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Then deputy of Ireland; who remov'd,

Earl Surrey was sent thither, and in haste too,
Lest he should help his father.

2 Gent.

Was a deep envious one.

That trick of state

At his return,

1 Gent.
No doubt, he will requite it. This is noted,
And generally; whoever the king favours,
The cardinal instantly will find employment,
And far enough from court too.

All the commons

2 Gent. Hate him perniciously, and, o' my conscience,

Wish him ten fathom deep: this duke as much

They love and dote on; call him, bounteous Bucking

ham,

The mirror of all courtesy ; 1

1 Gent.

Stay there, sir,

And see the noble ruin'd man you speak of.

Enter BUCKINGHAM from his Arraignment; Tipstaves before him; the Axe with the Edge towards him; Halberds on each side: with him, Sir THOMAS LOVELL, Sir NICHOLAS VAUX, Sir WILLIAM SANDS,2 and common People.

2 Gent. Let's stand close, and behold him.

Buck.

All good people,

You that thus far have come to pity me,
Hear what I say, and then go home and loose me.

I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

1 The mirror of all courtesy;] See the concluding words of n. 6, p. 224. Steevens.

2 Sir William Sands,] The old copy reads-Sir Walter.

Steevens.

The correction is justified by Holinshed's Chronicle, in which it is said, that Sir Nicholas Vaux, and Sir William Sands, received Buckingham at the Temple, and accompanied him to the Tower. Sir William Sands was, at this time, (May, 1521,) only a baronet, [rather, a knight; as baronetage was unknown till 1611,] not being created Lord Sands till April 27, 1527. Shakspeare probably did not know that he was the same person whom he has already introduced with that title. He fell into the error by placing the King's visit to Wolsey, (at which time Sir William was Lord Sands) and Buckingham's condemnation, in the same year; whereas that visit was made some years afterwards.

Malone.

And by that name must die; Yet, heaven bear witness,
And, if I have a conscience, let it sink me,

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful!
The law I bear no malice for my death,

It has done, upon the premises, but justice:

But those, that sought it, I could wish more christians: Be what they will, I heartily forgive them:

Yet let them look they glory not in mischief,

Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;3
For then my guiltless blood must cry against them.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,

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, as the long divorces of steel falls on me,
Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,

And lift my soul to heaven.-Lead on o' God's name.
Lov. I do beseech your grace, for charity,

If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly.
Buck. Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you,

As I would be forgiven: I forgive all;

There cannot be those numberless offences 'Gainst me, I can't take peace with: no black envy Shall make my grave.7-Commend me to his grace;

3 Nor build their evils on the graves of great men;] Evils, in this place, are forice. So, in Measure for Measure:

4

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Having waste ground enough,

"Shall we desire to raze the sanctuary,
"And pitch our evils there?" Steevens.

You few that lov'd me, &c.] These lines are remarkably tender and pathetic. Johnson.

5 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.

6. And lift my soul to heaven.] So, Milton, Paradise Lost, Book IV:

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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,
You met him half in heaven: my vows and prayers
Yet are the king's; and, till my soul forsake me,o
Shall cry for blessings on him: May he live
Longer than I have time to tell his years!
Ever belov'd, and loving, may his rule be!
And, when old Time shall lead him to his end,
Goodness and he fill up one monument!

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 Bevys of Hampton, bl. 1. no date:

Again:

"Traytoure, he sayd with great envy,
"Turne thee now, I thee defye."

66

They drewe theyr swordes hastely, "And smot together with great envy.

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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:

66

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 emen/lation also derives some support from the following passage in The Comedy of Errors:

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"A vulgar comment will be made of it;

"And that supposed by the common rout
Against your yet ungalled estimation,

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"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;
And fit it with such furniture, as suits

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;!
Yet I am richer than my base accusers,

That never knew what truth meant: I now seal it;2
And with that blood will make them one day groan for 't.
My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,
Who first rais'd head against usurping Richard,
Flying for succour to his servant Banister,
Being distress'd, was by that wretch betray'd,
And without trial fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the seventh succeeding, truly pitying
My father's loss, like a most royal prince,
Restor❜d me to my honours, and, out of ruins,
Made my name once more noble. Now his son,

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:

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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.

2

Of all this probably Shakspeare knew nothing. Malone.

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
That made me happy, at one stroke has taken
For ever from the world. I had my trial,

And, must needs say, a noble one; which makes me
A little happier than my wretched father:
Yet thus far we are one in fortunes,-Both

Fell by our servants, by those men we lov'd most;
A most unnatural and faithless service!

Heaven has an end in all: Yet, you that hear me,
This from a dying man receive as certain:

Where you are liberal of your loves, and counsels,
Be sure, you be not loose;3 for those you make friends,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least rub in your fortunes, fall away

Like water from ye, never found again

But where they mean to sink ye. All good people,
Pray for me! I must now forsake ye; the last hour
Of my long weary life is come upon me.
Farewel:

And when you would say something that is sad,4
Speak how I fell.—I have done; and God forgive me!
[Exeunt Buck. and Train.
1 Gent. O, this is full of pity!-Sir, it calis,

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 faith 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.

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