The gum down-roping from their ple dead eyes; dr Fly o'er them, all impatient for their hour. SCENE X. K. Henry's Speech before the Battle at Agincourt. He that out-lives this day, and comes fafe home, Then will he ftrip his fleeve, and fhew his fcars: What feats they did that day. Then fhall our names, Harry the king, Bedford, and Exeter, Warwick, and Talbot, Salisbury, and Glo'fter, SCENE XII. Defcription of the Earl of York's He fmil'd me in the face, gave me his hand,. And, with a feeble gripe, fays, dear my lord, Commend. (11) Fymold] Jymold, or rather gimma'd, which fignifies a ring of two rounds, Gemellus, Skinner. Mr. Pope. *He fmil'd, &c This tender and pathetic defcription of the earl of York's death always reminds me of Virgil s celebrated epifode on the friendship of Nifus and Euryalus, who fell undivided in death, and lovely as they had lived---Euryalus was wounded when his friend rufh'd to his affiftance, and begg'd his life: the poet tells us ; In vain he spoke, for ah, the sword addres With ruthless rage, had pierc'd his lovely breaft, * Nifus. With Commend my service to my fovereign; He threw his wounded arm, and kifs'd his lips; The pretty and sweet manner of it forc'd 'Those waters from me, which I would have ftop'd; But I had not fo much of man in me, And all my mother came into mine eyes, And gave me up to tears. ACT V. SCENE III. The Miferies of War. (12) Her vine, the merry chearer of the heart, Unpruned lies: her hedges even pleach'd, With blood his fnowy limbs are purpled o'er, In fiery circles, flies his thundering fword: Like: See Pitt, Æn. 9.. (12) Her, &c.] This is from the pfalms, Wine that maketh glaď the heart of man, pf. 104. 15. The word lies in the text is an emendation of Mr. Warburton's: the old reading is dies: in confirmation of it, it may be observed, the author fpeaks all through of the bufbandry corrupting in its own fertility, as he fays: the vine unpruned, grows wild and unfruitful, the hedges unpleached,. put. Like prifoners, wildly over-grown with hair, And all our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges, put forth diforder'd twigs; the fallow leas are over-run with * weeds, darnel, &e. and fo every thing, vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges, defective in their natures, grow to wildness: defective in their own particular natures. "Sua deficiuntur natura; (fays Mr. Upton, in the preface to his Obfervations, &c. p. 41.) they were not defective in their crefcive nature, for they grew to wildnefs: but were defective in their proper and favourable natures, which was to bring forth food for man.' ***** * The First Part of HENRY VI. (1) G ACT I. SCENE VI. GLORY. LORY is like a circle in the water; MARRIAGE. For marriage is a matter of more worth, Than to be dealt in by attorneyship. * * For what is wedlock forced but a hell, * It is not the business or intention of this work to enter into a confideration of the genuineness of fome of those compofitions, which are generally received as Shakespear's, tho' difputed, and I think, we may add juftly, by the criticks. Among the reft none appear lefs worthy of our inimitable author, than the three following; fome fine ftrokes in them fufficiently aflure us ShakeSpear lent a hand; that he composed the whole, can by no means perfuade myself; however, leave it to the difcuffion of others, and only beg leave to obferve, there are, befide the few paffages I have felected, many fingle lines, which I could not well produce as beauties separately confidered, that merit observation. (1) Glory, &c.] Beaumont and Fletcher in their Bloody Brother, ufe this fine fimile, though on another fubject, with equal beauty. The jars of brothers, two fuch mighty ones, 1s like a fmall ftone thrown into a river, The breach fearce heard, but view the beaten current, Rife in his face, ftill fwelling, and ftill growing; So jars diftrufts encircle, diftrufts dangers, Till nothing bound them but the shoar, their graves. A&t 2. S. T. (38) (1) The Second Part of HENRY VI. "F ACT I. SCENE IV. A refolv'd ambitious Woman. OLLOW I muft, I cannot go before,. While Glo'fter bears this bafe and humble mind. Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood, T ACT II. SCENE II.. The Lord ever to be remember'd. Let never day or night unhallow'd pafs, But ftill remember what the Lord hath done.. SCENE VII. Eleanor to the Duke of Glo'fter,. when doing Penance. For whilst I think I am thy married wife And thou a prince, protector of this land; Methinks, I fhould not thus be led along, (1) Follow, &c] There is fomething very like the character of lady Macbeth, in this ambitious wife of the duke of Glofter. |