Boling. I have too few to take my leave of you, When the tongue's office fhould be prodigal, To breathe th' abundant dolour of the heart. Gaunt. Thy grief is but thy abfence for a time. Boling. Joy abfent, grief is prefent for that time. Gaunt. What is fix winters? they are quickly gone. Boling. To men in joy? but grief makes one hour ten. Gaunt. Call it a Travel, that thou tak'it for pleasure. Boling. My heart will figh, when I mifcall it fo, Which finds it an inforced pilgrimage. Gaunt. The fullen paffage of thy weary steps Efteem a foil, wherein thou art to fet The precious jewel of thy home-return. Boling. Nay, rather, ev'ry tedious ftride I make (8) Muft I not ferve a long Apprentice-hood, Having my Freedom, boast of Nothing else But that I was a Journeyman to Grief? * Gaunt. (9) All Places that the Eye of Heaven vifits, Are to a wife man ports and happy havens. There is no virtue like neceffity. Think not, the King did banish Thee; But Thou the King. [Woe doth the heavier fit, (8) Boling. Nay, rather, ev'ry tedious Stride I make.] This, and the fix Verfes which follow, I have ventur'd to fupply from the old Quarto. The Allufion, 'tis true, to an Apprenticeship, and becoming a Journeyman, is not in the fublime Tafte, nor, as Horace has exprefs'd it, fpirat tragicum fatis: however as there is no Doubt of the Paffage being genuine, the Lines are not fo defpicable as to deferve being quite loft. THEOBALD. * Journeyman to Grief?] I am afraid our author in this place defigned a very poor quibble, as journey fignifies both travel and a day's work. However, he is not to be cenfured for what he himself rejected. (9) All places that the Eye of Heav'n vifits, &c.] The fourteen verfes that follow, are found in the first Edition. POPE. I am inclined to believe that what Mr. Theobald and Mr. Pope have restored were expunged in the revifion by the author: if the lines inclosed in crotchets are omitted, the fenfe is more coherent. Nothing is more frequent among dramatick writers, than to shorten their dialogues for the stage. Go Go fay, I fent thee forth to purchase honour, To lye that way thou go'ft, not whence thou com'ft. The grafs whereon thou tread'ft, the prefence-floor; For gnarling Sorrow hath lefs Pow'r to bite Had I thy Youth, and Caufe, I would not ftay. My mother and my nurfe, which bears me [Exeunt. (1) yet a true-born Englishman.] Here the first act ought to end, that between the first and fecond acts there may be time for John of Gaunt to accompany his fon, return and fall fick. Then the first scene of the second act begins with a natural converfation, interrupted by a meffage from John of Gaunt, by which the king is called to vifit him, which vifit is paid in the following scene. As the play is now divided, more time paffes between the two laft fcenes of the first act, than between the first act and the fecond. SCENE SCENE VII. Changes to the Court. Enter King Richard, and Bagot, &c. at one door; and the Lord Aumerle, at the other. 7E did, indeed, obferve K. Rich. W Aumerle, Coufin How far brought you high Hereford on his way? Aum. I brought high Hereford, if you call him so, But to the next High-way, and there I left him. K. Rich. And fay, what ftore of parting tears were fhed? Aum. 'Faith, none by me; except the north-eaft wind, (Which then blew bitterly againft our faces) Awak'd the fleepy rheume; and fo by chance Did grace our hollow Parting with a tear. K. Rich. What faid your coufin, when you parted with him? Aum. Farewel. And, for my heart difdained that my tongue That words feem'd buried in my forrow's Grave. He fhould have had a volume of farewels; But fince it would not, he had none of me. K. Rich. He is our kinfman, Coufin; but 'tis doubt, When time fhall call him home from Banishment, Whether our kinfman come to fee his friends. Our felf, and Busby, Bagot here, and Green, Obferv'd his Courtship to the common people: How he did feem to dive into their hearts, With humble and familiar courtefie? What reverence he did throw away on flaves, Wooing poor crafts-men with the craft of fmiles, And patient under-bearing of his fortune, As 'twere to banish their Affects with him. Off goes his bonnet to an oyfter-wench; A brace A brace of dray-men bid, God fpeed him well! And he our Subjects' next degree in hope. Green. Well, he is gone, and with him go thefe thoughts.. Now for the Rebels, which ftand out in Ireland, For our affairs in hand; if they come short, Enter Bushy. K. Rich. Bufby, what news? Bufby. Old John of Gaunt is fick, my lord, Suddenly taken, and hath fent poft-hafte Tintreat your Majefty to vifit him. K. Rich. Where lyes he? Bufby. At Ely-boufe. K. Rich. Now put it, heav'n, in his phyfician's mind, To help him to his Grave immediately. The lining of his coffers fhall make coats To deck our rfoldiers for these Irish wars. Come, gentlemen, let's all go vifit him: Pray heav'n, we may make hafte, and come too late! Exeunt. A C T ACT II SCENEI. ELY-HOUSE. Gaunt brought in, fick; with the Duke of York. WILL laft ILL the King come, that I may breathe my In wholesome counsel to his unftay'd youth? York. Vex not your felf, nor ftrive not with your breath; For all in vain comes counfel to his ear. Gaunt. Oh, but, they fay, the tongues of dying men Inforce attention, like deep harmony: Where words are scarce, they're feldom fpent in vain ; For they breathe truth, that breathe their words in pain. He, that no more muft fay, is liften'd more Than they, whom youth and ease have taught to glofe, As the laft taste of sweets, is sweetest last; York. His ear is ftopt with other flatt'ring charms, (2) Report of fafbions in proud Italy.] Our authour, who gives to all nations the cuftoms of England, and to all ages the manners of his own; has charged the times of Richard with a folly not perhaps known then, but very frequent in Shakespeare's time, and much la mented by the wifest and best of our ancestors. Where |