Those suns of glory, those two lights of men, Nor. "Twixt Guynes and Arde: I was then present, saw them salute on horseback; Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have weigh'd Buck. All the whole time Then you lost I was my chamber's prisoner. Nor. The view of earthly glory: Men'might say, Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story, a Andren. So the original; so the Chroniclers. But the modern editors write "the vale of Arde." Arde, or Ardres, is the town, which in the next line is spelt Arde in the original. Andren, or Ardren, is the village near the place of meeting. b Clinquant-bright with gingling ornaments. c Censure comparison. Being now seen possible enough, got credit, Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect In honour honesty, the tract of everything Would by a good discourser lose some life, Which action's self was tongue to. Buck. All was royal; To the disposing of it nought rebell'd, a Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion Of the right reverend cardinal of York. Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder And keep it from the earth. a It is usual, contrary to the original, to give to Norfolk the sentence beginning "All was royal," and then make Buckingham ask the question, "Who did guide?" &c. Theobald made the change, and Warburton says it was improperly given to Buckingham, "for he wanted information, having kept his chamber during the solemnity." But what information does he communicate? After the eloquent description by Norfolk of the various shows of the pageant, he makes a general observation that "order" must have presided over these complicated arrangements gave each thing view." He then asks, “Who did guide?”—who made the body and the limbs work together? Norfolk then answers, "As you guess ;"-(which words have been transferred to Buckingham by the revisers of the text)—according to your guess, one did guide:-"one, certes," &c. b Element-constituent quality of mind. Thus in 'Twelfth Night' (Act III., Scene 4) Malvolio says, "Go, hang yourselves all! you are idle shallow things: I am not of your element." © Keech. Steevens thinks this term has a peculiar application to Wolsey, as the son of a butcher ;-as a butcher's wife is called in 'Henry IV., Part II.,' "Goody Keech." But Falstaff, in the First Part, is called by Prince Henry "a greasy tallow keech." A "keech" is a lump of fat; and it appears to us that Bucking. There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends: Out of his self-drawing web,-O! give us note!— A gift that Heaven gives for him, which buys What Heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Peep through each part of him: Whence has he that? Or has given all before, and he begins Upon this French going-out, took he upon him, Without the privity o' the king, to appoint ham here denounces Wolsey, not as a butcher's son, but as an overgrown bloated favourite, that Take 66 can with his very bulk up the rays o' the beneficial sun.' a This passage has been corrupted by the modern editors, and, as we think, misunderstood. It is ordinarily printed thus: ર Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, "O! give us note," the original reading, is one of Shakspere's happy parentheses to "While I make way from hence to save my life." To make way, in the colloquial sense of to get on in the world, is, we think, a forced and unauthorised meaning of the words before us. That Wolsey should give note that he made his way only by his own merit would have been utterly at variance with the stately pomp and haughtiness of his ambition. Who should attend on him? He makes up the file Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have Have broke their backs with laying manors on them The peace between the French and us not values After the hideous storm that follow'd, was a This is ordinarily read, "for the most part such, Too, whom," &c. To the preposition of the original, appeared to the editors a redundancy, because we have "lay upon." But if lay upon has not here the force of a compound verb, examples of redundant prepositions are most common in Shakspere; for example, in Coriolanus :' "In what commodity is Marcius poor in ?" The feeble expletive too, with its unmetrical pause, appears to us a corruption, though unnoticed altogether by the editors. b The construction of this passage is difficult; the meaning is in Holinshed:« The peers of the realm, receiving letters to prepare themselves to attend the king in this journey, and no apparent necessary cause expressed, why or wherefore, seemed to grudge that such a costly journey should be taken in hand, without consent of the whole board of the council." In Wolsey's letter the "board of council" was "out"—omitted; the letter alone "must fetch him in [whom] he papers' whom he sets down in the paper. Ben Jonson, in his English Grammar,' gives examples of a similar “want of the relative," adding, “in Greek and Latin this want were barbarous." Amongst other instances he has the passage of the 118th Psalm-"the stone the builders refused"-a parallel case with the sentence before us. 6 Dashing the garment of this The sudden breach on 't. Nor. peace, aboded Which is budded out; For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Aber. The ambassador is silenc'd? Nor. Is it therefore Marry, is 't. Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd At a superfluous rate! Buck. Why, all this business 'Like it your grace, Our reverend cardinal carried. Nor. The state takes notice of the private difference What his high hatred would effect wants not You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, (the purse borne before him,) certain of the Guard, and Two Secretaries with papers. The CARDINAL in his passage fixeth his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain. Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? Where's his examination? 1 Secr. Here, so please you. Wol. Is he in person ready? 1 Secr. Wol. Well, we shall then know more; and Buckingham Shall lessen this big look. Ay, please your grace. [Exeunt WOLSEY and Train. |