۱۰ My judgement is, we should not step too far 2 ARCH. 'Tis very true, lord Bardolph; for, indeed, It was young Hotspur's cafe at Shrewsbury, BARD. It was, my lord; who lin'd himself with hope, Eating the air on promise of fupply, Proper to madmen, led his powers to death, HAST. But, by your leave, it never yet did hurt, 2 Acp too far] The four following lines were added in the second edition. JOHNSON. 3 Much smaller-] i. e. which turned out to be much smaller. 4 MUSGRAVE. Yes, in this present quality of war; &c.] These first twenty lines were firft inferted in the folio of 1623. The first clause of this passage is evidently corrupted. All the folio editions and Mr. Rowe's concur in the fame reading, which Mr. Pope altered thus: This has been filently followed by Mr. Theobald, Sir Thomas Hanmer, and Dr. Warburton; but the corruption is certainly deeper, for in the present reading Bardolph makes the inconvenience of hope to be that it may cause delay, when indeed the whole tenor of his argument is to recommend delay to the reft that are too forward. I know not what to propose, and am afraid Lives so in hope, as in an early spring that something is omitted, and that the injury is irremediable. Yet, perhaps, the alteration requifite is no more than this: It never, fays Hastings, did harm to lay down likelihoods of hope. Yes, says Bardolph, it has done harm in his present quality of war, in a state of things such as is now before us, of war, indeed of instant action. This is obscure, but Mr. Pope's reading is ftill less reasonable. JOHNSON. I have adopted Dr. Johnson's emendation, though I think we might read: if this prefent quality of war Impel the instant action. Hastings fays, it never yet did hurt to lay down likelihoods and forms of hope. Yes, says Bardolph, it has in every cafe like ours, where an army inferior in number, and waiting for fupplies, has, without that reinforcement, impell'd, or haftily brought on, immediate action. STEEVENS. an If we may be allowed to read-instanc'd, the text may meanYes, it has done harm in every cafe like ours; indeed it did harm in young Hotspur's cafe at Shrewsbury, which the Archbishop of York has just instanced or given as an example. TOLLET. This paffage is allowed on all hands to be corrupt, but a flight alteration will, I apprehend, reftore the true reading. Yes, if this present quality of war, Mr. M. Mason has proposed the fame reading. STEEVENS. in this present quality of war; ) This and the following nineteen lines appeared first in the folio. That copy reads-Yes, if this present &c. I believe the old reading is the true one, and that a line is loft; but have adopted Dr. Johnson's emendation, because it makes senfe. The punduation now introduced appears to me preferable to that of the old edition, in which there is a colon after the word action. Bardolph, I think, means to say, "Indeed the present action (our cause being now on foot, war being actually levied,) lives," &c. otherwise the speaker is made to say, in general, that all caufes once on foot afford no hopes that may fecurely be relied on; which is certainly not true. MALONE. That frosts will bite them. When we mean to build,5 7 To build at all? Much more, in this great work HAST. Grant, that our hopes (yet likely of fair birth,) Should be stillborn, and that we now poffefs'd I think, we are a body ftrong enough, Even as we are, to equal with the king. " Consent upon a fure foundation; i. e. agree. So, in As you like it, A& V. fc. i: " For all your writers do confent that ipfe is he." Again, ibidem, fc. ii: "confent with both, that we may enjoy each other," STEEVENS. 1 B BARD. What! is the king but five and twenty thousand? HAST. To us, no more; nay, not so much, lord Bardolph. For his divisions, as the times do brawl, With hollow poverty and emptiness, ARCH. That he should draw his several strengths together, And come against us in full puissance, Need not be dreaded. HAST. 9 If he should do so, BARD. Who, is it like, should lead his forces 8 8 one power against the French, During this rebellion of Northumberland and the Archbishop, a French army of twelve thousand men landed at Milford Haven in Wales, for the aid of Owen Glendower. See Holinshed, p. 531. STEEVENS. 9 If he should do so,] This passage is read in the first edition thus: If he should do so, French and Welsh he leaves his back unarm'd, they baying him at the heels, never fear that. These lines, which were evidently printed from an interlined copy not understood, are properly regulated in the next, edition, and are here only mentioned to show what errors may be suspected to remain. JOHNSON. I believe the editor of the folio did not correct the quarto rightly; in which the only error probably was the omiffion of the word to: To French and Welsh he leaves his back unarm'd, MALONE. HAST. The duke of Lancaster, and Westmoreland: 2 Against the Welsh, himself, and Harry Monmouth: But who is substituted 'gainst the French, I have no certain notice. ARCH. Let us on; 3 And publish the occasion of our arms. Their over-greedy love hath surfeited : An habitation giddy and unsure , Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart. And being now trimm'd in thine own defires, 2 The duke of Lancaster, &c.] This is an anachronism, Prince John of Lancafter was not created a duke till the second year of the reign of his brother, King Henry V. MALONE. This mistake is pointed out by Mr. Steevens in another place. It is not, however, true: that "K. Henry IV. was himself the laft perfon that ever bore the title of duke of Lancaster," as Prince Henry actually enjoyed it at this very time, and had done so from the first year of his father's reign, when it was conferred upon him in full parliament. Rot. Parl. 111, 428, 532. Shakspeare was mifled by Stowe, who speaking of Henry's first parliament, says, "then the King rofe, and made his eldeft son Prince of Wales, &c. his fecond Sonne was there made Duke of Lancaster." Annales, 1631, p. 323. He should therefore seem to have confulted this author between the times of finishing the last play, and beginning the present. RITSON. 3 Let us on; &c.] This excellent speech of York was one of the passages added by Shakspeare after his first edition. POPE. This fpeech first appeared in the folio. MALONE. 4 O thou fond many!) Many or meyny, from the French mesnies a multitude. DOUCE. 5-in thine own defires,] The latter word is employed here as a trifyllable. MALONE. |