into a full hope that he should be king, by a vain prophecy which one Nicholas Hopkins, a monk of an house of the Chartreux order beside Bristow, called Henton, sometime his confessor, had opened to him." 148. What. Who. Gr. 254. On cónfessor, see R. and J. p. 179.

162. Car. Changed by Warb. to "Court," as in Holinshed. Choice= chosen, appointed; the only instance of this sense in S.

164. Under the confession's seal. The folio misprints "vnder the Commissions Seale;" corrected by Theo. Holinshed says: "The duke in talk told the monk, that he had done very well to bind his chaplain, John de la Court, under the seal of confession, to keep secret such matter.” This whole passage is a close paraphrase of Holinshed: "The same duke, the tenth day of May, in the twelfth year of the King's reign, at London in a place called the Rose, within the parish of Saint Laurence Poultney, in Canwick street ward, demanded of the said Charles Knevet esquire what was the talk amongst the Londoners concerning the king's journey beyond the seas. And the said Charles told him that many stood in doubt of that journey, lest the Frenchmen meant some deceit towards the king. Whereto the duke answered, that it was to be feared, lest it would come to pass according to the words of a certain holy monk. For there is, saith he, a Chartreux monk that divers times hath sent to me, willing me to send unto him my chancellor. And I did send unto him John de la Court, my chaplain, unto whom he would not declare anything till de la Court had sworn to keep all things secret, and to tell no creature living what he should hear of him, except it were to me. And then the said monk told de la Court that neither the king nor his heirs should prosper, and that I should endeavour to purchase the good wills of the commonalty; for I the same duke and my blood should prosper, and have the rule of the realm of England."

167. With demure confidence, etc. "In a grave confidential manner this was then uttered with pausing intervals" (J. H.). On demure, cf. A. and C. iv. 9. 31: "Hark! the drums Demurely (solemnly) wake the

sleepers.'

170. To gain the love. The first three folios omit gain.

179. For him. The folios have "For this;" corrected by Rowe.

181. It forg'd him some design. It enabled him to contrive some plan (for obtaining the crown).

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=

184. Fail d. Euphemistically to die" (Schmidt).

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186. What! so rank? 'What, was he advanced to this pitch?" (Johnson).

199. Have put his knife into him. S. follows Hall and Holinshed closely here; and Hall followed the legal records. By an extract made by Vallant from the Year Book 13 Henry VIII, it appears that this monk said, "et auxi que il disoit si le Roy avoit lui commis al' prison, donques il voul' lui occire ove son dagger." The record goes on," Mes touts ceux matters il denia in effect, mes fut trove coulp: Et pur ceo il avoit jugement comme traitre, et fuit decolle le Vendredy devant le Feste del Pentecost que fuit le xiij jour de May avant dil. Dieu à sa ame grant mercy-car il fuit tres noble prince et prudent, et mirror de tout courtesie" (W.). 205. Mounting his eves. See on i. I. 144 above.

209. His period. His end, the intended consummation of his treason.

Cf. M. W. iii. 3. 47: "the period of my ambition," etc.

as a verb in T. of A. i. 1. 99: "Periods his comfort."

We find period

213. By day and night. An oath, not an expression of time. Cf. Ham. i. 5. 164: “O day and night, but this is wondrous strange." On Lear, i. 3.4 ("By day and night he wrongs me"), see our ed. p. 183.

SCENE III.-Enter the Lord Chamberlain, etc. The dramatist has placed this scene in 1521. Charles [Somerset], Earl of Worcester, was then Lord Chamberlain; but when the king in fact went in masquerade to Wolsey's house (1526), Lord Sands, who is here introduced as accompanying the chamberlain, held that office. This Lord Sands was Sir William Sands, created a peer in 1524, and made chamberlain on the death of the Earl of Worcester in 1526. 2. Mysteries. "Artificial fashions" (K.).

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3. Never so ridiculous.

never so. See Gr. 52.

