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Since I have entered into thefe wars.

Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceafeth to enlarge itself,

Till, by broad fpreading, it disperse to nought.
With Henry's death, the English circle ends;
Dispersed are the glories it included.

Now am I like that proud infulting ship,
Which Cæfar and his fortune bare at once.

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4 Glory is like a circle in the water,

Which never ceafeth to enlarge itself,

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Till, by broad Spreading, it difperfe to nought.] So, in Nofce Teipfum, a poem by Sir John Davies, 1599:

"As when a ftone is into water caft,

"One circle doth another circle make,

"Till the laft circle reach the bank at laft."

The fame image, without the particular application, may be found in Silius Italicus, Lib. XIII:

"Sic ubi perrumpfit ftaguantem calculus undam,
"Exiguos format per prima volumina gyros,

Mox tremulum vibrans motu glifcente liquorem
Multiplicat crebros finuati gurgitis orbes;

"Donec poftremo laxatis circulus oris,

Contingat geminas patulo curvamine ripas." MALONE.

This was a favourite fimile with Pope. It is to be found also in Ariofto's Orlando Furiofo, Book VIII. ft. 63, of Sir John Harrington's Tranflation:

As circles in a water cleare are spread,

"When funne doth fhine by day, and moone by night, Succeeding one another in a ranke,

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"Till all by one and one do touch the banke."

I meet with it again in Chapman's Epiftle Dedicatorie, prefixed to his verfion of the Iliad :

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As in a fpring,

"The plyant water, mov'd with any thing

"Let fall into it, puts her motion out
"In perfect circles, that moue round about
The gentle fountaine, one another rayfing."

And the fame image is much expanded by Sylvetter, the translator of Du Bartas, 3d part of 2d day of 2d week.

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like that proud infulting Ship,

HOLT WHITE.

Which Caefar and his fortune bare at once. ] This alludes to a paffage in Plutarch's Life of Julius Cæfar, thus tranflated by Sir

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CHAR. Was Mahomet infpired with a dove?" Thou with an eagle art inspired then.

Helen, the mother of great Conftantine,

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Nor yet faint Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright flar of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee enough?
ALEN. Leave off delays, and let us raise the
fiege.

REIG. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our
honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd. CHAR. Prefently we'll'try: Come, let's away

about it;

No prophet will I truft, if fhe

prove falfé.

[Exeunt.

T. North: "Cæfar hearing that, ftraight discovered himselfe unto the maifter of the pynnafe, who at the firft was amazed when he faw him; but Cæfar, &c. faid unto him, Good fellow, be of good cheere, &c. and fear not, for thou hast Cæfar and his fortune with thee." STEEVENS.

6 Was Mahomet infpired with a dove? ]

Mahomet had a dove, which dove,

which he ufed to feed with wheat out of his ear; when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomet's fhoulder, and thruft its bill in to find its breakfast; Mahomet perfuading the rude and fimple Arabians, that it was the Holy Ghoft that gave him advice." See Sir Walter Raleigh's Hiftory of the World, Book 1. Part I. ch. vi. Life of Mahomet, by Dr. Prideaux. GREY.

7 Nor yet faint Philip's daughters, ] Meaning the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the Acts. HANMER.

& How may I reverently worship thee enough?] Perhaps this unmetrical line originally ran thus:

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The climax rifes properly, from reverence, to worship. STEEVENS.

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SCENE III.

London. Hill before the Tower.

Enter, at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men in blue coats.

GLO. I am come to furvey the Tower this day; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is convey

ance.

Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates; it is Glofter that calls.

[Servants knock. 1. WARD. [Within.] Who is there that knocks fo imperiously?

1. SERV. It is the noble duke of Glofter. 2. WARD. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in.

1. SERV. Villains, answer you fo the lord protector?

1. WARD. [Within.] The Lord protect him! fo we answer him:

We do no otherwife than we are will'd.

GLO. Who willed you? or whofe will ftands, but

mine?

There's none protector of the realm, but I.
Break up the
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gates, * I'll be your warrantize :
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?

9 there is conveyance. ] Conveyance means theft.

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HANMER.

So Piftol, in The Merry Wives of Windfor: "Convey the wife it call; Steal! foh; a fico for the phrafe." STEEVENS.

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Break up

the gates, ] I suppose to break up the gate is to force up the portcullis, or by the application of petards to blow up the gates themselves. STEEVENS.

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