To be the realm of France, and Pharamond Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say, That That fair Queen Isabel, his grandmother, Daughter to Charles the forefaid Duke of Lorain: So that, as clear as is the Summer's sun, ( K. Henry. May I with right and confcience make this claim? Cant. The fin upon my head, dread Soveraign ! Go, my dread lord, to your great grandfire's tomb, (4) King Lewis his Satisfaction,] Thus all the authentick Copies; Mr. Pope in the room of it, either out of a particular Delicacy of Ear, or religious Adherence to the Chronicles, has substituted, Possession. But I believe the other to have been the Author's Word, of Choice: he seems to be briefly recapitulating his own Terms, and he had told us just above, that Lewis IX. could not wear the Crown with a quiet Conscience, till fatisfied That fair Queen Isabel, his Grandmother, &c. (5) Than openly imbrace) This is Mr. Pope's Reading, and not any ways authoriz'd that I can find. But where is the Antithesis betwixt hide in the preceding Line, and imbrace in this? The two old Folio's read, Than amply to imbarre - - But here is a flight Corruption in the Spelling, by the fuperfluous Reduplication of a Letter. We certainly must either read (as Mr. Warburton advis'd me,) - Than amply to imbare(or, as I had fufpected, unbare;) i. e. lay open, make naked, display to View. I am furpriz'd, Mr. Pope did not start this Conjecture, as Mr. Rowe has led the way to it in his Edition, who reads; Than amply to make bare their crooked Titles. From From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit, Ely. Awake remembrance of these valiant dead, Exe. Your brother Kings and Monarchs of the earth West. They know, your Grace hath cause, and means, and might, (6) So hath your Highness; never King of England Cant. O, let their bodies follow, my dear Liege, Bring in to any of your ancestors. K. Henry. We must not only arm t'invade the French, But lay down our proportions to defend (6) They know your Grace hath cause, and means and might ; So hath your highness, never King of England Had Nobles richer, -] Thus has this Speech hitherto been most stupidly pointed, without any regard to common Sense. As I have regulated it, we fee the Poet's Drift, and come at an easy and natural Reasoning. Againft Against the Scot, who will make road upon us Cant. They of those Marches, gracious Sovereign, Our Inland from the pilfering borderers. K. Henry. We do not mean the coursing snatchers only, But fear the main intendment of the Scot, Who hath been still a giddy neighbour to us: For you shall read, that my great grandfather Never went with his forces into France, But that the Scot on his unfurnisht kingdom Came pouring, like a tide into a breach, With ample and brim fulness of his force ; Galling the gleaned land with hot assays; Girding with grievous siege castles and towns; That England, being empty of defence, Hath shook, and trembled, at th'ill neighbourhood. Cant. She hath been then more fear'd than harm'd, my Liege; For hear her but exampled by her self; The King of Scots; whom she did send to France, With funken wrack and sumless treasuries. Ely. But there's a saying very old and true, If that you will France win, then with Scotland first begin. For once the Eagle England being in prey, To her unguarded neft the Weazel, Scot, Comes sneaking, and so fucks her princely eggs; Playing the Mouse in absence of the Cat, To taint, and havock, more than she can eat. (7) (7) To tear and havock more than she can eat.] 'Tis not much the Quality of the Mouse to tear the Food it comes at, but to run over and defile it. The old 4to reads, spoile; and the two first folio's, tame: from which laft corrupted Word, I think, I have retriev'd the Poet's genuine Reading, taint. Exe. Exe. It follows then, the Cat must stay at home, Yet that is but a 'scus'd necessity; (8) For Government, though high, and low, and lower, (9) Cant. Therefore heaven doth divide To the tent-royal of their Emperor : : (8) Yet that is but a curs'd Neceffity;] So the old 4to. The folio's read crush'd: Neither of the Words convey any tolerable Idea; but give us a counter-reasoning, and not at all pertinent. 'Tis Exeter's business to shew, there is no real Neceffity for staying at home: he must therefore mean, that tho there be a seeming Neceffity, yet it is one that may be well excus'd, and got over. Mr. Warburton. (9) For Government, though high, and low, and lower,] The Foundation and Expression of this Thought feem to be borrow'd from Cicero, de Republica, lib. 2. Sic ex fummis, & mediis, & infimis interjectis Ordinibus, ut fonis, moderatam ratione Civitatem, Confenfu dissimiliorum concinere ; & quæ Harmonia à Muficis dicitur in Cantu, eam effe in Civitate Concordiam. The |