"I dare say that ther are but few, but that they had wel lever abide the paine to be thrise acquited by proclamacion, and peradventure ofter, then once beare a fagot for heresy.'

21.

muche what. What is used in older English frequently as if it could take the place of an indefinite noun. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. VI. 9. 7, "And gave him for to feed

Such homely what as serves the simple clowne,"

i.e. such plain food of any kind.

So Spenser, Shep. Calend., July, line 29,

"Come downe and learne the little what

That Thomalin can sayne,"

a sense which survives in the word somewhat. An example nearest like that in our text is Spenser, Shep. Calend., Sept., 104,

"Then plainly to speak of shepherds, most what
Bad is the best,"

i.e. for the most part. And so here the sense is "Friend and foe was for the most part indifferent." Cf. below, 62. 32.

28. borne, i.e. born. For the usage, cf. Shaks. K. John, II. 104,

"Geffrey was thy elder brother born."

29. drifte, intention, meaning, plan. Cf. Shaks. Romeo, IV. 1. 114, "In the meantime shall Romeo by my letters know our drift.”

32. then he that wer, i.e. than any one that was-than if he were—. The connexion of the whole sentence is: His design secretly communicated to some one did not fail to help forward Clarence to his death; which death Edward in outward appearance resisted, &c.

33. welth, well-being. Cf. Formularies of the Faith, p. 167, "To use our tongues in truth to the wealth of our neighbours." Compare also the Prayer-Book Collect in Comm. Office, "That she may study to preserve thy people committed to her charge, in wealth, peace, and godliness." His welth of course means Clarence's welfare.

P. 7, line 1. forethought, to devise, plan, consider beforehand. Cf. Earle's Micro-Cosmographie, p. 76, "He...forethinks what will come hereafter."

3. decease, die. Lat. decedere. Cf. Lyly's Euphues, p. 104, "Certes I deeme you would be content if I were deceased."

9. enterprised, undertook, attempted. Cf. Bp Pilkington's Works, p. 137, "It is written of Gedeon, when he enterprised that venturous act to fight against God's enemies."

II. as wel as likely, or as easily.

=

13. selfe same. We still use the word compounded with same, selfsame. For selfe see Gascoigne's Steel Glas, p. 25,

15.

"And flesh and blood in this self sorte is tryed." Reddecrosse strete. Red Cross Street ran between Golden Lane and the end of the present Jewin Street, terminating at St Giles' Church, Cripplegate. See Maitland's History of London, II. 908. 17. letten in, i, e. let in.

21.

toward, being toward him being connected with, or engaged about him. The precise sense of the word as here used is of rare Occurrence. Halle has "being his servaunte."

22. inkelynge, inkling, suspicion. Cf. Lyly's Euphues, “That my father have no inkling heereoff.'

23. of noughte, for no reason, without cause.

26. foreminded, i.e. had previously set his mind on. met with this word elsewhere.

I have not

27. at erste=for the first time. Erst, though in form the superlative from ere, is generally used in the sense of formerly, as in Shaks. Pericles, I. I. 49, "Sick men...gripe not at earthly joys as erst they did," but when preceded by at, erst = first. Cf. Chaucer, Second Nun's Tale, 151, "And then at erst to hym thus seyde she."

30. spede, success, good speed. Cf. Shaks. Winter's Tale, III. 2. 146, "With mere conceit and fear of the queen's speed."

32. vsurpacion. As the Latin word usurpatio is often used without the sense of wrongful seizure, so the English word seems to be here. See Shaks. Venus and Adonis, 591, "A sudden pale...usurps her cheek."

33. wiste. See above, p. 5, 1. 23.

holpe=helped, old past tense of to help. Cf. Shaks. K. John, “Sir Robert never holp to make this leg."

P. 8, line 4. fortherlye, favourable, such as to further his intention. abuse to make a wrong use of, employ wrongfully.

8.

tone...tother, contraction for the one...the other.

11. therefore, for it, i.e. ere they expected it. Cf. Shaks. 2 Hen. VI. 1. 4. 3, "We are therefore provided.'

