And by that name must die; Yet, heaven bear witness, Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful! But those, that sought it, I could wish more christians: Yet let them look they glory not in mischief, Nor will I sue, although the king have mercies More than I dare make faults. You few that lov'd me," And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham, His noble friends, and fellows, whom to leave Is only bitter to him, only dying, Go with me, like good angels, to my end; And lift my soul to heaven.-Lead on o' God's name. If ever any malice in your heart Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly. There cannot be those numberless offences 3 Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;] Evils, in this place, are forice. So, in Measure for Measure: Having waste ground enough, "Shall we desire to raze the sanctuary, You few that lov'd me, &c.] These lines are remarkably tender and pathetic. Johnson. S the long divorce-] So, in Lord Sterline's Darius, 1603: "Scarce was the lasting last divorcement made "Betwixt the bodie and the soule" &c. Steevens. And lift my soul to heaven.] So, Milton, Paradise Lost, Book IV: their songs "Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to heaven.” 7 no black envy Malone. Shall make my grave.] Shakspeare, by this expression, meant And, if he speak of Buckingham, pray, tell him, Lov. To the water side I must conduct your grace; Then give my charge up to sir Nicholas Vaux, Who undertakes you to your end. no more than to make the Duke say, No action expressive of malice shall conclude my life. Envy, by our author, is used for malice and hatred, in other places, and, perhaps, in this. Again, in the ancient metrical romance of Syr Bewys of Hampton, bl. 1. no date: Again: "Traytoure, he sayd with great envy, They drewe theyr swordes hastely, "And smot together with great envy." And Barrett, in his Alvearie, or Quadruple Dictionary, 1580, thus interprets it. To make a grave, however, may mean to close it. So, in The Comedy of Errors: "Why at this time the doors are made against you." i. e. closed, shut. The sense will then be, (whether quaintly or poetically expressed, let the reader determine) no malicious action shall close my grave, i. e. attend the conclusion of my existence or terminate my life; the last action of it shall not be uncharitable. Steevens. Envy is frequently used in this sense by our author and his contemporaries. See Vol. IV, p. 392, n. 9; and p. 441, 1. 31. I have therefore no doubt that Mr. Steevens's exposition is right. Dr. Warburton reads-mark my grave; and in support of the emendation it may be observed that the same error has happened in King Henry V, or at least that all the editors have supposed so, having there adopted a similar correction. See Vol. IX, p. 249, n. 7. Dr. Warburton's emendation also derives some support from the following passage in The Comedy of Errors: 3 "A vulgar comment will be made of it; "And that supposed by the common rout 66 "That may with foul intrusion enter in, "And dwell upon your grave, when you are dead." Malone. -forsake me,] The latter word was added by Mr. Rowe. Malone. Vaux. Prepare there, The duke is coming: see, the barge be ready; The greatness of his person. Buck. Nay, sir Nicholas, Let it alone; my state now will but mock me.9 When I came hither, I was lord high constable, And duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun:1 That never knew what truth meant: I now seal it;2 9 Nay, sir Nicholas, Let it alone; my state now will but mock me.] The last verse would run more smoothly, by making the monosyllables change places: Let it alone, my state will now but mock me. Whalley. -poor Edward Bohun:] The Duke of Buckingham's name was Stafford. Shakspeare was led into this mistake by Holinshed. Steevens. This is not an expression thrown out at random, or by mistake but one strongly marked with historical propriety. The name of the Duke of Buckingham, most generally known, was Stafford; but the History of Remarkable Trials, 8vo. 1715, p. 170, says: "it seems he affected that surname [of Bohun] before that of Stafford, he being descended from the Bohuns, earls of Hereford.” His reason for this might be, because he was lord high constable of England by inheritance of tenure from the Bohuns; and as the poet has taken particular notice of this great office, does it not seem probable that he had fully considered of the Duke's foundation for assuming the name of Bohun? In truth, the Duke's name was BAGOT; for a gentleman of that very ancient family married the heiress of the barony of Stafford, and their son relinquishing his paternal surname, assumed that of his mother, which continued in his posterity. Tollet. Of all this probably Shakspeare knew nothing. Malone. 2 I now seal it; &c.] I now seal my truth, my loyalty, with blood, which blood shall one day make them groan. Johnson. Henry the eighth, life, honour, name, and all And, must needs say, a noble one; which makes me Fell by our servants, by those men we lov'd most; Heaven has an end in all: Yet, you that hear me, Where you are liberal of your loves, and counsels, Like water from ye, never found again But where they mean to sink ye. All good peopie, And when you would say something that is sad,4 I fear, too many curses on their heads, That were the authors. 2 Gent. If the duke be guiltless, 'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling Of an ensuing evil, if it fall, Greater than this. 1 Gent. Good angels keep it from us! What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, sir? 2 Gent. This secret is so weighty, 'twill require A strong faith3 to conceal it. 3 1 Gent. Let me have it; be not loose:] This expression occurs again in Othello: "There are a kind of men so loose of soul, "That in their sleeps will mutter their affairs." Steevens. 4 And when you would say something that is sad, &c.] So, in King Richard II: 5 "Tell thou the lamentable tale of me, "And send the hearers weeping to their beds." Steevens. strong faith-] Is great fidelity. Johnson. I do not talk much. 2 Gent. I am confident; You shall, sir: Did you not of late days hear Between the king and Katharine? 1 Gent. Yes, but it held not: For when the king once heard it, out of anger 2 Gent. Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd, and lately; As all think, for this business. 'Tis the cardinal; 1 Gent. And merely to revenge him on the emperor, For not bestowing on him, at his asking, The archbishoprick of Toledo, this is purpos'd. 2 Gent. I think, you have hit the mark: But is 't not cruel, That she should feel the smart of this? The cardinal Will have his will, and she must fall. 1 Gent. We are too open here to argue this; SCENE II. 'Tis woful. [Exeunt. An Ante-Chamber in the Palace. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, reading a Letter. Cham. My lord,The horses your lordship sent for, with all the care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden and furnished. They were young, and handsome; and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for 6- and held for certain,] To hold, is to believe. So, in Lord Surrey's translation of the fourth Æneid: "I hold thee not, nor yet gainsay thy words." Steevens. |