367. Lord of our presence] See 1. i. feare," and 3 and 4, “ Kings of our 137 supra. Vaughan's explanation fear"-having our fears for king. of the use in Act 1. would not hold Various other readings have been here. Mr. Wright says " presence" suggested, but none seem worth comhere means “personal dignity"; but paring with Tyrwhitt's suggestion. it seems difficult to think that John 373. scroyles] scabby fellows, a means “I am here master of my term of utmost contempt. Compare personal dignity, of Angiers, and of Cotgrave, “âme escrouellée, an inyou." I should imagine “ Lord of fected traiterous or depraved spirit”; our presence" to mean “ Lord of the “Les Escrouelles, the King's evil." title by which I am generally known, Steevens quotes Ben Jonson, Every i.e. King of England, and also Lord Man in his Humour, 1. i. : “hang 'em of Angiers and of you."

scroyles." 371. King'd of our fears) So Rann, 376. At your ... death] at the after a conjecture of Tyrwhitt's. scenes and acts of death which you Folios 1 and 2 read “ Kings of our industriously perform. For the trans

Venice, 11. i. 9:378. mutines] Spedding needlessly “I tell thee, lady, this aspect of conjectures mutiners. - Compare

mine Hamlet, v. ii. 6: “Methought I lay Hath fear'd the valiant." worse than the mutines in the bilboes.” Compare Ralph Roister Doister, InThe reference is to the leaders of the duction (ed. Dent, p. 13, line 85): factions in Jerusalem, John of Giscela “ We 'll fear our children with him ; and Simon bar Gioras, who stopped if they be never so unruly do but cry, their internecine strife in order to Ralph comes . . . and they'll be as fight against the Romans (see quiet as lambs.” Josephus, Jewish Wars, bk. v. chs. 392. minion] Cotgrave has “Mig2 and 6). Since Josephus was not non: a minion, favourite, wanton, translated until 1602, Mr. Wright dilling, darling," Compare I Henry believes Shakespeare's source to have IV. 1. i. 83: “Who is sweet Forbeen Peter Morwyng's translation of tunes minion and her pride." Used the spurious narrative of Joseph ben often as a slighting term in ShakeGorion.

speare.

ous."

395. states] persons in high posi- Elizabethan plays the word denotes tions. Compare Troilus and Cres. crafty dealings. Compare Middleton's sida, v. v. 65: “Hail, all you state Roaring Girl, ii. 2: “By opposite of Greece.” Compare also “ infant policies, courses indirect"; ibid. iv. state” (11. i. 97 supra).

I: “I'll make her policy the art to 396. 'the policy] Gould suggests trap her"; and Webster's Vittoria “true policy.” Schmidt explains Corombona (ed. Dyce, p. II, col. 2) : “ the policy you make so much of”; “So who knows policy and her Mr. Wright,“ the policy which is so

true aspect, much thought of." Cotgrave and Shall find her ways winding and Coles equate policy with government, indirect." a meaning which lends colour to 406. pell-mell] Cotgrave has “ PesleMr. Moore - Smith's conjecture of mesle: pell-mell, confusedly, hand “ Has it not some smack or savour over head, all on a heap, one with of the political art.” In the light of another." this meaning, Gould's suggestion of 412. drift] the shower of bullets "true" for “the” is tempting. In compared to snow driven by the wind. If not complete of, say he is not she; 421. Persever] Ff 1, 2; Persevere Ff 3, 4. 422. Speak on with favour ; we] Speak on with favour, we Ff; Speak on; with favour we Rowe. 424. niece] So Singer, ed. 2 (Collier MS.); neere Ff 1, 2; neer Ff 3, 4. 428. should] omitted in Ff 2, 3, 4.

418, 419. Win you . . . Rescue) I Neece to K. John, the lovely shall win you ... I shall rescue.

Ladie Blanch." 422. Speak on ... to hear] we 434. complete of] There seems to grant you leave to speak on; we are be no other instance of the use of this listening:

phrase, and several emendations have 424. niece] The reading of the Folios been suggested. Hanmer, “ If not is an obvious misprint. Compare complete, oh say, he is not she"; Troublesome Raigne :

Kinnear for " of reads "so." "So," “ The beauteous daughter of the with the long s, may have been King of Spaine,

printed “os" and read as "of."

438. such as she] Theobald reads, bear its more usual meaning of after a conjecture of Thurlby's, "such “ill-temper." a she," a very probable reading. 454. peremptory] Cotgrave has

447. match] A play upon the double “peremptoire, ... absolute, ... meaning, the match between the forcible; . . . earnest; that will have Dauphin and Blanch, and the match no nay." to fire the mine. In the next line 455. stay] Johnson was dissatisPope reads “speed” for “spleen,” fied with this word, and conjectured while Becket conjectures “Swifter “flaw," which Hudson adopted. than powder can in spleen enforce." Becket suggested “say," which We must either take “spleen ” to Singer adopted in his second edition. mean “haste" (see v. vii. 50 infra) Williams suggested “story" or or suspect the text, for it cannot here “storm"; Elze (Athenæum, 1867)