Or dive into the bottom of the Deep,

Where fathom-line could never touch the ground,
And pluck up drowned Honour by the locks:
So he, that doth redeem her thence, might wear
Without Corrival all her Dignities.

* But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship!

8

Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here,
But not the form of what he should attend.
Good Coufin, give me audience for a while.
Hot. I cry you mercy.

Wor. Those fame noble Scots,

That are your prifoners

Hot. I'll keep them all.

By heav'n, he shall not have a Scot of them:
No, if a Scot would fave his foul, he shall not;
I'll keep them, by this hand.

Wor. You ftart away,

And lend no ear unto my purposes;
Those prisoners you shall keep.

Hot. I will; that's flat:

He faid, he would not ransom Mortimer:
Forbad my tongue to fpeak of Mortimer:
But I will find him when he lyes asleep,
And in his ear I'll holla, Mortimer!

ོ

Nay, I will have a Starling taught to speak
Nothing but Mortimer, and give it him,
To keep his anger ftill in motion.

Wor. Hear you, coufin, a word.

Hot. All Studies here I folemnly defie,
Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke:
And that fame fword-and-buckler Prince of Wales,

7 But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship!] I think this finely expreffed. The image is taken from one who turns from another, so as to stand before him with a fide face; which implied neither a full conforting, nor a feparation.

8 He apprehends a world of figures here.] This, I suppose, alludes to what he had faid before of unclasping a fecret book.

(But that, I think, his father loves him not,
And would be glad he met with fome mifchance,)
I'd have him poifon'd with a pot of ale.

Wor. Farewel, my kinfman; I will talk to you, When you are better temper'd to attend.

[fool North. Why, what a wafp-tongu'd and impatient Art thou, to break into this woman's mood, Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own?

[rods,
Hot. Why, look you, I am whipt and scourg'd with
Nettled, and ftung with pifmires, when I hear
Of this vile politician Bolingbroke:

In Richard's time-what do ye call the place?
A plague upon't!-it is in Glo'fterbire

'Twas where the mad-cap Duke his uncle kept-
His uncle York-where I first bow'd my knee
Unto this King of Smiles, this Bolingbroke:
When you and he came back from Ravenspurg.
North. At Berkley castle.

Hot. You fay true:

Why, what a deal of candied Courtefie
This fawning greyhound then did proffer me!
Look, when his infant fortune came to age,
And gentle Harry Percy-and kind coufin-
The Devil take fuch cozeners-God forgive me-
Good uncle, tell your tale, for I have done.
Wor. Nay, if you have not, to't again.
We'll stay your leisure.

Hot. I have done, i'faith.

Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prisoners.

[To Hot-fpur. Deliver them without their ransom straight, And make the Dowglas' Son your only mean For Pow'rs in Scotland; which, for divers reafons Which I shall send you written, be affur'd, Will eafily be granted.

-9 You, my lord, [To North.

9-You, my lord,] Here Dr. Thirlby rightly reformed the

pointing.

Your

Your Son in Scotland being thus employ'd,
Shall fecretly into the bofom creep

Of that fame noble Prelate, well belov'd,
Th' Arch-bishop.

Hot. York, is't not?

Wor. True, who bears hard

His brother's death at Bristol, the lord Scroop.
'I fpeak not this in eftimation,

As what, I think, might be; but what, I know,
Is ruminated, plotted and fet down;

And only stays but to behold the face
Of that occafion, that fhall bring it on.

Hot. I fmell it: on my life, it will do well.
North. Before the game's a-foot, thou still lett'ft flip.
Hot. It cannot chufe but be a noble Plot;
And then the Power of Scotland, and of York
To join with Mortimer; ha!

Wor. So they fhall.

Hot. In faith, it is exceedingly well aim'd.
Wor. And 'tis no little reafon bids us fpeed
To fave our heads, by raifing of a head:
For, bear our felves as even as we can,
The King will always think him in our debt;
And think, we deem our felves unfatisfy'd,
Till he hath found a time to pay us home.
And fee already, how he doth begin
To make us ftrangers to his looks of love.

Hot. He does, he does; we'll be reveng'd on him.

1 I speak not this in eftimation,] Eftimation for conje&ure. But between this and the foregoing verfe it appears there were fome lines which are now loft. For, confider the fenfe. What was it that was ruminated, plotted, and fet down? Why, as the text ftands at prefent, that the Archbishop bore his brother's death hardly. It is plain then that they were fome confequences of that refentment which the speaker informed Hot-fpur of, and to which his conclufion of, I speak not this by conjecture but on good proof, must be referred. But fome player, I fuppofe, thinking the speech too long, ftruck them out.

I 4

Ι

Wor.

in this,

Wor. Coufin, farewel. No further go
Than I by letters fhall direct your course;
When time is ripe, which will be suddenly,
I'll fteal to Glendower, and lord Mortimer,
Where you and Dowglas, and our Pow'rs at once,
(As I will fashion it) fhall happily meet,
To bear our fortunes in our own ftrong arms,
Which now we hold at much uncertainty.

[trust. North. Farewel, good brother; we fhall thrive, I Hot. Uncle, adieu: O let the hours be short,

'Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport! [Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

An Inn at Rochefter.

Enter a Carrier with a Lanthorn in his Hand.

I CARRIER.

HEIGH ho' an't be not four by the day, I'll be

hang'd. Charles' wain is over the new chimney,

and yet our horse not packt. What, oftler? Oft. [within.] Anon, anon.

1 Car. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cutt's faddle, put a few flocks in the point: the poor jade is wrung in the withers, out of all cefs.

1 out of all cefs.] The Oxford Editor not understanding this phrafe, has alter'd it to-out of all cafe. As if it were likely that a blundering tranfcriber fhould change fo common a word as cafe for cefs? which, it is probable, he understood no more than this critic; but it means out of all measure: the phrase being taken from a cefs, tax or fubfidy; which being by regular and moderate rates, when any thing was exorbitant, or out of measure, it was faid to be, out of all cefs.

Enter

Enter another Carrier.

2

2 Car. Pease and beans are as dank here as a dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the bots: this house is turn'd upfide down, fince Robin Oftler dy'd.

I Car. Poor fellow never joy'd fince the price of oats rofe, it was the death of him.

2 Car. I think, this be the most villainous house in all London road for fleas: I am stung like a Tench.

I Car. Like a Tench? by th' Mafs, there's ne'er a King in Christendom could be better bit than I have been fince the first cock.

2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jourden, and then we leak in your chimney: and your chamber-lie breeds fleas 4 like a Loach.

I Car. What, oftler, come away, and be hang'd, come away.

2 Car. I have a gammon of bacon, and two (a) razes of ginger to be deliver'd as far as Charing-crofs.

I Car. 'Odsbody, the Turkies in my panniers are quite starv'd. What, oftler? a plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy head? canft not hear? an 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a very villain. Come and be hang'd, haft no faith in thee?

Enter Gads-hill.

Gads. Good-morrow, carriers. What's o'clock? Car. I think, it be two o'clock.

Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lanthorn, to see my gelding in the ftable.

2 as dank] i. e. wet, rotten.

Mr. Pope.

3 there's ne'er a King in Chriftendom could be better bit] Time, here, has added a pleafantry to the expreffion. For I think, the word to bite was not then used in the cant fenfe to deceive or impofe upon.

4 like a Loach.] Scotch, a lake.

[(a) Raxes] Bales.

Mr. Theobald.]