which now occupies my thoughts is something that is to happen hereafter, but what that is, is yet a secret; I cannot name it, but I fear it is nameless woe.

67. "The Lord Northumberland, his young son Henry Percy."

This should be either

"The Lord Northumberland, his son, young Percy."

Or,

"The Lord Northumberland, young Henry Percy."

"His young son" would imply that there was an elder son.

68. "Here comes the Duke of York."

Some words appear to have been lost: perhaps,

Madam, here comes my lord, the Duke of York."

"Uncle, for heav'n's sake, speak comfortable words.

We might omit the word "speak," or read, with a contraction somewhat harsh,

"For heav'n's sake, unclě, speak comfortable words."

69. "Sirrah, get thee," &c.

"Sirrah" is unnecessary, and burthens the line. "Hold, take my ring."

The metre wants correction :

-My lord, I had forgot

"Hold, take my ring."

"To tell your lordship, I to-day came by "And call'd there, but-alack! I shall but grieve you

York. "

70.

If I report the rest.”

What is it, knave ?”

"Gentlemen." &c.

Here again the measure has been disturbed; perhaps it ran thus:

"Gentlemen, will you muster men? if I "Know how or which way to order these affairs."

"Never believe me. Both are my kinsmen." A slight transposition is required here :"Never believe me; both my kinsmen are."

"Is my kinsman, whom the king hath wrong'd."

Sir T. Hanmer's emendation ought to be adopted here, or perhaps this :

"My kinsman is, too, whom the king hath wrong'd."

71. "I should to Plashy too."

Something is wanting, perhaps, like this, to restore the metre:

"I should to Plashy, but time will not permit; "Odds me! away, begone, all is uneven, "And every thing, &c.

"Is all unpossible."

This hemistic might, with some constraint, and

the dismission of a useless particle, be accommodated in the preceding line:

"Proportional to the enemy's unpossible."

"Will you go along with us."

This fragment cannot subsist, even as a hemistic; something must be added, and something

omitted

"We must be brief; will you along with us?”

SCENE III.

72. Believe me, noble lord."

It is impossible that in a play where (as here) the language generally is measured with scrupulous regularity, an awkward hemistic like this and some others could be made by the poet: what has been lost it were in vain to seek; but something, as a supplement, might be offered by the editor: perhaps Northumberland would quaintly reply to Bolingbroke's question-" How far to Berkley?" "Believe me, noble lord, 'tis past my knowledge, "I am a stranger, &c.

73. "And hope to joy, is little less in joy, "Than hope enjoy'd."

The first "joy" in this passage is certainly, as Mr. Malone has remarked, a verb-hope, in the second line, for the sake of precious jingle, is put for the object of hope. We might, perhaps, read:

"And hope t'enjoy, is little less in joy,

(i. e. In enjoyment,)

"Than hope enjoy'd."

(i. e. In the accomplishment of hope.)

Mr. Gray, who adopted this thought in his Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, has retained the inaccuracy:

"Gay hope is their's, by fancy fed,

"Less pleasing when possess'd."

It was possessed, being their's; but the poet has shifted from hope itself to what was the object of hope.

66

By sight of what I have, your noble company." "Noble" might well be spared.

"Than your good words. But who comes here ?"

North. "

Enter Percy.

It is my son, young Harry Percy."

To supply the gross deficiency of these two lines, the means are obvious:

"Than your good words, my lord. But who comes here ?"

And

"It is my son, my lord, young Harry Percy."

"Harry, how fares your uncle ?"

Percy. "I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you.

North. "Why, is he not with the

queen ?"

The metrical disorder here might, perhaps, be repaired thus:

Percy.

North. "

I had thought,

My lord, that I should learn his health of you."

Of me! Why so? Is he not with the queen ?"

"He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake together."

"Together" is a stupid interpolation.

74. "And in it are the lords of York, Berkley, and Seymour."

We might read:

"And in it the lords York, Berkley, and Sey

mour."

75. "Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?"

Perhaps

"Must for my bounty stand.

my bounty stand. But who comes here?"

The repetition of "

my,

which in three lines

occurs five times, and here only burthens the measure, should be omitted. Mr. Steevens's proposed amendment, omitting to you, will not agree with Bolingbroke's reply. I would read:

My answer is to Lancaster;

"Lord Hereford, my message is to you."

Boling. "My lord, my answer," &c.