Suf. Obscure and lowly swain, King Henry's blood, The honorable blood of Lancaster, 50 Hast thou not kiss'd thy hand and held my stirrup? Bare-headed plodded by my foot-cloth mule, And thought thee happy when I shook my head? How often hast thou waited at my cup, Fed from my trencher, kneel'd down at the board, 60 When I have feasted with Queen Margaret? Remember it and let it make thee crest-fall'n, Aye, and allay this thy abortive pride; How in our voiding lobby hast thou stood And duly waited for my coming forth? This hand of mine hath writ in thy behalf, And therefore shall it charm thy riotous tongue. Whit. Speak, captain, shall I stab the forlorn swain? Cap. First let my words stab him, as he hath me. Suf. Base slave, thy words are blunt, and so art thou. Cap. Convey him hence and on our long-boat's side Strike off his head. 50. In Ff. this line is made part of preceding speech, with "lowsie" for "lowly," restored by Pope (from Qq.).-I. G. 52. A jaded groom is a low fellow. Suffolk's boast of his own blood was hardly warranted by his origin. His great-grandfather had been a merchant at Hull. If Shakespeare had known his pedigree he would not have failed to make some of his adversaries reproach him with it.-H. N. Η. Aye, kennel, puddle, sink; whose filth and dirt Now will I dam up this thy yawning mouth, And thou that smiledst at good Duke Hum phrey's death Against the senseless winds shalt grin in vain, For daring to affy a mighty lord 80 70. "Cap. Yes, Pole. Suf. Pole!" added by Capell from Qq.-I. G. 85. "mother's bleeding,” Rowe's correction of Ff., "Mother-bleeding."-I. G. Whose dreadful swords were never drawn in vain, As hating thee, are rising up in arms: And now the house of York, thrust from the crown By shameful murder of a guiltless king, Burns with revenging fire; whose hopeful colors Small things make base men proud: this villain Being captain of a pinnace, threatens more By such a lowly vassal as thyself. 110 I charge thee waft me safely cross the Channel. Cap. Walter,— Whit. Come, Suffolk, I must waft thee to thy death. Suf. Gelidus timor occupat artus: it is thee I fear. 117. "Gelidus timor occupat artus," i. e., "chill fear seizes my Whit. Thou shalt have cause to fear before I leave thee. What, are ye daunted now? now will ye stoop? First Gent. My gracious lord, entreat him, speak him fair. 120 Suf. Suffolk's imperial tongue is stern and rough, True nobility is exempt from fear. 130 More can I bear than you dare execute. Cap. Hale him away, and let him talk no more. Suf. Come, soldiers, show what cruelty ye can, That this my death may never be forgot! Great men oft die by vile bezonians: A Roman sworder and banditto slave Murder'd sweet Tully; Brutus' bastard hand Stabb'd Julius Cæsar; savage islanders limbs"; the reading of Ff. 2, 3, 4; F. 1 reads, "Pine gelidus"; Theobald, "Pæne gelidus," &c. (cp. Eneid, vii. 446).-I. G. 129. Lloyd, "Exempt from fear is true nobility." I. G. 136. "Brutus bastard hand"; Theobald proposed "dastard," but afterwards withdrew his suggestion; Servilia, the mother of Brutus, became, it is true, the mistress of Julius Cæsar, but not until after the birth of Brutus.-I. G. 137, 138. "savage islanders Pompey the Great"; the story of Pompey's death is given in Plutarch; the murderers were Achillas, an Egyptian, and Septimius, who had served under him; perhaps they are described as "islanders," because the murder was committed at Pelusium, an island-like spot in the midst of morasses, easternmost mouth of the Nile.-I. G. Pompey the Great; and Suffolk dies by pirates. [Exeunt Whitmore and others with Suffolk. Cap. And as for these whose ransom we have set, It is our pleasure one of them depart: Therefore come you with us and let him go. 140 [Exeunt all but the First Gentleman. Re-enter Whitmore with Suffolk's body. [Exit. Whit. There let his head and lifeless body lie, [Exit with the body. SCENE II Blackheath. Enter George Bevis and John Holland. Bevis. Come, and get thee a sword, though 147. The fate of Suffolk is despatched in few words by the chroniclers. Thus Holinshed, following Hall: "But Gods justice would not that so ungracious a person should so escape: for when he shipped in Suffolke, intending to transport himselfe over into France, he was incountered with a ship of warre, appertaining to the duke of Excester, constable of the Tower of London, called the Nicholas of the Tower. The capteine of that barke with small fight entered into the dukes ship, and, perceiving his person present, brought him to Dover road, and there on the one side of a cocke bote caused his head to be striken off, and left his bodie with the head lieng there on the sands. Which corps, being there found by a chapleine of his, was conveied to Wingfield college in Suffolke, and there buried." His death was in May, 1450.-H. Ν. Η. |