There is my gage, Aumerle, in gage to thine: fense much harsher than that of ftars explained in the foregoing note. Aumerle has challenged Bagot with fome hesitation, as not being his equal, and therefore one whom, according to the rules of chivalry, he was not obliged to fight, as a nobler life was not to be ftaked in a duel against a bafer. Fitzwater then throws down his gage, a pledge of battle; and tells him that if he ftands upon fympathies, that is, upon equality of blood, the combat is now offered him by a man of rank not inferior to his own. Sympathy is an affection incident at once to two fubjects. This community of affection implies a likeness or equality of nature, and thence our poet transferred the term to equality of blood. JOHNSON. my rapier's point.] Shakspeare deferts the manners of the age in which his drama was placed, very often without neceffity or advantage. The edge of a fword had ferved his purpose as well as the point of a rapier, and he had then efcaped the impropriety of giving the English nobles a weapon which was not feen in England till two centuries afterwards. JOHNSON. "It Mr. Ritfon cenfures this note in the following terms: would be well however, though not quite fo eafy for fome learned critic to bring fome proof in fupport of this and fuch like affertions. Without which the authority of Shakspeare is at leaft equal to that of Dr. Johnfon." It is probable that Dr. Johnfon did not fee the neceffity of citing any authority for a fact fo well known, or fufpect that any perfon would demand one. If an authority however only is wanted, perhaps, the following may be deemed fufficient to juftify the Doctor's obfervation: " ——at that time two other Englishmen, Sir W. Stanley, and Rowland Yorke, got an ignominious name of traytors. This Yorke, borne in London, was a man moft negligent and lazy, but defperately hardy; he was in his time moft famous among thofe who refpected fencing, having been the firft that brought into England that wicked and pernicious fashion to fight in the fields in duels with a rapier called a tucke, onely for the thruft: the English having till that very time fed to fight with backe fwords, flashing and cutting one the other, AUM. Thou dar'st not, coward, live to see that day. FITZ. Now, by my foul, I would it were this hour. AUM. Fitzwater, thou art damn'd to hell for this. PERCY. Aumerle, thou lieft; his honour is as true, In this appeal, as thou art all unjust: LORD. I take the earth to the like, forfworn armed with targets or bucklers, with very broad weapons, accounting it not to be a manly action to fight by thrusting and ftabbing, and chiefly under the wafte." Darcie's Annals of Queen Elizabeth, 4to. 1623, p. 223. fub anno, 1587. Again, in Bulleine's Dialogue between Soarneffe and Chirurgi, fol. 1579, p. 20: "There is a new kynd of inftruments to let bloud withall, whych brynge the bloud-letter fometyme to the gallowes, because hee ftryketh to deepe. Thefe inftruments are called the ruffins tucke, and long foining rapier: weapons more malicious than manly." REED. 4 I take the earth to the like, &c.] This fpeech I have restored from the first edition in humble ̋imitation of former editors, though, I believe, against the mind of the author. For the earth I suppose we should read, thy oath. JOHNSON. To take the earth is, at prefent, a fox-hunter's phrafe. So, in The Blind Beggar of Alexandria, 1598: "I'll follow him until he take the earth." But I know not how it can be applied here. It should feem, however, from the following paffage in Warner's Albion's England, 1602, B. III. c. xvi. that the expreffion is yet capable of another meaning: "Lo here my gage, (he terr'd his glove) thou know'ft the victor's meed. To terre the glove was, I fuppofe, to dash it on the earth. We still ground Jay musquet, and to ground. And fpur thee on with full as many lies As may be holla'd in thy treacherous ear Let me add, however, in fupport of Dr. Johnfon's conjecture, that the word oath, in Troilus and Crefida, quarto 1609, is corrupted in the fame manner. Instead of the " -untraded oath," it gives untraded earth." We might read, only changing the place of one letter, and altering another: 66 I task thy heart to the like, i. e. I put thy valour to the fame trial. So, in King Henry IV. A&t V. fc. ii: "How fhow'd his tasking? feem'd it in contempt? The quarto, 1597, reads-task; the fucceeding quartos, viz. 1598, 1608, and 1615, have take. STEEVENS. Task is the reading of the first and best quarto in 1597. In that printed in the following year the word was changed to take; but all the alterations made in the feveral editions of our author's plays in quarto, after the firft, appear to have been made either arbitrarily or by negligence. (I do not mean to include copies containing new and additional matter.) I confefs I am unable to explain either reading; but I adhere to the elder, as more likely to be the true one. MALONE. 5 From fun to fun:] i. e. as I think, from fun-rife to fun-fet. So, in Cymbeline: "Imo. How many score of miles may we well ride "Twixt hour and hour? "Pifa. One score 'twixt fun and fun, "Madam, 's enough for you, and too much too." "The time appointed for the duello (fays Saviolo) hath alwaies bene twixt the rifing and the fetting fun; and whoever in that time doth not prove his intent, can never after be admitted the combat upon that quarrel." On Honour and honourable quarrels, 4to. 1595. This paffage fully fupports the emendation here made, and my interpretation of the words. The quartos read-From fin to fin. The emendation, which in my apprehenfion requires no enforcement or fupport, was propofed by Mr. Steevens, who explains thefe words differently. He is of opinion that they mean, from one day to another. MALONE. However ingenious the conjecture of Mr. Steevens may be, I think the old reading the true one. From fin to fin, is from one denial to another; for those denials were feverally maintained to be lies. HENLEY. AUM. Who fets me elfe? by heaven, I'll throw I have a thousand fpirits in one breast,+ SURRY. My lord Fitzwater, I do remember well The very time Aumerle and you did talk. Firz. My lord, 'tis true: you were in presence then; And you can witness with me, this is true. SURRY. AS falfe, by heaven, as heaven itself is true. FITZ. Surry, thou lieft. SURRY. Dishonourable boy! In proof whereof, there is my honour's pawn;→ FITZ. How fondly doft thou fpur a forward horfe! If I dare eat, or drink, or breathe, or live, I dare meet Surry in a wildernefs," And fpit upon him, whilft I fay, he lies, And lies, and lies: there is my bond of faith, To tie thee to my strong correction.As I intend to thrive in this new world," 4 I have a thousand spirits in one breaft,] So, in K. Richard III: "A thousand hearts are great within my bofom." STEEVENS. 5 My lord, 'tis true: you were in prefence then;] The quartos omit-My lord, and read-'Tis very true, &c. The folio preferves both readings, and confequently overloads the metre. STEEVENS. 6 I dare meet Surry in a wilderness,] I dare meet him where no help can be had by me against him. So, in Macbeth: 66 or be alive again, "And dare me to the defert with thy fword." JOHNSON. in this new world,] In this world where I have just begun to be an actor. Surry has, a few lines above, called him boy. JOHNSON. Aumerle is guilty of my true appeal: That thou, Aumerle, didst send two of thy men AUM. Some honeft Chriftian truft me with a gage, That Norfolk lies: here do I throw down this, If he may be repeal'd to try his honour. BOLING. Thefe differences fhall all reft under gage, Till Norfolk be repeal'd: repeal'd he shall be, CAR. That honourable day fhall ne'er be feen.- BOLING. Sweet peace conduct his fweet foul to the bofom Of good old Abraham!-Lords appellants, 8 here do I throw down this,] Holinfhed fays, that on this occafion" he threw down a hood that he had borrowed." STEEVENS. He had before thrown down his own hood, when accused by Bagot. MALONE. |