KING HENRY IV.—PART II.

"Misleader of youth, Falstaff, that old, white-bearded Satan."

It would be better, both for emphasis and metre, to read 'thatFalstaff.'

"The arch-deacon hath divided itfor us."

"And then he runsyoustraight and evenly."

"I'llin andhaste the writer and withal."

So I think we should read with Steevens and Malone. "I'll in, to urge his hatred more to Clarence" (Rich. III. i. 1).

"He held me last night attheleast nine hours."

"As a tired horse oras arailing wife."

So Pope also. The usual correction is that of Capell, 'asisa tired horse.'

"In faith, my lord, you are too wilful-blameable."

We have "wilful-opposite" (K. John, v. 2), "wilful-negligent" (Wint. Tale, i. 2), "wilful-slow" (Son. li.), and "wilful-ignorant" (Fletcher, Woman-hater, v. 2). For my part, I regard it as a convincing proof of the truth of my theory of effacement (Introd. p.57).

"Which thou pourest down from those swelling heavens."

The Cambridge editors and myself have independently transposed in 'pourest down.' We might also read "Which from those," etc.

"Nay,nay, if you melt, then will she run mad."

"Come, Kate,come; thou art perfect in lying down."

"I had rather hear Lady, my brach, howl in Irish."

So, after all the editors, I have printed it, in accordance with the 4tos; the folio applies 'Lady' to Lady Percy. I, however, strongly suspect that we should read 'my lady-brach,' as in Lear, i. 4, which would also accord better with the metre. See Indexs. v.Brach.

"Come sing.—I will not sing.—'Tis the next wayTo turn tailor or be redbreast-teacher."

"Come sing.—I will not sing.—'Tis the next way

To turn tailor or be redbreast-teacher."

So it should be arranged.

"By this our book is drawn; we'll but seal and thenTo horse immediately. With all my heart."

"By this our book is drawn; we'll but seal and then

To horse immediately. With all my heart."

As this is preceded by a couplet, and the scenes generally end with one, I would read 'thenstart'for 'and then.'Startbeing probably effaced, the printer added 'and' to complete the measure. See Introd. p.67.

"As in reproof of many tales devis'd—Which oft the ear of Greatness needs must hear—By smiling pick-thanks and base news-mongers."

"As in reproof of many tales devis'd—

Which oft the ear of Greatness needs must hear—

By smiling pick-thanks and base news-mongers."

The two last lines should, I think, be transposed.

"Mingled his royalty with carping fools."

The 4to, 1598, readscapring, i.e. capering. The choice is difficult.

"Go, Poins, to horse, to horse!"

Both 4tos and folio havePeto. Johnson made the change.

"At two o'clock in the afternoon."

Something seems wanting here. I have addedprecisely.

"He writes me hëre thataninward sickness."

"It were not good; for therein should we readThe very bottom and the soul of hope."

"It were not good; for therein should we read

The very bottom and the soul of hope."

I can make no sense of 'read'; we might readreach.

"All plum'd like estriches that with the windare fann'd."

It is plain that something has been lost here; it may be a line, but I think the slight addition I have made, and in the very place where the loss was most likely to occur, removes all difficulty. "The air of Paradise didfanthe house" (All's Well, iii. 2). The poet had in his mind thePrince's plume, which he supposes to have been worn by his companions also; and it is quite evident—or else there is no force in the comparison—that he also supposed that it was on his head the ostrich carried his long bending feathers. So Drayton also: "The Mountfords all in plumes, like ostriches were seen" (Polyolb. xxii.). The following line of Tasso gives us the exact image:—"Eventolarsui gran cimier le penne" (Ger. Lib. xx. 28). Hanmer read 'andwith the wind.' Rowe, who has been generally followed, readwingfor 'with'; but the verbwinghas but one sense in the poets, to fly, and the ostrich no more flies than the greyhound. Mr. Dyce, however, adopts this reading, which, he says, "affords a clear and good meaning," and he quotes in support of it these lines of Claudian, who, he thinks may, as a native of Egypt, be speaking as an eye-witness:—

"Vasta velut Libyæ venantum vocibus alesCum premitur calidas cursu transmittit arenas,Inque modum veli sinuatis flamine pennisPulverulenta volat."

