To me you cannot reach, you play the spaniel, He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee: Than but once think his place becomes thee not.3 SUR. May it please your grace, K. HEN. No, sir, it does not please me. I had thought, I had had men of some understanding And wisdom, of my council; but I find none. Was it discretion, lords, to let this man, This good man, (few of you deserve that title,) I see, Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean; I think the old copy is right. MALONE. Surely, the first of these lines should be pointed thus: That is, you fawn upon me, who am above your malice. In the punctuation of this passage I have followed the concurring advice of Mr. Whalley and Mr. M. Mason. STEEVENS. › Than but once think his place becomes thee not.] Who dares to suppose that the place or situation in which he is, is not suitable to thee also? who supposes that thou art not as fit for the office of a privy counsellor as he is. Mr. Rowe and all the subsequent editors read-this place. MALONE. Thus far, CHAN. My most dread sovereign, may it like your grace To let my tongue excuse all. What was purpos'd Concerning his imprisonment, was rather (If there be faith in men,) meant for his trial, And fair purgation to the world, than malice; I am sure, in me. K. HEN. Well, well, my lords, respect him; Am, for his love and service, so to him. I have a suit which you must not deny me; a That is, &c.] My suit is, that you would be a godfather to fair young maid, who is not yet christened. Mr. Rowe reads -There is, &c. and all the subsequent editors have adopted this unnecessary alteration. The final word her, we should now consider as superfluous; but we have many instances of a simi lar phraseology in these plays:-or, the construction may be-A fair young maid, &c. you must be godfather [to], and answer for her. So before in this play: 66 whoever the king favours, "The cardinal instantly will find employment [for], "And far enough from court too." Again, in The Merchant of Venice: "How true a gentleman you send relief [to]." Again, in Julius Cæsar: "Thy honourable metal may be wrought "From what it is dispos'd [to]." See also Vol. X. p. 433, n. 8, and a note on Cymbeline, sc. ult. Vol. XVIII. MALONE. The superfluous pronoun in the text (if it be superfluous) may be justified by the following passage in Romeo and Juliet: this reverend holy friar, 66 "All our whole city is much bound to him." STEEVENS. . You must be godfather,5 and answer for her. CRAN. The greatest monarch now alive may glory In such an honour; How may I deserve it, That am a poor and humble subject to you? K. HEN. Come, come, my lord, you'd spare your spoons; you shall have 5 You must be godfather,] Our prelates formerly were often employed on the like occasions. Cranmer was godfather to Edward VI. See Hall, fo. 232. Archbishop Warham to Henry's eldest son by Queen Katharine; and the Bishop of Winchester to Henry himself. See Sandford, 479, 495. REED. 6 -you'd spare your spoons;] It was the custom, long before the time of Shakspeare, for the sponsors at christenings to offer gilt spoons as a present to the child. These spoons were called apostle spoons, because the figures of the apostles were carved on the tops of the handles. Such as were at once opulent and generous, gave the whole twelve; those who were either more moderately rich or liberal, escaped at the expence of the four evangelists; or even sometimes contented themselves with presenting one spoon only, which exhibited the figure of any saint, in honour of whom the child received its name. In the year 1560 we find entered on the books of the Stationers' company, 66 a spoyne, of the gyfte of master Reginold Wolfe, all gylte with the pycture of St. John." Ben Jonson also, in his Bartholomew, Fair, mentions spoons of this kind: "and all this for the hope of a couple of apostle spoons, and a cup to eat caudle in.” So, in Middleton's comedy of A chaste Maid of Cheapside, 1620: "2 Gos. What has he given her?-what is it, gossip? 3 Gos. A faire high standing cup, and two great 'postle spoons, one of them gilt. 1 Pur. Sure that was Judas then with the red beard." Again: "E'en the same gossip 'twas that gave the spoons." Again, in Sir Wm. D'Avenant's comedy of The Wits, 1639: my pendants, carcanets, and rings, 66 "My christ'ning caudle-cup, and spoons, Again, in The Maid of the Mill, by Beaumont and Fletcher : "Didst ask her name?. "Yes, and who gave it her; Thus far, CHAN My most dread sovereign, may it like your grace To let my tongue excuse all. What was purpos'd Concerning his imprisonment, was rather (If there be faith in men,) meant for his trial, And fair purgation to the world, than malice; I am sure, in me. K. HEN. Well, well, my lords, respect him Take him, and use him well, he's worthy of it. I will say thus much for him, If a prince May be beholden to a subject, I ; Am, for his love and service, so to him. I have a suit which you must not deny me; That is, &c.] My suit is, that you would be a godfather to a fair young maid, who is not yet christened. Mr. Rowe reads -There is, &c. and all the subsequent editors have adopted this unnecessary alteration. The final word her, we should now consider as superfluous; but we have many instances of a similar phraseology in these plays :-or, the construction may be-A fair young maid, &c. you must be godfather [to], and answer for her. So before in this play: 66 whoever the king favours, "The cardinal instantly will find employment [for], "And far enough from court too." Again, in The Merchant of Venice: "How true a gentleman you send relief [to].” Again, in Julius Cæsar: "Thy honourable metal may be wrought "From what it is dispos'd [to]." See also Vol. X. p. 433, n. 8, and a note on Cymbeline, sc. ult. Vol. XVIII. MALONE. The superfluous pronoun in the text (if it be superfluous) may be justified by the following passage in Romeo and Juliet: -this reverend holy friar, 66 "All our whole city is much bound to him." STEEVENS. You must be godfather," and answer for her. CRAN. The greatest monarch now alive may glory In such an honour; How may I deserve it, That am a poor and humble subject to you? K. HEN. Come, come, my lord, you'd spare your spoons; you shall have 5 You must be godfather,] Our prelates formerly were often employed on the like occasions. Cranmer was godfather to Edward VI. See Hall, fo. 232. Archbishop Warham to Henry's eldest son by Queen Katharine; and the Bishop of Winchester to Henry himself. See Sandford, 479, 495. REED. 6 -you'd spare your spoons;] It was the custom, long before the time of Shakspeare, for the sponsors at christenings to offer gilt spoons as a present to the child. These spoons were called apostle spoons, because the figures of the apostles were carved on the tops of the handles. Such as were at once opulent and generous, gave the whole twelve; those who were either more moderately rich or liberal, escaped at the expence of the four evangelists; or even sometimes contented themselves with presenting one spoon only, which exhibited the figure of any saint, in honour of whom the child received its name. In the year 1560 we find entered on the books of the Stationers' company, 66 a spoyne, of the gyfte of master Reginold Wolfe, all gylte with the pycture of St. John." Ben Jonson also, in his Bartholomew, Fair, mentions spoons of this kind: "-and all this for the hope of a couple of apostle spoons, and a cup to eat caudle in.” So, in Middleton's comedy of A chaste Maid of Cheapside, 1620: "2 Gos. What has he given her?-what is it, gossip? 3 Gos. A faire high standing cup, and two great 'postle spoons, one of them gilt. 1 Pur. Sure that was Judas then with the red beard." Again: "E'en the same gossip 'twas that gave the spoons." Again, in Sir Wm. D'Avenant's comedy of The Wits, 1639: "my pendants, carcanets, and rings, "My christ'ning caudle-cup, and spoons, Again, in The Maid of the Mill, by Beaumont and Fletcher : "Didst ask her name? "Yes, and who gave it her; |