For thousands more, that yet fufpect no peril, And you, my fovereign lady, with the reft; Ay, all of you have laid your heads together; I fhall not want falfe witnefs to condemn me, Car. My Liege, his railing is intolerable. Falfe allegations, to o'erthrow his ftate. Q. Mar. But I can give the lofer leave to chide. Glo. Far truer spoke than meant; I lose indeed; Befhrew the winners, for they play'd me false; And well fuch lofers may have leave to speak. Buck. He'll wreft the fenfe, and hold us here all day. -Lord Cardinal, he is your prifoner. 5 Liefeft is dearest. Car. Car. Sirs, take away the Duke, and guard him fure. Glo. Ah, thus King Henry throws away his crutch, Before his legs be firm to bear his body; Thus is the fhepherd beaten from thy fide, And wolves are gnarling, who fhall knaw thee first. For, good King Henry, thy decay I fear. [Exit guarded. SCENE III. K. Henry. My Lords, what to your wisdom seemeth best, Do or undo as if ourself were here. Q. Mar. What, will your Highness leave the Par liament ? K. Henry. Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with grief, Whose Hood begins to flow within my eyes, For what's more miferable than difcontent? And as the Butcher takes away the Calf, And binds the wretch, and beats it when it ftrays.] But how can it fray when it is bound? The Poet certainly intended, when it frives; i. e. when it 6 Bearing it to the bloody flaughter-house ; His fortunes I will weep, and 'twixt each groan [Exit. Q. Mar. 7 Free Lords, cold fnow melts with the fun's hot beams; Henry my Lord is cold in great affairs, ther, fo that frive is the beft 7 Free Lords, &c.-] By this fhe means, (as may be feen by the fequel) you, who are not bound up to fuch precife regards of religion as is the King; but are men of the World, and know how to live. WARBURTON. And And yet we have but trivial argument, * York. 'Tis York, that hath more reafon for his death. But, my Lord Cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk, Say as you think, and fpeak it from your fouls; Wer't not all one, an empty eagle were fet To guard the chicken from a hungry kite, As place Duke Humphry for the King's protector? Q. Mar. So the poor chicken fhould be fure of death. Suf. Madam, 'tis true; and wer't not madness, then, To make the fox furveyor of the fold? Who being accus'd a crafty murderer, His guilt hould be but idly pofted over, Because his purpose is not executed. 8 No; let him die, in that he is a fox, By Nature prov'd an enemy to the flock, Before his chaps be ftain'd with crimson blood, As Humphry prov'd by reafons to my Liege; And do not stand on quillets how to slay him, Be it by ginns, by fnares, by fubtilty, Sleeping or waking, 'tis no matter how, 'Tis York that hath more reafon for his death.] Why York had more reafon than the reft for defiring Humphry's death, is not very clear; he had only decided thedeliberation about the regency of France in favour of Somerfet. 8 No; let him die, in that he is a fox By Nature prov'd an enemy to the flock, Before his chaps be fain'd with crimson blood, As Humphry prov'd by reasons to my Liege.] The meaning of the fpeaker is not hard to be difcovered, but his expreffion is very much perplexed. He means that the fox may be lawfully killed, as being known to be by nature an enemy to fheep, even before he has actually killed them; fo Humphry may be properly deftroyed, as being proved by arguments to be the king's enemy, before he has committed any actual crime. Some may be tempted to read treafons for reafons, but the drift of the argument is to fhew that there may be reafon to kill him before any treafon has broken out. So he be dead; for that is good deceit Which mates him firft, that firft intends deceit. And to preferve my Sovereign from his foe, Car. But I would have him dead, my Lord of Ere you can take due orders for a priest.. Say you confent, and cenfure well the deed, I tender fo the fafety of my Liege, Suf. Here is my hand, the deed is worthy doing. York. And I. And now we three have spoke it, Poft. Great Lords, from Ireland am I come amain To fignify that Rebels there are up, And put the Englishmen unto the fword. Send fuccours, Lords, and stop the rage betime, For being green, there is great hope of help. Car. A breach, that craves a quick expedient ftop! -What counsel give you in this weighty cause? York. That Somerfet be fent a Regent thither: 'Tis meet, that lucky ruler be employ'd; Witnefs the fortune he hath had in France, 9 I will be his priest.] I will be the attendant on his laft fcene, I will be the laft man whom he will fee. And cenfure well the deed.] That is, approve the deed; judge the deed good. + It fkills not. It is of noim. portance. Som. |