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It draws toward supper in conclusion so.
But this is worshipful society,

205
And fits the mounting spirit like myself ;
For he is but a bastard to the time
That doth not smack of observation;
And so am I, whether I smack or no;
And not alone in habit and device,

210
Exterior form, outward accoutrement,
But from the inward motion to deliver
Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age's tooth:
Which, though I will not practise to deceive,
Yet, to avoid deceit, I mean to learn;

215
For it shall strew the footsteps of my ‘rising.
But who comes in such haste in riding-robes ?
What woman-post is this ? hath she no husband

That will take pains to blow a horn before her? Enter LADY FAULCON BRIDGE and JAMES GURNEY.

O me! it is my mother. How now, good lady? 220

What brings you here to court so hastily? Lady F. Where is that slave, thy brother? where is he,

That holds in chase mine honour up and down? 204. toward] Ff 1, 2; towards Ff 3, 4. 208, 209. smack . . . smack] Theobald's emendation; smoake . . . smacke Ff 1, 2; smoak . . . smack Ff 3, 4; smack ... smoak Pope. 220. it is] Pope ; 'tis Ff.

207. For he is but a bastard, etc.] 208. observation] the observing of For he is but a bastard to this age the wishes of others, i.e, obsequiouswho is not a little obsequious. But ness. I am a bastard in any case, not in 212, inward motion]“ movements” appearance alone but inwardly also, of the mind. Compare Lyly, Euphues for I will not use flattery. Í shall (ed. Arber, p. 236, line 25); "carried the learn it though; not to deceive others motion of his mind in his manners.” but to avoid being deceived, for as I 213. sweet ... tooth] Compare rise flattery will be strewn before me Lyly, Euphues (ed. Arber, p. 34, line like flowers before one making a pro- 27): “ followed unbridled affection, gress.

most pleasant for his tooth."

Bast. My brother Robert ? old sir Robert's son?

Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man? 225

Is it sir Robert's son that you seek so ? Lady F. Sir Robert's son! Ay, thou unreverend boy,

Sir Robert's son: why scorn'st thou at sir Robert ?

He is sir Robert's son, and so art thou. Bast. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave awhile ? 230 Gur, Good leave, good Philip. Bast.

Philip! sparrow: James, There's toys abroad : anon I'll tell thee more.

[Exit Gurney. Madam, I was not old sir Robert's son:

Sir Robert might have eat his part in me 232. toys] noise Gould conj.

225. Colbrand the giant] A popular but Sir Richard Plantagenet, and is giant and “bug" in Elizabethan playfully rebuking Gurney for calling times. Compare Ralph Roister him by his old name, at the same Doister, 1. ii. 123: “Who is this? time raising his curiosity which he Great Goliah, Sampson or Col. promises to satisfy later. Theobald's brand”; and Henry VIII. v. iv. 22: (Warburton's) and Grey's readings“I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, Philip,--spare me, and Philip-spare nor Colbrand To mow 'em down be- oh l-are amusing. fore me.” He was one of the 232. toys] Compare Edward III. mightiest giants overthrown by Guy Iv. iii. 83: “But all are frivolous of Warwick. He had been brought fancies, toys and dreams.” As by the Danes as their champion from Steevens says, Shakespeare uses the Africa, and was overthrown by Guy word with great latitude. Here it before King Athelstan at Winchester. seems to mean rumours. Compare (See the fifteenth century version of The Winter's Tale, III. iii. 39: Guy of Warwick, ed. Zupitza, Early “Dreams are toys"; and MidsummerEnglish Text Society, 1876.)

Night's Dream, v. i. 3: “ I never may 231. Philip / sparrow] The sparrow believe These antique fables nor these from its chirp was often called Philip fairy toys.” The broad meaning, or Phip. We may remember Skel- “imaginary things," would cover all ton's Boke of Phyllip Sparowe ; and these uses. Sidney's Astrophel and Stella (ed. 234, 235. eat ... fast] ProverGrosart, i. 109, 110) (To a Sparrow): bial. Compare Heywood's Proverbs “Good brother Philip” and “Leave (1564), ed. Sharman (1874): “He that Syr Phip"; and “ad solam may his part on good Fridaie eate, dominam usque pipiabat” (Lesbia's And fast never the wurs, for ought he Sparrow, Catullus). The Bastard is shall geate.” now no longer Philip Faulconbridge

Upon Good-Friday and ne'er broke his fast: 235
Sir Robert could do well : marry, to confess,
Could he get me? Sir Robert could not do it:
We know his handiwork: therefore, good mother,
To whom am I beholding for these limbs ?
Sir Robert never holp to make this leg.

