Tacitus, obferves the jealoufies which must naturally arise between a family, who have conferred a crown, and the king who has received it, who will always think the sence of such benefactors too bold and pe remptory. pre The character of Henry IV. is perfectly agreeable to that given him by historians. The play opens by his declaring his intention to war against the infidels, which he does not undertake, as was ufual in those times, from a religious enthusiasm, but is induced to it by political motives: that the martial spirit may not break out at home in civil wars; nor peace and idleness give men opportunity to enquire into his title to the crown, and too much discuss a point which would not bear a cool and close examination. Henry had the fpecious talents, which affift a man under certain circumftances to ufurp a kingdom: but either from the want of those great and folid qualities, which are neceffary to maintain opinion loyal to the throne to which it had raised him, or from the impoffibility poffibility of fatisfying the expectations of those who had affifted his ufurpation, as fome of the best hiftorians with great appearance of reafon have fuggefted *, it is certain his reign was full of discontents and troubles. The popular arts by which he captivated the multitude are finely defcribed in the speech he makes to his fon, in the third act. Any other poet would have thought he had acquitted himself well enough in that dialogue, by a general fatherly admonition delivered with the dignity becoming a monarch: but Shakespear rarely deals in commonplace, and general morals. The peculiar temper and circumftances of the perfon, and the exigency of the time, influence the fpeaker, as in real life. It is not only the king and parent, but Henry Plantagenet, that chides the Prince of Wales. How natural it is for him, on Percy's revolt, to recur to his own rebellion against Richard, and to apprehend, that the fame levities which loft that king, firft the opinion, then *Hume's Hift. of H. IV. the the allegiance of his fubjects, should deprive the Prince of his fucceffion! Nothing can be better imagined than the parallel he draws between himself and Percy, Richard and Henry of Monmouth. The affectionate Father, the offended King, the provident Politician, and the confcious ufurper, are all united in the following fpeeches : K. HENRY. I know not, whether God will have it so, Make me believe that thou art only mark'd To punish my mif-treadings. Tell me, elfe Such poor, fuch bafe, fuch lewd, fuch mean attempts, As thou art match'd withal, and grafted to, Accompany the greatnefs of thy blood, And hold their level with thy princely heart? K. HENRY. Heav'n pardon thee. Yet let me wonder, Harry, Of all the court and princes of my blood. That men would tell their children, this is he;:. And then I stole all courtesy from heav'n, That I did pluck allegiance from mens hearts, Loud f. Loud fhouts and falutations from their mouths, Even in the presence of the crowned king. ; That, being daily fwallow'd by mens eyes, To loath a taste of fweetnefs; whereof a little More than a little, is by much too much. So when he had occafion to be feen, He was but as the cuckow is in June, G 2 eyes, Afford |