"Vasta velut Libyæ venantum vocibus ales

Cum premitur calidas cursu transmittit arenas,

Inque modum veli sinuatis flamine pennis

Pulverulenta volat."

In Eutrop. ii. 310.

But surely this is sailing with, not winging the wind; and what has it to do with 'plum'd'? I very much doubt if Claudian ever saw an ostrich running; for that was only to be seen in the desert, which Egyptians rarely visited at any period.

"Baited like eagles having lately bath'd."

I know no sense of the verbbaitthat will give any tolerable meaning here. To read 'Bated,' as is usually done, frombate, to flap the wings, gives merely a ridiculous sense. I have a strong persuasion that the poet's word wasBeated, a term which he also uses in Son. lxii., where, by the way, the critics seem not to have understood it.Bete,beat,beath, is to kindle, heat, dry; and the idea in the poet's mind seems to have been that of eagles, after refreshing themselves by bathing, sitting on rocks for the sun to dry their plumage. To these he likens the young knights, fresh and vigorous, sitting on their war-steeds, under the beams of the sun. Hence he goes on to say "Glittering," etc.

"There's not a shirt and a half in all my company."

For 'not,' Rowe, who is usually followed, readbut. Inmy Edition I have given here and in v. 3 'notbut' as more forceable. See Index,But.

"Into his title, which we findto beToo indirect for long continuance."

"Into his title, which we findto be

Too indirect for long continuance."

"So tell your cousin, and bring me wordagainWhat he will do."

"So tell your cousin, and bring me wordagain

What he will do."

"Suspicion, all our lives, shall be stuck full of eyes."

The word in 4tos and folio isSupposition, which may be right; the correction is Pope's.

"Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so."

This is so abrupt and prosaic that I think we should read 'praygo you.'

"Upon his follies; never did I hearOf any prince so wild a liberty."

"Upon his follies; never did I hear

Of any prince so wild a liberty."

So the 4tos. The folio reads 'atliberty'; Capelllibertine, which is the reading usually adopted, even by the Cambridge editors. In Com. of Err. (i. 2) we have "such likelibertiesof sin" of persons.

"If life did ride upon a dial's point,Still ending at the arrival of an hour ...An if we live, we live to tread on kings."

"If life did ride upon a dial's point,

Still ending at the arrival of an hour ...

An if we live, we live to tread on kings."

The aposiopesis here is in character with Hotspur, but there may be a line or more lost.

"What is thy name that inthebattle thus."

"The King hath many marching in his coats."

Marchis here, as so frequently in Spenser and others, simply the Frenchmarcher.

"In which the Majesty of buried DenmarkDid sometimesmarch."

"In which the Majesty of buried Denmark

Did sometimesmarch."

Ham. i. 1.

Collier's folio readsmasking; but it was only the face that was masked. Gifford, without hesitation, readmarch'din

"Let fury then disperse these clouds, in whichI long havemask'ddisguised."

"Let fury then disperse these clouds, in which

I long havemask'ddisguised."

Mass. Bondman, v. 3.

"I will assay thee, andsodefend thyself."

"Well, I cannot lastforever."

"And so both the degrees prevent my curses."

Collier's folio hasdiseasesfor 'degrees.'

"Yes, if this present quality of war...."

There may be a line lost here; I make in preference an aposiopesis.

"The plot of situation, and the model."

I readdrawor 'anddraw' for 'and.'

"In fewer offices, at least desist."

Capell proposed 'atlast.'

"Gives o'er, and leaves his part-created cost."

For 'cost' we should perhaps readhouseor some such word; yet in Son. xiv.costseems to be used in the sense of costly edifice.

"They that, when Richard lived, would have him die,Are now become enamour'd on his grave."

"They that, when Richard lived, would have him die,

Are now become enamour'd on his grave."

It might be better to read 'Thou, wouldest,' and 'Art,' to accord with the rest of the speech.

"Threw many a northern look, to see his fatherBring up his powers, but he did long in vain."

"Threw many a northern look, to see his father

Bring up his powers, but he did long in vain."

I suspect that the poet wrotelook, not 'long.'

