Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which To leave is a thousand-fold more bitter, than 'Tis sweet at first to acquire, after this process, 5 To give her the avaunt! it is a pity Would move a monster. Old L. Hearts of most hard temper Melt and lament for her. Anne. O, God's will! much better, She ne'er had known pomp; though it be temporal, • Yet, if that quarrel, fortune, do divorce It from the bearer, 'tis a fufferance, panging As foul and body's fevering. Old L. Alas, poor lady! 5 To give her the avaunt !) To fend her away contemptuoufly; to pronounce against her a fentence of ejection. JOHNSON. Yet, if that quarrel, fortune,-] She calls Fortune a quarrel or arrow, from her striking so deep and suddenly. Quarrel was a large arrow so called. Thus Fairfax : "Twang'd the string, out flew the quarrel long." WARBURTON. Such is Dr. Warburton's interpretation. Sir Thomas Han mer reads: That quarreller Fortune. I think the poet may be easily supposed to use quarrel for quarreller, as murder for the murderer, the act for the agent. JOHNSON. Dr. Johnfon may be right. So, in Antony and Cleopatra : but that your royalty "Holds idleness your subject, I should take you For Idleness itself." Like Martial's" Non vitiofus homo es, Zoile, fed Vitium." We might, however, read Yet if that quarrel fortune to divorce It from the bearer. i. e. if any quarrel happen or chance to divorce it from the bearer. To fortune is a verb used by Shakspeare: "I'll tell you as we pass along, " That you will wonder what hath fortuned ?" Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. I. c. ii.: "It fortuned (high heaven did fo ordaine) &c." STEEVENS. She's She's stranger now again. Must pity drop upon her. Verily, I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born, And range with humble livers in content, Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief, And wear a golden forrow. Old L. Our content 8 Is our best having. Anne. By my troth, and maidenhead, I would not be a queen. Old L. Beshrew me, I would, And venture maidenhead for't; and fo would you, You, that have fo fair parts of woman on you, Which, to say footh, are blessings: and which gifts (Saving your mincing) the capacity Of your foft cheveril confcience would receive, Old L. Yes, troth and troth, - You would not be a queen? Anne. No, not for all the riches under heaven. 1-stranger now again.] Again an alien; not only no longer queen, but no longer an Englishwoman. JOHNSON. It rather means, she is alienated from the king's affection, is a stranger to his bed; for she still retained the rights of an Englishwoman, and was princess dowager of Wales. So, in the second scene of the third act : 8 - Katharine no more " Shall be call'd queen; but princess dowager, -our best having.] That is, our best possession. See note on Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III. fc. ii. JOHNSON. 9 _ cheveril) is kid-fkin, foft-leather. JOHNSON. So, in Hiftriomoftix, 1610: The cheveril confcience of corrupted law." STEEVENS. Old 1 Old L. 'Tis strange; a three-pence bow'd would Old as I am, to queen it: But, I pray you, Anne. No, in truth. * Old L. Then you are weakly made: Pluck off a little: I would not be a young count in your way, Anne. How you do talk! I swear again, I would not be a queen Old L. In faith, for little England 1 Would -Pluck off a little:] What must she pluck off? I think we may better read : - Pluck up a little. Pluck up! is an idiomatical expression for take courage. 7 JOHNSON. The old lady first questions Anne Bullen about being a queen, which she declares her aversion to; she then proposes the title of a duchess, and asks her if she thinks herself equal to the task of sustaining it; but as she still declines the offer of greatness; Pluck off a little, says she, i. e. let us descend still lower, and more upon a level with your own quality; and then adds : I would not be a young count in your way, which is still an inferior degree of honour to any yet spoken of. STEEVENS. 2 You'd venture an emballing:-) You would venture to be diftinguished by the ball, the ensign of royalty. JOHNSON. Dr. Johnson's explanation cannot be right, because a queenconfort, fuch as Anne Bullen was, is not distinguished by the ball, the ensign of royalty, nor has the poet expressed that she was so distinguished. TOLLET. Anne. I fwear again, I would not be a queen For all the world. Old 1 Would for Carnarvonshire, although there 'long'd No more to the crown but that. Lo, who comes here? Enter the Lord Chamberlain. Cham. Good morrow, ladies. What wer't worth, to know The secret of your conference ? Anne. My good lord, Not your demand; it values not your asking: Cham. It was a gentle business, and becoming Anne. Now I pray God, amen! Old L. In faith, for little England You'd venture an emballing: I myself Little England seems very properly oppofed to all the world; but what has Carnarvonshire to do here? Does it refer to the birth of Edward II. at Carnarvon ? or may not this be the allusion ? By little England is meant, perhaps, that territory in Pembrokeshire, where the Flemings settled in Henry Ist's time, who speaking a language very different from the Welsh, and bearing fome affinity to the English, this fertile spot was called by the Britons, as we are told by Camden, Little England beyond Wales; and, as it is a very fruitful country, may be justly opposed to the mountainous and barren county of Carnarvon. WHALLEY. Might we read - You'd venture an empalling; i. e. being invested with the pall or robes of state? The word occurs in the old tragedy of King Edward III. 1596: "As with this armour I impall thy breast" And, in Macbeth, the verb to pall is used in the sense of enrobe: "And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell." MALONE. Might we not read, " an embalming?" A queen confort is anointed at her coronation; and in K. Rich. II. the word is used in that sense: "With my own tears I wash away my balm." Dr. Johnson properly explains it, the oil of confecration. WHALLEY. Follow i Cham. You bear a gentle mind, and heavenly Follow such creatures. That you may, fair lady, Anne. I do not know, What kind of my obedience I should tender; wishes; Are all I can return. 'Beseech your lordship, Chàm. Lady, 4 I shall not fail to approve the fair conceit, yet, [Afide. 3 More than my all is nothing:-) Not only my all is nothing, but if my all were more than it is, it were still nothing. JOHNSON. + I shall not fail &c.] I shall not omit to strengthen by my commendation, the opinion which the king has formed. JOHNSON. s-I have perus'd her well ;) From the many artful strokes of address the poet has thrown in upon queen Elizabeth and her mother, it should seem that this play was written and performed in his royal mistress's time: if so, some lines were added by him in the last scene, after the accession of her fuccessor, king James. THEOBALD. But |