I do not think, a braver gentleman,
More active-valiant, or more valiant-young,"
More daring, or more bold, is now alive,
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;

And fo, I hear, he doth account me too:
Yet this before my father's majesty,-
I am content, that he fhall take the odds
Of his great name and estimation;

And will, to fave the blood on either fide,
Try fortune with him in a fingle fight.

K. HEN. And, prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee,

Albeit, confiderations infinite

8

Do make against it :-No, good Worcester, no,
We love our people well; even those we love,
That are misled upon your coufin's part:
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his:
So tell your coufin, and bring me word
What he will do:-But if he will not yield,

More active-valiant, or more valiant-young, Sir Thomas Hanmer reads more valued young. I think the prefent gingle has more of Shakspeare. JOHNSON.

The fame kind of gingle is in Sidney's Aftrophel and Stella: young-v -wife, wife-valiant." STEEVENS.

8 No, good Worcester, no,

We love our people well;] As there appears to be no reafon for introducing the negative into this fentence, I should suppose it an error of the prefs, and that we ought to read,

Know, good Worcester, know, &c.

There is fufficient reafon to believe that many parts of thefe plays were dictated to the transcribers, and the words, know and xe, are precifely the fame in found. M. MASON.

Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
And they shall do their office. So, be gone;
We will not now be troubled with reply:
We offer fair, take it advisedly.

[Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON. P. HEN. It will not be accepted, on my life: The Douglas and the Hotspur both together Are confident against the world in arms.

K. HEN. Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge;

For, on their answer, we will set on them:
And God befriend us, as our caufe is juft!

[Exeunt King, BLUNT, and Prince JOHN. FAL. Hal, if thou fee me down in the battle, and beftride me,' fo; 'tis a point of friendship.

P. HEN. Nothing but a coloffus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell. FAL. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. HEN. Why, thou owest God a death.

[Exit." FAL. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loth to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? how then? Can honour fet to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour

9 and beftride me,] In the battle of Agincourt, Henry, when king, did this act of friendship for his brother the Duke of

Gloucefter. STEEVENS.

So again, in The Comedy of Errors:

"When I beftrid thee in the wars, and took

66

Deep fears, to fave thy life." MALONE.

2 Exit.] This exit is remarked by Mr. Upton. JOHNSON,

hath no skill in furgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word, honour? What is that honour? Air. A trim reckoning!-Who hath it? He that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it infenfible then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it-therefore I'll none of it: Honour is a mere fcutcheon,' and fo ends my catechism, [Exit.

The Rebel Camp.

Enter WORCESTER and VERNON.

WOR. O, no, my nephew muft not know, fir Richard,

The liberal kind offer of the king.

VER. 'Twere beft, he did.

WOR.

Then are we all undone.

It is not poffible, it cannot be,

The king fhould keep his word in loving us;
He will fufpect us ftill, and find a time
To punish this offence in other faults:
Sufpicion fhall be all stuck full of eyes : 4
For treafon is but trufted like the fox;

3 Honour is a mere fcutcheon,] This is very fine. The reward of brave actions formerly was only fome honourable bearing in the fhields of arms bestowed upon defervers. But Falstaff having faid that honour often came not till after death, he calls it very wittily a fcutcheon, which is the painted heraldry borne in funeral proceffions: and by mere fcutcheon is infinuated, that whether alive or dead, honour was but a name. WARBURTON.

4 Sufpicion shall be all fuck full of eyes:] The fame image of fufpicion is exhibited in a Latin tragedy, called Roxana, written about the fame time by Dr. William Alabafter. JOHNSON.

Who, ne'er fo tame, so cherish'd, and lock'd up,

Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.

Look how we can, or fad, or merrily,
Interpretation will mifquote our looks;
And we fhall feed like oxen at a stall,
The better cherish'd, ftill the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot,
It hath the excuse of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,-

A hare-brain'd Hotfpur, govern'd by a spleen:
All his offences live upon my head,

And on his father's; we did train him on;
And, his corruption being ta'en from us,
We, as the spring of all, fhall pay for all.
Therefore, good coufin, let not Harry know,
In any cafe, the offer of the king.

VER. Deliver what you will, I'll fay, 'tis fo.
Here comes your cousin.

Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS; and Officers and Soldiers, behind.

Hor. My uncle is return'd:-Deliver up My lord of Westmoreland.-Uncle, what news?

Dr. Farmer, with great propriety, would reform the line as I have printed it. In all former editions, without regard to measure, it ftood thus:

Sufpicion, all our lives, fhall be ftuck full of eyes. All the old copies read—fuppofition. STEEVENS.

The emendation was made by Mr. Pope. MALONE. 5- an adopted name of privilege,—

A bare-brain'd Hotfpur,] The name of Hotspur will privilege him from cenfure. JOHNSON.

6

Deliver up

My lord of Weftmoreland.] He was "impawned as a furety for the fafe return" of Worcester. See Act IV. sc. iii.

MALONE.

WOR. The king will bid you battle presently. DOUG. Defy him by the lord of Westmoreland.' Hor. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him fo. DOUG. Marry, and shall, and very willingly.

[Exit. WOR. There is no feeming mercy in the king. Hor. Did you beg any? God forbid!

WOR. I told him gently of our grievances, Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,By now forfwearing that he is forfworn: He calls us, rebels, traitors; and will fcourge With haughty arms this hateful name in us.

Re-enter DOUGLAS.

DOUG. Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown

A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth,

And Weftmoreland, that was engag'd,' did bear it; Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on. WOR. The prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the king,

And, nephew, challeng'd you to fingle fight.

Hor. O, 'would the quarrel lay upon our heads; And that no man might draw fhort breath to-day,

7 Doug. Defy him by the lord of Weftmoreland.] This line, as well as the next, (as has been obferved by one of the modern editors,) properly belongs to Hotspur, whofe impatience would fcarcely fuffer any one to anticipate him on fuch an occafion.

MALONE.

Lord Douglas, go you &c.] Douglas is here used as a trifyllable.
MALONE.

9 And Weftmoreland, that was engag'd,] Engag'd is delivered as an hoftage. A few lines before, upon the return of Worcester, he orders Weftmoreland to be difmiffed. JOHNSON.