With the plebeians swarming at their heels,- 7 likelihood,] Likelihood for fimilitude. WARBURTON. The later editors, in hope of mending the measure of this line, have injured the fenfe. The folio reads as I have printed; but all the books, fince revifal became fashionable, and editors have been more diligent to display themselves than to illuftrate their author, have given the line thus: As by a low, but loving likelihood. Thus they have deftroyed the praise which the poet defigned for Effex; for who would think himself honoured by the epithet low? The poet, defirous to celebrate that great man, whofe popularity was then his boast, and afterwards his deftruction, compares him to king Harry; but being afraid to offend the rival courtiers, or perhaps the queen herfelf, he confeffes that he is lower than a king, but would never have reprefented him abfolutely as low. JOHNSON. Mr. Pope made this improper alteration; as well as a thousand others equally reprehenfible.-Our author had the best grounds for fuppofing that Lord Effex on his return from Ireland would be attended with a numerous concourfe of well-wishers; for, on his fetting out for that country in the fpring of the year in which this play was written, "he took horfe (fays the continuator of Stowe's Chronicle,) in Seeding lane, and from thence being accompanied with diverfe noblemen and many others, himfelfe very plainly attired, roade through Grace-church ftreet, Cornhill, Cheapfide, and other high ftreets, in all which places and in the fields, the people preffed exceedingly to behold him, especially in the high way for more than foure miles fpace, crying, and faying, God bleffe your Lordfhip, God preferve your honour, &c. and fome followed him till the evening, only to behold him."—“ Such and fo great (adds the fame writer) was the hearty love and deep affection of the people towards him, by reafon of his bounty, liberalitie, affabilitie, and mild behaviour, that as well fchollars, fouldiers, citizens, faylers, &c. proteftants, papifts, fectaries and atheists, yea, women and children which never faw him, that it was held in them a happiness to follow the worst of his fortunes" That fuch a man fhould have fallen a facrifice to the caprice of a fantastick woman, and the machinations of the deteftable Cecil, muft ever be lamented. His return from Ireland, however, was very different from what our poet predicted. See a curious account of it in the Sydney Papers, Vol. II. p. 127. MALONE. Were now the general of our gracious emprefs (As, in good time, he may,) from Ireland coming, Bringing rebellion broached on his fword, 9 How many would the peaceful city quit, To welcome him? much more, and much more cause, Did they this Harry. Now in London place him; (As yet the lamentation of the French Invites the king of England's stay at home: 8 the general of our gracious emprefs-] The earl of Effex in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. POPE. Few noblemen of his age were more courted by poets. From Spenfer, to the loweft rhymer, he was the subject of numerous fonnets or popular ballads. I will not except Sydney. I could produce evidence to prove, that he fcarce ever went out of England, or left London, on the most frivolous enterprize, without a pastoral in his praife, or a panegyric in metre, which were fold and fung in the streets. T. WARTON. To fuch compliments as are here bestowed by our author on the earl of Effex, Barnabie Riche, in his Souldier's Wibe to Britons Welfare, or Captain Skill and Captain Pill, 1604, p. 21, seems to allude: " - not fo much as a memorandum for the most honourable enterprizes, how worthily fo ever performed, unless perhaps a little commendation in a ballad, or if a man be favoured by a playmaker, he may fometimes be canonized on a stage." STEEVENS. 9 Bringing rebellion broached-] Spitted, transfixed. JOHNSON. 2 The emperor's coming-] The emperor Sigifmond, who was married to Henry's fecond coufin. If the text be right, I fuppofe the meaning is, The emperor is coming; &c. but I fsuspect some corruption, for the chorus fpeaks of the emperor's vifit as now paft. I believe, a line has been loft before "The emperor's" &c.