Made Britain, India: every man, that stood,
Shew'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubims, all gilt: the madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this mask
Was cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in luftre, were now beft, now worst,
As prefence did prefent them; him in eye,
Still him in praife: and, being prefent both,
'Twas faid, they faw but one; and no difcerner
* Durft wag his tongue in cenfure. When these funs,
(For fo they phrafe 'em) by their heralds challeng'd
The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compafs'; that former fabulous ftory,
Being now feen poffible enough, got credit,

3

That Bevis was believ'd.

Buck. Oh, you go

far.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect
In honour honefty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good difcourfer lofe fome life,

5

Which action's felf was tongue to. All was royal;

I

-him in eye,

Still him in praife;

So, Dryden :

-Tavo chiefs

1

To

"So match'd as each feem'd worthieft when alone." JOHNSON. Durft avag his tongue in cenfure.] Cenfure for determination, of which had the noblest appearance. WARBURTON.

2

3 That Bevis was believ'd.] The old romantic legend of Bevis of Southampton. This Bevis (or Beavois) a Saxon, was for his prowess created by William the Conqueror earl of Southampton : of whom Camden in his Britannia. THEOBALD.

4

the tract of every thing &c.] The course of these triumphs and pleasures, however well related, muft lofe in the defcription part of that spirit and energy which were expreffed in the real action. JOHNSON.

5

All was royal; &c.] This fpeech was given in all the editions to Buckingham; but improperly. For he wanted infor

N4

mation

To the difpofing of it nought rebell'd,
Order gave each thing view; the office did
Diftinctly his full function.

Buck. Who did guide,

I mean, who fet the body and the limbs.
Of this great fport -together, as you guess?
Nor. One, certes, that promifes no 7 element
In fuch a business.

Buck. I pray you, who, my lord ?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good difcretion Of the right reverend cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pye is free'd From his ambitious finger. What had he To do in these fierce vanities I wonder, That fuch a keech can with his very bulk

Take

mation, having kept his chamber during the folemnity. I have therefore given it to Norfolk. WARBURTON,

I would point thus:

all was royal

To the difpofing of it;

i. e. even to the difpofing of it.

6

the office did

Diftinctly his full function.]

MUSGRAVE.

The commiffion for regulating this feftivity was well executed, and gave exactly to every particular perfon and action the proper place. JOHNSON.

7

-element] No initiation, no previous practices. Elements are the first principles of things, or rudiments of knowledge. The word is here applied, not without a catachrefis, to a person. JOHNSON,

୫ fierce vanities?] Fierce is here, I think, ufed like the French fier for proud, unlefs we fuppofe an allufion to the mimical ferocity of the combatants in the tilt. JOHNSON.

It is certainly used as the French word fur. So, in Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair, the puritan fays, the hobby horfe "is a fierce and rank idol." STEEVENS.

9 That fuch a keech-] Ketch, from the Italian caicchio, fignifying a tub, barrel, or hogfhead, Skinner. POPE.

The word in the folio is keech, which not being understood, is changed into ketch.

A keech is a folid lump or mafs. A cake of wax or tallow formed in a mould is called yet in fome places a keech. JOHNSON.

There

Take up the rays o' the beneficial fun,
And keep it from the earth.

Nor. Surely, fir,

There's in him ftuff that puts him to these ends:
For, being not propt by ancestry, (whofe grace
Chalks fucceffors their way) nor call'd upon
For high feats done to the crown; neither ally'd
To eminent affiftants, but, fpider-like,

'Out of his felf-drawing web, he gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way;

A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys A place next to the king.

Aber. I cannot tell

What heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Pierce into that; but I can fee his pride

Peep through each part of him: Whence has he that?

If not from hell, the devil is a niggard;
Or has given all before, and he begins
A new hell in himself.

Buck. Why the devil,

Upon this French going-out, took he upon him,

There may, perhaps, be a fingular propriety in this term of contempt. Wolfey was the fon of a butcher, and in the fecond part of King Henry IV. a butcher's wife is called-Goody Keech. STEEVENS.

1 Out of his felf-drawing web;-] Thus it stands in the first edion. The later editors, by injudicious correction, have printed: Out of his felf-drawn web. JOHNSON.

2 A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys

A place next to the king.]

It is evident a word or two in the fentence is misplaced, and that we fhould read:

A gift that heaven gives; which buys for him

A place next to the king. WARBURTON. It is full as likely that Shakespeare wrote:

-gives to him,

which will fave any greater alteration. JOHNSON.

I am too dull to perceive the neceflity of any change. What he is unable to give himself, heaven gives or depofits for him, and that gift, or depofit, buys a place, &c. STEEVENS.

Without the privity o' the king, to appoint
Who fhould attend on him? He makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the most part fuch
Too, whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,

s Muft fetch in him he papers.

Aber. I do know

Kinsmen of mine, three at the leaft, that have
By this fo ficken'd their eftates, that never

They fhall abound as formerly.

Buck. O, many

Have broke their backs with laying manors on them For this great journey. 7 What did this vanity, But minifter communication of

A most poor

iffue?

3 the file] That is, the lift. JOHNSON.

4

-council out,] Council not then fitting. JOHNSON. The expreffion rather means, "all mention of the board of council being left out of his letter." STEEVENS.

5 Muft fetch in him he papers.] He papers, a verb; his own letter, by his own fingle authority, and without the concurrence of the council, muft fetch in him whom he papers down. don't understand it, unless this be the meaning. POPE. Wolfey published a lift of the several perfons whom he had ap pointed to attend on the king at this interview. See Hall's Chronicle, Rymer's Fadera, tom. 13, &c. STEEVENS.

Have broke their backs with laying manors on them

For this great journey.]

In the ancient Interlude of Nature, bl. 1. no date, but appa rently printed in the reign of king Henry VIII. there feems to have been a fimilar stroke aimed at this expenfive expedition: "Pryde. I am unhappy, I se it well,

"For thexpence of myne apparell
"Towardys this vyage-

"What in horfes and other aray
"Hath compelled me for to lay

"All land to mortgage."

But

my

-What did this vanity

STEEVENS.

What effect had this pompous fhew but the production of a wretch

ed conclufion. JOHNSON.

Nor.

Nor. Grievingly I think,

The

peace

between the French and us not values

The coft that did conclude it.

8

Buck. Every man,

After the hideous ftorm that follow'd, was
A thing infpir'd; and, not confulting, broke
Into a general prophecy,-That this tempeft,
Dafhing the garment of this peace, aboaded
The fudden breach on't.

Nor. Which is budded out;

For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber. Is it therefore

9 The ambaffador is filenc'd?

Nor. Marry, is't.

I

Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd At a fuperfluous rate!

Buck. Why, all this business Our reverend cardinal carry'd.

Nor. Like it your grace,

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you,
(And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous fafety) that you read

8 Every man,

After the hideous form that follow'd, &c.]

His author, Hall, fays, "Monday, 18th day of fane, there blew Juch forms of wind and weather, that marvel was to hear; for which hideous tempeft fome faid it was a very prognoftication of trouble and hatred to come between princes." In Henry VIII. p. 80.

WARBURTON.

The ambasador is filenc'd?] Silenc'd for recall'd. This being proper to be faid of an orator; and an ambassador or public minister being called an orator, he applies filene'd to ambassador. WARBURTON.

I understand it rather of the French ambaffador refiding in England, who, by being refused an audience, may be said to be filenc'd. JOHNSON.

A proper title of a peace ;-] A fine name of a peace. Ironically. JOHNSON.

The