240 Lady F. Hast thou conspired with thy brother too,

That for thine own gain shouldst defend mine honour ?

What means this scorn, thou most untoward knave ? Bast. Knight, knight, good mother, Basilisco-like.

What! I am dubb'd! I have it on my shoulder. 245
But, mother, I am not sir Robert's son;
I have disclaim'd sir Robert and my land;
Legitimation, name and all is gone:
Then, good my mother, let me know my father ;

Some proper man, I hope: who was it, mother ? 250
Lady F. Hast thou denied thyself a Faulconbridge ?
Bast. As faithfully as I deny the devil.

236, 237. Sir Robert ... do it] Compare The Taming of the Shrew, Vaughan suggests a plausible altera. iv. v. 79: “If she be froward, Then tion in the punctuation :

thou hast taught Hortensio to be un“Sir Robert could do well, toward." (Marry, to confess)

244. Basilisco-like] Theobald first Could he get me. Sir Robert pointed out the allusion to Kyd's could not do it."

Soliman and Perseda : The meaning is plain and is prefer “Bas. I, the aforesaid Basilisco, able to that of the generally accepted Knight, good fellow, Knight, reading, where “Sir Robert could do Knight, well" seems meaningless when con Pist. Knave, good fellow, Knave, trasted with the next line, while Knave."' “marry, to confess," has to be treated A large early cannon was called a as a mere cliché, Keightley reads “to basilisco or basilisk. confess the truth," and Dyce, follow 247, 248. Robert ... is gone] ing the Collier MS., reads “could not Fleay, after a conjecture of Sidney get me," neither of which is satisfac- Walker's, reads "Robert; and my tory. The Folios read “Could get land, Legitimation name and all is me Sir” without a stop after “me." gone,” an improvement certainly, The reading in the text is Pope's. but the accepted text is quite sound

243. untoward] bad - mannered. in meaning.

Lady F. King Richard Coeur-de-lion was thy father:

By long and vehement suit I was seduced
To make room for him in my husband's bed: 255
Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge!
Thou art the issue of my dear offence,

Which was so strongly urged past my defence.
Bast. Now, by this light, were I to get again,

Madam, I would not wish a better father. 260
Some sins do bear their privilege on earth,
And so doth yours; your fault was not your folly:
Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose,
Subjected tribute to commanding love,
Against whose fury and unmatched force 265
The aweless lion could not wage the fight,
Nor keep his princely heart from Richard's hand,
He that perforce robs lions of their hearts
May easily win a woman's. Ay, my mother,
With all my heart I thank thee for my father! 270

257. Thou] F 4; That Ff 1, 2, 3.

267. hand] hands F 4.

257. Thou] If we read That with offence. Compare Richard II. 1. i. the first three Folios, then it seems 130:necessary to read thy charge with “Upon remainder of a dear acStaunton and Long MS. in the previ

count." ous line. Delius reads That, con- 266. The aweless lion, etc.] Alludnecting it with my transgression ing to the legend of Caur-de-lion. (Wright), which is hardly so likely. Richard, being in the clutches of the Evidence and probability seem equally King of Almain, is to be put to death balanced between Lady Faulcon- by a fasting lion. The beast, however, bridge's praying that she should not is nearly felled by a blow from be punished for her transgression Richard's fist, and as it is opening since she was forced into it, and pray- its mouth to roar previous to renew. ing that her transgression should not ing the attack, Richard thrusts his be visited upon the innocent issue of arm down its throat and tears out it.

its heart, which he eats later before 257. dear offence) either offence for the assembled court (see Ellis, which I have paid dearly (as Mr. Early Eng. Metr. Romances, pp. 296, Wright suggests), or my own private 297).

Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well
When I was got, I'll send his soul to hell.
Come, lady, I will show thee to my kin;

And they shall say, when Richard me begot,
If thou hadst said him nay, it had been sin: 275
Who says it was, he lies; I say 'twas not.

[Exeunt.

276. Who says ..'twas not] (Vaughan). Vaughan's suggestion “The stanza is nonsense as the last seems quite un-Shakespearian. Still, line now stands. ... Shakespeare literally, the stanza is nonsense in its unquestionably wrote:

present shape. The meaning is * If thou hadst said him “nay," obvious, but we arrive at it by wrestit had been sin.

ing round the “ it " in the last line to Who says “ay" was, he lies; I mean Lady Faulconbridge's surrender say 'twas not'"

to Ceur-de-lion.

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