VARIOUS READINGS.

"My masters, let's stand close: my lord protector will come this way, by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in sequel."

The original has "in the quill." Some commentators have made a difficulty about this expression; but Steevens suggested that "in the quill" meant written or penn'd supplications; as we say, "in print.” Mr. Dyce would read "in the coil." Mr. Collier's MS. Corrector has sequel.

(ACT I., Sc. 3.)

We always adopted the original reading; and agree with Mr. Richard Grant White, the author of 'Shakespeare's Scholar,' that the text should not be disturbed.

"My staff? here noble Henry is my staff:
To think I fain would keep it makes me laugh."

The new line in Italic is given in Mr. Collier's MS. corrections. Queen Margaret's previous speech of four lines has been turned into rhyme, by the substitution of one word for another.

(ACT II., Sc. 3.)

The broken-hearted Protector has just seen his wife banished: "Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief."

Is the new line suited to the situa
tion or the character?

"Old Salisbury, who can report of him?
That winter lion, who in rage forgets
Aged contusions and all bruise of time,
And, like a gallant in the bloom of youth,
Repairs her with occasion."

The original has-"Of Salisbury"-"brush of time" and "brow of youth." Mr. Collier calls these "three errors," and substitutes the lines above.

(ACT V., Sc. 3.)

Steevens rejected the corrections, which were proposed before Mr. Collier's folio was discovered. "Brush of time" has a precedent in Timon,' and in Troilus and Cressida,' and "brow of youth," -meaning the general air of the countenance, occurs in Lear.'

GLOSSARY.

AFFY. Act IV., Sc. 1.

"For daring to affy a mighty lord."

To affy is to betroth, to affiance.

ALDER-LIEFEST. Act I., Sc. 1.

"With you mine alder-liefest sovereign."

Alder, the Anglo-Saxon genitive case of all, is frequently joined with an adjective of the superlative degree-as alder first, alder-most. Liefest, or levest, is the superlative of lefe, leve (from leof, love), dear, dearest of all.

"And twice by awkward wind from England's bank." The epithet of awkward, as applied to wind, has been used by Marlowe and Drayton.

BARGULUS. Act IV., Sc. 1.

66

Bargulus, the strong Illyrian pirate."

Cicero, 'Officia,' lib. ii., cap. xi., mentions “Bargulus, Illyrius latro."

BEARS. Act V., Sc. 1.

"My two brave bears."

The cognizance of the Nevils was the bear and ragged staff. BEAT. Act II., Sc. 1.

"Thine eyes and thoughts

Beat on a crown.'

That is, are intent on a crown. This fine expression is eluci
dated by a similar one in 'The Tempest' (Act V., Sc. 1)-
"Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business."

BEZONIANS. Act. IV., Sc. 1.

"Great men oft die by vile bezonians."

Bezonian, probably from the Italian bisognoso, a poor or mean person, was used, as a term of contempt. In 'Henry IV., Part II.' (Act V., Sc. 3), Pistol says

"Under which king, Bezonian?"

BILLS. Act IV., Sc. 7.

"Take up commodities upon our bills."

This is a play upon the double meaning of bills the bills of

Cade were the brown bills of the rabble soldiery, not written bills of debt on the merchants of London.

BLOODLESS. Act III., Sc. 2.

"Meagre, pale, and bloodless,

Being all descended to the labouring heart."

By a licence of construction, bloodless the adjective, includes the substantive blood, which has "all descended to the labouring heart."

CADE. Act IV., Sc. 2.

"Stealing a cade of herrings.”

Cade, from the Latin cadus, was a keg or cask. CALYDON. Act I., Sc. 1.

"As did the fatal brand Althea burn'd,

Unto the prince's heart of Calydon."

The prince of Calydon was Meleager, whose life depended on the preservation of a firebrand, which Althea, his mother, threw into the flames and destroyed.

CEASE. Act V., Sc. 2.

"Particularities and petty sounds to cease!"

Cease is here used actively-to stop.

CENSURE.

Act I., Sc. 3.

"To give his censure."

To censure is to give an opinion. See 'Henry VI., Part I.' CHARNECO. Act II., Sc. 3.

"Here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco."

Charneco was a kind of sweet wine.

