CRITICAL NOTES.

ACT 1., SCENE I.

Page 8. Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long. - So Pope. The old text has "King Henry the Fift." Perhaps it were better to read King Henry Fifth," as Walker suggests.

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P. 10. When at their mother's moist eyes babes shall suck. — So the second folio. The first has "moistned eyes."

P. 10. Our isle be made a marish of salt tears. The original has Nourish instead of marish. Corrected by Pope. Lettsom thinks the author had in mind Ezekiel, xlvii. 11, thus translated in the Bible of 1578: "But the myrie places thereof, and the marises thereof shall not be wholesome: they shall be made salt-pits."

P. 10. A far more glorious star thy soul will make

Than Julius Cæsar or bright Berenice.

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The original has a blank instead of Berenice, which was added by Johnson, and is strongly approved by Walker. Probably, as Malone observes, the blank arose from the transcriber's or compositor's not being able to make out the name."

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P. 10. Guienne, Champagne, Rheims, Rouen, Orleans. - The original omits Rouen, which Capell supplied from Gloster's next speech.

P. II. One would have lingering wars, with little cost;
Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;

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So the sec

A third man thinks, without expense at all, &c. ond folio. The first has "A third thinkes." Dyce reads " And a third thinks."

P. 11. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,

These tidings would call forth their flowing tides. - So Theobald. The old text has "her flowing Tides." A palpable error.

P. 12. Having scarce full six thousand in his troop. - The original reads "Having full scarce six thousand." Rowe's correction.

P. 12. Here, there, and everywhere, enraged he flew.· has slew instead of flew.

Corrected by Rowe.

-The original

P. 13. If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward. — Here, and throughout the play, the original misprints Falstaffe. The error is readily corrected from Holinshed.

So Mason and Col

P. 14. The King from Eltham I intend to steal, And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. lier's second folio. The original has send instead of steal.

ACT I., SCENE 2.

P. 15. The whiles the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, &c.— So Capell and Collier's second folio. The old text has " Otherwhiles, the famisht English."

P. 15. Let's raise the siege: why lie we idly here? So Walker. The original has live instead of lie. The two words were often confounded.

P. 15. Him I forgive my death that killeth me
When he sees me go back one foot or flee.

- The old text has flye instead of flee. Corrected from Collier's second folio.

P. 16. And hunger will enforce them be more eager. — The old text reads "enforce them to be." The Poet very often omits to in such

cases.

P. 18. Heaven and our gracious Lady hath it pleased

To shine on my contemptible estate.

- The old text reads " our

Lady gracious." Walker says, "Surely, our gracious Lady.?"

P. 18. Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side. has fine for five. Holinshed corrects the error.

P. 18. Then come, o' God's name; I do fear no woman. So

Walker. The old text reads "I fear."

P. 20. How may I reverent worship thee enough? — The old text has reverently. Capell substituted ever, which Lettsom says "is required for the sense as well as for the metre."

ACT I., SCENE 3.

P. 20. Who's there that knocketh so imperiously? — So Theobald. The old text has knocks.

P. 21. We'll burst them open, if you come not quickly. — So Pope. The old text reads " Or wee'le burst them open, if that you come not quickly."

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P. 24. Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst. The original reads

as e'er thou canst, cry": where cry was evidently meant as a stagedirection, but got misprinted, ut sæpe, as a part of the text.

P. 24. Gloster, we'll meet; to thy dear cost, be sure. — folio. The first lacks dear.

P. 24. Abominable Gloster! guard thy head;

So the second

For I intend to have it off ere long. — So Collier's second folio. The old copies omit off. It may be well to remark here, that the Protector's name is sometimes two syllables and sometimes three, Gloster and Gloucester; and that I print it Gloucester where the verse requires it so, though in the original it is uniformly printed Gloster.

P. 24. Good God, that nobles should such stomachs bear! - So Rowe. The old text has these instead of that.

ACT I., SCENE 4.

P. 25. The Prince's 'spials have informèd me

How th' English, in the suburbs close intrench'd,

Wont, through a secret grate of iron bars

In yonder tower, to overpeer the city. - The old text has Went

instead of Wont. Corrected by Tyrwhitt.

P. 26. The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner. -The original reads "The Earle of Bedford"; an obvious error.

P. 26. Rather than I would be so vile-esteem'd. — The original has "be so pil'd esteem'd."

P. 27. Here, through this secret grate, I count each one, And view the Frenchmen how they fortify. So Dyce, having in view the previous line, "Wont, through a secret grate of iron bars," &c. The original lacks secret; and the second folio completes the verse thus: "Here, through this grate I can count every one."

P. 28. Plantagenet, I will; and, Nero-like,

Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn. - Here Nero-like is from the second folio. Instead of "and, Nero-like," the first folio has" and like thee." Walker conjectures" and, like the Roman."

P. 29. Convey me Salisbury into his tent:

Then try we what these dastard Frenchmen dare. — The original reads "And then wee'le try what." The reading in the text was proposed by Steevens. Walker proposes "And then try what."

ACT I., SCENE 5.

P. 30. Go, go cheer up thy hunger-starvèd men.- The original has "thy hungry-starved men."

P. 30. Sheep run not half so timorous from the wolf. — The old text has treacherous instead of timorous, which is Pope's correction.

P. 31. Rescued is Orleans from the English wolves:

Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word.

Char. Divinest creature, bright Astræa's daughter,

How shall I honour thee for this success?- So the second folio. The original lacks wolves in the first line, and bright in the third. Some editors still follow the first folio on the ground that English and creature are trisyllables here.

P. 31. Why ring not out the bells throughout the town?

Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires.- So Pope. The original reads "Why ring not out the Bells alowd, Throughout the Towne ?"

P. 31. A statelier pyramis to her I'll rear

Than Rhodope's of Memphis ever was. - The old text reads "Then Rhodophe's or Memphis ever was." The correction is Capell's. I suspect it should be "Rhodope's at Memphis"; for, in fact, Rhodope was not of that city, but of Thrace. Ritson notes upon the passage thus: "The meaning is—not that Rhodope herself was of Memphis, but that her pyramis was there. 'I will rear to her,' says the Dauphin, ‘a pyramid more stately than that of Memphis, which was called Rhodope's.' Pliny says the pyramids were six miles from that city; and that the fairest and most commended for workmanship was built at the cost and charges of one Rhodope, a verie strumpet.'" See foot-note 4.

ACT II., SCENE 1.

P. 34. Bed. Agreed: I'll to yond corner.
Bur.

I to this.

Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave. — The original reads, in the second speech, "And I to this." I have no doubt that And is an interpolation, as Dyce suggests. Pope omitted it.

ACT II., SCENE 4.

P. 42. Then say at once if I maintain'd the truth;

Or, else, was wrangling Somerset in error? — The original reads "in th' error." See foot-note 2.

P. 44. I scorn thee and thy faction, peevish boy. -The original has fashion instead of faction. Corrected by Theobald.

P. 47. Thanks, gentle sir. So the second folio. The first lacks

sir.

ACT II., SCENE 5.

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P. 48. Richard Plantagenet, friend, is he come?
Plantagenet, my friend." Corrected by Hanmer.

P. 49. I will, if that my failing breath permit. So Walker. The old copies have "my fading breath."