Percy. Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor. But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenfpurg, To offer fervice to the duke of Hereford ; What power the duke of York had levy'd there; North. Have you forgot the duke of Hereford, boy? North. Then learn to know him now; this is the duke. Percy. My gracious lord, I tender you my fervice, Such as it is, being tender,,raw, and young; Which elder days fhall ripen, and confirm To more approved fervice and defert. Boling. I thank thee, gentle Percy: and be sure, I count myself in nothing elfe fo happy, As in a foul remembring my good friends; And as my fortune ripens with thy love, It fhall be ftill thy true love's recompence: My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus feals it. North. How far is it to Berkley? And what ftir Keeps good old York there, with his men of war? Percy. There ftands a caftle by yon tuft of trees, Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard: And in it are the lords of York, Berkley, and Sey mour; None else of name and noble estimate. Enter Rofs and Willoughby. North. Here come the lords of Rofs and Willoughby, Bloody with fpurring, fiery-red with haste. Boling. Welcome, my lords: I wot, your love purfues A banish'd traitor; all my treafury Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enrich'd, Shall be your love and labour's recompence. Rofs. Rofs. Your prefence makes us rich, most noble lord, Which, till my infant fortune comes to years, North. It is my lord of Berkley, as I guess. Berk. Miftake me not, my lord, 'tis not my meaning To raze one title of your honour out : To you, my lord, I come (what lord you will) The duke of York; to know, what pricks you on And fright our native peace with felf-born arms. Boling. I fhall not need tranfport my words by you. York. Tut, tut! Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle:- In an ungracious mouth, is but prophane. 2 the abfent time,] For unprepared. Not an inelegant fynecdoche. WARBURTON. He means nothing more than, time of the king's al fence. JOHNSON. Why Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs 3 And oftentation of defpifed arms? Com'st thou becaufe the anointed king is hence? Boling. My gracious uncle, let me know my fault; 4 On what condition ftands it, and wherein ? York. Even in condition of the worst degree, In grofs rebellion, and detefted treafon. In braving arms against thy fovereign. Boling. As I was banifh'd, I was banish'd Hereford ; But as I come, I come for Lancaster. 3 And oftentation of DESPISED arms?] But fure the oftentation of defpifed arms would not fright any one. We should read, —— DISPOSED arms, i. e. forces in battle array. WARBURTON. This alteration is harfh. Sir T. HANMER reads delightful. Mr. UPTON gives this paffage as a proof that our author ufes the paffive participle in an active fenfe. The copies all agree. Perhaps the old duke means to treat him with contempt as well as with feverity, and to infinuate that he defpifes his power, as being able to mafter it. In this fenfe all is right. JOHNSON. So in this play, We'll make foul weather with defpifed tears. STEEVENS. 4 On what condition-] It should be, in what condition, i. e. in what degree of guilt. The particles in the old editions are of little credit. JOHNSON. And, And, noble uncle, I beseech your grace, And yet my letters patents give me leave: North. The noble duke hath been too much abus'd. To find out right with wrongs, it may not be ; Cherish rebellion, and are rebels all. North. The noble duke hath fworn, his coming is But for his own: and, for the right of that, Wherefore was I born?] To what purpofe ferves birth and lineal fucceffion? I am dule of Lancafter by the fame right of birth as the king is king of England. JOHNSON. VOL. V. L We We all have ftrongly fworn to give him aid; Boling. An offer, uncle, that we will accept. For I am loath to break our country's laws. SCENE IV. In Wales. Enter Salisbury and a captain.. I'll [Exeunt. Cap. My lord of Salisbury, we have staid ten days, And hardly kept our countrymen together, And Here is a scene fo unartfully and irregularly thruft into an improper place, that I cannot but fufpect it accidentally transpoed; which, when the fcenes were written on fingle pages, might eafily happen in the wildnefs of Shakespeare's drama. This dialogue was, in the author's draught, probably the second fcene in the enfuing act, and there I would advise the reader to infert it, though I have not ventured on fo bold a change. My conjecture |