"The image appears to me to be borrowed "from coins, in which only half the counte"nance appears. Now countenance implies protection, personal friendship and assistance, as well as the face. Shakespeare uses half-faced "for half-countenanced: a fellowship to which "the parties gave but half their genuine friend"ship and concurrence."

HERON'S Letters of Literature, p. 169.

Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here,

But not the form of what he should attend.

Figures is rightly explained by Mr. Edwards.

P. 307.-142.-408.

North. Why, what a wasp-stung and impatient fool
Art thou, to break into this woman's mood.

"Wasp-tongued (says Heron) is a metaphor "nothing like so hard as many used by Shakespeare, and implies with a tongue poisonous and "keen as the sting of a wasp. Let us, with due "gratitude, return thanks to Mr. Steevens for "his skilful quotation to prove that Shakespeare "knew where the sting of a wasp lies; not in "its mouth, but in its tail."-I think wasptongued the true reading, and heartily agree with Heron,

P. 309.-145.-412.

Wor. And 'tis no little reason bids us speed,
To save our heads by raising of a head:
For, bear ourselves as even as we can,
The king will always think him in our debt;
And think we think ourselves unsatisfied,
Till he hath found a time to pay us home.
And see already, how he doth begin

To make us strangers to his looks of love.

Mrs. Montagu, in her Essay on the Writings

and Genius of Shakespeare, has made the following judicious remark: "Shakespeare, with the "sagacity of a Tacitus, observes the jealousies, "which must necessarily arise between a family "that have conferred a crown, and the king "who has received it, who will always think the presence of such benefactors too bold and peremptory." Mrs. Montagu appears to have adverted to the following passage in Tacitus: "Beneficia eo usque læta sunt dum videntur ex"solvi posse: ubi multum antevenere, pro gratia "odium redditur." Ann. iv. 18.

66

66

"It is not easy (says Gibbon) to settle be"tween a subject and a despot the debt of gratitude, which the former is tempted to claim, "and the latter to discharge by an execution." Vol. V. 4to. p. 63.

P. 317.-151.-420.

Gads. I am join'd with no foot land-rakers, no long-
staff, six-penny strikers; none of these mad, mustachio,
purple-hued malt-worms: but with nobility, and tran-
quillity; burgomasters, and great oneyers; such as can
hold in.

I incline to admit Mr. Hardinge's correction adopted by Theobald, moneyers. I cannot think with Dr. Johnson that great oneyers means great ones: nor do I think it very probable that Shakespeare formed the word oneyers from the practice of onying in the Exchequer.

P. 324.-154.-420.

Fal. Bardolph!-Peto !-I'll starve, ere I'll rob a foot
further.

Steevens is certainly right; rob (not rub) a foot further is the true reading.

Hot. Away,

P. 330.-162.--439.

Away, you, trifler!-Love ?—I love thee not,
I care not for thee, Kate.

I perfectly agree with Malone.

P. 331.-162.-439.

this is no world,

To play with mammets, and to tilt with lips.

"Mammet (says Heron) is from the French "mamelle, a woman's breast. The connexion of "the text calls for this interpretation." I agree. with Heron.

P. 340.-169.-451.

P. Hen. Didst thou never see Titan kiss a dish of butter?
pitiful-hearted Titan, that melted at the sweet tale of
the son! if thou didst, then behold that compound.

I rather incline to think Theobald's emendation

is right.

P. 341.-170.-453.

Fal. You rogue, here's lime in this sack too.

I incline to believe that the information mentioned by Mr. Ritson (that Falstaff's sack was a liquor compounded of sherry, cyder, and sugar) may be true. In the Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Falstaff speaks of a good sherris sack.

P. 347.-174.-459.

P. Hen. Seven? why, there were but four, even now.
Fal. In buckram.

Poins. Ay, four, in buckram suits

Fal. Seven, by these hilts, or I am a villain else.

If we place a note of interrogation after these words, as Mr. Whalley proposes, all is right. I prefer this regulation to that proposed by Mr. Malone.

P. 371.-194.-491.

Glend. Three times hath Henry Bolingbroke made head
Against my power: thrice from the banks of Wye,
And sandy-bottom'd Severn, have I sent him,
Bootless home, and weather-beaten back.

I think Mr. Pope's regulation is probably right.

P. 374.-196.-494.

Glend. I can speak English, Lord, as well as you ;.
For I was train'd up in the English court:

Where, being but young, I framed to the harp
Many an English ditty, lovely well,

And gave the tongue a helpful ornament.

I believe Glendower means that he adorn'd the English language by the elegance of his metrical compositions.

Could such inordinate, and low desires,

Such poor, such bare, such lewd, such mean attempts,

Such barren pleasures, rude society,

As thou art match'd withal, and grafted to,

Accompany the greatness of thy blood,

And hold their level with thy princely heart?

I suspect that for bare we should read base.

P. 384.-206.-509.

K. Hen. By being seldom seen, I could not stir,
But, like a comet, I was wonder'd at:

That men would tell their children, This is he;
Others would say,-Where? which is Bolingbroke?
And then I stole all courtesy from heaven,

And dress'd myself in such humility,

That I did pluck allegiance from men's hearts.

I rather incline to understand this passage as Warburton does. Mr. Davies remarks (I think justly) that Mr. Malone explains our author to

mean "more than he intended." Courtesy for devotion is surely somewhat strained. The progress from courtesy to humility is natural enough. That Prometheus's stealing fire from heaven was not unfamiliar to Shakespeare can be proved from a similar expression in Othello:

But once put out thy light,

Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,

I know where is that Promethean heat

That can thy light relumine.

P. 386.-208.-512.

The skipping king, he ambled up and down
With shallow jesters, and rash bavin wits,
Soon kindled, and soon burn'd: carded his state;
Mingled his royalty with capering fools.

Either capering or carping may stand; I incline to think carping is the right word.

P. 388.-210.-516.

And even as I was then, is Percy now.
Now by my scepter, and my soul to boot,
He hath more worthy interest to the state,
Than thou, the shadow of succession.

This is rightly explained by Malone.

P. 389.-210.-517.

Percy, Northumberland,

The archbishop's grace of York, Douglas, Mortimer,
Capitulate against us, and are up.

Capitulate is rightly explained by Ritson and Malone.

P. 389.-211.-518.

P. Hen. I will redeem all this on Percy's head,
And, in the closing of some glorious day,
Be bold to tell you, that I am your son;
When I will wear a garment all of blood,
And stain my favours in a bloody mask,

Which, wash'd away, shall scour my shame with it.