"Feel, masters, how I shake."

From Doll's reply, and the fact of Falstaff's being the only man present, I incline to think that we should readmistressfor 'masters.' See on Tam. of Shr. i. 2.

"Se fortuna me tormenta,bensperato me contenta."

By simply addingbenwe get rid of all difficulty without altering the text, as is usually done.

"And, sweetheart, lie thou there."

So Cavalier Shift in Jonson's Every Man out, etc. iii. 1, says to his rapier "No,my dear, I will not be divorced from thee."

"With deafening clamour in the slippery clouds."

What the poet seems to mean is, that the billows though hung in the clouds, would not adhere to them, on account of their slippery nature, but fell back into the sea.Shrouds, the reading of Collier's folio, seems poor and trivial.

"Then, happy low, lie down."

For 'low, lie down,' Warburton readlowly clown. But it is of a ship-boy the poet is speaking, and he would hardly make so sudden a transition.

"Led on by bloody youth, guarded with rageAnd countenanc'd by boys and beggary."

"Led on by bloody youth, guarded with rage

And countenanc'd by boys and beggary."

There may be some doubt about 'bloody'; for 'rage' Sidney Walker and Collier's folio readrags, which seems confirmed by the following line.

"Turning your books to graves, your ink to blood."

For 'graves' Warburton and Hanmer readglaives, Steevens,greaves. Neither of these words occurs in Shakespeare, and I rather suspect that the poet's word wasbraves,i.e.bravadoes, boasts. "I will not bear thesebravesof thine" (Tam. of Shr. iii. 1). "Now where's the Bastard'sbraves?" (1 Hen. VI. iii. 2).

"And are enforc'd from our most quiet there."

For 'there' Warburton readsphere; perhaps we might readhaven. But, as in Lear (i. 1) we have "Thou losestherea betterwhereto find," 'there' is probably the poet's word, both it,hereandwherebeing used as nouns signifying place.

"My brother-general the commonwealth ...To brother-born a household crueltyI make my quarrel in particular."

"My brother-general the commonwealth ...

To brother-born a household cruelty

I make my quarrel in particular."

The second line is not in the folio, and there may be, as some critics think, a line lost; but my punctuation removes all difficulty. We have only to understandmakes his quarrel; yet how strangely critics have puzzled over this not very difficult passage! We should perhaps read 'generals'; for Hastings and Bardolph seem to have equal authority with Mowbray. Lord Scroop had been put to death at Bristol, 1 Hen. IV. i. 3.

"And bless'd and grac'd, and did more than the kingaffect."

Thirlby conjecturedindeedfor 'and did.' I rather think there was, as usual, an effacement at the end of the line.

"Every thing set offThat might so much as think you enemies."

"Every thing set off

That might so much as think you enemies."

This is a strange use of 'think'; we should perhaps readhint, were it not that this verb does not occur in Shakespeare.

"And present execution of our willsTo us and to our purposes confin'd."

"And present execution of our wills

To us and to our purposes confin'd."

For 'confin'd' Hanmer readconfirm'd; Johnson,consign'd. I confess I do not clearly understand the passage.

"That were our royal faiths martyrs in love."

Hanmer and Johnson readloyal; but Malone makes a good defence of 'royal.'

"No, no, my lord. Note this, the king is weary ofSuchdainty and such picking grievances."

"No, no, my lord. Note this, the king is weary of

Suchdainty and such picking grievances."

I think it was thus the poet wrote, but thatsuchwas effaced and then 'of' transposed on account of the metre.

"You have taken upUnder the counterfeited zeal of God,The subjects of his substitute, my father."

"You have taken up

Under the counterfeited zeal of God,

The subjects of his substitute, my father."

I would readseal, in which I am supported by Sidney Walker and Collier's folio. In iv. 1 we have

"That you should seal this lawless bloody bookOf forged rebellion with asealdivine."

"That you should seal this lawless bloody book

Of forged rebellion with asealdivine."

"As he, whose brow with homely biggin bound."

For 'whose,' I read without hesitation,who,his, probably writtenwho's.

"Changes the mode; for what in me was purchas'd."

Collier's folio readspurchase, which is very plausible.

