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Prince. That Julius Cæfar was a famous man; With what his valour did enrich his wit,

ry him away. Befides he has never a wooden dagger.

1

M. That was the old way, Goffip, when Iniquity came in like Hocas Pocas, in a Jugler's Jerkin, with falfe fkirts like the Knave of Clubs.

And, in The Devil's an Afs, we fee this old Vice, Iniquity, defcribed more at large.

From all this, it may be ga-
ther'd, that the text, where
Richard compares himself to the
formal Vice Iniquity, must be cor-
rupt: And the interpolation of
fome foolish player. The Vice
or Iniquity being not a formal,
but a merry, buffoon character.
Befides, Shakespear could never
make an exact speaker refer to
this character, because the fub-
ject he is upon is Tradition and
Antiquity, which have no relation
to it; and because it appears
from the turn of the paffage,
that he is apologizing for his e-
quivocation by a reputable prac-
tice. To keep the reader no
longer in fufpence my conjecture,
is, that Shake/pear wrote and
pointed the lines in this manner,
Thus like the FORMAL-WISE
Antiquity

I moralize: Two meanings in
one word.

Alluding to the Mythologic learn-
ing of the antients, of whom
they are all here fpeaking. So
that Richard's ironical apology
is to this effect, You men of
morals who fo much extol your
allwife antiquity, in what am I
inferior to it? which was but an

His

And it is

equivocator as I am.
remarkable, that the Greeks them-
felves called their remote anti-
quity, Axóubos or the equivo

cator.

So far as to the general fenfe; as to that which arifes particularly out of the corrected expreffion, I fhall only obferve that formal-wife is a compound epithet, an extreme fine one, and admirably fitted to the character of the fpeaker, who thought all wisdom but formality. It must therefore be read for the future with a hyphen. My other obfervation is with regard to the pointing; the common reading,

I moralize two meaningsis nonfenfe: but reformed in this. manner, very sensible, Thus like the formal-wife Antiquity

I moralize: Two meanings in one word.

i. e.
did.

J.

I moralize as the antients And how was that? the having two meanings to one word. A ridicule on the morality of the antients, which he infinuates was no better than equiVocating. WARBURTON.

This alteration Mr. Upton very juftly cenfures. Dr. Warburton has, in my opinion, done nothing but correct the punctuation, if indeed any alteration be really neceffary. See the differtation on the old Vice at the end of this play.

To this long collection of notes may be added a question, to what equivocation Richard

re

His wit fet down to make his valour live.
Death makes no conqueft of this conqueror ;
For now he lives in fame, though not in life.
-I'll tell you what, my coufin Buckingham.
Buck. What, my gracious Lord?

Prince. An if I live until I be a man,
I'll win our ancient Right in France again,
Or die a foldier, as I liv'd a King.

2

Glo. Short fummer lightly has a forward fpring.

Enter York, Haftings, and Archbishop.

[Afide.

Buck. Now in good time here comes the duke of York.

Prince. Richard of York, how fares our noble

brother?

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York. Well, my dread Lord, fo muft I call you

now.

Prince. Ay, brother, to our grief, as it is yours; Too late he dy'd that might have kept that title, Which by his death hath loft much majesty.

Glo. How fares our Coufin, noble Lord of York? York. I thank you, gentle Uncle. O my Lord, You faid, that idle weeds are fast in growth, The Prince my brother hath outgrown me far. Glo. He hath, my Lord.

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York. And therefore is he idle?

Glo. Oh, my fair Coufin, I muft not fay fo. York. Then is he more beholden to you than I. Glo. He may command me as my Sovereign, But you have pow'r in me, as in a kinfman.

York. I pray you, Uncle, give me this your dagger.
Glo. My dagger, little coufin? with all my heart.
Prince. A beggar, brother?

