K. HEN.

Taxation!

Wherein? and what taxation?-My lord cardinal, You that are blam'd for it alike with us,

Know you of this taxation?

WOL!

Please you, fir,

I know but of a fingle part, in aught

Pertains to the ftate; and front but in that file
Where others tell fteps with me.

Q. ΚΑΤΗ.

No, my lord,

You know no more than others: but you frame Things, that are known alike; which are not wholesome

To those which would not know them, and yet must
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
Whereof my fovereign would have note, they are
Moft peftilent to the hearing; and, to bear them,
The back is facrifice to the load. They fay,
They are devis'd by you; or else

Too hard an exclamation.

K. HEN.

you fuffer

Still exaction!

The nature of it? In what kind, let's know,
Is this exaction?

"With that, anone out ftart dangere;"

and the fourth, in the 10th Canto of the 4th Book of his Fairy Queen, and again in the fifth Book and the ninth Canto.

9

STEEVENS.

-front but in that file-] I am but primus inter pares. I am but firft in the row of counfellors. JOHNSON.

This was the very idea that Wolfey wished to disclaim. It was not his intention to acknowledge that he was the first in the row of counsellors, but that he was merely on a level with the reft, and stept in the fame line with them. M. MASON.

1 You know no more than others: &c.] That is, you know no more than other counsellors, but you are the person who frame those things which are afterwards proposed, and known equally by all. M. MASON.

Q. KATH.
In tempting of

I am much too venturous

your patience; but am bolden'd Under your promis'd pardon. The fubject's grief Comes through commiffions, which compel from each The fixth part of his fubftance, to be levied Without delay; and the pretence for this

Is nam'd, your wars in France: This makes bold mouths:

Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze Allegiance in them; their curfes now,

Live where their prayers did; and it's come to pass,
That tractable obedience is a flave

To each incenfed will. I would, your highness
Would give it quick confideration, for
There is no primer business.3

2

tractable obedience &c.] i. e. those who are tractable and obedient, must give way to others who are angry.

MUSGRAVE.

The meaning of this is, that the people were fo much irritated by oppreffion, that their refentment got the better of their obedience. M. MASON.

The meaning, I think, is-Things are now in fuch a fituation, that refentment and indignation predominate in every man's breast over duty and allegiance. MALONE.

3 There is no primer bufinefs.] In the old edition

There is no primer baseness.

The queen is here complaining of the fuffering of the commons, which, the fufpects, arofe from the abuse of power in fome great men. But the is very referved in speaking her thoughts concerning the quality of it. We may be affured then, that the did not, in conclufion, call it the highest baseness; but rather made use of a word that could not offend the Cardinal, and yet would incline the King to give it a speedy hearing. I read therefore :

There is no primer business.

i. e. no matter of state that more earnestly presses a despatch. WARBURTON.

Dr. Warburton (for reasons which he has given in his note) would read:

K. HEN.

This is againft our pleasure.

WOL.

By my life,

And for me,

I have no further gone in this, than by
A fingle voice; and that not pass'd me, but
By learned approbation of the judges.

If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither know
My faculties, nor perfon,4 yet will be
The chronicles of my doing,-let me fay,
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue muft go through. We must not stint 5
Our neceffary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious cenfurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a veffel follow

That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do beft,
By fick interpreters, once weak ones," is

but I think the meaning of the original word is fufficiently clear. No primer bafenefs is no mifchief more ripe or ready for redress. So, in Othello:

"Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkies-." STEEVENS.

4 If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither know,

My faculties, nor perfon,] The old copy-by ignorant tongues. But furely this epithet must have been an interpolation, the ignorance of the fuppofed fpeakers being fufficiently indicated by their knowing neither the faculties nor person of the Cardinal. I have, therefore, with Sir T. Hanmer, reftored the measure, by the prefent omiffion. STEEVENS.

5 We must not ftint-] To fiint is to ftop, to retard. Many inftances of this fenfe of the word are given in a note on Romeo and Juliet, A&t I. fc. iii. STEEVENS.

To cope-] To engage with, to encounter. The word is ftill ufed in fome counties. JOHNSON.

7

So, in As you like it :

"I love to cope him in these fullen fits." STEEVENS.

once weak ones,] The modern editors read-or weak

Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a groffer quality, is cried up

For our best act.' If we shall stand still,

In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we fit, or fit
State ftatues only.

K. HEN.

Things done well,2

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commiffion? I believe, not any.
We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
A trembling contribution! Why, we take,

From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber; 3

ones; but once is not unfrequently ufed for fometime, or at one time or other, among our ancient writers.

So, in the 13th Idea of Drayton :

"This diamond fhall once confume to duft."

Again, in The Merry Wives of Windfor: "I pray thee, once to-night give my sweet Nan this ring."

Again, in Leicester's Commonwealth : if God fhould take from us her most excellent majefty (as once he will) and fo leave us deftitute-." STEEVENS.

8 - or not allow'd ;] Not approved. See Vol. V. p. 95, n. 5. MALONE.

Hitting a groffer quality,] The worst actions of great men are commended by the vulgar, as more accommodated to the groffness of their notions. JOHNSON.

For our beft a&t.] I fuppofe, for the fake of measure, we should read-action. Perhaps the three last letters of this word were accidentally omitted by the compofitor. STEEVENS.

2

Things done well,] Sir T. Hanmer, very judiciously in my opinion, completes the measure by reading :

Things that are done well. STEEVENS.

3 From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber;] Lop is a fubftantive, and fignifies the branches. WARBURTON.

And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
The air will drink the fap. To every county,
Where this is queftion'd, send our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has denied
The force of this commiffion: Pray, look to't;
I put it to your care.

WOL.

A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

The griev'd

Let there be letters writ to every fhire,
Of the king's grace and pardon.

commons

Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,

That, through our interceffion, this revokement And pardon comes : 4 I fhall anon advise you

Further in the proceeding.

Enter Surveyor.5

[Exit Secretary.

Q. KATH. I am forry, that the duke of Buck

ingham

Is run in your displeasure.

K. HEN. It grieves many: The gentleman is learn'd," and a most rare speaker,

4 That, through our interceffion, &c.] So, in Holinfhed, p. 892: "The cardinall, to deliver himself from the evill will of the commons, purchafed by procuring and advancing of this demand, affirmed, and caufed it to be bruted abrode that through his interceffion the king had pardoned and released all things." STEEVENS.

5 Enter Surveyor.] It appears from Holinfhed that his name, was Charles Knyvet. RITSON.

• The gentleman is learn'd, &c.] We understand from "The Prologue of the tranflatour," that the Knyghte of the Swanne, a French romance, was tranflated at the request of this unfortunate nobleman. Copland, the printer, adds, "this prefent history compyled, named Helyas the Knight