Conft. What fhould he say, but as the Cardinal? Blanch. That's the curfe of Rome. Conft. Lewis, ftand faft; the Devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new and trimmed bride. Blanch. The Lady Conftance speaks not from her faith: But from her need. Conft. Oh, if thou grant my need, Which only lives but by the death of faith, K. John. The King is mov'd, and answers not to this. 5 It is a political maxim, that kingdoms are never married. Lewis upon the wedding is for making war upon his new relations. 6 the Devil tempts thee here In Likeness of a new untrimmed Bride.] Tho' all the Copies concur in this Reading, yet as untrimmed cannot bear any Signification to fquare with the Senfe required, I cannot help thinking it a corrupted Reading. I have ventur'd to throw out the Negative, and read; In Likeness of a new and trimmed Bride. i. e. of a new Bride, and one deck'd and adorn'd as well by Art as Nature. THEOBALD. — a new untrimmed bride.] Mr. Theobald fays, that as un trimmed cannot bear any fignifica tion to Square with the fenfe re quired, it must be corrupt; therefore he will cafhier it, and read, and trimmed; in which he is followed by the Oxford Editor; but they are both too hafty. It fquares very well with the fenfe, and fignifies unfteady. The term is taken from Navigation. We fay too, in a fimilar way of speaking, not well manned. WARB. I think Mr. Theobald's correction more plaufible than Dr. Warburton's explanation. A commentator fhould be grave, and therefore I can read these notes with the proper feverity of attention, but the idea of trimming a lady to keep her flead, would be too rifible for any common power of face. Faule. Hang nothing but a calve's-skin, most sweet lout. K. Philip. I am perplext, and know not what to say. Pand. What can't thou fay, but will perplex thee more, If thou ftand excommunicate and curst? K. Philip. Good rev'rend father, make my perfon yours; And tell me, how you would bestow yourself. Heav'n knows, they were befmear'd and over-ftain'd As now again to fnatch our palm from palm? Of smiling peace to march a bloody host, 7 So ftrong in both.] I believe the meaning is, were fe firong in both parties. Το To do your pleasure, and continue friends. Therefore, to arms! be champion of our Church! France, thou may'ft hold a ferpent by the tongue, A fafting tyger fafer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand, which thou doft hold. Thy tongue against thy tongue. O, let thy vow For that, which thou haft fworn to do amifs, And being not done, where doing tends to ill, Is to mistake again; tho' indirect, And falfhood falfhood cures; as fire cools fire, 9 But thou haft fworn against religion: By what thou fwear'ft, against the thing thou fwear'ft: And Is't not amifs, when it is truly done? as the alteration is lefs, and the fenfe which Dr. Warburton first difcovered is preserved. 9 But thou hall fw.rn against religion, &c.] In this long fpeech, the Legate is made to Gg fhew And mak'ft an oath the furety for thy truth, fhew his fkill in cafuiftry; and WARBURTON. I am not able to difcover here any thing inconfequent or ridiculoufly fubtle. The propofitions, that the voice of the church is the voice of heaven, and that the Pope uiters the voice of the church, neither of which Pandulph's auditors would deny, being once granted, the argument here used is irresistible; nor is it easy, notwithstanding the gingle, to enforce it with greater brevity or propriety. But thou haft favorn against re- By what thou fear'ft, against the thing thou fear'st : thy truth, art unfure To fwear, fwear only not to be forfworn. By what. Sir T. Hanmer reads, by that. I think it should be rather by which. That is, thou fwear's against the thing, by which ress wear'ft; that is, against religien. The molt formidable dif culty is in these lines. And mak't an oath the furety Against an oath the truth thos This Sir T. Hanmer reforms thus, And mak' an oath the furety Dr. Warburten writes it thus, I know not whether there is any corruption beyond the omiffion of a point. The fenfe, af ter I had confidered it, appeared to me only this: In fwearing by religion against religion, to which thou haft already forn, the makeft an oath the fecurity for thy f ith against an oath already takes. I will give, fays be, a rule for confcience in thefe cafes. Thou mayf be in doubt about the matter of an oath; when thou fweareft thes mayst not be always fure to fear rightly, but let this be thy fettled principle, fear only not to be forfuorn; let not thy latter oaths be at variance with thy former. Truth, through this whole fpeech, means rectitude of conduct Elfe Elfe what a mockery should it be to fwear? And better conqueft never canft thou make, So heavy, as thou shalt not shake them off; Faulc. Will't not be? Will not a calve's-fkin ftop that mouth of thine? Blanch. Upon thy wedding-day? Against the blood that thou haft married? Conft. O, upon my knee, Made hard with kneeling, I do pray to thee, Blanch. Now fhall I fee thy love; what motive may Be ftronger with thee than the name of wife? Conft. That which upholdeth him, that thee upholds, His honour. Oh, thine honour, Lewis, thine honour! Lewis. I muse, your Majesty doth feem fo cold, When fuch profound refpects do pull you on? Gg, 2 Pand. |