To raze one title of your honour out?:

To you, my lord, I come, (what lord you will,)
From the most gracious regent of this land3,
The duke of York; to know, what pricks you on
To take advantage of the absent time 1,

And fright our native peace with self-born arms.

Enter YORK attended.

BOLING. I shall not need transport my words by you; Here comes his grace in person.- My noble uncle! [Kneels. YORK. Show me thy humble heart, and not thy

knee,

Whose duty is deceivable and false.

BOLING. My gracious uncle!—

YORK. Tut, tut!

Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle 5:

"How the names

2 TO RAZE one title of your honour OUT:] of them which for capital crimes against majestie were erazed out of the publicke records, tables, and registers, or forbidden to be borne by their posteritie, when their memorie was damned, I could show at large." Camden's Remains, p. 136, edit. 1605. MALONE.

3 From the most GLORIOUS REGENT of this land,] Thus the first quarto, 1597. The word regent was accidentally omitted in the quarto, 1598, which was followed by all the subsequent copies. The same copy substituted glorious for gracious. MALONE. -the ABSENT time,] i. e. time of the king's absence.

4

JOHNSON.

5 Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle :] In Romeo and Juliet, we have the same kind of phraseology:

"Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds." Again, in Microconicon, Six snarling Satires, &c. by Thomas Middleton, 16mo. 1599:

"Hower me no howers; howers break no square." Again, in Solyman and Perseda, 1599:

"Basilis. What would'st thou have me, a Typhon?
"Piston. Typhon me no Typhons, but swear," &c.

Again, in Love's Owle, a poem, by Antony Copley, 4to. 1595:
And so joy mightely over all.

"Old Man. All me no alls, for all is nought."

Again, in King Edward I. by George Peele, 1593:

I am no traitor's uncle; and that word-grace,
In an ungracious mouth, is but profane.
Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs

6

Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground? But then more why ;--Why have they dar'd to march

So many miles upon her peaceful bosom ;
Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war,
And ostentation of despised arms??

"Friars. Hands off, an if you love your ease.
"Rice. Ease me no easings," &c. MALONE.

The reading of the folio is preferable:

"Tut, tut! grace me no grace, nor uncle me." RITSON. 6 But then more why;] This seems to be wrong. We might read:

"But more than this; why," &c. TYRWHITT.

"But then more why." But, to add more questions. This is the reading of the first quarto, 1597, which in the second, and all the subsequent copies, was corrupted thus: "But more than why." The expression of the text, though a singular one, was, I have no doubt, the author's. It is of a colour with those immediately preceding:

"Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle.”

An innovation which shows how very soon Shakspeare's peculiarities were not understood, and how ready the persons through whose hands they passed, were to substitute their own capricious notions in their room. A similar expression occurs in TwelfthNight:

"More than I love these eyes, more than my life,

More, by all mores, than I shall e'er love wife."

Mr. Tyrwhitt, who certainly had never seen the second quarto, proposed the same reading that is there, and Mr. M. Mason would read thus:

"But more then. Why? Why have they dar'd," &c. To mention this, is enough. The text is unquestionably right. MALONE. There seems to be an error in this passage, which I believe should run thus:

"But more then: Why? why have they dar'd," &c. This repetition of the word why, is not unnatural for a person speaking with much warmth. M. MASON.

7 And ostentation of DESPISED arms?] But sure the ostentation of despised arms would not fright any one. We should read:

Com'st thou because the anointed king is hence?
Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind,
And in my loyal bosom lies his power.

Were I but now the lord of such hot youth,
As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself,
Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,
From forth the ranks of many thousand French;
O, then, how quickly should this arm of mine,
Now prisoner to the palsy, chástise thee,
And minister correction to thy fault!

BOLING. My gracious uncle, let me know my fault; On what condition stands it, and wherein ?

YORK. Even in condition of the worst degree,In gross rebellion, and detested treason:

Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come,
Before the expiration of thy time,

In braving arms against thy

sovereign.

BOLING. As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford;

But as I come, I come for Lancaster.

