YORK. Thou fond mad woman, Wilt thou conceal this dark confpiracy? A dozen of them here have ta'en the facrament, And interchangeably fet down their hands, To kill the king at Oxford.+ DUCH. He shall be none; We'll keep him here: Then what is that to him? Fond woman! were he twenty times my fon, DUCH. Hadft thou groan'd for him, As I have done, thou'dft be more pitiful. But now I know thy mind; thou doft fufpect, And that he is a baftard, not thy fon: Sweet York, fweet husband, be not of that mind: Not like to me, or any of my kin, YORK. Make way, unruly woman. [Exit. DUCH. After, Aumerle; mount thee upon his horfe ; Spur, poft; and get before him to the king, To kill the king at Oxford.] That the dukes of Exeter and Surry, and the Earl of Salisbury entered into a confpiracy for this purpofe is unquestionable; but Hall's narrative, copied by Holinfhed and Sir John Hayward, is by no means to be depended upon. Aumerle, in particular, is not charged by any contemporary writer, unless it be the writer of a romance, as having the leaft concern in it. See a Requiem to the Confpirators," in A Collection of Ancient Songs, lately published, where may be found an authentic account of the plot from writers of authority. RITSON, I doubt not but to ride as faft as York: [Exeunt. SCENE III. Windfor. A Room in the Caftle. Enter BOLINGBROKE as King; PERCY, and other Lords. BOLING. Can no man tell of my unthrifty fon? 'Tis full three months, fince I did see him last :— If any plague hang over us, 'tis he. I would to God, my lords, he might be found: Enquire at London, 'mongst the taverns there,' For there, they say, he daily doth frequent, With unrestrained loofe companions; Even fuch, they say, as stand in narrow lanes, And beat our watch, and rob our paffengers; While he, young, wanton, and effeminate boy, Takes on the point of honour, to fupport So diffolute a crew. PERCY. My lord, fome two days fince I faw the prince; And told him of these triumphs held at Oxford. 5 Enquire at London, &c.] This is a very proper introduction to the future character of Henry the Fifth, to his debaucheries in his youth, and his greatness in his manhood. JOHNSON. Shakspeare feldom attended to chronology. The prince was at this time but twelve years old, for he was born in 1388, and the confpiracy on which the prefent fcene is formed, was discovered in the beginning of the year 1400.-He fcarcely frequented taverns or stews at fo early an age. MALONE. 6 While be,] All the old copies read-Which he. STEEVENS. The correction was made by Mr. Pope. MALONE, BOLING. And what faid the gallant? PERCY. His anfwer was,-he would unto the stews; And from the common'ft creature pluck a glove," BOLING. As diffolute, as defperate: yet, through both 8 I fee fome sparkles of a better hope, AUM. Enter AUMERLE, haftily. Where is the king? BOLING. What means Our cousin, that he ftares and looks fo wildly? AUM. God fave your grace. I do beseech your majesty, To have fome conference with your grace alone. BOLING. Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone.- [Exeunt PERCY and Lords. What is the matter with our coufin now? 7-pluck a glove,] So, in Promos and Caffandra, 1578, Lamia, the ftrumpet, fays: "Who loves me once is lymed to my heaft: My colour fome, and fome fhall wear my glove." Again, in The Shoemaker's Holyday, or Gentle Craft, 1600; "Or fhall I undertake fome martial sport Wearing your glove at turney or at tilt, "And tell how many gallants I unhors'd?" STEEVENS. I fee fome fparkles of a better hope,] The folio reads: fparks of better hope. The quarto, 1615: fparkles of better hope. STEEVENS. The first quarto has-fparkes of better hope. The article was inferted by Mr. Steevens. MALONE. |