The Pyrenean and the river Po; It draws towards fupper in conclufion, fo. And fits the mounting fpirit like myself: What brings you here to court fo haftily? Enter Lady Faulconbridge, and James Gurney. Lady. Where is that flave, thy brother, where is he, Lady. Sir Robert's fon? ay, thou unrev'rend boy, Which though, &c.] The conftruction will be mended, if inftead of which though, we read, this though. 9 But who comes here.] Milton, in his tragedy, introduces Dallilab with fuch an interrogatory exclamation. " iTo blow a born.] He means, I that a woman who travelled about 'ike a poft was likely to born her husband. 2 Colbrand was a Danish giant, whom Guy of Warwick discomfited in the prefence of king AThe combat is very theiftan. pompously defcribed by Drayton in his Polyolbion, Sir Sir Robert's fon; why fcorn'it thou at Sir Robert? Philip. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while? Phil. Philip!- -fparrow James; There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more. [Exit James Madam, I was not old Sir Robert's fon, Lady. Haft thou confpired with thy brother too, That, for thine own gain, fhould'ft defend mine ho nour? What means this fcorn, thou moft untoward knave? What! 3 Philip, fparrow, James.] I conbridge's Words here carry a think the Poet wrote, Philip! (pare me, James. i. e. don't affront me with an appellation that comes from a Family which I disclaim. WARB. The old reading is far more agreeable to the character of the Speaker. Dr. Gray obferves, that Skelton has a poem to the memory of Philip Sparrow; and Mr. Pope in a fhort note remarks, that a Sparrow is called Philip. 4 Knight, Knight, - good Mother, Bafilifco like.] Thus muft this Paffage be pointed; and, to come at the Humour of it, I must clear up an old Circumftance of Stage-Hiftory. Faul concealed Piece of Satire on a Baf. O, Ifwear, I fwear, What! I am dub'd; I have it on my shoulder: Lady. King Richard Caur-de-lion was thy father; Baf. By the Contents of this Pift. I, the aforefaid Bafilifco, Pift. Knave, good fellow, knave, So that 'tis clear, our Poet is fneering at this Play; and makes Philip, when his Mother calls him Knave, throw off that Reproach by humorously laying claim to his new Dignity of Knighthood; as Bafilico arrogantly infifts on his Title of Knight in the Paffage above quot ed. The old Play is an execrable bad one; and, I fuppofe, was fufficiently exploded in the Representation which might 4 make this Circumftance fo well known, as to become the Butt for a Stage farcafm. THEOBALD. Knight, Knight, good mother Bafilico like] The words allude to an expreffion in an old foolifh play, then the common butt of ridicule, but the beauty of the paflage confifts in his alluding, at the fame time, to his high original. His father, Richard the first, was furnamed Coeur de-lion. And the Cor Leonis, a fixed ftar of the first magnitude, in the fign Leo, is called Bafilif WARBURTON. Could one have thought it! 5 Some fins] There are fins, that, whatever be determined of them above, are not much cenfured on earth. co. And Against whofe fury, and unmatched force, And they fhall fay, when Richard me begot, [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Before the Walls of Angiers in France. Enter Philip King of France, Lewis the Dauphin, the Archduke of Auftria, Conftance, and Arthur. B 6 7 LEWIS. EFORE Angiers well met, brave Auftria. By this brave Duke came early to his grave: Richard, that robb'd, &c.] So Raftal in his Chronicle. It is fayd that a Lyon was put to kynge Richard, beynge in prifon, to have devoured him, and when the lyon was gapynge he put his arme in his mouth, and pulled the lyon by the harte fo hard that And And for amends to his pofterity, At our importance hither is he come, Of thy unnatural uncle, English John. Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither. Conft. O, take his mother's thanks, a widow's thanks, Till your strong hand fhall help to give him ftrength, To make a more requital to your love. Auft. The peace of heav'n is theirs, who lift their fwords In fuch a juft and charitable war. made prifoner by the Duke of Auftria, but was released for an exorbitant ransome, and was afterwards killed with a cross-bow, before the castle of Chalons. At my importance.] At my importunity. 9 That pale, that white fac'd hore.] England is fuppofed to be called Albion from the white rocks facing France. Ee K. Philip. |