"And all thy friends whom thou must make thy friends."

This is nonsense, produced in the usual way (Introd. p.64). Tyrwhitt proposed 'myfriends,'i.e.those who are regarded as such. For the first 'my friends,' we may readmy,thy, orthe foes.

"True: those that wereyour father's enemies,Have steep'd their galls in honey and do serve youWith hearts create of duty and of zeal."

"True: those that wereyour father's enemies,

Have steep'd their galls in honey and do serve you

With hearts create of duty and of zeal."

Hen. V. ii. 2.

"I cut them off."

Mason's readingsomeseems to be certain.

"And never shall you see that I shall begA ragged and forestall'd remission."

"And never shall you see that I shall beg

A ragged and forestall'd remission."

This last line is difficult. By 'ragged' seems to be meant mean, unworthy, paltry; or it may be the same asrugged, and denote the roughness with which his application would be received; and by 'forestall'd' what has been anticipated, prevented by the efforts of his enemies. Massinger usesforestall'd remissiontwice apparently in this sense: Duke of Milan, iii. 1, Bondman, iii. 4.

"'Tis all in every part."

I think Warburton may have been right in reading "'Tisall in all, and all in every part." "Some say she's all in all, and all in every part" (Davis, Nosce Teipsum); "she's all in all, and all in every part" (Drayton, Mortim. 1596); "tota in toto, et tota in qualibet parte" (Phœnix Nest, 1593)—all of the soul. Shakespeare may have read most or all of these passages.

"Cant.The King is full of grace and fair regard,And a true lover of the Holy Church.Ely.The courses of his youth promis'd it not.Cant.The breath no sooner left his father's body," etc.

"Cant.The King is full of grace and fair regard,And a true lover of the Holy Church.

"Cant.The King is full of grace and fair regard,

And a true lover of the Holy Church.

Ely.The courses of his youth promis'd it not.

Cant.The breath no sooner left his father's body," etc.

It is really marvellous that for two centuries and a half no critic—not even Theobald or Tyrwhitt—should have discerned that this was the true distribution of the speeches. See Introd. p.48.

"Upon our spiritual convocation."

This is no doubt metrical; but it is not easy to make sense of it. I suspect that the poet may have written 'Uponthe part of,' the verse still being metrical.

"They know your Grace has cause and means and might ..."

There is an evident aposiopesis.

"To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner-kings,And make their chronicle as rich with praise," etc.

"To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner-kings,

And make their chronicle as rich with praise," etc.

Collier's folio reads (I think, well)trainfor 'fame,' andhisorherfor 'their.'

"To tear and havoc more than she can eat."

'Tear' is Rowe's; the 4tos havespoil, the foliotame.

"For government, though high and low and lower."

It might seem that 'though' was a misprint forthrough. In M. for M. iii. 1, the folio hasthroughforthough.

"They have a king and officers ofallsorts."

"And therefore living hence did give ourselvesTo barbarous licence."

"And therefore living hence did give ourselves

To barbarous licence."

We should surely readthenceorherefor 'hence.'

"Be like a king and show my sail of greatness."

Perhaps 'sail' should befull; or 'my sail'me full.

"Chor.Linger your patience on, and we'll digestThe abuse of distance, force a play."

"Chor.Linger your patience on, and we'll digest

The abuse of distance, force a play."

Here 'Linger' is a causative verb. (Introd. p.71). Editors, in their ignorance of the meaning of 'digest,' to regulate, arrange, readwell. By 'abuse of distance' is meant the abuse we make of it by transporting the audience from one country to another. For 'force a play,' which makes no sense, and to complete the measure, I read 'as weforge ourplay,'as webeing, I am almost certain, the omitted words;forgeis frequent in the sense of shape, form. The confusion ofour—therbeing hardly sounded—andawas natural; it occurs again, I think, in 2 Hen. VI. iv. 1. At the end of this Chorus we have "We'll not offend one stomach withour play," where, by the way, the allusion is to sea-sickness.

"The sum is paid, the traitors are agreed."

This line is out of place. In my Edition I have put it after "Confirm'd conspiracy," etc., evidently its right place.

"But till the King come forth—and not till then."