16. yrked, annoyed, gave pain to. See Shaks. As You Like It, II. 1. 22, "it irks me.

19. hable, able, as if from Lat. habilis. Cf. Sir Thomas More, Utopia, 24. 8, "A man not only hable to delite him with your profounde learnyng."

20. perceived. In the original it is received, but probably this is a misprint. Halle has "perceived."

21. dyspayred. We now generally use the verb with a preposition of after it.

27. commodity, advantage. Cf. Sir Thos. More's Utopia, 77. 33, "For the commoditie of the common wealth."

26. themself themselves; frequent in this History. 29. aduertisemente, instruction, information, notice. Cf. Bp Coverdale's Works, p. 217, "Besides this we ought not to cease with warning and advertisement...that they may leave off from their obstinate wickedness."

31. the Lorde Marques Dorsette. This was Thomas Grey, previously Lord Grey of Groby, and then in 1472 created Earl of Huntingdon, and in 1475 Marquis of Dorset. He resigned the earldom of Huntingdon in 1479, which title was then conferred on William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.

P. 9, line 4. bare hym sore, exactly=Lat. agre ferre, "to be annoyed at." The phrase is not common in English and is probably only a rendering of the Latin.

5. captayne of Calyce. From the reign of Edward III. to that of Queen Mary, Calais was in the possession of the English.

6. Lorde Ryuers. This was Richard Woodville, who was created Earl of Rivers in 1466. This title was extinct in 1496.

8. that they loked for, that they expected to have had. p. 3, 1. 5.

See above, 10. presence, the royal presence. Spenser, F. Q. III. 9. 26, "She came in presence with right comely grace." vndersette, propped up. See Daniel, Civil Wars, VIII. 27, "Now when she had of fatal Lancaster

Seen all the pillars crushed and ruined
That underset it."

13. by whiche, wherefore, from which cause.

look, i.e. expect. Cf. (for this use with the infinitive) Shaks. Temp. "As you look to have my pardon."

V. 292,

16 lyke, likely. Cf. Lyly's Euphues, p. 99, "It is lyke to fare with thee as with the eagle."

23. happelye, haply, perchance: Cf. Shaks. Measure for Measure, IV. 2. 98,

24. slipper, unstable, insecure. See Barnes, Works, p. 283, "I know they be slipper that I have to do wyth, and there is no holde of them."

25. vnderpropped, supported, upheld. Cf. Shaks. King John, v. 2.99,

"What penny hath Rome borne...

To underprop this action?"

26. but, unless. Cf. Shaks. Merchant of Venice, V. 1. 208,

"I'll die for't but some woman had the ring."

gree, agree. Cf. Shaks. Merchant of Venice, 11. 2. 108, “How gree you now?"

27. that that which. Cf. P. B. 3rd Collect in Morning Prayer, "to do always that is righteous in thy sight."

28. for hatred of ech of others parson. This may be for the hatred which each one bears to the other's person; but it would be better English to omit the second of, and then the sense would be simple.

30. goe forwarde, make progress, to be successful. Cf. Shaks. Mids. Night's Dream, Iv. 2. 6, “The play is marred, it goes not forward.” 31. shall haue more place, i.e. shall be more used, be more prevalent, and more influential.

P. 10, line 1. infect, infected, tainted. See Shaks. Troilus and Cressida, 1. 3. 187, "Many are infect, Ajax is grown self-willed."

2. drawe down...to ruine. Here the verb is neuter, and signifies to come, as in the common phrase, "the time draws near," &c. Cf. 12. 7. but if, unless. Cf. Sir T. Elyot, Governour, b. I. c. 14, "A man may not be an oratour, but if he have gotten the knowledge of all thinges, and artes of greatest importance."

5. driftes, designs, intentions. See Shaks. Much Ado, II. 1. 403, "I will tell you my drift."

6. dreue, to drive. The word is used in the sense of come, but probably the sentence was a sort of alliterative proverb of the time.

10. agreueth, makes grievous, or painful and annoying. Cf. South, Sermons, VIII. I, "Pains that afflict the body are afflictive just so long as they actually possess the part which they aggrieve." We still use commonly enough the past participle aggrieved.

