To waste these times. Good hour of night, sir Tho mas! Whither so late? Lov. Came you from the king, my lord? Gar. I did, sir Thomas; and left him at primeros With the duke of Suffolk. Lov. I must to him too, Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave. Gar. Not yet, sir Thomas Lovell. What 's the matter? It seems, you are in haste; an if there be No great offence belongs to 't, give your friend Some touch of your late business: Affairs, that walk (As, they say, spirits do,) at midnight, have In them a wilder nature, than the business That seeks despatch by day. Lov. My lord, I love you; And durst commend a secret to your ear Much weightier than this work. The queen 's in labour, They say, in great extremity; and fear'd, She 'll with the labour end. Gar. The fruit, she goes with, I pray for heartily; that it may find Good time, and live: but for the stock, sir Thomas, Lov. With comforting repose,] Hence, perhaps, the following passage in the fifth Act of Rowe's Fair Penitent. Sciolto is the speaker: 6 "This dead of night, this silent hour of darkness, at primero-] Primero and Primavista, two games at cards, H. I. Primera, Primavista. La Primiere, G. Prime, f. Prime veue. Primum, et primum visum, that is, first, and first seen: because he that can show such an order of cards first, wins the game. Minsheu's Guide into Tongues, col. 575. Grey. So, in Woman's a Weathercock, 1612: "Come will your worship make one at primero.?” Again, in the Preface to The Rival Friends, 1632: " when it may be, some of our butterfly judgments expected a set at maw or primavista from them." Steevens. 7 Some touch of your late business:] Some hint of the business that keeps you awake so late. Johnson. Deserve our better wishes. Gar. 8 But, sir, sir, Hear me, sir Thomas: You are a gentleman Lov. Gar. Incens'd the lords o' the council, that he is 2 A most arch heretick, a pestilence 8 •mine own way;] Mine own opinion in religion. Johnson. he's made-] The pronoun, which was omitted in the old copy, was inserted by Mr. Theobald. Malone. 9 1 Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,] Trade is the practised method, the general course. Johnson. Trade has been already used by Shakspeare with this meaning in King Richard II: Incens'd the lords o' the council, that he is &c. A most arch heretick,] This passage, according to the old elliptical mode of writing, may mean-I have incens'd the lords of the council, for that he is, i e. because. Steevens. I have roused the lords of the council by suggesting to them that he is a most arch heretick: I have thus incited them against him. Malone. Incensed, I believe, in this instance, and some others, only means prompted, set on. So, in King Richard III: "Think you, my lord, this little prating York "Was not incensed by his subtle mother?" Steevens, That does infect the land: with which they moved, He be convented. He's a rank weed, sir Thomas, As LOVELL is going out, enter the King, and the K. Hen. Charles, I will play no more to-night; Nor shall not, when my fancy 's on my play.- K. Hen. What say'st thou? ha! To pray for her? what, is she crying out? Lov. So said her woman; and that her sufferance made Almost each pang a death 3 -broken with the king;] They have broken silence; told their minds to the king. Johnson. So, in Much Ado about Nothing: "I will break with her." Again, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona: 4 "I am to break with thee of some affairs." Steevens. he hath commanded,] He, which is not in the old copy, was inserted by Mr. Pope. He hath was often written contractedly h'ath. Hence probably the error. Malone. 5 He be convented.] Convented is summoned, convened. Steevens. 6 •her sufferance made Almost each pang a death.] We have had nearly the same sentiment before, in Act II, sc. iii: 66 it is a sufferance panging K. Hen. Alas, good lady! Suf. God safely quit her of her burden, and K. Hen. 'Tis midnight, Charles, Pr'ythee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember The estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone; For I must think of that, which company Will not be friendly to. Suf. I wish your highness A quiet night, and my good mistress will K. Hen. Charles, good night.-[Exit SuF. Enter Sir ANTHONY DENNY.7 Well, sir, what follows? 