Cap. A right good husband, let him be a noble; 3 The legal instrument for the divorce of Queen Katharine is still in being; and among the signatures to it is that of Polydore Virgil. Steevens. 2 The model of our chaste loves,] Model is image or representa tive. See Vol. V, p. 267, n. 3; and Vol. VII, p. 418, n. 4. Malone. 3 A right good &c.] I would read this line (not with a semicolon, as hitherto printed,) but with only a comma: A right good husband, let him be a noble; i. e. though he were even of noble extraction. Whalley. Let him be, I suppose, signifies, even thou he should be; or, admit that he be. She means to observe, that nobility superadded to virtue, is not more than each of her women deserves to meet with in a husband. The same phraseology is found in King Richard II: "Setting aside his high blood's royalty, "And let him be no kinsman to my liege." Steevens. This is, I think, the true interpretation of the line; but I do not see why the words let him be a noble, may not, consistently with this meaning, be understood in their obvious and ordinary sense. We are not to consider Katharine's women like the attendants on other ladies. One of them had already been married to no more than a noble husband; having unfortunately captivated a worthless king. Malone. If heaven had pleas'd to have given me longer life, These are the whole contents:-And, good my lord, As you wish christian peace to souls departed, Cap. By heaven, I will; Or let me lose the fashion of a man! Kath. I thank you, honest lord. Remember me In all humility unto his highness: Say, his long trouble now is passing Out of this world: tell him, in death I bless'd him, Call in more women.-When I am dead, good wench, Exeunt, leading KATH. ACT V..... SCENE I. A Gallery in the Palace. Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a Torch before him, met by Sir THOMAS LOVELL. Gar. It 's one o'clock, boy, is 't not? It hath struck. Boy. 4 Not for delights;] Gardiner himself is not much delighted. The delight at which he hints, seems to be the King's diversion, which keeps him in attendance. Johnson. 5 These should be hours times to repair our nature To waste these times.-Good hour of night, sir Tho mas! Whither so late? Lov. 'Came you from the king, my lord? Gar. I did, sir Thomas; and left him at primeros With the duke of Suffolk. Lov. I must to him too, Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave. Gar. Not yet, sir Thomas Lovell. What's the matter? It seems, you are in haste; an if there be No great offence belongs to 't, give your friend Some touch of your late business: Affairs, that walk (As, they say, spirits do,) at midnight, have In them a wilder nature, than the business That seeks despatch by day. Lov. My lord, I love you; And durst commend a secret to your ear Much weightier than this work. The queen 's in labour, They say, in great extremity; and fear'd, She 'll with the labour end. Gar. The fruit, she goes with, I pray for heartily; that it may find Good time, and live: but for the stock, sir Thomas, Lov. With comforting repose,] Hence, perhaps, the following pas sage in the fifth Act of Rowe's Fair Penitent. Sciolto is the speaker: "This dead of night, this silent hour of darkness, "Nature for rest ordain'd and soft repose." Steevens. 6at primero-] Primero and Primavista, two games at cards, H. I. Primera, Primavista. La Primiere, G. Prime, f. Prime veue. Primum, et primum visum, that is, first, and first seen: because he that can show such an order of cards first, wins the game. Minsheu's Guide into Tongues, col. 575. Grey. So, in Woman's a Weathercock, 1612: "Come will your worship make one at primero ?" Again, in the Preface to The Rival Friends, 1632: " when it may be, some of our butterfly judgments expected a set at maw or primavista from them." Steevens. 7 Some touch of your late business:] Some hint of the business that keeps you awake so late. Johnson. Deserve our better wishes. But, sir, sir, Gar. Lov. Gar. 8 ·mine own way;] Mine own opinion in religion. Johnson. he's made-] The pronoun, which was omitted in the old copy, was inserted by Mr. Theobald. Malone. 9 1 Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,] Trade is the practised method, the general course. Johnson. Trade has been already used by Shakspeare with this meaning in King Richard II: Incens'd the lords o' the council, that he is &c. A most arch heretick,] This passage, according to the old elliptical mode of writing, may mean-I have incens'd the lords of the council, for that he is, i. e. because. Steevens. I have roused the lords of the council by suggesting to them that he is a most arch heretick: I have thus incited them against him. Malone. Incensed, I believe, in this instance, and some others, only means prompted, set on. So, in King Richard III: "Think you, my lord, this little prating York "Was not incensed by his subtle mother?" Steevens. That does infect the land: with which they moved, 4 He be convented.5 He's a rank weed, sir Thomas, As LOVELL is going out, enter the King, and the K. Hen. Charles, I will play no more to-night; Nor shall not, when my fancy 's on my play.- K. Hen. What say'st thou? ha! To pray for her? what, is she crying out? Lov. So said her woman; and that her sufferance made Almost each pang a death 3 -broken with the king;] They have broken silence; told their minds to the king. Johnson. So, in Much Ado about Nothing: "I will break with her." Again, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona: "I am to break with thee of some affairs." Steevens. 4- - he hath commanded,] He, which is not in the old copy, was inserted by Mr. Pope. He hath was often written contractedly h'ath. Hence probably the error. Malone. 5 He be convented.] Convented is summoned, convened. Steevens. 6 •her sufferance made Almost each pang a death.] We have had nearly the same senment before, in Act II, sc. iii: it is a sufferance panging "As soul and body 's severing." Malone. |