K. HEN. What was that Hopkins?

Sir, a Chartreux friar,

SURV.
His confeffor; who fed him every minute
With words of fovereignty.

K. HEN.

How know'st thou this?

SURV. Not long before your highness sped to
France,

The duke being at the Rofe, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney,' did of me demand
What was the fpeech amongst the Londoners
Concerning the French journey: I reply'd,
Men fear'd, the French would prove perfidious,
To the king's danger. Presently the duke
Said, 'Twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted,
'Twould prove the verity of certain words.
Spoke by a holy monk; that oft, fays he,
Hath fent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Court, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of fome moment:
Whom after under the confeffion's feal"

He folemnly had fworn, that, what he spoke,

Shakspeare was perhaps led into the mistake by inadvertently referring the words, called Henton," in the paffage already quoted from Holinfhed, (p. 25, n. 2.) not to the monaftery, but to the monk. MALONE.

5 The duke being at the Rofe, &c.] This houfe was purchased about the year 1561, by Richard Hill, fometime mafter of the Merchant Tailors company, and is now the Merchant Tailors fchool, in Suffolk-lane. WHALLEY.

6 under the confeffion's feal- All the editions down from the beginning have-commiffion's. But what commiffion's feal? That is a queftion, I dare fay, none of our diligent editors asked themfelves. The text must be restored, as I have corrected it; and honeft Holinfhed, [p. 863.] from whom our author took the fubftance of this paffage, may be called in as a teftimony.-" The duke in talk told the monk, that he had done very well to bind his chaplain, John de la Court, under the feal of confession, to keep fecret fuch matter." THEOBALD.

My chaplain to no creature living, but

To me, bould utter, with demure confidence

This pausingly enfu'd,-Neither the king, nor his heirs,
(Tell you the duke) shall prosper: bid him ftrive
To gain the love of the commonalty; the duke
Shall govern England.

2. ΚΑΤΗ.

If I know you well,

You were the duke's furveyor, and loft your office On the complaint o' the tenants: Take good heed, You charge not in your fpleen a noble perfon, And spoil your nobler foul! I fay, take heed; - Yes, heartily beseech you.

K. HEN. Go forward.

Let him on:

SURV. On my foul, I'll speak but truth. I told my lord the duke, By the devil's illufions This monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas 8 dang'rous for him,

To ruminate on this so far, until

It forg'd him fome design, which, being believ'd,
It was much like to do: He anfwer'd, Tush!
It can do me no damage: adding further,

To gain the love-] The old copy reads-To the love.

"The

STEEVENS. For the infertion of the word gain, I am anfwerable. From the correfponding paffage in Holinfhed, it appears evidently to have been omitted through the careleffnefs of the compofitor: faid monke told to De la Court, neither the king nor his heirs fhould profper, and that I fhould endeavour to purchase the good wills of the commonalty of England."

Since I wrote the above, I find this correction had been made by the editor of the fourth folio. MALONE.

It had been adopted by Mr. Rowe, and all fubfequent editors.

8 for him,] Old copy-for this. Rowe. MALONE.

STEEVENS.

Corrected by Mr.

That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
The cardinal's and fir Thomas Lovell's heads
Should have gone off.

K. HEN.

Ha! what, fo rank? Ah, ha! There's mischief in this man:-Canft thou fay

After your highness had reprov'd the duke

About fir William Blomer,

K. HEN.

I remember

Of fuch a time:-Being my fworn fervant,'

The duke retain'd him his.- -But on; What

hence?

SURV. If, quoth he, I for this had been committed, As, to the Tower, I thought,—I would have play'd The part my father meant to act upon

The ufurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury,
Made fuit to come in his prefence; which if granted,
As he made femblance of his duty, would

Have put his knife into him.3

K. HEN.

A giant traitor!

-fo rank?] Rank weeds, are weeds grown up to great height and ftrength. What, fays the king, was he advanced to this pitch? JOHNSON.