7 Enter Sir Anthony Denny.] The substance of this and the two following scenes is taken from Fox's Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, &c. 1563: "When night came, the king sent Sir Anthonie Denie about midnight to Lambeth to the archbishop, willing him forthwith to resort unto him at the court. The message done, the archbishop speedily addressed himselfe to the court, and comming into the galerie where the king walked and taried for him, his highnesse said, Ah, my lorde of Canterbury, I can tell you newes. For divers weighty considerations it is determined by me and the counsaile, that you to-morrowe at nine of the clocke shall be committed to the Tower, for that you and your chaplaines (as information is given us) have taught and preached, and thereby sown within the realme such a number of execrable heresies, that it is feared the whole realme being infected with them, no small contention and commotion will rise thereby amongst my subjects, as of late daies the like was in divers parts of Germanie; and therefore the counsell have requested me for the triall of the matter, to suffer them to commit you to the Tower, or else no man dare come forth, as witnesse in those matters, you being a counsellor. "When the king had said his mind, the archbishop kneeled down, and said, I am content if it please your grace, with al my hart, to go thither at your highness commandment; and I most humbly thank your majesty that I may come to my triall, for there be that have many waies slandered me, and now this way I hope to trie myselfe not worthy of such reporte. "The king perceiving the mans uprightnesse, joyned with such simplicitie, said; Oh Lorde, what maner o'man be you? What simplicitie is in you? I had thought that you would rather have sued to us to have taken the paines to have heard you and your accusers together for your triall, without any such indurance. Den. Sir, I have brought my lord the archbishop, As you commanded me. Do you not know what state you be in with the whole world, and how many great enemies you have? Do you not consider what an easie thing it is to procure three or foure false knaves to witness against you? Thinke you to have better lucke that waie than than your master Christ had? I see by it you will run headlong to your undoing, if I would suffer you. Your enemies shall not so prevaile against you; for I have otherwise devised with my. selfe to keep you out of their handes. Yet notwithstanding tomorrow when the counsaile shall sit, and send for you, resort unto them, and if in charging you with this matter, they do commit you to the Tower, require of them, because you are one of them, a counsailer, that you may have your accusers brought before them without any further indurance, and use for your selfe as good persuasions that way as you may devise; and if no intreatie or reasonable request will serve, then deliver unto them this my ring (which then the king delivered unto the archbishop,) and saie unto them, if there be no remedie, my lords, but that I must needs go to the Tower, then I revoke my cause from you, and appeale to the kinges owne person by this token unto you all, for (saide the king then unto the archbishop) so soone as they shall see this my ring, they knowe it so well, that they shall understande that I have reserved the whole cause into mine owne handes and determination, and that I have discharged them thereof. "The archbishop perceiving the kinges benignity so much to him wards, had much ado to forbeare teares. Well, said the king, go your waies, my lord, and do as I have bidden you. My lord, humbling himselfe with thankes, tooke his leave of the kinges highnesse for that night. "On the morrow, about nine of the clocke before noone, the counsaile sent a gentleman usher for the archbishop, who, when hee came to the counsaile-chamber doore, could not be let in, but of purpose (as it seemed) was compelled there to waite among the pages, lackies, and serving men all alone. D. Buts the king's physition resorting that way, and espying how my lord of Canterbury was handled, went to the king's highnesse, and said; My lord of Canterbury, if it please your grace, is well promoted; for now he is become a lackey or a serving man, for yonder hee standeth this halfe hower at the counsaile-chamber doore amongste them. It is not so,(quoth the king,) I trowe, nor the counsaile hath not so little discretion as to use the metropolitane of the realme in that sorte, specially being one of their own number. But let them alone (said the king) and we shall heare more soone. "Anone the archbishop was called into the counsaile-chamber, to whom was alleadged as before is rehearsed. The archbishop aunswered in like sort, as the king had advised him; and in the end when he perceived that no maner of persuasion or intreatie |