Lives fo in hope, as in an early spring

We fee the appearing buds; which, to prove fruit, Hope gives not fo much warrant, as despair

that fomething is omitted, and that the injury is irremediable. Yet, perhaps, the alteration requifite is no more than this:

Yes, in this prefent quality of war,

Indeed of inftant action.

It never, fays Haftings, did harm to lay down likelihoods of hope. Yes, fays Bardolph, it has done harm in this prefent quality of war, in a state of things fuch as is now before us, of war, indeed of inftant action. This is obscure, but Mr. Pope's reading is ftill less reasonable. JOHNSON.

I have adopted Dr. Johnfon's emendation, though I think we might read:

if this prefent quality of war Impel the inftant action.

Haftings fays, it never yet did hurt to lay down likelihoods and forms of hope. Yes, fays Bardolph, it has in every cafe like ours, where an army inferior in number, and waiting for supplies, has, without that reinforcement, impell'd, or haftily brought on, an immediate action. STEEVENS.

If we may be allowed to read-inftanc'd, the text may meanYes, it has done harm in every cafe like ours; indeed it did harm in young Hotfpur's cafe at Shrewsbury, which the Archbishop of York has juft inftanced or given as an example. TOLLET.

This paffage is allowed on all hands to be corrupt, but a flight alteration will, I apprehend, reftore the true reading.

Yes, if this prefent quality of war,

Induc'd the inftant action. HENLEY.

Mr. M. Mason has proposed the fame reading. STEEVENS. -in this prefent quality of war;] nineteen lines appeared firft in the folio. if this prefent &c.

This and the following
That copy reads-Yes,

I believe the old reading is the true one, and that a line is loft; but have adopted Dr. Johnfon's emendation, because it makes fenfe. The punctuation now introduced appears to me preferable to that of the old edition, in which there is a colon after the word action.

Bardolph, I think, means to fay, " Indeed the prefent action (our caufe being now on foot, war being actually levied,) lives," &c. otherwise the speaker is made to fay, in general, that all caufes once on foot afford no hopes that may fecurely be relied on; which is certainly not true. MALONE..

That frofts will bite them. When we mean to build,'
We first furvey the plot, then draw the model;
And when we fee the figure of the house,
Then must we rate the coft of the erection:
Which if we find outweighs ability,

What do we then, but draw anew the model
In fewer offices; or, at least, desist

To build at all? Much more, in this great work, (Which is, almost, to pluck a kingdom down, And fet another up,) fhould we furvey

The plot of fituation, and the model;
Confent upon a fure foundation;"
Question furveyors; know our own eftate,
How able fuch a work to undergo,
To weigh againft his oppofite; or else,
We fortify in paper, and in figures,
Ufing the names of men instead of men:
Like one, that draws the model of a house
Beyond his power to build it; who, half through,
Gives o'er, and leaves his part-created cost
A naked fubject to the weeping clouds,

And wafte for churlish winter's tyranny.

HAST. Grant, that our hopes (yet likely of fair birth,)

Should be ftillborn, and that we now poffefs'd
The utmost man of expectation;

I think, we are a body ftrong enough,

Even as we are, to equal with the king.

5

When we mean to build,] Whoever compares the rest of this speech with St. Luke, xiv. 28, &c. will find the former to have been wrought out of the latter. HENLEY.

6 at leaft,] Perhaps we fhould read-at laft.

STEEVENS.

7 Confent upon a fure foundation;] i. e. agree. So, in As you like it, A&t V. fc. i: "For all your writers do confent that ipfe is he." Again, ibidem, fc. ii: "confent with both, that we may enjoy each other." STEEVENS.

BARD. What! is the king but five and twenty thoufand?

HAST. To us, no more; nay, not so much, lord Bardolph.

For his divifions, as the times do brawl,

Are in three heads: one power against the French,'
And one against Glendower; perforce, a third
Muft take up us: So is the unfirm king

In three divided; and his coffers found
With hollow poverty and emptiness.

ARCH. That he should draw his several strengths together,

And come against us in full puiffance,

Need not be dreaded.

HAST.

If he should do fo,"

He leaves his back unarm'd, the French and Welsh Baying him at the heels: never fear that.

BARD. Who, is it like, fhould lead his forces hither?

one power against the French,] During this rebellion of Northumberland and the Archbishop, a French army of twelve thoufand men landed at Milford Haven in Wales, for the aid of Owen Glendower. See Holinfhed, p. 531. STEEVENS.

9 If he should do fo,] This paffage is read in the first edition thus: If he should do jo, French and Welsh he leaves his back unarm'd, they baying him at the heels, never fear that. These lines, which were evidently printed from an interlined copy not underftood, are properly regulated in the next edition, and are here only mentioned to show what errors may be fufpected to remain. JOHNSON.

I believe the editor of the folio did not correct the quarto rightly; in which the only error probably was the omiffion of the word to:

To French and Welfh he leaves his back unarm'd,
They baying him at the heels: never fear that.

MALONE.

HAST. The duke of Lancaster, and Weftmoreland: 2

Against the Welsh, himself, and Harry Monmouth: But who is fubftituted 'gainst the French,

I have no certain notice.

ARCH.

Let us on; 3

And publish the occafion of our arms.

The commonwealth is fick of their own choice,
Their over-greedy love hath furfeited:-
An habitation giddy and unfure

Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart.
O thou fond many! with what loud applaufe
Didft thou beat heaven with bleffing Bolingbroke,
Before he was what thou would't have him be?
And being now trimm'd in thine own defires,'

The duke of Lancaster, &c.] This is an anachronism, Prince John of Lancaster was not created a duke till the fecond year of the reign of his brother, King Henry V. MALONE.

This mistake is pointed out by Mr. Steevens in another place. It is not, however, true, that " K. Henry IV. was himself the last perfon that ever bore the title of Duke of Lancaster," as Prince Henry actually enjoyed it at this very time, and had done fo from the first year of his father's reign, when it was conferred upon him in full parliament. Rot. Parl. 111, 428, 532. Shakspeare was misled by Stowe, who fpeaking of Henry's first parliament, fays, "then the King rofe, and made his eldeft fon Prince of Wales, &c. his fecond fonne was there made Duke of Lancaster." Annales, 1631, p. 323. He should therefore feem to have confulted this author between the times of finishing the laft play, and beginning the prefent. RITSON.

3 Let us on ; &c.] This excellent fpeech of York was one of the paffages added by Shakspeare after his first edition. POPE.

This fpeech first appeared in the folio. MALONE.

40 thou fond many!] Many or meyny, from the French mefnie, a multitude. DOUCE.

5 - in thine own defires,] The latter word is employed here as a trifyllable. MALONE.

Thou, beastly feeder, art so full of him,
That thou provok'st thyself to caft him up.
So, fo, thou common dog, didft thou difgorge
Thy glutton bofom of the royal Richard;

And now thou would't eat thy dead vomit up, And howl'ft to find it. What truft is in these times?

They that, when Richard liv'd, would have him

die,

Are now become enamour'd on his grave:

Thou, that threw'ft duft upon his goodly head,
When through proud London he came fighing on
After the admired heels of Bolingbroke,
Cry'st now, O earth, give us that king again,
And take thou this! O thoughts of men accurft!
Paft, and to come, feem beft; things prefent, worst.
Mow B. Shall we go draw our numbers, and fet
on?

HAST. We are time's fubjects, and time bids be [Exeunt.

gone.

I do not perceive that a trifyllable is wanted on this occafion, as any diffyllable will complete the verse; for inftance;

And being now trimm'd in thine own furtout. Defires, like furtout, is a word of two fyllables. STEEVENS,