And all your southern gentlemen in arms Upon his party. K. Rich. Thou hast said enough. Beshrew thee, cousin, which didst lead me forth Of that sweet way I was in to despair! [To AUM: What say you now? What comfort have we now? Aum. My liege, one word. SCENE III. Wales. Before Flint-Castle." [Exeunt. Enter, with Drum and Colours, BOLINGBROKE and Forces; YORK, NORTHUMBERLAND, and Others. Boling. So that by this intelligence we learn, The Welshmen are dispers'd; and Salisbury 5 I'll hate him everlastingly, That bids me be of comfort-] This sentiment is drawn from nature. Nothing is more offensive to a mind convinced that its distress is without a remedy, and preparing to submit quietly to irresistible calamity, than these petty and conjectured comforts which unskilful officiousness thinks it virtue to administer. Johnson. 6 To ear the land—] i. e. to plough it. So, in All's Well that Ends Well: "He that ears my land, spares my team." Steevens. 7 Flint-Castle.] In our former edition I had called this scene the same with the preceding. That was at Barkloughly-castle, on the coast where Richard landed; but Bolingbroke never marched Is gone to meet the king, who lately landed, York. It would beseem the lord Northumberland, To say-king Richard:-Alack the heavy day, When such a sacred king should hide his head! North. Your grace mistakes me; only to be brief, Left I his title out. York. The time hath been, For taking so the head, your whole head's length. Boling. Mistake not, uncle, further than you should. York. Take not, good cousin, further than you should, Lest you mis-take: The heavens are o'er your head. Boling. I know it, uncle; and oppose not Myself against their will.'-But who comes here?2 further in Wales than to Flint. The interview between him and Richard was at the castle of Flint, where this scene should be said to lie, or rather in the camp of Bolingbroke before that castle." Go to Flint-castle," See above. Steevens. 8 Your grace mistakes me ;] The word-me, which is wanting in the old copies, was supplied by Sir T. Hanmer. Steevens. 9 For taking so the head,] To take the head is, to act without restraint; to take undue liberties. We now say, we give the horse his head, when we relax the reins. Johnson. and oppose not Myself against their will.] So, in Romeo and Juliet: "Move them no more by crossing their high will." 2 I know it, uncle; and oppose not Steevens. Myself against their will.- But who comes here?] These lines should be regulated thus: I know it, uncle; and oppose not myself Such is the regulation of the old copies. Malone. I regard the word myself, as an interpolation, and conceive Shakspeare to have written and oppose not Against their will. To oppose may be here a verb neuter. So, in King Lear & Enter PERCY. Well, Harry; what, will not this castle yield? 3 Boling. Royally! Why, it contains no king? Percy. Yes, my good lord, It doth contain a king; king Richard lies Within the limits of yon lime and stone: And with him are the lord Aumerle, lord Salisbury, North. Belike, it is the bishop of Carlisle. [TO NORTH. Go to the rude ribs of that ancient castle;4 Harry Bolingbroke On both his knees, doth kiss king Richard's hand; ❝ a servant, thrill'd with remorse, 3 Well, Harry; what, will not this castle yield?] The old copy destroys the metre by reading-Welcome, Harry; -. The emen. dation is Sir T. Hanmer's. Steevens. 4 Noble lord, Go to the rude ribs &c.] It is observable that our author in his addresses to persons, often begins with an hemistich. So, in Troilus and Cressida, Act II, sc. iii: "Agam. Princes, "What grief hath set the jaundice on your cheeks!" This observation may be of use in other places, where in the old copies, by the mistake of the transcriber, the metre is destroyed by this regulation not being observed. Malone. It is, such crimson tempest should bedrench Go, signify as much; while here we march [NORTH. advances to the Castle, with a Trumpet. Let's march without the noise of threat'ning drum, That from the castle's totter'd battlements Our fair appointments may be well perus'd. Of fire and water, when their thund'ring shock A parle sounded, and answered by another Trumpet within. Flourish. Enter on the walls King RICHARD, the Bishop of Carlisle, AUMERLE, SCROOP, and SALISBURY. 5 York. See, see, king Richard doth himself appear, As doth the blushing discontented sun From out the fiery portal of the east; When he perceives the envious clouds are bent To dim his glory, and to stain the track Of his bright passage to the occident. Yet looks he like a king; behold, his eye, As bright as is the eagle's, lightens forth Controlling majesty; Alack, alack, for woe, That any harm should stain so fair a show! 6 K. Rich. We are amaz'd; and thus long have we stood To watch the fearful bending of thy knee, [To NORTH. 5 the Bishop of Carlisle,] was Thomas Merkes. Walpole. See, see, King Richard doth himself appear,] The following six lines are absurdly given to Bolingbroke, who is made to condemn his own conduct and disculp the King's. It is plain these six and the four following all belong to York. Warburton. It should be observed that the four last of these lines are in all the copies given to York. Steevens. Because we thought ourself thy lawful king: And though you think, that all, as you have done, 7 The purple testament of bleeding war;] I once thought that Shakspeare might have had the sacred book (which is frequently covered with purple leather) in his thoughts; but the following note renders such a supposition extremely doubtful. Malone. I believe our author uses the word testament in its legal sense. Bolingbroke is come to open the testament of war, that he may peruse what is decreed there in his favour. Purple is an epithet referring to the future effusion of blood. Steevens. Mr. Steevens is certainly right in his interpretation of this pas sage. See Julius Cæsar: "Now, while your purpled hands do reek and smoke "Fulfil your pleasure.' But ere the crown he looks for live in peace, Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' sons Shall ill become the flower of England's face;] By the flower of England's face is meant the choicest youths of England, who shall be slaughtered in this quarrel, or have bloody crowns. The flower of England's face, to design her choicest youth, is a fine and noble expression. Pericles, by a similar thought, said "that the |