The animating glory of the enterprise will render even our small numbers equal to its accomplishment. SCENE III. 390. "Looks he not for supply?" Vern." So do we." The disorder of the metre might easily be repaired V." So we." H. "But his is certain, ours is doubtful." "You speak it out of fear and cold heart.” Here again a particle has been carelessly omitted "You speak it out of fear, and from cold heart.” 391. " - -Certain horse Of my cousin Vernon's," &c. This line sets out discordantly; the particle "of" might be dismissed "That not a horse," &c. "That," as in other places for "so that." 392. "Such bold hostility." We might read, without the hypermeter, be, I believe, with Mr. M. Mason, that this should "They more and less." i. e. They, in greater and smaller numbers.Yet we find, in Macbeth, "And more and less have given him the revolt." 395. "To be encag'd in Wales." Engage," the old reading, ought, certainly, as Mr. Douce remarks, to be retained; "encag'd" exhibits an image not proper to the subject. 396. "Into his title, the which we find." This imperfect line might easily be repaired: "Into his title, which we find to be "Too indirect," &c. SCENE IV. "With winged haste, to the lord Mareshal." Unless "Mareshal" be uttered as a trisyllable, a word is wanting: we might add " we might add " Mowbray.' 397. But there is Mordake Vernon and Lord "Harry" should be omitted, as not only burthensome to the measure, but injurions to Percy's distinction. ACT V. SCENE I. 400. "Hear me, my liege." This useless hemistic should be omitted, or we might read, "My liege, for me, I could be well content." "You have not sought for it! how comes it, then." We might read harmoniously: "You have not sought it! say, how comes it, then." Mr. Steevens introduces for into the text after sought," but that does not so well accord with the words of the king's question. 402. "As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird." According to the general meaning of gull, as metaphorically applied, the " sparrow" is the "guil" here. "That ungentle gull," &c. "Gull" is used in this place as "cur" is when a" dog" is spoken of contemptuously. B. STRUTT. 404. "Shall pay full dearly for this encounter." Here again a word is wanting: perhaps, -For this day's encounter." 405. "So tell your cousin, and bring me word." We should read: 408. SCENE II. "Here comes your cousin." This hemistic might find accommodation in the context: "Here comes your cousin." Hots. " -My uncle is return'd, "Deliver up Lord Westmoreland-what news?" "Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so." It is much easier to suppose that a particle has been lost or omitted here, as in numerous instances besides, than to agree with Mr. Malone in making Douglas" a trisyllable: Theobald rightly reads: "Lord Douglas go you then and tell him so." 409. "Did you beg any? God forbid !" Again a word must be supplied: "Did you beg any? marry, God forbid." Any prince, so wild, a liberty." 411. " This, the reading of the quarto, I believe, is right: he who would give "harlotry" for "harlot" would not scruple to give "liberty" for "libertine." "Better consider what you have to do, "Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue, "Can lift your blood up with persuasion. It is fitter, now, that ye yourselves consider well the importance of your duty, than that I, who am no orator, should strive to animate you by harangue. This appears to be the sense, but the construction is defective; the conjunction "than" is incompetent to maintain the due relation between the latter and the foregoing parts of the sentence. 412. My lord, here are letters for you.” We might read, Mess. "Letters, my lord." Hots. "I cannot read them now." -The time of life is short, "To spend that shortness basely, were too long." Concord requires the relative "it:" "To spend that shortness basely 'twere too long." i. e. The short time of life were too long. 413. SCENE III. -Some tell me that thou art a king." Surely it should be "the king." "They tell thee true." I suppose the remainder of this line was carelessly omitted by the transcriber: it might have run thus: Douglas, they tell thee true, for so I am." 414. "Lord Stafford's death." This hemistic is natural from the interruption of the combat. "I never had triumph'd upon a Scot." This, which appears to be the proper accentuation of the verb, occurs elswhere, as in the next scene of this play. |