Modern usage favours "ever so" rather than

7. A fit or two o' the face. A few grimaces. 10. Pepin or Clotharius. Clothaire and Pepin were kings of France in the sixth century. We find allusions to Pepin in L. L. L. iv. 1. 122, and A. W. ii. 1. 79, and to both him and Clothaire in Hen. V. i. 2. 65, 67. 13. Or springhalt. The folio has A Spring-halt;" but, as V. suggests, S. was too well skilled in horseflesh to confound two diseases so different, not only in nature, but in external effect, as the spavin and the springhalt.

23. And never see the Louvre. That is, although he has never been at the French court.

25. Fool and feather. The feathers in the hats of the French gallants and their English imitators are indirectly compared to those worn by the professional jester-the "feathers wagging in a fool's cap," as an old ballad has it.

27. Fireworks. There were displays of fireworks on the last evening of the interview on the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

30. Tennis. From the fifteenth century the game of ball known as tennis had been a favourite amusement in France with all classes; from the monarch to the meanest of his subjects; and at this time it was coming to be no less popular in England.

31. Short blister'd breeches. "This word 'blister'd' describes with picturesque humour the appearance of the slashed breeches, covered as they were with little puffs of satin lining which thrust themselves out through the slashes" (W.).

34. Cum privilegio. With privilege; or "with exclusive copyright" (Schmidt). Cf. 7. of S. p. 165.

Wear. The 1st folio has "wee"; corrected in the 2d. H. retains "wee," which he takes to be oui (an anonymous conjecture in the Camb. ed.).

42. Plain-song. In music, "the simple melody, without any variations." Cf. M. N. D. iii. 1. 134 and Hen. V. iii. 2. 6.

44. Held current music. That is, find it held, or recognized, as good music. Some editors change held to "hold." 46. Nor shall not. See Gr. 406.

55. That said other.

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Who should say anything to the contrary. Cf.

If you think other;" and see Gr. 12.
That is, may be generous.

Oth. iv. 2. 13:
56. He may.
Has wherewithal.

See Gr. 400.

He has the means.

57. Sparing would, show, etc. 60. So great ones. That is, so My barge stays. That is, it is Bridewell) to York-place.

The ellipsis is a common one.

Parsimony would appear, etc.
great examples.

waiting to take us (from the palace at

61. Your lordship shall along. Cf. Ham. iii. 3. 4: "And he to England shall along with you." On this very common ellipsis, see Gr. 405.

er the Palace, for that name was unknown until after Wolsey's time, was originally built by Hubert de Burgh, the eminent but persecuted Justiciary

ɔ England during the reign of Henry III. He bequeathed it to the convent of Blackfriars in Holborn, and they sold it to Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York, in 1248. From that time it was called York House, and remained for nearly three centuries the residence of the prelates of that see. The last archiepiscopal owner was Wolsey, during whose residence it was characterized by a sumptuous magnificence that most probably has never been equalled in the house of any other English subject, or surpassed in the palaces of many of its kings" (Knight's London, i. 334).

The details of this scene are from Cavendish,* who says: "And when it pleased the king's majesty, for his recreation, to repair unto the cardinal's house, as he did divers times in the year, at which time there wanted no preparation or goodly furniture, with viands of the finest sort that might be provided for money or friendship; such pleasures were then devised for the king's comfort and consolation as might be invented, or by man's wit imagined. The banquets were set forth, with masks and mummeries, in so gorgeous a sort and costly manner, that it was a heaven to behold. There wanted no dames or damsels meet or apt to dance with the maskers, or to garnish the place for the time, with other goodly disports. Then was there all kind of music and harmony set forth, with excellent voices both of men and children. I have seen the king suddenly come in thither in a mask, with a dozen of other maskers, all in garments like shepherds, made of fine cloth of gold, and fine crimson satin paned,† and caps of the same, with visors of good proportion of visnomy,‡ their hairs and beards either of fine gold wire or else of silver, and some being of black silk; having sixteen torch-bearers, besides their drums, and other persons attending upon them, with visors, and clothed all in satin of the same colours. And at his coming, and before he came into the hall, ye shall understand, that he came by water to the water gate, without any noise; where against his coming were laid charged many chambers, and at his landing they were all shot off, which made such a rumble in the air, that it was like thunder. It made all the noblemen, ladies, and gentlemen, to muse what it should mean coming so suddenly, they sitting quietly at a solemn banquet; under this sort: First, ye shall perceive, that the tables were set in the chamber of presence, banquet-wise covered, my lord cardinal sitting under the cloth of estate, and there having his service all alone; and then was there set a lady and a nobleman, or a gentleman and gentlewoman, throughout all the tables in the chamber on the one side, which were made and joined as it were but one table. All which order and device was done and devised by the Lord Sands, lord chamberlain to the king; and also by Sir Henry Guilford, comptroller to the king. Then immediately after this great shot of guns the cardinal desired the lord chamberlain and comptroller to look what this sudden shot should mean,

