Excepting none but good duke Humphrey.- Thy late exploits, done in the heart of France, Have made thee fear'd, and honour'd, of the people :— Join we together, for the public good; In what we can to bridle and suppress The pride of Suffolk, and the cardinal, With Somerset's and Buckingham's ambition; And, as we may, cherish duke Humphrey's deeds, War. So God help Warwick, as he loves the land, York. And so says York, for he hath greatest cause. Sal. Then let's make haste away, and look unto the main. War. Unto the main! O father, Maine is lost; That Maine, which by main force Warwick did win, And would have kept, so long as breath did last : Main chance, father, you meant; but I meant Maine ; Which I will win from France, or else be slain. [Exeunt WAR. and Sal. York. Anjou and Maine are given to the French; Paris is lost; the state of Normandy Stands on a tickle point, now they are gone :3 The peers agreed; and Henry was well pleas'd, Pirates may make cheap pennyworths of their pillage, Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands, [7] Richard Plantagenet, duke of York, married Cicely, the daughter of Ralph Nevil, earl of Westmoreland. Richard Nevil, earl of Salisbury, was son to the earl of Westmoreland, by a second wife. He married Alice, the only daughter of Thomas Montacute, earl of Salisbury, who was killed at the siege of Orleans, [See this play, Part I. act I. sc. iii. and in consequence of that alliance obtained the title of Salisbury in 1428. His eldest son Richard, having married the sister and heir of Henry Beauchamp earl of Warwick, was created earl of Warwick in 1449. MALONE. [8] Tickle is very frequently used for ticklish by old writers. STEEVENS So York must sit, and fret, and bitè his tongue, Anjou and Maine, both given unto the French! A day will come, when York shall claim his own; And make a show of love to proud duke Humphrey, Whose church-like humours fit not for a crown. То pry into the secrets of the state; Till Henry, surfeiting in joys of love, With his new bride, and England's dear-bought queen, With whose sweet smell the air shall be perfum'd; And, force perforce, I'll make him yield the crown, SCENE II. [Exit. The same. A room in the Duke of GLOSTER'S House. Enter GLOSTER and the Duchess. Duch. Why droops my lord, like over-ripen'd corn, Why doth the great duke Humphrey knit his brows, Why are thine eyes fix'd to the sullen earth, [9] According to the fable, Meleager's life was to continue only so long as a certain firebrand should last. His mother Althea having thrown it into the fire, he expired in great torments. MALONE.* Enchas'd with all the honours of the world? Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold :- As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground. Glo. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy lord, Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts: And may that thought, when I imagine ill My troublous dream this night doth make me sad. With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream. Glo. Methought, this staff, mine office-badge in court, Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot, But, as I think, it was by the cardinal; And on the pieces of the broken wand Were plac'd the heads of Edmond duke of Somerset, This was my dream; what it doth bode, God knows. In the cathedral church of Westminster, And in that chair where kings and queens are crown'd; Where Henry, and dame Margaret, kneel'd to me, And on my head did set the diadem. Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright: Duch. What, what, my lord! are you so choleric Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again. Mess. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' pleasure, [Exeunt GLOSTER and Messenger. Follow, I must, I cannot go before, While Gloster bears this base and humble mind. I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks, To play my part in fortune's pageant. Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not, man, Hume. Jesu preserve your royal majesty! Duch. What say'st thou, majesty! I am but grace. Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice, Your grace's title shall be multiplied. Duch. What say'st thou, man? hast thou as yet conferr'd With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch ; And Roger Bolingbroke, the conjurer? And will they undertake to do me good? Hume. This they have promised,-to show your high ness A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground, Duch. It is enough; I'll think upon the questions : Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man, [Exit. Hume. Hume must make merry with the duchess' gold; Marry, and shall. But how now, Sir John Hume? [1] Whereas is the same as where; and seems to be brought into use only on account of its being a dissyllable. STEEVENS. [2] A title frequently bestowed on the clergy. STEEVENS. Seal up your lips, and give no words but-mum ! Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch: And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk They, knowing dame Eleanor's aspiring humour, The same. SCENE III. A Room in the Palace. Enter PETER, and others, with petitions. 1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.* 2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jesu bless him! Enter SUFFOLK, and Queen MARGARET. 1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure. 2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector. Suf. How now, fellow? would'st any thing with me? 1 Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector. Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] To my lord [3] Let the issue be what it will. JOHNSON. [4] In the quill may mean, with great exactness and observance of form, or with the utmost punctilio of ceremony. The phrase seems to be taken from part of the dress of our ancestors, whose ruffs were quilled. While these were worn, it might be the vogue to say, such a thing is in the quill, i. e. in the reigning mode of taste. TOLLET To this observation I may add, that, after printing began, the similar phrase of a thing being in print was used to express the same circumstance of exactness. STEEVENS |