14. nere appears to be never; an instance is given in Halliwell's Glossary from Ms. Arund. Coll. Ar. 27, fol. 130,

“A semilier (seemlier) to min sithe (sight?) saw I ner non.” 15. by and by immediately, presently. The expression is common in this book. Cf. Shaks. Two Gentlemen, 1. 3.87,

19.

v. 58,

20.

"The uncertain glory of an April day,

Which now shews all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away."

affinitie, relationship by marriage. See Daniel, Civil Wars,

"With unlucky stars he married,

For by the means of this affinity

Was lost all that his father conquered."

beare that weyghte, i.e. have that influence.

24. selfe same, see above, selfe nighte, p. 7, 1. 13.

30. states.

Here the meaning seems to be a little wider than above 5. 5, though here the sense princes will suffice. But probably it includes all persons of high position. Cf. The estates of the realm.

P. 11, line 1. woorship, i.e. honour, being treated as a person of worth. Cf. Shaks. Wint. Tale, 1. 2. 314, "Whom I from meaner form have benched and reared to worship."

3. growen, see above, p. 2,

1. 15.

7. courtesye of mennes knees, i.e. the reverence shewn by the bending of the knee. Cf. Shaks. Rich. II. 1. 4. 33,

"A brace of draymen bid God speed him well,
And had the tribute of his supple knee."

The

9. sithen, since, more commonly written sithence or sith. present form is found in Wycliffe, 2 Pet. iii. 4, "For sithen the fadris dieden all thingis lasten fro the begynnyng of creature."

gaine-called, i.e. called back again. This sense of gain in compounds is rare. Most frequently it is, as in gainsay, equal to against. But we find gaincome coming again, in Chaucer, Testament of Cresside, 55,

Also the Ayenbite of Inwyt = the remorse (again + bite) of conscience, while again buying and again buyer are common in Old English for redemption and redeemer.

10. oughte wee beware. In the oldest English the infinitive having a distinctive termination needed no preposition to precede it. In modern language to is inserted after all but a very few verbs which are called auxiliaries (and with them the verb to dare). But this was not so constantly observed in Elizabethan English. Cf. Shaks. Jul. Cæsar, I. I. 3, "You ought not walk."

II. eftesoones, presently. Cf. Shaks. Pericles, V. 1. 256, “Eftsoons I'll tell thee why."

14. coseyns. It is customary for royal personages to use the word cousin of all princes and dignified persons who are their friends though not blood relations. Cf. 61. II.

16. the lesse losse wer they, i. e. They (my children) would be the less loss, on whom though God should do his pleasure (an euphemistic expression for their being removed by a natural death) yet the realm would find Kings.

26. grieues, grievances, vexations. Cf. Shaks. 2 Hen. IV. IV. 1. 69,

" I......

Find our griefs heavier than our offences."

29. kinred. Here as distinguished from affinity, the word implies consanguinity, blood relationship.

66

30. surety, security, safety. Cf. More's Utopia, 134. 17, They prefer the same greate rewardes with pardone and suertie of their lives." 31. therewithal. Al in this word, as in withal, adds nothing to the meaning of the word, which is simply equivalent to therewith. Cf. Latimer, Sermons, p. 161, "The arte of shutyng...is a gift of God that he hath geven us to excell all other nacions wyth all."

P. 12, line 1. recomforting, consoling, cheering. See Spen. F. Q. IV. 8. 5,

"Him to recomfort in his greatest care.”

The re in some compound words appears to have lost all force, thus recompose is used as simply equal to compose.

3. stand with, be agreeable to. Cf. Formularies of Faith, p. xxxi., "It standeth with the very due order of charity, a Christian man to pray for the souls of the departed."

8. his decease, i.e. the king's death.

his houshold, i.e. the prince's household.

IO. was begon, we should now say had begun.

II. riuers, plunderers. The root is the same as that of the last syllable of bereave, and is connected with rob. The more common orthography is reive. Cf. Berners' Froissart, 11. cap. 23, "By reason