the church lightly to any place, but it were to his bed." Again, in Ben Jonson's Cynthia's Revels: "He is not lightly within to his mercer." -dread lord ; STEEVENS. -] The original of this epithet applied to kings has been much disputed. In some of our old statutes, the king is called Rex metuendissimus. 99. Too late he died, JOHNSON. -] i. e. too lately, the WARBURTON. loss is too fresh in our memory. "Too late" is again used in the sense of too recently, in our author's Rape of Lucrece : -I did give that life, "Which she too early, and too late hath spill'd.” MALONE. 115. And, being but a toy, which is no gift to give.] This is the reading of the quartos; the first folio reads: And, being but a toy, which is no grief to give. This reading, made a little more metrical, has been followed, I think erroneously, by all the editors, The quarto 1612 reads: -no grief JOHNSON. STEEVENS. 122. I weigh it lightly, &c.] i. e. I should still esteem it but a trifling gift, were it heavier. WARBURTON. So, in Love's Labour's Lost, act v. sc. 2. me." 131. Because that I am little like an ape,] The reproach seems to consist in this at country shews it was was common to set the monkey on the back of some other animal, as a bear. The duke therefore, in calling himself ape, calls his uncle bear. JOHNSON. To this custom there seems to be an allusion in Ben Jonson's Masque of Gypsies: "A gypsy in his shape, "More calls the beholder, "Than the fellow with the ape, "Or the ape on his shoulder.” Again, in The first Part of the Eighth liberal Science, entituled, Ars Adulandi, &c. devised and compiled by Ulpian -thou hast an excellent back to Fulwel, 1576: carry my lord's ape." 180. STEEVENS. -divided councils,] That is, a private consultation, separate from the known and publick council. So, in the next scene, Hastings says: Bid him not fear the separated councils, JOHNSON. So, Hall, p. 13, "When the protectour had both the chyldren in his possession, yea, and that they were in a sure place, he then began to threst to se the ende of his enterprise. And, to avoyde all suspicion, he caused all the lordes whiche he knewe to bee faithfull to the kynge, to assemble at Baynardes Castle, to comen of the ordre of the coronacion, whyle he and other of his complices, and of his affinitee, at Crosbies-place, contrived the contrary, and to make the protectour kyng; to which counsail they were adhibite vere fewe, and they very secrete." REED. 194. will do;] The folio reads-will deter mine. STEEVENS. 202. Scene II.] Every material circumstance in the following scene is taken from the Chronicles, except that it is a knight with whom Hastings converses, instead of Buckingham. STEEVENS. 212. -the boar had rased off his helm:] This term rased or rashed, is always given to describe the violence inflicted by a boar. So, in King Lear, 4to. edit. "In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs." Again, in Warner's Albion's England, 1602, B. VII. ch. 36: 66 -ha, cur, avaunt, the bore so rase thy hide!" By the boar, throughout this scene, is meant Gloster, who was called the boar or the hog, from his having a boar for his cognizance, and one of the supporters of his coat of arms. STEEVENS. 226. wanting instance:] That is, wanting some example or act of malevolence, by which they may be justified: or which, perhaps, is nearer to the true meaning, wanting any immediate ground or reason. The folio reads-without instance. JOHNSON. STEEVENS. 276. the holy rood,] i. e. the cross. So, in the old mystery of Candlemas-Day, 1512: "Whan hir swete sone shall on a rood deye." Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. VI. c. v: "And nigh thereto a little chapell stoode "Which being all with yvy overspred, "Deck'd "Deck'd all the roofe, and shadowing the roode, "Seem'd like a grove fair branched overhed." 291. -have with you. STEEVENS. -] A familiar phrase in parting, as much as, take something along with you, or, I have something to say to you. 293. They, for their truth, respect to their honesty. JOHNSON. -] That is, with JOHNSON. 325. Come, bring forth the prisoners.] This speech is wanting in the folio. STEEVENS. 376. Had you not come upon your cue, -] This expression is borrowed from the theatre. The cue, queue, or tail of a speech,. consists of the last words, which are the token for an entrance or answer. come on the cue, therefore, is to come at the proper time. JOHNSON. Το 382. -I saw good strawberries] The reason why the bishop was dispatched on this errand, is not clearer in Holinshed and Hall, from whom Shakspere adopted the circumstance, than in this scene, where it is introduced. Nothing seems to have happened which might not have been transacted with equal security in the presence of the reverend cultivator of these strawberries, whose complaisance is likewise re corded corded by the author of the Latin play on the same subject, in the Museum: Eliensis antistes venis? senem quies, Juvenem labor decet : ferunt hortum tuum EPISCOPUS ELIENSIS. Nil tibi claudetur hortus quod meus This circumstance of asking for the strawberries, however, may have been mentioned by the historians merely to shew the unusual affability and good humour which the dissembling Gloster affected, at the very time when he had determined on the death of Hastings. STEEVENS. 405. ance. -likelihood- -] Semblance; appear- So, in another of our author's plays : STEEVENS. 423. If! &c.] For this circumstance see Holinshed, Hall, and The Mirror of Magistrates. FARMER. 427. Lovel, and Catesby, look, that it be done;] In former copies : Lovel, and Ratcliff, look, that it be done. The scene is here in the Tower; and lord Hastings was cut off on that very day, when Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan suffered at Pomfret. How then could Ratcliff be both in Yorkshire and the Tower? In the scene preceding this, we find him conducting those gentlemen to the block. In the old quarto, we find it, |