We with our stately presence glorify, Like captives bound to a triumphant car. What! shall we curse the planets of mishap That plotted thus our glory's overthrow? Or shall we think the subtle-witted French Conjurers and sorcerers, that afraid of him By magic verses have contrived his end? Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day So dreadful will not be as was his sight. The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought: 24. "glory's"; Ff., "Glories."—I. G. 30 27. "By magic verses have contrived his end"; alluding to the old notion "that life might be taken away by metrical charms" (Johnson). Ff. 2, 3, 4, "Verse"; Pope, "verse have thus."-I. G. This is well explained by a passage in Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft, 1584: "The Irishmen will not sticke to affirme that they can rime man or Beast to death."-H. N. H. 28. Henry Beaufort, known in history as "the great bishop of Winchester," was brother to the duke of Exeter. At this time he held the office of chancellor, and was associated with Exeter in the governing of the infant sovereign. The quarrel between him and his nephew, the duke of Gloster, did not break out till 1425, though it had been brewing in secret for some time. In 1427 he was advanced by Pope Martin to the office of cardinal. The matter is thus related by Holinshed: "After that the duke of Bedford had set all things in good order in England, he returned into France, first landing at Calis, where the bishop of Winchester, that also passed the seas with him, received the habit, hat, and dignitie of a cardinall. The late king, right deeplie persing into the unrestrainable ambitious mind of the man, that even from his youth was ever to checke at the highest; and also right well ascertained with what intollerable pride his head should soone be swollen under such a hat; did therefore all his life long keepe this prelat backe from that presumptuous estate. But now, the king being yoong, and the regent his freend, he obteined his purpose to his great profit. For by a bull legantin, which he purchased from Rome, he gathered so much treasure, that no man in maner had monie but he; so that he was I called the rich cardinall of Winchester."-H. N. H. The church's prayers made him so prosperous. Glou. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: None do you like but an effeminate prince, Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe. Win. Gloucester, whate'er we like, thou art Protector, And lookest to command the prince and realm. More than God or religious churchmen may. 40 Glou. Name not religion, for thou lovest the flesh, And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bed. Cease, cease these jars and rest your minds in peace: Let's to the altar: heralds, wait on us: Instead of gold, we 'll offer up our arms; When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall Our isle be made a marish of salt tears, And none but women left to wail the dead. 50 33. "had not"; Vaughan proposed "had but" (but cp. 11. 41–43).— I. G. 49. "moist"; so Ff. 2, 3, 4; F. 1, "moistned."-I. G. 50. The original has "nourish" here, which can hardly be made to yield any reasonable meaning. Pope thought "nourish" a misprint for “marish,” an old form of “marsh”; and Ritson gives an apt quotation from Kyd's Spanish Tragedy: "Made mountains marsh with spring tides of my tears."-H. N. H. Henry the Fifth, thy ghost I invocate: Enter a Messenger. 60 Mess. My honorable lords, health to you all! Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Glou. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was used? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. 56. “or bright—"; various attempts have been made to fill up the blank, which some editors explain as due to the inability of the compositor to read the name in the MS.; Francis Drake, Berenice, Cassiopeia, Alexander, &c., have been suggested. Probably the speech is interrupted by the entrance of the messenger.-I. G. 60. "Rheims"; Ff., "Rheimes"; evidently intended as a dissyllable; but Capell's "Rheims, Roan," derives some support from the fact that Roan, i. e. Rouen, is mentioned by Gloucester in line 65 (Cambridge ed.).-I. G. 65. "Rouen"; F. 1, “Roan.”—I. G. Amongst the soldiers this is muttered, 70 That here you maintain several factions, You are disputing of your generals: One would have lingering wars with little cost; By guileful fair words peace may be obtain❜d. Let not sloth dim your honors new-begot: arms; 80 Of England's coat one half is cut away. Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, These tidings would call forth their flowing tides. Bed. Me they concern; Regent I am of France. Give me my steeled coat. I'll fight for France. Away with these disgraceful wailing robes! Wounds will I lend the French instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries. Enter to them another Messenger. 76. "A third"; Ff. 2, 3, 4, "A third man”; Walker, “A third one"; Delius, “A third thinketh"; Keightley, “A third thinks that"; Dyce, "And a third thinks," &c. Surely a simpler solution of the difficulty is to read "third" as a dissyllable with a trilled r.-I. G. 78. "Awake, awake”; F. 2, "Awake, away.”—I. G. 83. "their"; Theobald's emendation; Ff. "her"; Anon. conj. “our.” -I. G. That is, England's flowing tides.-H. N. H. 88. That is, their miseries which have only a short intermission.— H. N. H. Mess. Lords, view these letters full of bad mis chance. France is revolted from the English quite, 90 The Bastard of Orleans with him is join'd; Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part; The Duke of Alençon flieth to his side. Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glou. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats. Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Gloucester, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Enter another Messenger. Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse, I must inform you of a dismal fight 100 Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is 't so? Mess. O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August last this dreadful lord, 110 94. "Reignier"; Rowe's emendation of "Reynold" of the Ff.-I. G. 95. "The Duke of Alençon"; Walker omits "of," to improve the rhythm of the line.-I. G. 96. "crowned"; Rowe's emendation; "crown'd," the reading of the Folios.-I. G. |