burne tippit, a halfepenny halter, and all fuch "proud prelates." Quarto edit. p. 36. b. Id. ib.

Winch. If I were covetous, perverfe, ambitious.] "If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse." Folio 1632.

Act iii. fc. v. p. 482.

Burg. Couragious Bedford, let us now perfuade

you.

Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read,

That Stout Pendragon, in his litter fick,

Came to the field, and vanquished his foes.]

Harding (Chronicle, chap. 72. 8vo.) gives the following account of Uter Pendragon.

"For which the King ordain'd a horse-litter To bear him fo then unto Verolame, "Where Ocea lay, and Oyfa alfo in fear, "That Saint Albone's now hight of noble fame, Bet downe the walles; but to him forth they

66 came,

"Where in battayle Océa and Oyfa were flayn. "The fielde he had, and thereof was full fayne." Act iii. fc. vi. p. 484..

Talb. But yet, before we go, let's not forget
The Noble Duke of Bedford, late deceas'd,
But fee his exequies fulfill'd in Roan.

The Duke of Bedford was buried in the great church of Roan, in the year 1435, and had a magnificent tomb erected to his memory: of which Lewis XI. taking a view fome years afterwards,

B 4

wards, his courtiers propofed, that it might remain no longer a monument of the weaknefs of their nation. But the King ordered it to ftand; looking upon it as an argument of a mean fpirit, to deftroy the trophies of a prince, after his death, before whom the nation bowed and trembled. whileft he was alive. Salmon's Hiftory of England, vol. 3. p. 158. Echard's Hiftory of England, vol. 1. p. 488. Act iii. fc. ix. p. 488.

K. Henry. We here create. you the Earl of
Shrewsbury,

And in our coronation take your place.]

Here is an anachronism of near eleven years. King Henry was crown'd in England 1429, (See Bishop Kennet's Collections, vol. 1. p. 368.] and King of France in the cathedral at Paris 1431, being entered into the ninth year of his age. Echard's Hiftory of England, vol. 1. p. 484. Talbot was created Earl of Shrewsbury A. D. 1442. Echard, vol. 1. p. 493.

Act iii. fc. ix. p. 489.

Baffet. Villain, thou know't the law of arms is fuch,

That whosoever draws a fword ' th' prefence,' t's death.

"That whofo draws a fword, 'tis prefent death." The former reading. Mr. Warburton's emendation may be juftified by one of the ecclefiaftical laws of King Ina, King of the Weft Saxons, in the year 693.

6. "If

6. "If one fight in the King's house, let him forfeit all his eftate, and let the King deem whether he shall have life or not."

See Mr Johnfon's Collection of Ecclefiaftical Laws, vol. 1. in the year 693. 6.

To strike within the verge of the court, is a forfeiture of the right hand.

And in an Irish canon, (See Excerptions of Ecbright, 1240. 61. Johnson's Ecclefiaftical Laws, vol. 1.), there was the following direction. "Let him who lifts up his hand with fpear or fword to strike any man near a Bi

66

shop, redeem his hand, or lofe it but if he "have wounded him too, let him fhave his "head and beard, and ferve God. Yet firft, "let him make fatisfaction to the Bishop, and to the party whom he hurt." The penalty much greater, if the perfon he ftruck was in orders.

Act iv. fc. i. p. 490. Talbot of Sir John Fal-
Staff

Talb. Pardon, my princely Henry, and the rest, This daftard at the battle of Poitiers,

When but in all I was fix thousand ftrong,

And the French were almost ten to one,

Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trufty 'Squire, did run away.]

[See Act i. fc. iv. p. 438. Act iii. fc. 5. P. 483.]

This battle was fought in a village of Bause, called Pataie. "From this battle (fays Holin

fbed, life of Henry VI.) departed, without any "ftroke ftrucken, Sir John Faftolfe. The fame "year his valiantnefs was elected into the order "of the Garter." Truffel, the author of The Life and Reign of King Henry VI. (See Bishop Kennet's Collections, 2d edit. vol. 1. p. 361.), obferves, in the way of excufe, "That Sir John Falstaff, though a person of great valour, yet feeing the inevitable fate of this battle, withdrew, without giving or receiving a blow, "(as judging it rather rafh to fight at fuch a "difadvantage). But the regent was fo in"cenfed with him for it, that he took from "him his George and Garter, which he had gi"ven him but the year before, for his former "brave actions: but, through much mediation "of friends, and his own alledging fome ex

cufes, (which were at that time thought rea"fonable), they were again reftored to him, "though much againft Lord Talbot's will and "confent."

Act iv. fc. iv. p. 498.

York. And I am lowted by a traytor villain, And cannot help the noble chevalier.]

The word louted in Shakespeare's time, and long before, was a term of regard and respect. The fignification of it was, to bow, or bend the body.

Thus Chaucer, in the Remnant of the Rofe, 1554.

"Unto

Unto the welle then went I me, "And down I loutid, for to see

The clere water in the ftone." "And again, 4384.

Altho' we chaftice the without,
"And make thy bodie to him lowt,
"Have herte as hard as diamaunt,

Stedfaft, and ftout, and naught pliaunt."
And again, 7336.

"Thanking him gan on his knees lout."

See Second Nonnes Tale, 197. Tale of Melibeus, p. 151. Plowman's Prologue, 1963.

Plowman's Tale, 2121.

Skelton fpeaking of the Earl of Northumberland, Works, p. 278. fays,

"To whom great eftates obeyed, and louted. And Spenfer ufes it as a mark of respect. "And marching three in warlike ordinance, "Thrice lowted lowly to the noble maid, "The whiles fhrill trumpets and loud canons "fweetly plaid."

Fairy Queen, book iv. canto iii. 5.

So again, Book iv. canto vii. 44. canto x. 19. canto xi. xxx. Book v. canto iii. 34. canto viii. 50. Book vi. canto x. 16. Shepberd's Calendar, July, p. 1083. The Ruins of Time, vol. 6. p. 1467.

e

Shakespeare probably used the word flouted, a word very common with him.

Thus ufed act i. fc. vii. p. 445. of this

play.

Giou