And, noble uncle, I beseech your grace,

* So folio: the quartos omit the.

† So quarto 1597, and folio: the other quartos, my.

66

i. e. forces in battle array.

disposed arms: " WARBURTON.

This alteration is harsh. Sir T. Hanmer reads-despightful. Mr. Upton gives this passage as a proof that our author uses the passive participle in an active sense. The copies all agree. Perhaps the old duke means to treat him with contempt as well as with severity, and to insinuate that he despises his power, as being able to master it. In this sense all is right. JOHNSON. So, in this play:

"We'll make foul weather with despised tears."

STEEVENS.

The meaning of this probably is-'a boastful display of arms which we despise.' M. MASON.

8 ON what condition] It should be, in what condition,' i. e. in what degree of guilt. The particles in the old editions are of little credit. JOHNSON.

York's reply supports Dr. Johnson's conjecture:

"Even in condition," &c. Malone.

Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye":
You are my father, for, methinks, in you

I see old Gaunt alive; O, then, my father!
Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd
A wand'ring vagabond; my rights and royalties
Pluck'd from my arms perforce, and given away
To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born 9 ?
If that my cousin king be king of England,
It must be granted, I am duke of Lancaster.
You have a son, Aumerle, my noble kinsman;
Had you first died, and he been thus trod down,
He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father,
To rouse his wrongs, and chase them to the bay1.
I am denied to sue my livery here 2,

And yet my letters patent give me leave:
My father's goods are all distrain'd, and sold;
And these, and all, are all amiss employ'd.
What would you have me do? I am a subject,
And challenge law: Attornies are denied me;
And therefore personally I lay my claim
To my inheritance of free descent.

NORTH. The noble duke hath been too much
abus'd.

8 Look on my wrongs with an INDIFFERENT eye:] i. e. with an impartial eye. "Every juryman (says Sir Edward Coke,) ought to be impartial and indifferent." MALONE.

9 Wherefore was I born?] To what purpose serves birth and lineal succession? I am duke of Lancaster by the same right of birth as the king is king of England. JOHNSON.

'the

To rouse his WRONGS, and chase them to the bay.] By "his wrongs," are meant persons who wrong him.' This explanation is supported by a passage in Fletcher's Double Marriage, where Juliana says—

2

"With all my youth and pleasure I'll embrace you,

Make tyranny and death stand still, affrighted,

And, at our meeting souls, amaze our mischiefs."

M. MASON.

to SUE MY LIVERY here,] A law phrase belonging to the feudal tenures. See notes on Sc. III. STEEVENS.

K. Henry IV. Part I. Act IV.

Ross. It stands your grace upon, to do him right 3. WILLO. Base men by his endowments are made great.

YORK. My lords of England, let me tell you
this,-

I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs,
And labour'd all I could to do him right:
But in this kind to come, in braving arms,
Be his own carver, and cut out his way*,
To find out right with wrong,-it may not be;
And you, that do abet him in this kind,
Cherish rebellion, and are rebels all.

NORTH. The noble duke hath sworn, his coming is
But for his own: and, for the right of that,
We all have strongly sworn to give him aid;
And let him ne'er see joy, that breaks that oath.
YORK. Well, well, I see the issue of these arms;
I cannot mend it, I must needs confess,
Because my power is weak, and all ill left :
But, if I could, by him that gave me life,
I would attach you all, and make you stoop
Unto the sovereign mercy of the king;
But, since I cannot, be it known to you,
I do remain as neuter. So, fare you well ;—
Unless you please to enter in the castle,
And there repose you for this night.

BOLING. An offer, uncle, that we will accept. But we must win your grace, to go with us

3 It STANDS your grace UPON, to do him right.] i. e. it is your interest, it is matter of consequence to you. So, in King

Richard III. :

"To stop all hopes whose growth may danger me." Again, in Antony and Cleopatra:

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It only stands

"Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands." STEEVENS. 4 Be his own carver, and cut out his way,] So, in Othello,

vol. ix.

p. 327:

"He that stirs next to carve forth his own rage."

BOSWELL.