SCENE, the Palace. Enter Trumpets founding; then two Aldermen, Lord Mayor, Garter, Cranmer, Duke of Norfolk with his Marshal's ftaff, Duke of Suffolk, two Noblemen bearing great standing bowls for the chriftening gifts; then four Noblemen bearing a canopy, under which the Dutchess of Norfolk, godmother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train born by a lady: then follows the Marchioness of Dorfet, the other god-mother, and ladies. The troop pass once about the stage, and Garter speaks. Gart. Heav'n, from thy endless goodness fend long life, And ever happy, to the high and mighty Princefs of England, fair Elizabeth! Flourish. Enter King and Guard. Cran. And to your royal Grace, and the good Queen, My noble partners and my felf thus pray; All comfort, joy, in this moft gracious lady, That heav'n e'er laid up to make parents happy, King. Thank you, good lord Arch-bishop: Cran. Elizabeth. King. Stand up, lord. With this kifs take my Bleffing: God protect thee, Cran. Amen. King. My noble goffips, y'have been too prodigal, Cran. Let me speak, Sir; (For Heav'n now bids me) and the words I utter, This royal Infant, (heaven ftill move about her). Upon this land a thousand thousand bleffings, (But (But few now living can behold that goodness) All Princely graces, With all the virtues that attend the good, Shall ftill be doubled on her. Truth fhall nurse her: She fhall be lov'd and fear'd. Her own fhall blefs her; As great in admiration as her felf; So fhall fhe leave her bleffednefs to one, (When heav'n fhall call her from this cloud of darkness) Who from the facred afhes of her honour Shall ftar-like rife, as great in fame as fhe was, And fo ftand fix'd. Peace, Plenty, Love, Truth, Terrour, Shall be, and make new nations. He fhall flourish,. To all the plains about him: children's children King. Thou fpeakest wonders. Cran. She fhall be, to the happiness of England, (31) G 2 (31) She shall be to the Happiness of England, An An aged Princefs ] The Tranfition here from the Complimentary Ad drefs An aged Princess; many days fhall fee her, And yet no day without a deed to crown it. Would, I had known no more! but fhe muft die, (32) She muft, the Saints must have her yet a Virgin; A most unspotted lilly fhe fhall pafs To th' ground, and all the world shall mourn her. Thou'ft made me now a man; never, before To fee what this child does, and praise my maker. drefs to King James the Firft is fo abrupt, that it feems obvious to me, that Compliment was inferted after the Acceffion of that Prince. If this Play was wrote, as in my opinion it was, in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth; we may eafily determine where Cranmer's Eulogium of that Princefs concluded. I make no question but the Poet rested here; And claim by thofe their Greatness, not by Blood. All that the Bishop fays after this, was an occafional Homage paid to her Succeffor; and evidently inferted after her Demife. How naturally, without this Infertion, does the King's Joy, and fatisfactory Reflection upon the Bishop's Prophecy come in! King. Thou Speakeft Wonders. O Lord Archbilbop, Thouft made me now a Man. Never, before This happy Child, did I get any Thing, &c. Whether the King would fo properly have made this Inference, upon hearing that a Child of fo great Hopes fhould dye without Iffue, is fubmitted to Judgment. (32) Would I had known no more: but She must dye, She muft, the Saints must have her; yet a Virgin, A most unfpotted Lilly, &c.] Thus the Editors hitherto, in their Sagacity, have pointed this Paffage, and destroy'd the true Senfe of it. The first part of this Sentence is a Wish: The other should be a forrowful Continuation of the Bishop's Prophecy. But, fure, Cranmer was too wife and pious a Man, too well acquainted with the State of Mortality, to make it a part of his Lamentation that this good Princefs muft one time or other go to Heaven. As I point it, the Poet makes a fine Compliment to his Royal Miftrefs's Memory, to lament that she must dye without leaving an Heir of her Body behind her. Palamon and Arcite, in the Two Noble Kinfmen of Beaumont and Fletcher, being made Prifoners to Thefeus, and fearing they fhall dye in that Captivity, lament their Fate, I remember, in much the fame manner. Here the Graces of our Youths must wither,' And And your good brethren, I am much beholden: (33) And ye H'as business at his houfe, for all shall stay; [Exeunt. (33) And you good Brethren,] But, the Aldermen never were call'd Brethren to the King. The Top of the Nobility are but Coufins and Counfellors. Dr. Thirlby, therefore, rightly advised; And your good Brethren i. e. the Lord Mayor's Brethren; which is properly their Style. So in the Chorus before the 5th Act of Henry V. The Mayor, and all his Brethren in beft Sort, Like to the Senators of antique Rome, With the Plebeians fwarming at their Heels, EPILOGUE. 'T IS ten to one, this Play can never please THE |