a fry of fornication is at the door! On my christian conscience, this one christening will beget a thousand; here will be father, god-father, and all together.

Man. The spoons will be the bigger, sir. There is a fellow somewhat near the door, he should be a brazier by his face; for, o'my conscience, twenty of the dog-days now reign in's nose; all that stand about him are under the line, they need no other penance. That fire-drake3 did I hit three times on the head, and three times was his nose discharg'd against me; he stands there, like a mortarpiece, to blow us. There was a haberdasher's wife of small wit near him, that railed upon me till her pink'd porringer fell off her head, for kindling such a combustion in the state. I miss'd the meteor once, and hit that woman, who cry'd out, clubs when I might see from far some forty truncheoneers draw to her succour, which were the hope of the Strand, where she was quartered.

[9] Of Guy of Warwick every one has heard. Colbrand was the Danish giant whom Guy subdued at Winchester. Their combat is very elaborately described by Drayton, in his Polyolbion. JOHNSON.

[1] The train-bands of the city were exercised in Moorfields. JOHNSON. [2] A brazier signifies a man that manufactures brass, and a reservoir for charcoal occasionally heated to convey warmth. Both these senses are understood. JOHNS. [3] A fire-drake is thus described by Bullokar, 1616: Firedrake, A fire sometimes seen flying in the night, like a dragon. Common people think it a spirit that keepeth some treasure hid; but philosophers affirme it to be a great unequal exhalation, inflamed betweene two clouds, the one hot, the other cold, which is the reason that it also smoketh; the middle part whereof, according to the proportion of the hot cloud, being greater than the rest maketh it seem like a bellie, and both ends like to ahead and taile." MALONE.

[4] The outcry for assistance, upon any quarrel or tumult.

WHALLEY.

They fell on; I made good my place; at length they came to the broomstaff with me, I defied them still; when suddenly a file of boys behind them, loose shot, delivered such a shower of pebbles, that I was fain to draw mine honour in, and let them win the work: The devil was amongst them, I think, surely.

5

Port. These are the youths that thunder at a playhouse, and fight for bitten apples; that no audience, but the Tribulation of Tower-Hill, or the limbs of Limehouse, their dear brothers, are able to endure. I have some of them in Limbo Patrum, and there they are like to dance these three days; besides the running banquet of two beadles," that is to come.

6

Enter the Lord Chamberlain.

Cham. Mercy o'me, what a multitude are here!
They grow still too, from all parts they are coming,
As if we kept a fair here! Where are these porters,
These lazy knaves ?—Ye have made a fine hand, fellows.
There's a trim rabble let in: Are all these

Your faithful friends o'the suburbs? We shall have
Great store of room, no doubt, left for the ladies,
When they pass back from the christening.

Port. An't please your honour,

We are but men; and what so many may do,
Not being torn a pieces, we have done :
An army cannot rule them.

Cham. As I live,

If the king blame me for't, I'll lay ye all

By the heels, and suddenly; and on your heads

Clap round fines, for neglect: You are lazy knaves;

And here ye lie baiting of bumbards, when

Ye should do service. Hark, the trumpets sound:
They are come already from the christening:
Go, break among the press, and find a way out

To let the troop pass fairly; or I'll find

A Marshalsea, shall hold you play these two months.
Port. Make way there for the princess.

Man. You great flow, stand close up, or I'll make your head ake.

Port. You i'the camblet, get up o'the rail; I'll pick you o'er the pales else." [Exeunt.

[5] I suspect this to have been a puritanical meeting-house. JOHNSON.

6 He means in confinement. In limbo continues to be a cant phrase, in the same sense, at this day. MALONE. [7] A public whipping. JOHNSON.

[8] A bumbard is an ale-barrel; to bait bumbards is to tipple, to lie at the spigot. JOHNSON. [9] To pick is to pitch. MALONE.

SCENE IV.

The Palace. Enter trumpets, sounding; then two Aldermen, Lord Mayor, Garter, CRANMER, Duke of NORFOLK, with his marshal's staff, Duke of SUFFOLK, two Noblemen bearing great standing bowls for the christening gifts; then four noblemen bearing a canopy, under which the Duchess of NORFOLK, godmother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train borne by a Lady: then follows the Marchioness of DORSET, the other godmother, and Ladies. The troop pass once about the stage, and Garter speaks. Gart. Heaven, from thy endless goodness, send prosperous life, long, and ever happy, to the high and mighty princess of England, Elizabeth!

Flourish. Enter King, and Train.

Cran. [Kneeling.] And to your royal grace, and the My noble partners, and myself, thus pray; [good queen, All comfort, joy, in this most gracious lady,

Heaven ever laid up to make parents happy,

May hourly fall upon ye!

K. Hen. Thank you, good lord archbishop; What is her name?

Cran. Elizabeth.

K. Hen. Stand up, lord.—

[The King kisses the child.

With this kiss take my blessing: God protect thee!

Into whose hands I give thy life.

Cran. Amen.

K. Hen. My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal : I thank ye heartily; so shall this lady,

When she has so much English.

Cran. Let me speak, sir,

For Heaven now bids me; and the words I utter
Let none think flattery, for they'll find them truth.
This royal infant, (heaven still move about her!)
Though in her cradle, yet now promises
Upon this land a thousand thousand blessings,
Which time shall bring to ripeness: She shall be
(But few now living can behold that goodness,)
A pattern to all princes living with her,
And all that shall succeed: Sheba was never
More covetous of wisdom, and fair virtue,
Than this pure soul shall be all princely graces,
That mould up such a mighty piece as this is,
With all the virtues that attend the good,

Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,

Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:

She shall be lov'd and fear'd: her own shall bless her:
Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with sorrow. Good grows with her :
In her days, every man shall eat in safety
Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing
The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours :
God shall be truly known; and those about her
From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.
[Nor shall this peace sleep with her : But as when
The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,
Her ashes new create another heir,

As great in admiration as herself;

So shall she leave her blessedness to one,

(When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness,) Who from the sacred ashes of her honour,

Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,

And so stand fix'd: Peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,
That were the servants to this chosen infant,
Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him;
Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name

Shall be, and make new nations: He shall flourish,
And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches

To all the plains about him :-Our children's children
Shall see this, and bless heaven.]

K. Hen. Thou speakest wonders.

Cran. She shall be, to the happiness of England,
An aged princess; many days shall see her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.
'Would I had known no more! but she must die,
She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin,
A most unspotted lily shall she pass

To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her.
K. Hen. O lord archbishop,

Thou hast made me now a man; never, before
This happy child, did I get any thing:

This oracle of comfort has so pleas'd me,
That, when I am in heaven, I shall desire
To see what this child does, and praise my

Maker.

I thank ye all. To you, my good lord mayor,

[2] These lines, to the interruption by the king, seem to have been inserted at some revisal of the play, after the accession of king James. JOHNSON.