King. My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal:

I thank ye heartily; so shall this lady,

When she has so much English.

Let me speak, sir,

15

Cran.
For heaven now bids me; and the words I utter
Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth.
This royal infant-heaven still move about her!-
Though in her cradle, yet now promises
Upon this land a thousand thousand blessings,
Which time shall bring to ripeness: she shall be—
But few now living can behold that goodness-
A pattern to all princes living with her
And all that shall succeed: Saba was never
More covetous of wisdom and fair virtue

20

Than this pure soul shall be: all princely graces,

25

That mould up such a mighty piece as this is,

With all the virtues that attend the good,

Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,

Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:

She shall be loved and fear'd: her own shall bless her;

30

Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with sorrow. Good grows with her:

In her days every man shall eat in safety,

Under his own vine, what he plants, and sing
The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours:
God shall be truly known; and those about her
From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.
Nor shall this peace sleep with her; but, as when

12. ye have] Johnson. y' have Ff. you have Hanmer.

21. few now] few or none Warburton. 23. Saba] Sheba Rowe (ed. 2). 25. pure] poor Rowe (ed. 2). blest Pope.

26. such] F. om. F2F3F4.

is] om. Pope.

31. corn] F3F4. Corne F,F2. See note (XIII).

32. And...her:] One line in Rowe (ed. 2). Two lines, the first ending sorrow, in Ff.

37. read] tread Collier conj.

37, 38. ways...by those claim] F4. way...by those claime FF2F3. ways ...claim by those Pope. way...by that claim Capell.

39-55. Nor shall...heaven.] See note (XIV).

35

The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,
Her ashes new create another heir

40

As great in admiration as herself,

So shall she leave her blessedness to one

When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness—
Who from the sacred ashes of her honour

45

Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,

And so stand fix'd. Peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,

That were the servants to this chosen infant,

Shall then be his and like a vine grow to him:

Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name

50

Shall be, and make new nations: he shall flourish,
And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches
To all the plains about him.

Our children's children.

Shall see this, and bless heaven.

King.

Thou speakest wonders.
Cran. She shall be, to the happiness of England,

An aged princess; many days shall see her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.

55

Would I had known no more! but she must die;

She must; the saints must have her; yet a virgin,

бо

A most unspotted lily shall she pass

Thou hast made me now a man! never, before

To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her.
King. O lord archbishop,

65

This happy child, did I get any thing.

This oracle of comfort has so pleased me,

That when I am in heaven I shall desire

To see what this child does, and praise my Maker.

I thank ye all. To you, my good lord mayor,

And your good brethren, I am much beholding;

70

I have received much honour by your presence,

And ye shall find me thankful. Lead the way, lords:
Ye must all see the queen, and she must thank ye;

She will be sick else. This day, no man think
Has business at his house; for all shall stay:
This little one shall make it holiday.

75

[Exeunt.

THE EPILOGUE.

'Tis ten to one this play can never please
All that are here: some come to take their ease,
And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear,
We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tis clear,
They'll say 'tis naught: others, to hear the city
Abused extremely, and to cry 'That's witty!'
Which we have not done neither; that, I fear,
All the expected good we're like to hear
For this play at this time, is only in
The merciful construction of good women;
For such a one we show'd 'em: if they smile,
And say 'twill do, I know, within a while
All the best men are ours; for 'tis ill hap,
If they hold when their ladies bid 'em clap.

5

ΤΟ

NOTES.

NOTE I.

I. I. 167. Mr Collier says: "In the three earlier folios the word is spelt 'wrenching,' which the printer of the fourth folio, not understanding, altered to 'drenching."" In the three copies of the fourth folio now before us the word is 'wrenching.'

NOTE II.

1. 2. Capell, followed by Malone, made many gratuitous alterations in the stage-directions of the Folios, which we have not thought it worth while always to record.

NOTE III.

II. 3. 7-9. Pope's reading is as follows:

'Still growing in a majesty and pomp,

The which to leave, a thousand-fold more bitter

Than sweet at first t'acquire.'

Theobald, followed by Hanmer, has:

'Still growing to a majesty and pomp,

The which to leave's a thousand-fold more bitter
Than sweet at first t'acquire.'

Capell reads, following the arrangement of the Folios:

'Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which
To leave, 's a thousand fold more bitter, than
'Tis sweet at first to acquire.'

We are in doubt here as to which is the reading of Mr Collier's MS. Corrector, for in his edition of Coleridge's Lectures he gives it,

'To leave's a thousand times more bitter, than
Sweet, &c.'

while in the second edition of his Shakespeare he quotes it as follows: 'To leave's a thousand-fold more better, than

'Tis sweet, &c.'

NOTE IV.

II. 3. 103. Mr Collier says, "If the blood of Anne Bullen had saluted or welcomed the news,-'If my blood salute this a jot—' there would have been no difficulty." It is not clear whether Mr Collier intends this as a conjectural emendation or not.

NOTE V.

11. 3. The stage direction which we have given from the Folios has been variously altered. The only important change which Capell introduces is in making the Archbishop of Canterbury follow the Bishops. The alteration 'between' for 'below' appeared in Reed's edition of 1803, and has been followed by some modern editors.

NOTE VI.

II. 4. 75. This line appears to have been accidentally omitted by the printer of the edition by Johnson, who, without taking the trouble to refer even to Warburton's text, conjectured that the passage was corrupt and proposed to read:

'Nay, before.

Induc'd by potent circumstances, that

You are my enemy, I make my challenge.
You shall not be my judge.'

NOTE VII.

II. 4. 182. Mr Collier, in his 2nd edition, says, "We are quite satisfied that Theobald was right in reading 'The bottom of my conscience."" Theobald does not adopt the conjecture in his text. His