K. HEN. Here. SCRIBE. Say, Katharine queen of England, come into court. CRIER. Katharine queen of England, &c. [The Queen makes no answer, rises out of her chair, goes about the court, comes to the King, and kneels at his feet; then speaks.] 2. KATH. Sir, I defire you, do me right and justice; 7 And to bestow your pity on me: for ness, I have been to you a true and humble wife, Ever in fear to kindle your diflike, 6 -goes about the court,] "Because (says Cavendish) she could not come to the king directlie, for the distance severed between them." MALONE. 1 Sir, I defire you do, me right and justice; &c.] This speech of the queen, and the king's reply, are taken from Holinshed with the most trifling variations. STEEVENS. 8 At all times to your will conformable :) The character Queen Katharine here prides herself for, is given to another Queen in The Hiftorie of the uniting of the Kingdom of Portugall to the Crowne of Caftill, fo. 1600, p. 238: - at which time Queene Anne his wife fell ficke of a rotten fever, the which in few daies brought her to another life; wherewith the King was much grieved being a lady wholly conformable to his humour. REED. : Yea, subject to your countenance; glad, or forry, Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends 9-nay, gave notice) In modern editions: nay, gave not notice Though the author's common liberties of speech might justify the old reading, yet I cannot but think that not was dropped before notice, having the same letters, and would therefore follow Sir T. Hanmer's correction. JOHNSON. Our author is fo licentious in his construction that I fuspect no corruption. MALONE. Perhaps this inaccuracy (like a thousand others) is chargeable only on the blundering superintendants of the first folio. Instead of-nay, we might read: 2 nor gave notice He was from thence discharg'd? 'STEEVENS. or my love and duty, Againft your facred perfon,] There seems to be an error in the phrase "Against your sacred person;" but I don't know how to amend it. The sense would require that we should read, "Towards your facred perfon," or fome word of a fimilar import, which against will not bear; and it is not likely that against should be written by mistake for towards. M. MASON. In the old copy there is not a comma in the preceding line after duty. Mr. M. Mason has justly observed that with such a punctuation the sense requires-Towards your facred perfon. A comina being : i : : : Turn me away; and let the foul'ft contempt humbly Beseech you, fir, to spare me, till I may Your pleasure be fulfill'd! WOL. You have here, lady, (And of your choice,) these reverend fathers; men Yea, the elect of the land, who are assembled That longer you defire the court; 3 as well placed at duty, the construction is-If you can report and prove 3 That longer you defire the court;] That you defire to protract 1 His grace Hath spoken well, and justly: Therefore, madam, It's fit this royal fession do proceed; And that, without delay, their arguments Be now produced, and heard. 2. KATH. Lord cardinal, To you I fpeak. WOL. Your pleasure, madam? 2. KATH. Sir, I am about to weep; but, thinking that We are a queen, (or long have dream'd so,) certain, The daughter of a king, my drops of tears I'll turn to sparks of fire. WOL. Be patient yet. 2. KATH. I will, when you are humble; nay, before, Or God will punish me. I do believe, 4 I am about to weep; &c.] Shakspeare has given almost a fimilar sentiment to Hermione in The Winter's Tale, on an almost similar occafion: 5 " I am not prone to weeping, as our sex "Commonly are, &c.-but I have "That honourable grief lodg'd here, which burns "Worse than tears drown;" &c. and make my challenge, STEEVENS. You shall not be my judge:] Challenge is here a verbum juris, a law term. The criminal, when he refuses a juryman, fays- I challenge him. JOHNSON. i I utterly abhor, yea, from my foul Refuse you for my judge;' whom, yet once more, WOL. I do profess, You speak not like yourself; who ever yet O'ertopping woman's power. Madam, you do me wrong: I have no spleen against you; nor injustice I utterly abhor, yea, from my foul Refuse you for my judge;] These are not mere words of paffion, but technical terms in the canon law. Deteftor and Recuso. The former, in the language of canonifts, The words are Holinshed's: " - 6 gainsay-] i. e. deny. So, in Lord Surry's tranflation of the fourth book of the Eneid: 7 " I hold thee not, nor yet gainsay thy words." STEEVENS. -But if] The conjunction-But, which is wanting in the old copy, was supplied, for the sake of measure, by Sir T. Hanmer. STEEVENS. : |