SCENE IV. The Same. A Room in the King's Castle. Enter King RICHARD, BAGOT, and GREEN, at one door; AUMERLE at another. K. Rich. We did observe".-Cousin Aumerle, How far brought you high Hereford on his way? Aum. I brought high Hereford, if you call him so, But to the next highway, and there I left him. K. Rich. And, say, what store of parting tears were shed? Aum. 'Faith, none for me; except the north-east wind, Which then blew bitterly against our faces', Awak'd the sleeping rheum, and so by chance K. Rich. What said our cousin, when you parted with him? Aum. Farewell: and, for my heart disdained that my tongue Should so profane the word, that taught me craft That words seem'd buried in my sorrow's grave. And added years to his short banishment, He should have had a volume of farewells; But, since it would not, he had none of me. K. Rich. He is our cousin, cousin; but 'tis doubt, We did observe.] These words are addressed by the King to Bagot and Green, and are the continuation of something that had passed between them before their entrance. Bushy is mentioned in the old stage-direction of the quartos, but he does not in fact enter till afterwards. 7 Which then BLEW bitterly against our faces,] The folio, 1623, reads, "Which then grew bitterly," &c.; a misprint followed by the later impressions of the same volume: every 4to. edition has "blew." The quartos also have "faces" for face of the folio, and "sleeping" for sleepy in the next line. When time shall call him home from banishment, What reverence he did throw away on slaves; As 'twere to banish their affects with him. A brace of draymen bid God speed him well, And he our subjects' next degree in hope. Green. Well, he is gone; and with him go these thoughts. Now for the rebels, which stand out in Ireland, K. Rich. We will ourself in person to this war: For our affairs in hand. If that come short, For we will make for Ireland presently. Ourself, and Bushy, Bagot here, and Green,] This line (with the transposition of "here") is from the folio, 1623: the quartos merely have "Ourself and Bushy;" but Bushy was not on the stage, entering some time afterwards. 9 EXPEDIENT manage-] i. e. expeditious conduct, or arrangements. See pp. 8 and 19 of this Vol. Bushy, what news? Enter BUSHY'. Bushy. Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord2, Suddenly taken, and hath sent post-haste, To entreat your majesty to visit him. K. Rich. Where lies he? Bushy. At Ely-house. K. Rich. Now put it, God, in his physician's mind, To help him to his grave immediately! The lining of his coffers shall make coats To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars.- Pray God, we may make haste, and come too late! [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. London. An Apartment in Ely-house. GAUNT on a Couch; the Duke of YORK, and Others, standing by him. Gaunt. Will the king come, that I may breathe my last In wholesome counsel to his unstaid youth? York. Vex not yourself, nor strive not with your breath; For all in vain comes counsel to his ear. Gaunt. O! but they say, the tongues of dying men Enforce attention like deep harmony: 1 Enter Bushy.] The old stage-direction, as if to indicate that Bushy was to enter in haste, has "Enter Bushy with news." 2 – is GRIEVOUS sick, my lord,] The folio poorly substitutes very for "grievous." Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain; For they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain. He that no more must say is listen'd more, Than they whom youth and ease have taught to glose; More are men's ends mark'd, than their lives before. As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last, York. No; it is stopp'd with other flattering sounds, Whose manners still our tardy apish nation Where doth the world thrust forth a vanity, Direct not him, whose way himself will choose: Gaunt. Methinks, I am a prophet new inspir'd, And thus, expiring, do foretell of him. 3 - and music AT the close,] The folios have "music is the close: " our reading is that of the quarto, 1597: the later quartos print glose for "close." The passage is quoted in " England's Parnassus," 1600, p. 54, as in our text. As praises of his state: then, there are found] The two earliest quartos, those of 1597 and 1598, give this line, "As praises, of whose taste the wise are found," which yields admirable sense, if we read fond for "found," a very easy corruption. The two quartos of 1608 and 1615 have the line as in our text, and they are followed by the folio, 1623: these authorities we feel unwillingly bound to take. 5 THEN, all too late-] So the quartos: the folio reads "That." His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last, For violent fires soon burn out themselves; Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short; Consuming means, soon preys upon itself. This fortress, built by nature for herself, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, Is now leas'd out, I die pronouncing it, Like to a tenement, or pelting farm. • Against INFECTION,] Every ancient copy, quarto and folio, has ❝ infection," and it affords the clearest possible meaning. In " England's Parnassus,” 1600, p. 348, this line among others is misquoted, and there we read "against intestion," which led Farmer to conjecture that we ought to read infestion. If this authority were to guide us, we ought also to read farther on "For charity, service, and true chivalry," instead of "For Christian service," &c. There cannot, we apprehend, be a moment's doubt as to the propriety of adhering to the text of every old edition, and of rejecting that of nearly every modern one. 7 and famous BY their birth,] This reading is that of all the quartos: the folio has, "famous for their birth." |