5 the fashion; and sung those tunes to the over- might have truss'd him, and all his apparel, into York. What well-appointed leader fronts us here? My friends and brethren in these great affairs, Enter a Messenger. Hast. Now, what news? Unto your grace do I in chief address With your fair honours. You, lord archbishop,45 Whose see is by a civil peace maintain'd; Whose beard the silver hand of peace hath touch'd; i. e. according to Mr. Pope, whipt, carted; though Dr. Johnson rather thinks that the word means dirty or grimed; and that the word huswives agrees better with this sense. Ray, however, among his north-country words, confirms Pope's meaning, by saying that an overswitch'd huswife is a strumpet. Euncies and Goodnights were the titles of little poems. 3lice was the name given to a droll figure, her totore nach shewn upon our stage, and brought in to play the fool and make sport for the popu face. His dress was always a long jerkin, a fool's cap with asses' ears, and a thin wooden dagger, such as is still retained in the modern figures of Harlequin and Scaramouch. The word is an abbrevation of device; for in our o'd dramatic shows, where he was first exhibited, he was nothing more than an artificial figure, a puppet moved by machinery, and then originally called device or vice. The smith's machine called a vice, is an abbreviation of the same sort. It was very satirical in Falstaff to compare Shallow's activity and impertinence to such a machine as a wooden dagger in the hands and management of a buffoon. To break and to burst were, in our poet's time, synonimously used. To brast had the same meaning. That is, beat gaunt, a fellow so slender, that his name might have been Gauni. One of which was an universal medicine, and the other a transmuter of base metals into gold. 'That is, if it be the law of nature that the stronger may seize upon the weaker, Falstaff may, with great propriety, devour Shallow. Dr. Johnson thinks this word, which is used in Holinshed, was intended to express the uniform and forcible motion of a compact body. Well-appointed is completely accoutred. Bloody youth means only sanguine youth, or youth full of blood, and of those passions which blood is supposed to incite or nourish. Guarded is an expression taken from dress and means the same as faced, turned up. Whose learning and good letters peace hath tutor'd, West. When ever yet was your appeal deny'd? Wherein have you been galled by the king? What peer bath been suborn'd to grate on you? That you should seal this lawless bloody book And consecrate commotion's civil edge'? Out of the speech of peace, that bears such grace,Of forg'd rebellion with a seal divine, York. Wherefore do I this-so the question 10 stands. Briefly, to this end :-We are all diseas'd; And find our griefs heavier than our offences. York. My brother-general, the common-wealth, West. There is no need of any such redress; Morb. Why not to him, in part; and to us all, West. O my good lord Mowbray, lost, 'Formerly, all bishops wore white even when they travelled. The white investment meant the episcopal rochet. For graves Dr.Warburton very plausibly reads glaives, and is followed by Sir Thomas Hanmer. Mr. Steevens says, "We might perhaps as plausibly read greaves, which is spelled graves in Warner's Albion's England," i, e. armour for the legs, a kind of boots: and adds, that the metamorphosis of leathern covers of books into greaves, i.e. boots, seems to be more apposite than the conversion of them into instruments of war. Glave is the Erse word for a broad-sword, and glaifis Welshfor a hook. It was an old custom, continued from the time of the first croisades, for the pope to consecrate the general's sword, which was employed in the service of the church. To this custom the line in question alludes. 4 + Dr. Warburton explains this passage thus: "My brother general the commonwealth, which ought to distribute its benefits equally, is become an enemy to those of his own house, to brothers born, by giving some all, and others none; and this (says he) I make my quarrel or grievance, that honours are unequally distributed;" the constant birth of male-contents, and source of civil commotions. Dr. Johnson, however, believes there is an error in the first line, which perhaps may be rectified thus: "My quarrel general, the common-wealth, &c. That is, my general cause of discontent is public mismanagement; my particular cause a domestic injury done to my natural brother, who had been beheaded by the king's order;" a circumstance mentioned in the First Part of the Play. 'An armed staff is a lance. To be in charge, is to be fixed in the rest for the encounter. Or, the visiers, i. e. the perforated part of their helmets, through which they could see to direct their aim, 6 West. The earl of Hereford was reputed then In England the most valiant gentleman: That no conditions of our peace can stand. Who knows, on whom fortune would then have 5 Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains. smil'd? 10 But, if your father had been victor there, West. Mowbray, you over-ween, to take it so; West. That argues but the shame of your offence: Hast. Hath the prince John a full commission, West. That is intended' in the general's name: York. Then take, my lord of Westmoreland, For this contains our general grievances :— All members of our cause, both here and hence, That are insinew'd to this action, 15 Mowb. Ay, but our valuation shall be such, York. No, no, my lord; Note this,—the king Of dainty and such picking grievances: And hangs resolv'd correction in the arm Hast. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods York. 