Mowв. Thus do the hopes we have in him touch ground, And dash themselves to pieces. HAST. Enter a Messenger. Now, what news? MESS. West of this forest, scarcely off a mile, And, by the ground they hide, I judge their number MoWB. The just proportion that we gave them out. ARCH. What well-appointed leader fronts us here? WEST. Health and fair greeting from our general, ARCH. Say on, my lord of Westmoreland, in peace ; What doth concern your coming? WEST. Then, my lord, The substance of my speech. If that rebellion I say, In his true, native, and most proper shape, With your fair honours. You, lord archbishop,- Whose beard the silver hand of peace hath touch'd; To a loud trumpet, and a point of war?c (*) Old text, appear. Guarded with rags,-] The old text has “guarded with rage;” the emendation is due to Mr. Collier's MS. annotator. b Turning your books to greaves,-] Greaves are leather, or other armour for the legs. The old copies have graves, which was only a more ancient mode of spelling the word. A point of war?] Mr. Collier's annotator, in strange ignorance of a most familiar expression, reads: "A loud trumpet and report of war;" ARCH. Wherefore do I this?-so the question stands. And purge the obstructions, which begin to stop What wrongs our arms may do, what wrongs we suffer, And find our griefs heavier than our offences. We see which way the stream of time doth run, And have the summary of all our griefs, When we are wrong'd, and would unfold our griefs, Even by those men that most have done us wrong. WEST. When ever yet was your appeal denied? with what necessity and propriety may be judged from the following, out of a hundred instances which might be adduced, of the use of the phrase in our old writers: "To play him hunt's up, with a point of war."— p. 19. PEELE'S Edward 1st, 1593, Act I. Sc. 1. "Sa, sa, sa! Now sound a point of war.”— · The Duke's Mistress, by Shirley, Act IV. Sc. 1. We are all diseas'd ;] The remainder of this speech, excepting the last eight lines, is omitted in the quarto. b Quiet there-] The old text. Warburton suggested we should read, sphere. Of forg'd rebellion with a seal divine, And consecrate commotion's bitter edge?a I make my quarrel in particular. WEST. There is no need of any such redress; Or, if there were, it not belongs to you. MoWB. Why not to him, in part, and to us all, And suffer the condition of these times WEST. * Then, then-when there was nothing could have stay'd That, by indictment, and by dint of sword, Have since miscarried under Bolingbroke. WEST. You speak, lord Mowbray, now, you know not what: The earl of Hereford was reputed then In England the most valiant gentleman; C (*) Old text, fore'd. And consecrate commotion's bitter edge?] This line is omitted in the folio. To brother born an household cruelty,- Another line, omitted in the folio. Upon our honours?] The next two speeches, and the first ten lines of the third speech, are omitted in the quarto. d Sights of steel,-] The apertures for seeing through in a helmet. When-] By reading here, "O then the king," &c.-and a few lines above-" And when, that Harry Bolingbroke," &c., the whole speech is so infinitely improved, that it is difficult to believe the words when and then were not mistakenly transposed by the compositor. Who knows, on whom fortune would then have smil'd? Cried hate upon him; and all their prayers, and love, And bless'd, and grac'd indeed, more than the king. To know your griefs; to tell you from his grace, MoWB. But he hath forc'd us to compel this offer; WEST, Mowbray, you overween, to take it so; MOWB. Well, by my will, we shall admit no parley. HAST. Hath the prince John a full commission, In very ample virtue of his father, To hear, and absolutely to determine Of what conditions we shall stand upon? WEST. That is intended in the general's name: I muse you make so slight a question. ARCH. Then take, my lord of Westmoreland, this schedule, For this contains our general grievances: Each several article herein redress'd; All members of our cause, both here and hence, That are insinew'd to this action, Acquitted by a true substantial form; And present execution of our wills To us, and to our purposes, confirm'd ; †— We come within our awful banks again, And knit our powers to the arm of peace. WEST. This will I show the general. Please you, lords, Indeed,-] In the old text "and did." The emendation, which is easy and probable, was suggested by Thirlby. Intended- That is, implied, or understood. [Exit WEST. In sight of both our battles we may meet: Which must decide it. ARCH. My lord, we will do so. MOWB. There is a thing within my bosom tells me, That no conditions of our peace can stand. HAST. Fear you not that: if we can make our peace Upon such large terms, and so absolute, As our conditions shall consist upon, Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains. the king is weary To new remembrance: for full well he knows, HAST. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods The very instruments of chastisement: So that his power, like to a fangless lion, And therefore be assur'd, my good lord marshal, If we do now make our atonement well, Our peace will, like a broken limb united, MOWB. Here is return'd my lord of Westmoreland. (*) Old text, t. VOL. II. Be it so. |