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there already: The king, I can tell you, looks for us all; we must away all night."

FAL. Tut, never fear me; I am as vigilant, as a cat to steal cream.

P. HEN. I think, to fteal cream indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack; Whofe fellows are these that come after?

FAL. Mine, Hal, mine.

P. HEN. I did never see fuch pitiful rafcals.

FAL. Tut, tut; good enough to tofs; food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better: tufh, man, mortal men, mortal men.

WEST. Ay, but, fir John, methinks, they are exceeding poor and bare; too beggarly.

FAL. 'Faith, for their poverty,-I know not where they had that: and for their bareness,—I am sure, they never learn'd that of me.

P. HEN. No, I'll be fworn; unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, firrah, make haste; Percy is already in the field.

FAL. What, is the king encamp'd?

WEST. He is, fir John; I fear, we shall stay too long.

FAL. Well,

To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning of a

feaft,

Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest.

[Exeunt.

we muft away all night.] Read,-we muft away all to

night. M. MASON.

Perhaps Weftmoreland means-" we must travel all night.”

STEEVENS.

JOHNSON.

good enough to tofs;] That is, to tofs upon a pike.

SCENE III.

The Rebel Camp near Shrewsbury.

Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, DOUGLAS, and
VERNON.

HOT. We'll fight with him to-night.

WOR.

It may not be.

Not a whit.

DOUG. You give him then advantage.

VER.

Hor. Why fay you fo? looks he not for supply? VER. So do we.

Hor.

His is certain, ours is doubtful.

WOR. Good coufin, be advis'd; ftir not to-night.

VER. Do not, my lord.

DOUG.

You do not counsel well; You speak it out of fear, and cold heart.

VER. Do me no flander, Douglas: by my life,
(And I dare well maintain it with my life,)
If well-refpected honour bid me on,

I hold as little counfel with weak fear,
As you, my lord, or any Scot that lives: 9-
Let it be feen to-morrow in the battle,
Which of us fears.

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9 As you, my lord, or any Scot that lives:] The old copies,

that this day lives: STEEVENS.

We should omit the words, this day, which weaken the sense and destroy the meafure. M. MASON.

I wonder much, being men of fuch great leading,'
That you foresee not what impediments
Drag back our expedition: Certain horfe
Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up:
Your uncle Worcester's horfe came but to-day;
And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,
That not a horfe is half the half himself.3
Hor. So are the horses of the enemy

In general, journey-bated, and brought low;
The better part of ours are full of rest.

WOR. The number of the king exceedeth ours: For God's fake, coufin, ftay till all come in.

[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
Envy your great defervings, and good name;
Because you are not of our quality,*
But stand against us like an enemy.

2-fuch great leading,] Such conduct, fuch experience in martial business. JOHNSON.

The old copies,

-fuch great leading as you are,

By the advice of Mr. Ritfon I have omitted the words—as you are, which only serve to deftroy the metre.

3

STEEVENS.

-half himself.] Old copies-half of himself. STEEVENS. -of our quality,] Quality in our author's time was frequently used in the fenfe of fellowship or occupation. So, in The Tempeft: "Tafk Ariel and all his quality." i. e. all those who were employed with Ariel in fimilar fervices or occupations; his

BLUNT. And God defend, but ftill I should stand fo,
So long as, out of limit, and true rule,
You ftand against anointed majesty!

But, to my charge.-The king hath fent to know
The nature of your griefs; and whereupon
You conjure from the breaft of civil peace
Such bold hoftility, teaching his duteous land
Audacious cruelty: If that the king

Have any way your good deferts forgot,-
Which he confeffeth to be manifold,-

He bids you name your griefs; and, with all speed,
You shall have your defires, with interest;
And pardon abfolute for yourself, and these,
Herein misled by your fuggeftion.

Hor. The king is kind; and, well we know, the king

Knows at what time to promife, when to pay.
My father, and my uncle, and myself,

Did give him that fame royalty he wears:"

fellows. Again, in Hamlet: " - give me a taste of your quality." MALONE.

"The

5 of your griefs;] That is, grievances. So, in A Declaration of the Treafons of the late Earle of Effex, &c. 1601: 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 she was sent 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, protested " upon his foul" that he was a virgin, "found and entire even as he 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 strong,
Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
A poor unminded outlaw fneaking home,-
My father gave him welcome to the fhore:
And,-when he heard him fwear, and vow to God,
He came but to be duke of Lancaster,
To fue his livery," and beg his peace;
With tears of innocency, and terms of zeal,-
My father, in kind heart and pity mov'd,
Swore him affistance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him,
The more and lefs' came in with cap and knee;

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 suit for, and had intereft enough to obtain them. RITSON.

During the existence of the feudal tenures, on the death of any of the King's tenants, an inqueft of office, called inquifitio poft mortem, was held, to inquire of what lands he died feized, who was his heir, of what age he was, &c. and in those cases 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 aufterlemaine, that is, the delivery of the land out of his guardian's hands. To regulate thefe inquiries, which were greatly abused, 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.

7 The more and lefs-] i. e. the greater and the lefs.

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.

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