I wonder much, being men of fuch great leading," Hor. So are the horses of the enemy WOR. The number of the king exceedeth ours: [The trumpets found a parley. Enter Sir WALTER BLUNT. BLUNT. I come with gracious offers from the king, If you vouchsafe me hearing, and respect. Hor. Welcome, fir Walter Blunt; And 'would to God, You were of our determination! Some of us love you well: and even those fome 2-fuch great leading,] Such conduct, fuch experience in martial bufinefs. JOHNSON. The old copies, juch great leading as you are, By the advice of Mr. Ritfon I have omitted the words—as you are, which only serve to destroy the metre. STEEVENS. 3 half himfelf.] Old copies-half of himself. STEEVENS. 4 of our quality,] Quality in our author's time was frequently used in the fenfe of fellowship or occupation. So, in The Tempeft: "Talk Ariel and all his quality." i. e. all those who were employed with Ariel in fimilar fervices or occupations; his 1 BLUNT. And God defend, but ftill I should stand so, But, to my charge.-The king hath sent to know Have any way your good deferts forgot,- He bids you name your griefs; and, with all speed, Hor. The king is kind; and, well we know, the Knows at what time to promife, when to pay. Did give him that fame royalty he wears:" fellows. Again, in Hamlet: " -give me a taste of your quality." MALONE. 5 of your griefs;] That is, grievances. So, in A Declaration of the Treafons of the late Earle of Effex, &c. 1601: "The Lord Keeper required the Earle of Effex, that if he would not declare his griefs openly, yet that then he would impart them privately." MALONE. My father, and my uncle, and myself, Did give him that fame royalty he wears:] The Percies were in the higheft favour with King Henry the Fourth for fome time after his acceffion. Thomas Earl of Worcester was appointed Governour to the Prince of Wales, and was honoured with the cuftody of Ifabel, widow of King Richard the Second, when fhe was fent back to France after that king's depofition. Hotfpur, who accompanied him on that occafion, in the prefence of the Ambaffadors of both nations, who met between Calais and Boulogne, protefted upon his foul" that the was a virgin, "found and entire even as the was delivered to King Richard, and if any would fay to the contrary, he was ready to prove it against him by combat." Speed, p. 753. MALONE. And,-when he was not fix and twenty ftrong, 6 To fue his livery,] This is a law phrafe belonging to the feudal tenures; meaning, to fue out the delivery or poffeffion of his lands from thofe perfons who on the death of any of the tenants of the crown, feized their lands, till the heir fued out his livery. STEEVENS. Before the 32d year of King Henry the Eighth, wardships were ufually granted as court favours, to those who made fuit for, and had intereft enough to obtain them. RITSON. During the exiftence of the feudal tenures, on the death of any of the King's tenants, an inqueft of office, called inquifitio post mortem, was held, to inquire of what lands he died feized, who was his heir, of what age he was, &c. and in thofe cafes where the heir was a minor, he became the ward of the crown; the land was feized by its officers, and continued in its poffeffion, or that of the perfon to whom the crown granted it, till the heir came of age, and fued out his livery, or oufterlemaine, that is, the delivery of the land out of his guardian's hands. To regulate thefe inquiries, which were greatly abufed, many perfons being compelled to fue out livery from the crown, who were by no means tenants thereunto, the Court of Wards and Liveries was erected by Stat. 32 Hen. VIII. c. 46. See Blackstone's Comm. II. 61. III. 258. * The more and lefs-] i. e. the greater and the less. MALONE. STEEVENS. Steevens has given the words, the more and lefs, the only explanation they can bear; but I have little doubt that we ought to read They, more and lefs, came in &c. M. MASON. Met him in boroughs, cities, villages; Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths, Made to my father, while his blood was poor, Hor. Gave him their heirs; as pages follow'd him,] Perhaps we ought to point differently: Gave him their heirs as pages; fillow'd him, &c. MALONE. 9 Upon the naked fhore &c.] In this whole fpeech he alludes again to fome paffages in Richard the Second. JOHNSON. And, in the neck of that,] So, in Painter's Palace of Pleasure, 1566: "Great mifchiefes fuccedyng one in another's necke." HENDERSON. 3tafk'd the whole ftate:] I fuppofe it fhould be tax'd the whole ftate. JOHNSON. Task'd is here used for taxed; it was once common to employ thefe words indifcriminately. Memoirs of P. de Commines, by el ΔΙ To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman March 4 Too indirect for long continuance. BLUNT. Shall I return this anfwer to the king? And in the morning early fhall mine uncle BLUNT. I would, you would accept of grace and love. Hor. And, may be, so we shall. BLUNT. 'Pray heaven, you do! [Exeunt. Again, Danert, folio, 4th edit. 1674, p. 136: " Duke Philip, by the No change was necessary. Engag'd fignifies delivered as a hostage; and is again used in that fenfe. See p. 572, n. 9. DOUCE. 4 This head of fafety;] This army, from which I hope for pretection. JOHNSON. |