For the first 'till,' caused in the usual manner, I readere; for it is just before the King appears that the scene changes.

"There shall be smiles."

Farmer and Collier's folio readsmites. "Norfolk, we must have knocks" (R. III. v. 3). In Ant. and Cleop. iii. 2, we have alsosmileforsmite. See also Tr. and Cr. v. 11.

"And there's an end."

The 4tos read "And there's the humour of it," which is perhaps better.

"O well a day, Lady, if he be not hewn now."

Theobald readsdrawnfor 'hewn,' but no change seems necessary; for 'hewn' isi. q.hewing. It may also have been meant to show her ignorance of language.

"Will you shog offnow? I would have yousolus."

"And on his more advice we pardon him."

Collier's folio properly readsourfor 'his.'

"Who are the late commissioners?"

As they were future, 'late' can hardly be right.

"To furnishhimwith all appertinents."

The 2nd folio suppliedhim.

"And other devils that suggest by treasons."

He may have writtenbye-treasons.

"With patches, colours, and with forms being fetch'd."

It might be better to omit 'being.'

"Why so didst thou;orseem they grave and learned."

"For me, the gold of France did not seduceme."

"Which I, in sufferance, heartily will rejoiceat."

"And 'a babbled of green fields."

The folio reads 'anda tableof green fields'; the text is the correction of Theobald, which has been universally accepted; yettalktwould come nearer totablethan 'babbled,' and it also better suits the metre; in which I find I had been anticipated by an Anon.ap.Theobald. The Dame afterwards says he "talkedof the Whore of Babylon." Collier's folio reads 'for his nose was as sharp as a penona table of greenfreeze,' which is ingenious, but nothing more. The nib of a pen in such a situation is usually black, and so does not strike the eye. 'A table of greenfells' has also been conjectured. It has been supposed that Falstaff's mind was wandering, and so may have reverted to his youthful days in the country. But may not he, who must have been a man of some education, have been repeating the 23rd Psalm (so well suited to one in his condition), in which are the words "He maketh me to lie down ingreen pastures"?

"Whiles that his mountain sire—on mountain standing."

We have already had (i. 2), "Whiles his most mighty father on a hill;" and 'mighty' might be the word here also, instead of the almost oriental 'mountain,' suggested by what followed.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,Or fill the walls up with our English dead."

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,

Or fill the walls up with our English dead."

Johnson thought that a line was lost here. I would addIn, in!at the end of the first line, and read 'to' for 'unto,' the printer's word. Introd. p.67.

"Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters."

'Defile' is Pope's correction ofdesirein the folio; and it probably is right. It makes very good sense.

"Can sodden waterA drench for surrein'd steeds, their barley broth," etc.

"Can sodden water

A drench for surrein'd steeds, their barley broth," etc.

For 'surrein'd' the 4tos readswolne. Steevens quotes from Jack Drum's Entertainment, 1601:—

"Writes he not a good cordial sappy style?—Asurrein'djaded wit, but he rubs on."

"Writes he not a good cordial sappy style?—

Asurrein'djaded wit, but he rubs on."

'Surrein'd' may mean overriden. In Massinger we have,

"Let passion work, or, like ahot-rein'dhorse,'Twill quickly tire itself."

"Let passion work, or, like ahot-rein'dhorse,

'Twill quickly tire itself."

Unnat. Comb. iv. 2.

Shakespeare may, however, have writtensurbeat, or some other word.

"Poormaywe call them in their native lords."

Sense and metre seem to requiremay.

"They bid usgoto the English dancing-schools."

"And for achievement offer us his ransom."

Mr. Staunton proposes 'foreachievement'; but no change need be made.

"Which they trick up with new-tuned oaths."

For 'tuned' Pope readturned; Collier's foliocoined.

"The Dolphin longs forthemorning."

The metre requires a syllable.

Chor."Thawing cold fear. Then, mean and gentle all."

'Then' is Theobald's correction, and a true and good one, ofthatof the folio. See Introd. p.68.

"Subjectunto the breath of every fool."

"What is thy soul of adoration?"

It would seem better to readsource. Johnson read 'Oadoration!'

"Hene'er sees horrid Night, the child of Hell," etc.

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