Thefe, as I learn, and fuch like toys as these 4, Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women: 'Tis not the king, that fends you to the Tower; Clar. By heaven, I think, there is no man fecure, The jealous o'er-worn widow, and herself, Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen, Are mighty goffips in this monarchy. Brak. I befeech your graces both to pardon me; His majesty hath ftraitly given in charge, That no man fhall have private conference, Of what degree foever, with his brother. Glo. Even fo? an please your worship, Brakenbury, You may partake of any thing we say: We speak no treason, man;-We say, the king 4 -toys-] Fancies, freaks of imagination. JOHNSON. 5 Humbly complaining &c.] I think these two lines might be better given to Clarence. JOHNSON. • The jealous o'er-worn widow, and herself,] That is, the queen and Shore. JOHNSON. Well Well ftruck in years 7; fair, and not jealous Brak. With this, my lord, myself have nought to do. Glo. Naught to do with mistress Shore? I tell thee, fellow, He that doth naught with her, excepting one, Brak. What one, my lord? Glo. Her husband, knave :-Would'st thou betray me? Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me; and, withal, Forbear your conference with the noble duke. Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. 8 Glo. We are the queen's abjects, and must obey. Brother, farewel: I will unto the king; And whatfoe'er you will employ me in,Were it, to call king Edward's widow-fifter,— I will 7 Well ftruck in years ;] This odd expreffion in our language was preceded by one as uncouth though of a fimilar kind. "Well thot in years he feem'd &c.] Spenfer's F. Queen, B. V. c. vi: The meaning of neither is very obvious; but as Mr. Warton has obferved in his Effay on the Faery Queen, by an imperceptible progreffion from one kindred fenfe to another, words at length obtain a meaning entirely foreign to their original etymology. STEEVENS. -the queen's abjects- ] That is, not the queen's Subjects, whom she might protect, but her abjects, whom she drives away. JOHNSON. 9 Were it to call king Edward's widow-fifter,] This is a very covert and fubtle manner of infinuating treafon. The natural expreffion would have been, avere it to call king Edward's wife, fifter. I will folicit for you, though it fhould be at the expence of fo much degradation and constraint, as to own the low-born wife of King Edward for a fifter. But by flipping, as it were cafually, I will perform it, to enfranchise you. Clar. I know, it pleaseth neither of us well. Mean time, have patience. Clar. I muft perforce'; farewel. [Exeunt Clarence and Brakenbury. Glo. Go, tread the path that thou fhalt ne'er return, Simple, plain Clarence !-I do love thee fo, That I will fhortly fend thy foul to heaven, If heaven will take the prefent at our hands. But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Haftings? Enter Haftings. Haft. Good time of day unto my gracious lord Glo. As much unto my good lord chamberlain ! Well are you welcome to this open air. How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment? Haft. With patience, noble lord, as prifoners muft: But I fhall live, my lord, to give them thanks, That were the caufe of my imprisonment. Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and fo fhall Clarence too; For they, that were your enemies, are his, Haft. More pity, that the eagle fhould be mew'd2, cafually, widow, into the place of wife, he tempts Clarence with an oblique propofal to kill the king. JOHNSON. King Edward's widow is, I believe, only an expreffion of contempt, meaning the widow Grey, whom Edward had chosen for his queen. Glofter has already called her, the jealous o'erworn widow. STEEVENS. 1 I must perforce.] Alluding to the proverb, "Patience perforce is a medicine for a mad dog." STEEVENS. -hould be mew'd,] A mew was the place of confinement where a hawk was kept till he had moulted. So, in Albumazar: "Stand While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. Glo. What news abroad? Haft. No news fo bad abroad, as this at home ;The king is fickly, weak, and melancholy, And his phyficians fear him mightily. Glo. Now, by faint Paul 3, that news is bad indeed. O, he hath kept an evil diet long, And over-much confum'd his royal perfon; "Tis very grievous to be thought upon. What, is he in his bed? Haft. He is. Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you. [Exit Haftings. He cannot live, I hope; and must not die, 'Till George be pack'd with post-horse up to heaven. Which done, God take king Edward to his mercy, For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter: What though I kill'd her husband, and her father? The readiest way to make the wench amends, Is to become her husband, and her father: By marrying her, which I must reach unto. "Stand forth, transform'd Antonio, fully mew'd "To the glorious bloom of gentry. 3 Now, by faint Paul, Now, by faint John, [Exit. STEEVENS. -] The folio reads: SCENE Enter the corfe of Henry the fixth, with halberds to guard it; Lady Anne being the mourner. Anne. Set down, fet down your honourable load, Lo, in these windows, that let forth thy life, 4 -obfequioufly lament] Obfequious, in this inftance, means funereal. So, in Hamlet, act I. fc. ii: STEEVENS. 5 "To do obfequious forrow." STEEvens. -key-cold] A key, on account of the coldness of the metal of which it is compofed, was anciently employed to stop any flight bleeding. The epithet is common to many old writers; among the reft, it is used by Decker in his Satiromaftix : "It is beft you hide your head, for fear your wife brains take key-cold." Again, in the Country Girl, by T. B. 1647: "The key-cold figure of a man." STEEVENS. Or |