*(The agent of thy foul inconstancy,) *To sit and witch me, as Ascanius did, * When he to madding Dido, would unfold * His father's acts, commenc'd in burning Troy?o * Am I not witch'd like her? or thou not false like him? * Ah me, I can no more! Die, Margaret! Noise within. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY. • War. It is reported, mighty sovereign, "That good duke Humphrey traitorously is murder'd By Suffolk and the cardinal Beaufort's means, 'The commons, like an angry hive of bees, "That want their leader, scatter up and down, And care not who they sting in his revenge. 'Myself have calm'd their spleenful mutiny, Until they hear the order of his death. K. Hen. That he is dead, good Warwick, 'tis too true; But how he died, God knows, not Henry: "Enter his chamber, view his breathless corpse, And comment then upon his sudden death. War. That I shall do, my liege:-Stay, Salisbury, With the rude multitude, till I return. [WARWICK goes into an inner Room, and SALISBURY retires. * K. Hen. O thou that judgest all things, stay my thoughts; • His father's acts commenc'd in burning Troy?] The poet here is unquestionably alluding to Virgil (Eneid I.) but he strangely blends facts with fiction. In the first place, it was Cupid in the semblance of Ascanius, who sat in Dido's lap, and was fondled by her. But then it was not Cupid who related to her the process of Troy's destruction; but it was Æneas himself who related this history. * My thoughts, that labour to persuade my soul, *To tell my love unto his dumb deaf trunk, The folding Doors of an inner Chamber are thrown open, and GLOSTER is discovered dead in his bed: WARWICK and others standing by it. *War. Come hither, gracious sovereign, view this body. * K. Hen. That is to see how deep my grave is made: * For, with his soul, fled all my worldly solace; * For seeing him, I see my life in death." 'War. As surely as my soul intends to live With that dread King that took our state upon him To free us from his father's wrathful curse, 'I do believe that violent hands were laid Upon the life of this thrice-famed duke. Suf. A dreadful oath, sworn with a solemn tongue! 'What instance gives lord Warwick for his vow? ' War. See, how the blood is settled in his face! Oft have I seen a timely-parted ghost, 7 For seeing him, I see my life in death.] i. e. I see my life destroyed or endangered by his death. 8 Oft have I seen a timely-parted ghost, &c.] All that is true of the body of a dead man is here said by Warwick of the soul. I would read: Oft have I seen a timely-parted corse. But of two common words, how or why was one changed for "Of ashy semblance, meager, pale, and bloodless, 'Being all descended to the labouring heart; Who, in the conflict that it holds with death, • Attracts the same for aidance 'gainst the enemy; 'Which with the heart there cools and ne'er returneth To blush and beautify the cheek again. But, see, his face is black, and full of blood; 'His eye-balls further out than when he liv'd, Staring full ghastly like a strangled man: 'His hair uprear'd, his nostrils stretch'd with struggling; His hands abroad display'd, as one that grasp'd 'And tugg'd for life, and was by strength subdu'd. 'Look on the sheets, his hair, you see, is sticking; His well-proportioned beard made rough and rugged, "Like to the summer's corn by tempest lodg'd. It cannot be, but he was murder'd here; 6 The least of all these signs were probable. Suf. Why, Warwick, who should do the duke to death? 'Myself, and Beaufort, had him in protection; And we, I hope, sir, are no murderers. 'War. But both of you were vow'd duke Humphrey's foes; And you, forsooth, had the good duke to keep: ''Tis like, you would not feast him like a friend; the other? I believe the transcriber thought that the epithet timelyparted could not be used of the body, but that, as in Hamlet there is mention of peace-parted souls, so here timely-parted must have the same substantive. He removed one imaginary difficulty, and made many real. If the soul is parted from the body, the body is likewise parted from the soul. I cannot but stop a moment to observe, that this horrible description is scarcely the work of any pen but Shakspeare's. JOHNSON. 9 His hands abroad display'd,] i.e. the fingers being widely distended. ' And 'tis well seen he found an enemy. 'Q. Mar. Then you, belike, suspect these noble men 'As guilty of duke Humphrey's timeless death. War. Who finds the heifer dead, and bleeding fresh, And sees fast by a butcher with an axe, But will suspect, 'twas he that made the slaughter? Q. Mar. Are you the butcher, Suffolk; where's Is Beaufort term'd a kite? where are his talons? Exeunt Cardinal, Soм. and Others. War. What dares not Warwick, if false Suffolk dare him? Q. Mar. He dares not calm his contumelious spirit, Nor cease to be an arrogant controller, Though Suffolk dare him twenty thousand times. War. Madam, be still; with reverence may I say; For every word, you speak in his behalf, Is slander to your royal dignity. 'Suf. Blunt-witted lord, ignoble in demeanour ! If ever lady wrong'd her lord so much, Thy mother took into her blameful bed Some stern untutor'd churl, and noble stock Was graft with crab-tree slip; whose fruit thou art, And never of the Nevils' noble race. War. But that the guilt of murder bucklers thee, And I should rob the deathsman of his fee, Suf. Thou shalt be waking, while I shed thy blood, If from this presence thou dar'st go with me. War. Away even now, or I will drag thee hence: * Unworthy though thou art, I'll cope with thee, *And do some service to duke Humphrey's ghost. [Exeunt SUFFOLK and WARWICK * K. Hen. What stronger breast-plate than a heart untainted? *Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his quarrel just; * And he but naked, though lock'd up in steel, * Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted. Q. Mar. What noise is this? [A Noise within. Re-enter SUFFOLK and WARWICK, with their Weapons drawn. K. Hen. Why, how now, lords? your wrathful weapons drawn 'Here in our presence? dare you be so bold?— Why, what tumultuous clamour have we here? Suf. The traitorous Warwick, with the men of Bury, Set all upon me, mighty sovereign. |