2

Being my fworn fervant, &c.] Sir William Blomer, (Holinfhed calls him Bulmer,) was reprimanded by the king in the ftar-chamber, for that, being his fworn fervant, he had left the king's fervice for the duke of Buckingham's. Edwards's MSS. STEEVENS.

3 Have put his knife into him.] The accuracy of Holinfhed, if from him Shakspeare took his account of the accufations and punishment, together with the qualities of the Duke of Buckingham, is proved in the most authentick manner by a very curious report of his cafe in

WOL. Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom,

And this man out of prifon?

2. ΚΑΤΗ.

God mend all!

K. HEN. There's fomething more would out of thee; What fay'ft?

SURV. After-the duke his father, with the

knife,

He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,
Another spread on his breaft, mounting his eyes,
He did discharge a horrible oath; whofe tenour
Was,-Were he evil us'd, he would out-go
His father, by as much as a performance
Does an irrefolute purpose.

There's his period,

K. HEN.
To fheath his knife in us. He is attach'd;
Call him to present trial: if he may
Find mercy in the law, 'tis his; if none,

Eaft. Term, 13 Hen. VIII. in the year books published by authority, fol. 11 and 12, edit. 1597. After in the moft exact manner fetting forth the arrangement of the Lord High Steward, the Peers, the arraignment, and other forms and ceremonies, it fays: "Et iffint fuit arreine Edward Duc de Buckingham, le derrain jour de Terme le xij jour de May, le Duc de Norfolk donques eftant Grand fenefchal: la caufe fuit, pur ceo que il avoit entend l' mort de noftre Sur le Roy. Car premierment un Moine del' Abbey de Henton in le countie de Somerfet dit a lui que il fera Roy & command' luy de obtenir le benevolence del' communalte, & fur ceo il doña certaines robbes a ceft entent. A que il dit que le moine ne onques dit ainfi a lui, & que il ne dona ceux dones a ceft intent. Donques auterfoits il dit, fi le Roy moruft fans iffue male, il voul' eftre Roy: & auxi que il difoit, fi le Roy avoit lui commis alʼ prifon, donques il voul' lui occire ove fon dagger. Mes touts ceux matters il denia in effect, mes fuit trove coulp: Et pur ceo il avoit jugement comme traitre, et fuit decolle le Vendredy devant le Fefte del Pentecoft que fuit le xiij jour de May avant dit. Dieu à fa ame grant mercy-car il fuit tres noble prince & prudent, et mirror de tout courtefie." VAILLANT.

Let him not seek't of us: By day and night,'
He's traitor to the height.

SCENE III.

A Room in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter the Lord Chamberlain and Lord SANDS.'

CHAM. Is it poffible, the spells of France should juggle

Men into fuch strange mysteries?"

3 By day and night,] This, I believe, was a phrase anciently fignifying-at all times, every way, completely. In The Merry Wives of Windfor, Falstaff, at the end of his letter to Mrs. Ford, ftyles himfelf:

"Thine own true knight,

"By day or night," &c.

Again, (I muft repeat a quotation I have elsewhere employed) in the third book of Gower, De Confeffione Amantis :

"The fonne cleped was Machayre,

"The daughter eke Canace hight,

66

By daie bothe and eke by night."

The King's words, however, by fome criticks, have been confidered as an adjuration. I do not pretend to have determined the exact force of them. STEEVENS.

4 Lord Chamberlain-] Shak fpeare has placed this fcene in 1521. Charles Earl of Worcester was then Lord Chamberlain ; but when the king in fact went in masquerade to Cardinal Wolfey's houfe, Lord Sands, who is here introduced as going thither with the Chamberlain, himself poffeffed that office. MALONE.

Lord Chamberlain-] Charles Somerset, created Earl of Worcefter 5 Henry VIII. He was Lord Chamberlain both to Henry VII. and Henry VIII. and continued in the office until his death, 1526. REED.

5 Lord Sands.] Sir William Sands, of the Vine near Bafingftoke in Hants, was created a peer 1524. He became Lord Chamberlain upon the death of the Earl of Worcester in 1526. REED. Is it poffible, the fpells of France should juggle

Men into fuch Strange myfteries?] Myfteries were allegorical