Who, cherish'd in your breasts, will sting your hearts.
'Twas men I lack'd, and you will give them me :
I take it kindly; yet, be well assur'd,

You put sharp weapons in a madman's hands.
Whiles I in Ireland nourish a mighty band",
I will stir up in England some black storm,
Shall blow ten thousand souls to heaven, or hell;
And this fell tempest shall not cease to rage
Until the golden circuit on my head,

Like to the glorious sun's transparent beams,
Do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw'.
And, for a minister of my intent,

I have seduc'd a headstrong Kentishman,
John Cade of Ashford,

To make commotion, as full well he can,
Under the title of John Mortimer.

In Ireland have I seen this stubborn Cade
Oppose himself against a troop of kernes;
And fought so long, till that his thighs with darts
Were almost like a sharp-quill'd porcupine:
And, in the end being rescu'd, I have seen
Him caper upright, like a wild Morisco,
Shaking the bloody darts, as he his bells.
Full often, like a shag-hair'd crafty kerne,
Hath he conversed with the enemy,
And undiscover'd come to me again,
And given me notice of their villainies.
This devil here shall be my substitute;
For that John Mortimer, which now is dead,
In face, in gait, in speech, he doth resemble:

• Whiles I in Ireland NOURISH a mighty band,] Unless we read "nourish " in the time of one syllable, this line is overloaded: still "nourish " means more than march, which is substituted for it in the corr. fo. 1632, and we therefore leave it in the text.

7 -mad-bred FLAW.]

"Flaw" is a violent gust of wind. Cotgrave, in his French Dict., translates lis de vent, "a gust or flaw of wind ;" and Florio, in his Italian Dict. 1598, renders groppo, a flaw or berrie of wind." In his second edit. 1611, it is to be remarked that Florio omits the word flaw, and calls it in Italian groppo di vento.

8 — like a wild MORISCO,] Or, as he was familiarly termed, a Morris-dancer. Moresco is Italian for a Moor, and the Morris-dance has been supposed to be the same as the Tripudium Mauritanicum. In two places in his Beaumont and Fletcher, ii. 386 and viii. 190, the Rev. Mr. Dyce speaks of moriscos merely as dances; but they were, in fact, dancers, and "mad morisco," in his first instance, is the same as the "wild Morisco" of Shakespeare.

By this I shall perceive the commons' mind,
How they affect the house and claim of York.
Say, he be taken, rack'd, and tortured,

I know, no pain they can inflict upon him
Will make him say I mov'd him to those arms.
Say, that he thrive, as 'tis great like he will,
Why, then from Ireland come I with my strength,
And reap the harvest which that rascal sow'd;
For, Humphrey being dead, as he shall be,
And Henry put apart, the next for me".

[Exit.

SCENE II.

Bury. A Room in the Palace.

Enter certain Murderers, hastily'.

1 Mur. Run to my lord of Suffolk; let him know, We have despatch'd the duke as he commanded.

2 Mur. O, that it were to do!-What have we done? Didst ever hear a man so penitent?

1 Mur. Here comes my

Suf.

lord.

Enter SUFFOLK.

Now, sirs, have you despatch'd this thing?

1 Mur. Ay, my good lord, he's dead.

9 And Henry put apart, THE next for me.] fo. 1632, but the change only merits mention.

"Then next for me" in the corr.

1 Enter certain Murderers, hastily.] The stage-direction in the folio is this: -"Enter two or three, running over the stage, from the murder of Duke Humphrey." According to the old "Contention," 1594, the murder was first exhibited in dumb show before the audience: the stage-direction, and what immediately follows it, are there thus given :

"Then the curteines being drawne, Duke Humphrey is discovered in his bed, and two men lying on his brest, and smothering him in his bed; and then enter the Duke of Suffolke to them.

"Suff. How now, sirs! what, have you dispatcht him?

"One. I, my lord: hees dead, I warrant you.

"Suff. Then see the cloathes laid smooth about him still,

That when the king comes, he may perceive

No other, but that he dide of his owne accord.

"2. All things is hansome now, my lord.

46

Suff. Then draw the curtaines againe, and get you gone, And you shall have your firme reward anon.

Exet is always put for exit and exeunt in this impression.

[Exet murtherers."

Suf. Why, that's well said. Go, get you to my house;

I will reward you for this venturous deed.

The king and all the peers are here at hand.

Have you laid fair the bed? are all things well,

According as I gave directions?

1 Mur. 'Tis, my good lord.

Suf. Away! be gone.

[Exeunt Murderers.

Sound trumpets. Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, Cardinal BEAUFORT, SOMERSET, Lords, and others.

K. Hen. Go, call our uncle to our presence straight: Say, we intend to try his grace to-day,

If he be guilty, as 'tis published.

Suf. I'll call him presently, my noble lord.

[Exit.

K. Hen. Lords, take your places; and, I pray you all,
Proceed no straiter 'gainst our uncle Gloster,
Than from true evidence, of good esteem,

He be approv'd in practice culpable.

Q. Mar. God forbid any malice should prevail,

That faultless may condemn a noble man!

Pray God, he may acquit him of suspicion!

K. Hen. I thank thee, Meg'; these words content me much.

Re-enter SUFFOLK.

How now! why look'st thou pale? why tremblest thou?
Where is our uncle? what's the matter, Suffolk?
Suf. Dead in his bed, my lord; Gloster is dead.
Q. Mar. Marry, God forefend!

