Bastard. Oh! I am scalded with my violent motion, K. John. Oh, cousin! thou art come to set mine eye: And all the shrouds, wherewith my life should sail, My heart hath one poor string to stay it by, Act 5. Sc. 7. KING RICHARD THE SECOND: AN HISTORICAL TRAGEDY, BY WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. SCHLEGEL observes, that this drama appears to be the first of a series intended to form one great whole, constituting an historical heroic poem, the separate plays being considered as rhapsodies. The authority used for the present one was Holinshed's Chronicle, some passages of which, especially the Bishop of Carlisle's speech in Act iv. Scene 1, in defence of the King,— were adopted with very little alteration. It was supposed, however, by Dr. Farmer, that there was a piece upon this point of history anterior to Shakspeare, called The Play of Henry IV., which he adopted and altered, and that the rhyming parts of the present were taken from it. The chief reason for this belief is that, in the rebellion of the Earl of Essex, in 1601, Sir Gillie Merrick and others concerned in that affair, "procured the play of deposing of King Richard the Second," or Henry IV., to be performed before them; and when it was objected that the players would lose by it, for the piece being old, would not draw an audience, there were forty shillings extraordinary given to Augustine Phillips, the comedian, as a compensation," and so thereupon played it was." This anecdote, however, does not certainly imply a drama before that by Shakspeare; since it's production being assigned to 1593, the players would naturally consider it out of date in eight years afterwards, and no longer likely to attract spectators. Richard the Second was printed four times during the author's life; the first editions appearing in 1597 and 1598, without the scene of the Deposi tion, which was originally published in 1608. The next impression was that of 1615. The scene of this play is laid " dispersedly in England and Wales," and the action comprises the events of something more than three years; commencing with Henry of Bolingbroke's Appeal against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, for High-treason, and their prevented Trial by Battle at Coventry, September 16th, 1398; and closing with the murder of Richard II., at Pomfret Castle, February 14th, 1400. In 1681, Nahum Tate's alteration of this play, afterwards called The Sicilian Usurper, appeared at Drury-Lane; in 1720, another version by Lewis Theobald, was performed at the Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields; and on March 9th, 1815, an adaptation by R. Wroughton, was produced at Drury-Lane for Mr. Kean, with considerable accuracy and splendour in the costume. 茶 Aumerle. For ever may my knees grow to the earth, [Kneels. Unless a pardon, ere I rise, or speak. Bolingbroke. Intended, or committed, was this fault? If but the first, how heinous ere it be, To win thy after-love, I pardon thee. Act 5. Sc. 3. 3&*3&*3&*3&&*&*34*34*34*3* 1 FROM the connection between the commencement of this fine drama, and the last act of Richard the Second, wherein Henry Bolingbroke declares his purpose of visiting the Holy Land, and the wildness of his son is mentioned, Dr. Johnson observed, that Shakspeare apparently designed a regular succession of these histories, the reader being thus prepared for the character and frolics which the present play exhibits. The latter feature, however, is historically inaccurate, since the Prince was only twelve years old in 1399, when the conspiracy of Edward Plantagenet, Duke of Aumerle, was discovered; and, therefore, as yet too young to be a daily frequenter of the taverns of London. It is also extremely likely that the dissolute life attributed to him by the Chroniclers who wrote in English in the sixteenth century is fictitious. The production of the First Part of Henry IV. is assigned to 1596 or 1597. It appears entered at Stationers' Hall, February 25th, in the latter year, and five editions of it in quarto, were published in the author's life; namely, in 1598, 1599, 1604, 1608, and 1613. The scene is laid in various parts of England, and the action embraces the events of about ten months: commencing with the arrival of the tidings of Hotspur's defeat of the Scots at Holmedon, or Halidown-Hill, on Holy-Rood day, September 14th, 1402; and ending with Percy's defeat at Shrewsbury, on the Eve of St. Mary Magdalene, July 21st, 1403. King Henry IV., with the Humours of Sir John Falstaff, as altered by Betterton, was acted at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in 1700; and the original Play adapted by J. P. Kemble, was produced at Covent-Garden in 1803. It was also again revived at that house May 6th, 1824, with the same laudable attention to the historical costume, as that bestowed upon King John, under the superintendance of Mr. J. R. Planché. Rowe has stated from tradition, that Falstaff in this piece was originally called Oldcastle; and it is affirmed that in the older English plays produced by Papists, Sir John Oldcastle, who suffered as a Lollard in 1418, was frequently represented with the person and follies of Falstaff. From these Shakspeare adopted the name and character, but from the advance of Protestantism, or Elizabeth's command that the former should be altered out of regard to some of the martyr's descendants, the present appellation was given; which has, however, been confounded with that of Sir John Fastolfe, a valiant and pious knight under Henry V. [As they are sharing, the Prince and Poins set upon them. Falstaff, after a blow or two, and the rest, run away, leaving their booty behind them. Prince Henry. Got with much ease. Now, merrily to horse; So strongly, that they dare not meet each other; Act 2. Sc. 2. me, God reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll Act 5. Sc. 4. |