Queen. Twill make me think, the world is full of rubs, And that my fortune runs against the bias. Lady. Madam, we'll dance. Queen. My legs can keep no meafure in delight, Queen. Of neither, girl: For if of joy, being altogether wanting, Queen. 'Tis well that thou haft caufe; But thou fhould'ft please me better, would't thou weep. Lady. I could weep, madam, would it do you good. Queen. 7 And I could weep, would weeping do me good, And never borrow any tear of thee. Enter a gardener, and two fervants. They'll talk of ftate; for every one doth fo, 6 [Queen and ladies retire. Of forrow, or of joy ? All the old copies concur in reading, Of forrow, or of grief. Mr. Pope made the neceffary al teration. STEEVENS. 8 And I could weep,-] The old copics read, And I could firg. STEEVENS. Against a change: woe is fare-run with wo E.] But what was there in the gardener's talking of flate, for matter of fo much M 4 oe ? Gard. Go, bind thou up yon dangling apricots, Cut off the heads of too-faft-growing sprays, woe? Befides this is intended for a sentence, but proves a very fimple one. I fuppofe Shakespeare wrote, woe is fore-run with MOCKS, which has fome meaning in it; and fignifies, that when great men are on the decline, their inferiors take advantage of their condition, and treat them without ceremony. And this we find to be the cafe in the following fcene. But the editors were feeking for a rhime. Though had they not been fo impatient they would have found it gingled to what followed, though it did not to what went before. WARBURTON. There is no need of any emendation. The poet, according to the common doctrine of prognoftication, fuppofes dejection to forerun calamity, and a kingdom to be filled with rumours of forrow when any great difafler is impending. The fenfe is, that public evils are always prefignified by public penfiveness, and plaintive converfation. The conceit of rhyming mocks with apricocks, which I hope Shakespeare knew better how to fpell, fhews that the commentator was refolved not to let his conjecture fall for want of any fupport that he could give it. JOHNS. OUR firm ftate?] How could he fay ours when he immediately fubjoins, that it was infirm? We thould read, 9 A firm ftate. WARBURTON. The fervant fays our, meaning the fate of the garden they are at work in. The fate of the metaphorical garden was indeed unfirm, and therefore his reafoning is very naturally induced. Why (fays he) fhould we be careful to preferve order in the narrow cinet re of this our fate, when the great state of the kingdom is in diforder? I have replaced the old reading which Dr, Warburton would have difcontinued in favour of his own conjecture. STEEVENS. When When our fea-walled garden, the whole land, Gard. Hold thy peace. He, that hath fuffer'd this diforder'd spring, Gard. They are, and Bolingbroke Hath feiz'd the wafteful king.-What pity is it, Do wound the bark, the skin, of our fruit-trees; Gard. Deprefs'd he is already; and depos'd, Queen. Oh, I am prefs'd to death, through want of fpeaking! [Coming from her concealment. Thou old Adam's likenefs, fet to drefs this garden, How dares thy harsh tongue found this unpleafing news? What Eve, what ferpent hath fuggefted thee, 1 Why Why doft thou fay, king Richard is depos'd? Of Bolingbroke; their fortunes both are weigh'd: Queen. Nimble mischance, that art fo light of foot, Doth not thy embaffage belong to me? And am I laft, that know it? oh, thou think's I I would, the plants thou graft'it may never grow. [Exeunt gard. and ferv. I would, the plants, &c.] This execration of the queen is fomewhat ludicrous, and unfuitable to her condition; the gardener's reflection is better adapted to the ftate both of his mind and his fortune. Mr. Pope, who has been throughout this play very diligent to reject what he did not like, has yet, I know not why, fpared the laft lines of this act. JOHNSON. ACT ACT IV. SCENE I. London. The parliament-boufe. Enter Bolingbroke, Aumerle, Northumberland, Percy, Fitzwater, Surry, bishop of Carlisle, abbot of Weftminster, herald, officers, and Bagot. CA BOLINGBROKE. ALL Bagot forth: now freely speak thy mind; What thou doft know of noble Glofter's death; Who wrought it with the king, and who perform'd The bloody office of his timeless end. Bagot. Then fet before my face the lord Aumerle. Scorns to unfay what it hath once deliver❜d. Adding withal how bleft this land would be, "In this your coufin's death." Aum. Princes, and noble lords, What anfwer fhall I make to this bafe man? 2 3 my fair stars, bis timeless end.] Timeless for untimely. WARB. my fair STARS,] I rather think it should be STEM, being of the royal blood. WARBURTON. I think the prefent reading unexceptionable. The birth is fuppofed to be influenced by the stars, therefore our author, with his ufual licence, takes fars for birth. JOHNSON. We |