We give the passage as quoted by Knight, in his Pictorial Edition of Shakespeare The MS. copies of Cavendish vary a good deal in their readings.

† Paned means “ornamented with cuts or openings in the cloth, where other colours were inserted in silk, and drawn through" (Nares). Cf. Thynne's Debate (1580):

"This breech was paned in the fayrest wyse,
And with right satten very costly lyned."

That is, physiognomy. Cf. A. W. iv. 5. 42: "His phisnomy is more hotter," etc.

as though he knew nothing of the matter. They, thereupon looking out of the windows into Thames, returned again, and showed him that it seemed to them there should be some noblemen and strangers arrived at his bridge, as ambassadors from some foreign prince. With that quoth the cardinal, 'I shall desire you, because ye can speak French, to take the pains to go down into the hall to encounter and to receive them according to their estates, and to conduct them into this chamber, where they shall see us, and all these noble personages, sitting merrily at our banquet, desiring them to sit down with us, and to take part of our fare and pastime.' Then they went incontinent down into the hall, where they received them with twenty new torches, and conveyed them up into the chamber, with such a number of drums and fifes as I have seldom seen together at one time at any masque. At their arrival into the chamber, two and two together, they went directly before the cardinal where he sat, saluting him very reverently; to whom the lord chamberlain for them said: Sir, forasmuch as they be strangers, and can speak no English, they have desired me to declare unto your grace thus: They, having understanding of this your triumphant banquet, where was assembled such a number of excellent fair dames, could do no less, under the supportation of your good grace, but to repair hither to view as well their incomparable beauty, as for to accompany them at mumchance,* and then after to dance with them, and so to have of them acquaintance. And, sir, they furthermore require of your grace licence to accomplish the cause of their repair.' To whom the cardinal answered that he was very well contented they should do so. Then the maskers went first and saluted all the dames as they sat, and then returned to the most worthiest, and there opened a cup full of gold, with crowns and other pieces of coin, to whom they set divers pieces to be cast at. Thus in this manner perusing all the ladies and gentlewomen, and to some they lost, and of some they won. And thus done, they returned unto the cardinal, with great reverence, pouring down all the crowns in the cup, which was about two hundred crowns. 'At all!' quoth the cardinal, and so cast the dice, and won them all at a cast, whereat was great joy made. Then quoth the cardinal to my lord chamberlain, I pray you,' quoth he, 'that you will show them, that it seemeth me that there should be among them some noble man whom I suppose to be much more worthy of honour to sit and occupy this room and place than I; to whom I would most gladly, if I knew him, surrender my place according to my duty. Then spake my lord chamberlain unto them in French, declaring my lord cardinal's mind, and they rounding him again in the ear, my lord chamberlain said to my lord cardinal: 'Sir, they confess,' quoth he, 'that among them there is such a noble personage, whom if your grace can appoint him from the other, he is contented to disclose himself, and to accept your place most worthily.' With that the cardinal, taking a good advisement among them, at the last quoth he:

* A game played either with cards or with dice; here the latter, as appears from what follows.

+ That is, I throw for all the money. See Nares on "Have at all."

To round in the ear, or simply to round, meant to whisper. See K. John, ii. 1. 566: "rounded in the ear;" W. 7. i. 2. 217: whispering, rounding," etc.