York. Of my kind Uncle, that I know will give;
And being but a toy, which is no gift to give.
Glo. A greater gift than that I'll give my coufin.
York. A greater gift? O, that's the fword to it.
Glo. Ay, gentle Coufin, were it light enough.
York. Ó, then I fee, you'll part but with light gifts;
In weightier things you'll fay a beggar nay.
Glo. It is too weighty for your Grace to wear.
York, I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.

Glo. What would you have my weapon, little Lord? York. I would, that I might thank you, as you call

me.

Glo. How?

York. Little.

Prince. My Lord of York will still be cross in talk Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him. York. You mean to bear me, not to bear with me; Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me. ? Because that I am little like an ape,

And being but a toy which is no gift to give.] This is the reading of the quartos; the firft folio reads,

And being but a toy, which is

no grief to give.

This reading made a little more metrical, has been followed, I think erroneously, by all the edi

tors.

• I weigh it lightly, &c.] . e. I fhould fill efteem it but a trifling gift were it heavier. But

the Oxford Editor reads,

I'd weigh it lightly, i. e. I could manage it, tho' it were heavier. WARBURTON. 7 Because that I am little like

an ape.] The reproach feems to confift in this: at country fhews it was common to fet the monkey on the back of fome other animal, as a Bear. The Duke, therefore, in calling himfelf Ape, calls his uncle Bear.

He thinks, that you should bear me on your fhoulders.
Buck. With what a fharp-provided wit he reafons!
To mitigate the fcorn he gives his Uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself;
So cunning, and fo young, is wonderful.
Glo. My Lord, will't please you pass along?
Myfelf, and my good coufin Buckingham
Will to your mother, to entreat of her
To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you.
York. What will you go unto the Tower, my
Lord ?

Prince. My Lord Protector, needs will have it fo.
York. I fhall not fleep in quiet at the Tower.
Glo. Why, what fhould you fear?

York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghoft;
My Grandam told me, he was murther'd there.
Prince. I fear no Uncles dead.

Glo. Nor none that live, I hope.

Prince. An if they live, I hope, I need not fear. -But come, my Lord, and with a heavy heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.

[Exeunt Prince, York, Haftings and Dorfet.

SCENE II.

Manent Gloucefter, Buckingham, and Catesby.

Buck: Think you, my Lord, this little prating York Was not incenfed by his fubtle mother

To taunt and fcorn you thus opprobriously?

Gle. No doubt, no doubt. Oh, 'tis a per'lous boy, Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable;

He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.

Buck. Well, let them reft. Come, Catesby, thou

art fworn

As deeply to effect what we intend,

As clofely to conceal what we impart.

Thou know'ft our reafons urg'd upon the way;

What

What think'ft thou? is it not an easy matter
To make Lord William Haftings of our mind,
For the inftalment of this noble Duke
In the feat royal of this famous ifle?

Cates. He for his father's fake fo loves the Prince,
That he will not be won to aught against him.
Buck. What think'ft thou then of Stanley? will
not he?

Catef. He will do all in all as Hastings doth.

Buck. Well then, no more than this. Go, gentle
Catesby,

And, as it were far off, found thou Lord Haftings
How he doth stand affected to our purpose;
And fummon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To fit about the coronation.

If thou doft find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our Reasons;
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou fo too, and fo break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination;
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,
Wherein thyself fhalt highly be employ'd.

Glo. Commend me to Lord William; tell him,
Catesby,

His ancient knot of dangerous adverfaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give miftrefs Shore one gentle kifs the more.

Buck. Good Catesby, go, effect this bufinefs foundly.
Cates. My good Lords both, with all the heed I can.
Glo. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we fleep?
Catef. You fhall, my Lord.

Glo. At Crosby-place, there you fhall find us both. [Exit Catesby. Buck. My Lord, what fhall we do, if we perceive,

Divided counfels.] That is, a private confultation, feparate from the known and publick VOL. V.

council. So, in the next scene,
Haftings fays, Bid him not fear
the feparated councils.
U

Lord

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