Lord Chief Justice, Falstaff, Poins, Bardolph, Pistol, Peto, and Page. Shallow and Silence, Country Justices. Davy, Servant to Shallow. Phang and Snare, two Serjeants. Mouldy, I, Quarto, printed by V. S. for Andrew Wife and William Ap 1600. II, Folio, 1623. INDUCTIO N. I 2 ! Enter RUMOUR, painted full of Tongues. you will stop PEN your ears; for which of I from the Orient to the drooping West, Upon my tongues continual flanders ride, That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, Enter RUMOUR,-] This fpeech of Rumour is not inelegant or unpoetical, but is wholly ufelefs, fince we are told nothing which the firit fcene does not clearly and naturally difcover. The only end of fuch prologues is to inform the audience of fome facts previous to the action, of which they can have no know ledge from the perfons of the drama. 2-painted full of tongues.] This direction, which is only to be found in the first Edition in Quarto of 1600, explains a paffage in what follows, otherwife obfcure. POPE. 3 Rumour is a pipe] Here the poet imagines him f defcribing Rumour, and forgets that Rumour is the fpeaker. My well-known body to anatomize Hath beaten down young Hot-Spur and his troops; But what mean I wrongs. 4 And this worm-eaten Hole of ragged Stone; ] Northumberland had retir'd and fortified himfelf in his Caftle, a Place of Strength in thofe Times, though the Building might be [Exit. impaired by its Antiquity; and therefore, I believe, our Poet wrote: And this worm-eaten Hold of ragged Stone. THEOBALD. The SECOND PART of HENRY IV. ACT I. SCENE I. Northumberland's Castle. Enter Lord Bardolph; the Porter at the door, BARDOLPH. HO keeps the gate here, hoa? where is the WH Port. What fhall I fay you are? Bard. Tell thou the Earl, The fecond Part of Henry IV. The Tranfactions comprized in this Hiltory take up about nine Years. The Action commences with the Account of Hot-fpur's being defeated and killed; and clofes with the Death of K. Henry IV, and the Coronation of K. Henry V. THEOBALD. Mr. Upton thinks thefe two plays improperly called the first and Jecond parts of Henry the fourth. The first play ends, he fays, with the peaceful fettlement of Henry in the kingdom by the defeat of the rebels. This is hardly true, for the re bels are not yet finally fuppreffed. The fecond, he tells us, fhews Henry the fifth in the various lights of a good-natured rake, till, on his father's death, he affumes a more manly character. This is true; but this reprefentation gives us no idea of a dramatick action. These two plays will appear to every reader, who fhall perufe them without ambition of critical difcoveries, to be fo connected that the fecond is merely a fequel to the firft; to be two only becaufe they are too long to be one. That That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here. Port. His lordship is walk'd forth into the Orchard; Please it your Honour, knock but at the gate, And he himself will answer. Enter Northumberland. Bard. Here's the Earl. North. What news, lord Bardolph ? ev'ry minute now Should be the father of fome ftratagem. The times are wild: Contention, like a horse Bard. Noble Earl, I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury. Bard. As good as heart can wifh. Prince Harry flain outright; and both the Blunts North. How is this deriv'd? Saw you the field? came you from Shrewsbury? Bard. I fpake with one, my lord, that came from thence, A gentleman well bred, and of good name; North. Here comes my fervant Travers, whom I 7 father of fome fratagem] Stratagem, for vigorous action. WARBURTON. On |