'Tis very true; And therefore be assured, my good lord marshal, 45 Mowb. Be it so. In sight of both our battles we may meet; York. My lord, we will do so. [Exit West. tells me, SCENE Another part of the forest. 4 'Meaning, included in the office of a general. 2 That is, by a pardon of due form and legal validity. For confined, Mr. Steevens proposes to read confirm'd. Awful banks are the proper limits of reverence. Perhaps we might read-lawful. i. e. piddling, insignificant grievances, Alluding to a table-book of slate, ivory, &c. Good Good day to you, gentle lord archbishop;- York. Good my lord of Lancaster, I am not here against your father's peace: The which hath been with scorn shov'd from the court, Whereon this Hydra son of war is born: My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd; York. I take your princely word for these reLan. I give it you, and will maintain my word: 10 And thereupon I drink unto your grace. 15 Hast. Go, captain, and deliver to the army I have bestowed, to breed this present peace, 231 30 35 West. I am glad of it. Health to my lord, and gentle cousin, Mowbray. Mowb. This had been chearful, after victory.. York. A peace is of the nature of a conquest; For then both parties nobly are subdu'd, Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleep, 40 And neither party loser. With grant of our most just and right desires; Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty. Moub. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes Hast. And though we here fall down, shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times. Lan. Go, my lord, And let our army be discharged too.--[Exit West. 45 We should have cop'd withal. 50 York. Go, good lord Hastings, And, ere they be dismiss'd, let them march by. [Exit Hastings. Lan. I trust, lords, we shall lie to-night toge ther.- Re-enter Westmoreland. Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still? West. The leaders, having charge from you to stand, West. Pleaseth your grace, to answer them di- 55 Will not go off until they hear you speak. rectly, How far-forth you do like their articles? Lun. I like them all, and do allow them well: Lun. They know their duties. Hast. My lord, our army is dispers'd already: To take up is to levy, to raise in arms. Success for succession. 11 West. nour, Fal. I would be sorry, my lord, but it should be thus: I never knew yet, but rebuke and check was the reward of valour. Do you think me a swallow, an arrow, or a bullet? Have 1, in my poor and old motion, the expedition of thought? I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility; I have founder'd nine-score and odd posts: and here, travel-tainted as I am, have, in my pure and immaculate valour, taken Sir John 10 Colevile of the dale, a most furious knight, and valorous enemy: But what of that? he saw me, and yielded; that I may justly say with the hooknos'd fellow of Rome',-I canie, saw, and over 15 came. Lan. It was more his courtesy than your de serving. Fal. I know not; here he is, and here I yield him: and I beseech your grace, let it be book'd with the rest of this day's deeds; or, by the Lord, I will perform with a most christian care. SCENE III. Another part of the Forest. Cole. I am a knight, sir; and my name is- own picture on the top of it, Colevile kissing my foot: To the which course if I be enforced, if you do not all shew like gilt two-pences to me; and I, in the clear sky of fame, o ershine you as much 25 as the full moon doth the cinders of the element, which shew like pin's heads to her; believe not the word of the noble: Therefore let me have right, and let desert mount. 30 Fal. Well then, Colevile is your name; a knight is your degree; and your place, the dale: Colevile shall still be your name; a traitor your degree; 35 and the dungeon your place,--a place deep enough; so shall still be Colevile of the dale'. you Cole. Are you not Sir John Falstaff? Fal. As good a man as he, sir, whoe'er I am. Do ye yield, sir? or shall I sweat for you? If 140 do sweat, they are drops of thy lovers, and they weep for thy death: therefore rouse up fear and trembling, and do observance to my mercy. Cole. Ithink you are Sir John Falstaff";" and, in that thought, yield me. 45 Fal. I have a whole school of tongues in this belly of mine, and not a tongue of them all speaks any other word but iny name. An I had but al belly of any indifferency, I were simply the most active fellow in Europe: My womb, my womb, 50 my womb undoes me.-Here comes our general. Enter Prince John of Lancaster, and Westmorl. Lan. The heat' is past, follow no farther now; Call in the powers, good cousin Westmoreland.[Exit West. Now, Falstaff, where have you been all this while? When every thing is ended, then you come:— These tardy tricks of your's will, on my life, One time or other break some gallows' back. i. e. foolishly. 55 Lun. Thine's too heavy to mount. Lan. Thine's too thick to shine. Fal. Let it do something, my good lord, that may do me good, and call it what you will. Lan. Is thy name Colevile? Cole. It is, my lord. Lan. A famous rebel art thou, Colevile. Ful. I know not how they sold themselves: but thou, like a kind fellow, gav'st thyself away; and I thank thee for thee. Re-enter Westmoreland. West. Retreat is made, and execution stay’d. Fal. My lord, I beseech you, give me leave to go through Glostershire; and, when you come to court, stand my good lord' 'pray in your good relport. The sense of dale is included in deep; a dale is a deep place; a dungeon is a deep place: he that is in a dungeon may be therefore said to be in a dule. That is, the eagerness of revenge. Cæsar. i. e. stand my good friend in your favourable report of me. Lan. |