—If we tranfpofe the words and omit, we have a very unmetrical line, but better fenfe. "Omit the emperor's coming,-and all the occurrences which happened till Harry's return to France." Perhaps this was the author's meaning, even as the words ftand. If fo, the mark of parenthefis fhould be placed after the word home, and a comma after them. MALONE. Till Harry's back-return again to France; SCENE I.' France. An English Court of guard. Enter FLUELLEN and GoWER. Gor. Nay, that's right; But why wear you your leek to-day? faint Davy's day is past. FLU. There is occafions and caufes why and wherefore in all things: I will tell you, as my friend, captain Gower; The rafcally, fcald, beggarly, lowfy, pragging knave, Piftol,-which you and yourself, and all the 'orld, know to be no petter than a fellow, look you now, of no merits,-he is come to me, and prings me pread and falt yesterday, look you, and bid me eat my leek: it was in a place where I could not breed no contentions with him; but I will be fo pold as to wear it in my cap till I fee him once again, and then I will tell him a little piece of my defires. 3 Scene I.] This fcene ought, in my opinion, to conclude the fourth act, and be placed before the laft chorus. There is no English camp in this act; the quarrel apparently happened before the return of the army to England, and not after fo long an interval as the chorus has fupplied. JOHNSON. Fluellen prefently fays, that he wore his leek in confequence of an affront he had received but the day before from Piftol. Their prefent quarrel has therefore no reference to that begun in the fixth fcene of the third act. STEEVENS. 475 Enter PISTOL. Gow. Why, here he comes, fwelling like a turkey-cock. FLU. 'Tis no matter for his fwellings, nor his turkey-cocks.-Got plefs you, ancient Pistol! you fcurvy, lowfy knave, Got plefs you! PIST. Ha! art thou Bedlam? doft thou thirst, bafe Trojan, 4 To have me fold up Parca's fatal web? + FLU. I pefeech you heartily, fcurvy lowsy knave, at my defires, and my requests, and my petitions, to eat, look you, this leek; because, look you, you do not love it, nor your affections, and your appetites, and your digestions, does not agree with it, I would defire you to eat it. PIST. Not for Cadwallader, and all his goats. FLU. There is one goat for you. [Strikes him.] Will you be fo goot, fcald knave, as eat it? PIST. Bafe Trojan, thou fhalt die. FLU. You fay very true, fcald knave, when Got's will is: I will defire you to live in the mean time, and eat your victuals; come, there is fauce for it. [Striking him again.] You call'd me yesterday, mountain-fquire; but I will make you to-day a fquire of low degree. I pray you, fall to; if you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek. 5 4 To have me fold up &c.] Doft thou defire to have me put thee to death, JOHNSON. 5-fquire of low degree.] That is, I will bring thee to the ground. JOHNSON. Gow. Enough, captain; you have astonish'd him." FLU. I fay, I will make him eat fome part of my leek, or I will peat his pate four days :-Pite, I pray you; it is goot for your green wound, and your ploody coxcomb. PIST. Muft I bite? FLU. Yes, certainly; and out of doubt, and out of questions too, and ambiguities. PIST. By this leek, I will most horribly revenge; I eat, and eat, I swear." FLU. Eat, I pray you: Will you have some more sauce to your leek? there is not enough leek to swear by. The Squire of Low Degree is the title of an old romance, enumerated among other books in a letter concerning Queen Elizabeth's Entertainment at Kenelworth. STEEVENS. This metrical romance, which was very popular among our countrymen in ancient times, was burlefqued by Chaucer in his rhyme of Sir Thopas, and begins thus: "It was a fquyre of lowe degre, "That loved the king's daughter of Hungré." See Reliques of English Poetry, Vol. III. p. 30, 2d edition. PERCY. 6 aftonifh'd him.] That is, you have ftunned him with the blow. JOHNSON. Rather, you have confounded him. M. MASON. Dr. Johnfon's explanation is the true one. So, in the Second Book of The Deftruction of Troy: "Thefeus fmote again upon his enemy, which &c.- -and ftruck Thefeus fo fiercely with his fword that he was aftonished with the ftroke." STEEVENS. 7 I eat, and eat, Ifwear.] Thus the firft folio, for which the later editors have put, I eat and fear. We fhould read, I fuppofe, in the frigid tumour of Piftol's dialect : I eat, and eke Ifwear. JOHNSON. Thus alfo Pistol, in The Merry Wives of Windfor: "And I to Ford fhall eke unfold. STEEVENS. Perhaps, "I eat, and eating fwear." HOLT WHITE. |