Car. God's secret judgment !—I did dream to-night,
The duke was dumb, and could not speak a word.

[The King swoons 3.

2 I thank thee MEG;] In the folio, 1623, where this line is first found, it is printed, "I thank thee, Nell," &c., which certainly suits the metre, but not the person, the Queen's name being Margaret. It seems most likely that Nell was misprinted for Meg., the abbreviation of Margaret; but at the same time it is to be observed, that in the Queen's speech in this scene, Eleanor is thrice put for "Margaret," the same error having run through it by the carelessness of the transcriber; but in those places Eleanor suits the line as well as Margaret. Theobald would read, "I thank thee well," for "I thank thee, Nell;" but in the corr. fo. 1632 Nell is altered to "Meg," and in the Queen's long speech "Margaret" is put for Eleanor wherever it is required.

3 The King swoons.] The stage direction in the folio is King sounds, and in

Q. Mar. How fares my lord?—Help, lords! the king is

dead.

Som. Rear up his body: wring him by the nose.

Q. Mar. Run, go; help, help!-O, Henry, ope thine eyes!
Suf. He doth revive again.-Madam, be patient.
K. Hen. O heavenly God!

Q. Mar. How fares my gracious lord?

Suf. Comfort, my sovereign! gracious Henry, comfort!
K. Hen. What! doth my lord of Suffolk comfort me?
Came he right now to sing a raven's note,
Whose dismal tune bereft my vital powers,
And thinks he, that the chirping of a wren,
By crying comfort from a hollow breast,
Can chase away the first-conceived sound?
Hide not thy poison with such sugar'd words.
Lay not thy hands on me; forbear, I say:
Their touch affrights me as a serpent's sting.
Thou baleful messenger, out of my sight!
Upon thy eye-balls murderous tyranny
Sits in grim majesty to fright the world.
Look not upon me, for thine eyes are wounding.-
Yet do not go away:-come, basilisk,

And kill the innocent gazer with thy sight;

For in the shade of death I shall find joy,

In life but double death, now Gloster's dead.

Q. Mar. Why do you rate my lord of Suffolk thus?

Although the duke was enemy to him,

Yet he, most Christian-like, laments his death:

And for myself, foe as he was to me,

Might liquid tears, or heart-offending groans,
Or blood-consuming sighs recall his life,

I would be blind with weeping, sick with groans,
Look pale as primrose with blood-drinking sighs,
And all to have the noble duke alive.

What know I how the world may deem of me?
For it is known we were but hollow friends:

It may be judg'd, I made the duke away;

So shall my name with slander's tongue be wounded,
And princes' courts be fill'd with my reproach.

the old "Contention," 1594, "The King falls in a sound;" but surely this is no sufficient reason for retaining the old corrupt spelling of "swoons," and printing King sounds, or swounds as the Rev. Mr. Dyce repeatedly recommends in his Beaumont and Fletcher, especially when he himself is so often inconsistent.

This get I by his death. Ah me, unhappy!
To be a queen, and crown'd with infamy!

K. Hen. Ah, woe is me for Gloster, wretched man!
Q. Mar. Be woe for me, more wretched than he is.
What! dost thou turn away, and hide thy face?
I am no loathsome leper; look on me.
What! art thou, like the adder, waxen deaf?
Be poisonous too, and kill thy forlorn queen.
Is all thy comfort shut in Gloster's tomb?
Why, then dame Margaret was ne'er thy joy:
Erect his statue, then, and worship it,
And make my image but an alehouse sign.
Was I for this nigh wreck'd upon the sea,
And twice by awkward wind from England's bank
Drove back again unto my native clime?
What boded this, but well-forewarning wind
Did seem to say,-Seek not a scorpion's nest,
Nor set no footing on this unkind shore.

What did I then, but curs'd th' ungentle gusts,
And he that loos'd them from their brazen caves;
And bid them blow towards England's blessed shore,
Or turn our stern upon a dreadful rock.

Yet Eolus would not be a murderer,

But left that hateful office unto thee:

The pretty vaulting sea refus'd to drown me,
Knowing that thou wouldst have me drown'd on shore
With tears, as salt as sea, through thy unkindness:

• Erect his statue, THEN, and worship it,] We find "then" inserted in MS. in the corr. fo. 1632: it is not absolutely necessary, because "statue was formerly sometimes pronounced as a trisyllable. The addition of "then saves an awkwardness to modern ears, and we may conclude that " statue was made a dissyllable in the time of the old corrector. When "statue" was meant to be a trisyllable, it was sometimes spelt statua.

5 What did I then, but curs'd th' UNGENTLE gusts,] It is "gentle gusts" in every old copy, and so it has always been represented in every modern copy, until that of Mr. Singer, who quotes his own second folio for the MS. correction. This fortunate circumstance saved him from the annoyance of referring to our corr. fo. 1632 for the identical emendation: there it is found, and from thence it was transferred to the Vol. of "Notes and Emendations," 8vo. 1853. We are not aware that the change in Mr. Singer's folio, 1632, was ever hinted at, until after the appearance of that work. However, we gladly avail ourselves of the confirmation thus afforded to an emendation, which in truth requires no enforcement. Mr. Singer has been reluctantly compelled to notice our corr. fo. 1632 in so many places, that we may be sure the change of gentle to "ungentle," there made, could not have escaped him; and some may be surprised that he did not notice it, as affording powerful support to the change he was introducing.