CORSIVE. Act III., Sc. 2.

"Though parting be a fretful corsive."

Corsive was frequently the spelling and pronunciation of corrosive in our old writers.

"Hear my deep-fet groans."

Deep-fet is deep-fetched. See fet in 'Henry V.'

DENAY'D. Act I., Sc. 3.

"Then let him be denay'd the regentship." Denay'd, from the old French denoier, is denied, refused. EASY. Act III., Sc. 1.

"These faults are easy-quickly answer'd."

Easy-quickly is one of the compound epithets that Shakspere has so often formed; or otherwise easy is here used as an adverb.

EXPEDIENT. Act III., Sc. 1.

"That craves a quick expedient stop!"

Expedient is expeditious. See 'King John.'

FAIN. Act II., Sc. 1.

"Man and birds are fain of climbing high."

Fain, from the Anglo-Saxon fœgn, is glad, and is still so used in the Scottish dialect. Steevens, we think mistakenly, suggests that it here means fond.

FLAW. Act III., Sc. 1.

"Do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw."

A flaw is a sudden gust of wind.

FLYING AT THE BROOK. Act II., Sc. 1. This was a term used in hawking, when the sport was water-fowl.

FOR. Act IV., Sc. 7.

"These cheeks are pale for watching."

For used in the sense of because of, in consequence of, a not unusual practice in Shakspere's time.

GHOST. Act III., Sc. 2.

"Oft have I seen a timely-parted ghost."

Ghost was used by our old writers somewhat vaguely. There can be no doubt that it here means a body just parted from the soul.

Invitis nubibus-in spite of the clouds-is an allusion to the device of Edward III., which was "the rays of the sun dispersing themselves out of a cloud," according to Camden. KERNE. Act IV., Sc. 9.

"Of Gallowglasses and stout Kernes."

The Kernes of Ireland, who are mentioned several times in this play, were lightly armed and clothed foot soldiers.

LEWDLY. Act II., Sc. 1.

"Naughty persons, lewdly bent."

Lewdly is here wickedly, mischievously.

LIEFEST. Act III., Sc. 1. See alder-trefest.

MATES. Act III., Sc. 1.

"Which mates him first that first intends deceit." Mate, from the French mater, to confound, mortify, or destroy. MORISCO. Act III., Sc. 1.

Caper upright like a wild Morisco."

This term, it is probable, points to the Moorish origin of the morris-dance.

MUSE. Act III., Sc. 1.

"I muse, my lord of Gloster is not come."

Muse is used in the sense of wonder.

PAP OF HATCHET. Act IV., Sc. 7. This was a common cant phrase of the time. Lyly's pamphlet, so celebrated in the history of controversy, bears the title 'Pap with an Hatchet.' Hempen caudle," and the "pap of hatchet" were to cure Say's sickness and diseases. The original has "help of hatchet." Steevens made the alteration on the suggestion of Farmer.

PARTS. Act V., Sc. 2.

"The hearts of all our present parts." Parts used in the sense of parties-party-partners. PERISH. Act III., Sc. 2.

'Might in thy palace perish Margaret." Perish is here used actively, in the sense of destroy.

PLOT. Act II., Sc. 2.

'And, in this private plot."

Plot is here used for spot, place.

PUTTOCK. Act III., Sc. 2.

"Who finds the partridge in the puttock's nest." The puttock, according to Phillips, was "a kind of long-winged kite."

RAUGHT. Act II., Sc. 3.

"This staff of honour raught."

Raught is usually used in the sense of reached, but here it certainly means taken away, as in the 'Arraignment of Paris,' by Peele :

"How Pluto raught queen Ceres' daughter thence." SALLET. Act IV., Sc. 10.

"But for a sallet my brain-pan had been cleft."

Sallet, or sallad, was an old-fashioned helmet; from the Spanish celada. Chaucer has used the word. Cade plays upon the resemblance in sound between his helmet and sallet or salad, a herb to be eaten salted-salada.

"Could not procure me any scath."

Scath is damage, harm.

SILENT. Act I., Sc. 4.

"The silent of the night."

Silent is here used very beautifully as a noun, and reminds us of "the vast of night," in 'The Tempest.'