Weft. There is no need of any fuch redrefs; Mowb. Why not to him, in part, and to us all, Weft. O my good lord Mowbray, "bute its benefits equally, is become an enemy to thofe of his "own house, to brothers-born, by giving fome all, and others "none; and this (fays he) I make my quarrel or grievance "that honours are unequally diftributed;" the conftant birth of male-contents, and fource of civil commotions. WARBURTON. In the first folio the fecond line is omitted, yet that reading, unintelligible as it is, has been followed by Sir T. Hanmer. How difficultly fenfe can be drawn from the beft reading the explication of Dr. Warburton may fhow. I believe there is an error in the first line, which perhaps may be rectified thus, My quarrel general, the common-wealth, To brother born an houfehold cruelty, I make my quarrel in particular. That is, my general caufe of difcontent is publick mifmanagement; my particular cause a domeftic injury done to my natural brother, who had been beheaded by the king's order. JOHNSON. Conftrue the times to their neceffities,] That is, Judge of what is done in these times according to the exigencies that overrule us. JOHNSON. 2 Or from the king, &c.] Whether the faults of government be imputed to the time or the king, it appears not that you have, for your part, been injured either by the king or the time. Mcwb. What thing, in honour, had my father loft, That need to be reviv'd and breath'd in me? The king, that lov'd him, as the state stood then, 3 Their armed ftaves in charge, their beavers down, Weft. You fpeak, lord Mowbray, now, you know not what : The earl of Hereford was reputed then In England the moft valiant gentleman : Who knows on whom fortune would then have fmil'd? But if your father had been victor there, Cry'd hate upon him; and all their prayers and love 4 And bless'd, and grac'd, indeed, more than the king. But this is mere digreffion from my purpose.Here come I from our princely general, 3 Their armed faves in charge, &c.] An armed ftaff is a lance. To be in charge, is to be fixed in the rest for the encounter. JOHNSON. And blefs'd and grac'd more than the king himself] The two oldeft folio's (which firit gave us this fpeech of Weftmorland) read this line thus; And blefs'd and grac'd and did more than the king. Dr. Thirlby reform'd the text very near to the traces of the corrupted reading. THEOLALD, grace, To know your griefs; to tell you from his Mowb. But he hath forc'd us to compel this offer; And it proceeds from policy, not love. Weft. Mowbray, you over-ween to take it fo; Mowb. Well, by my will, we fhall admit no parley. Weft. That argues but the fhame of your offence: A rotten cafe abides no handling. Haft. Hath the prince John a full commiffion, In very ample virtue of his father, To hear, and abfolutely to determine Of what conditions we shall stand upon ? Weft. 5 That is intended in the general's name : I muse, you make fo flight a question. York. Then take, my lord of Weftmorland, this schedule, For this contains our general grievances. Each feveral article herein redrefs'd; All members of our caufe, both here and hence, 6 Acquitted by a true fubftantial form; 5 This is intended in the general's name :] That is, This power is included in the name or office of a general. We wonder that you can afk a question fo trifling. JOHNSON. 6 fubftantial form;] That is, By a pardon of due form and legal validity. JOHNSON, And And prefent execution of our wills 7 To us, and to our purposes, confin'd; lords, Please you, 9 In fight of both our battles we may meet: York. My lord, we will do fo. Haft. Fear you not that: if we can make our peace Upon fuch large terms, and fo abfolute 7 To us, and to our purposes, confin'd;] This schedule we fee confifts of three parts, 1. A redrefs of general grievances. 2. A pardon for those in arms. 3. Some demands of advantage for them. But this third part is very ftrangely expressed. And prefent execution of our wills To us, and to our purposes, confin'd. The first line fhews they had fomething to demand, and the fecond expreffes the modefty of that demand. The demand, fays the fpeaker, is confined to us and to our purposes. A very modeft kind of reftriction truly! only as extenfive as their appetites and paffions. Without question Shakespeare wrote, To us and to our properties confin'd; i. e. We defire no more than fecurity for our liberties and properties; and this was no unreasonable demand. WARBURTON. This paffage is fo obfcure that I know not what to make of it. Nothing better occurs to me than to read confign'd for confin'd. That is, let the execution of our demands be put into our hands according to our declared purpofes. JOHNSON. I believe we should read confirm'd. This would obviate every difficulty. STEEVENS. 8 We come within our awful banks again,] Awful banks are the proper limits of reverence. JOHNSON. • In fight of both our battles we may meet, &c.] The old copies read, we may meet At either end in peace; which heaven so frame! That eafy, but certain, change in the text, I owe to Dr. Thirlby. THEOBALD, As As our conditions fhall infift upon, Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains, 1 That, were our loyal faiths martyrs in love, 459 York. No, no, my lord; note this: the king is weary That, were our loyal faiths, &c.] In former editions: If royal faiths can mean faith to a king, it yet cannot mean it Of picking out fuch dainty grievances. JOHNSON. Picking means piddling, infignificant. STEEVENS. 3 wipe his tables clean;] Alluding to a table-book of late, ivory, c. WARBURTON, Haft, |