And then comes answer (6) like an ABC-book : And talking of the Alps and Apennines, It draws towards fupper in conclufion, fo. And fits the mounting spirit like myself: (6) Like an a, b, c book:] An a, b, c book, or, as they spoke and wrote it, an abfey book, is a catechifm. (7) And fo e'er answer knows what question would, grows SAVING in dialogue of compliment ;] In this fine fpeech Faulconbridge would fhew the advantages and prerogatives of men of worship. He obferves, particularly, that be has the traveller at command (people at that time, when a new world was difcovering, in the highest eftimation.) At the first intimation of his defire, to hear ftrange ftories, the traveller complies, and will fcarce give him leave to make his question, but e'er answer knows what question would-What then, why according to the prefent reading, it towards fupper-time. And is not this worshipful fociety? To spend all the time between dinner and fupper Before either of them knows what the other would be at. Read SERVING inftead of faving, and all this nonfenfe is avoided; and the account stands thus, E'er anfwer knows what question would be at, my fra"veller ferves in his dialiqué of compliment, which is his ftanding "difh at all tables; then he comes to talk of the Alps and Ape"nines, &c. and, by the time this difcourfe concludes, it draws "towards fupper." All this is fenfible and humourous; and the phrafe of ferving in is a very pleafant one to denote that this was his worship's fecon I courfe. What follows thews the romantic tarn of the voyagers of that time; how greedily their relations were fwallowed, which he calls freer poifon for the age's tooth; and how acceptable it made men at court-For it fall firew the footflips of my rifing. And yet the Oxford Editor fays, by this fweet poifon is meant flattery. WARBURTON. This pallage is obfcure; but such an irregularity and perplexity runs thro' the whole fpeech, that I think this emendation not neceffary. Sweet, Sweet, sweet, fweet poifon for the age's tooth; For it fhall ftrew the footsteps of my rifing. SCENE IV. Enter Lady Faulconbridge, and James Gurney. Lady. Where is that flave, thy brother, where is he, That holds in chase mine honour up and down? Phil. My brother Robert, old Sir Robert's fon, (2) Colbrand the giant, that fame mighty man, Is it Sir Robert's fon, that you feek fo? Lady. Sir Robert's fon? ay, thou unrev'rend boy, Sir Robert's fon; why scorn'ft thou at Sir Robert ? He is Sir Robert's fon, and fo art thou. Philip. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while? Gur. Good leave, good Philip. Philip. (3), Philip ! -fparrow- -James; There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more. [Exit James. (8) Which thougb, &c.] The conftruction will be mended, if inftead of which though, we read, this though. (9) But who comes in.] Milton, in his tragedy, introduces Dalilab with fuch an interrogatory exclamation. (1) To blow a born.] He means, that a woman who travelled about like a poft was likely to born her husband. (2) Colbrand was a Danish giant, whom Guy of Warwick difcomfited in the prefence of king Atbelfian. The combat is very pompously defcribed by Drayton in his Polyolbion. (3) Philip, fparrow, James ;] I think the Poet wrote, Philip! Spare me, James. i. e. don't affront me with an appellation that comes from a Family which I difclaim. WARBURTON. The old reading is far more agreeable to the character of the speaker. Dr. Gray obferves, that Skelton has a poem to the memory of Philip Sparrow; and Mr. Pope in a fhort note remarks, that a Sparrow is called Philip. Madam, : Madam, I was not old Sir Robert's fon, Sir Robert never holpe to make this leg. Lady. Haft thou confpired with thy brother too, That, for thine own gain, should'ft defend mine hohour? What means this fcorn, thou most untoward knave ? lifco like -Bafi (4) Knight, Knight, • good mother, Bafilifco like.] Thus muft this Paffage be pointed; and, to come at the Humour of it, I must clear up an old Circumftance of Stage-Hiftory. Faulconbridge's Words here carry a concealed Piece of Satire on a ftupid Drama of that Age, printed in 1599, and called Soliman and Perfeda. In this Piece there is the Character of a bragging cowardly Knight, called Bafilifco. His Pretenfion to Valour is fo blown and seen through, that Pifton, a Buffoon-fervant in the Play, jumps upon his back, and will not difengage him, till he makes Bafilifco fwear upon his dudgeon dagger to the Contents, and in the Terms, he dictates to him: As, for instance, Baf. O, Ifwear, I fear. Pift. By the Contents of this Blade. Knight, good fellow, knight, knight, Pift. Knave, good fellow, knave, knave, So that 'tis clear, our Poet is fneering at this Play; and makes Philip, when his mother calls him Knave, throw off that Reproach by humourously laying claim to his new Dignity of Knightbood; as Bafilifo arrogantly infifts on his Title of Knight in the Paffage above quoted. The old Play is an execrable bad one; and, I fuppofe, was fufficiently exploded in the Reprefentation: Which might make this Circumftance fo well known, as to become the Butt for a Stage farcafm. THEOBALD. Knight, Knight, good mother-Bafilifco like.] The words allude to an expreffion in an old foolish play, then the common butt of ridicule, but the beauty of the paffage confifts in his alluding, at the fame time, to his high original. His father, Richard the first, was furr.amed Coeur-de-lion. And the Cor Leonis, a fixed ftar of the firft magnitude, in the fign Leo, is called Bafilifco. Could one have thought it! WARBURTON. What fhoulder : What! I am dub'd; I have it on my Lady. King Richard Coeur-de-lion was thy father And they fhall fay, when Richard me begot, [Exeunt. (5) Some fins-There are fins, that, whatever be determined of them above, are not much cenfured on earth. ACT ACT II. SCENE I. Before the Walls of Angiers in France. Enter Philip King of France, Lewis the Dauphin, the Archduke of Auftria, Conftance, and Arthur. BEFORE LEWIS. EFORE Angiers well met, brave Auftria. (7) By this brave Duke came early to his grave: (8) At our importance hither is he come, To fpread his colours, boy, in thy behalf; And to rebuke the ufurpation Of thy unnatural uncle, English John. Embrace him, love him, give him welcome hither. (6) Richard, that robb'd, &c.] So Raftal in his Chronicle. It is fayd that a Lyon was put to kynge Richard, beynge in prifon, to have devoured him, and when the lyon was gapynge he put his arme in his mouth, and pulled the lyon by the harte fo hard that he flewe the lyon, and therefore fome fay he is called Rycbarde Coeur de lyon; but fome fay he is called Cœur de lyon, because of his boldness and hardy stomake. Dr GRAY. (7) By this brave Duke, &c.] This is not true. Richard was made prifoner by the Duke of Auftria, but was releafed for an exorbitant ranfome, and was afterwards killed with a cross-bow, before the castle of Chalons. (8) At our importante.] At my importunity. Dr. GRAY. Lewis. |