It draws toward supper in conclusion so. 205 210 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, 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; 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 FAULCONBRIDGE and JAMES GURNEY. O me! it is my mother. How now, good lady? 220 What brings you here to court so hastily? 215 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. Theobald's emendation; smoake Ff 3, 4; smack ..smoak Pope. 207. For he is but a bastard, etc.] For he is but a bastard to this age who is not a little obsequious. But I am a bastard in any case, not in appearance alone but inwardly also, for I will not use flattery. I shall learn it though; not to deceive others but to avoid being deceived, for as I rise flattery will be strewn before me like flowers before one making a progress. 208, 209. smack smacke Ff 1, 2; smoak 220. it is] Pope; 'tis Ff. smack] smack 208. observation] the observing of the wishes of others, i.e. obsequious ness. 212. inward motion]" movements of the mind. Compare Lyly, Euphues (ed. Arber, p. 236,line 25): "carried the motion of his mind in his manners." 213. sweet tooth] Compare Lyly, Euphues (ed. Arber, p. 34, line 27): "followed unbridled affection, most pleasant for his tooth." 225 Bast. My brother Robert? old sir Robert's son? Bast. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave awhile? 230 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 giant and "bug" in Elizabethan times. Compare Ralph Roister Doister, 1. ii. 123: "Who is this? Great Goliah, Sampson or Colbrand"; and Henry VIII. v. iv. 22: "I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, nor Colbrand To mow 'em down before me." He was one of the mightiest giants overthrown by Guy of Warwick. He had been brought by the Danes as their champion from Africa, and was overthrown by Guy before King Athelstan at Winchester. (See the fifteenth century version of Guy of Warwick, ed. Zupitza, Early English Text Society, 1876.) 231. Philip! sparrow] The sparrow from its chirp was often called Philip or Phip. We may remember Skelton's Boke of Phyllip Sparowe; and Sidney's Astrophel and Stella (ed. Grosart, i. 109, 110) (To a Sparrow): "Good brother Philip" and "Leave that Syr Phip"; and "ad solam dominam usque pipiabat" (Lesbia's Sparrow, Catullus). The Bastard is now no longer Philip Faulconbridge but Sir Richard Plantagenet, and is playfully rebuking Gurney for calling him by his old name, at the same time raising his curiosity_which he promises to satisfy later. Theobald's (Warburton's) and Grey's readingsPhilip,-spare me, and Philip-spare oh!-are amusing. 232. toys] Compare Edward III. Iv. iii. 83: "But all are frivolous fancies, toys and dreams." As Steevens says, Shakespeare uses the word with great latitude. Here it seems to mean rumours. Compare The Winter's Tale, III. iii. 39: "Dreams are toys"; and MidsummerNight's Dream, v. i. 3: "I never may believe These antique fables nor these fairy toys." The broad meaning, "imaginary things," would cover all these uses. 234, 235. eat. fast] Proverbial. Compare Heywood's Proverbs (1564), ed. Sharman (1874): "He may his part on good Fridaie eate, And fast never the wurs, for ought he shall geate." Upon Good-Friday and ne'er broke his fast: 235 240 That for thine own gain shouldst defend mine honour? Bast. Knight, knight, good mother, Basilisco-like. I have disclaim'd sir Robert and my land; Then, good my mother, let me know my father; Lady F. King Richard Coeur-de-lion was thy father: Madam, I would not wish a better father. Some sins do bear their privilege on earth, 255 260 And so doth yours; your fault was not your folly : Subjected tribute to commanding love, Against whose fury and unmatched force The aweless lion could not wage the fight, 265 Nor keep his princely heart from Richard's hand. 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. 257. Thou] If we read That with the first three Folios, then it seems necessary to read thy charge with Staunton and Long MS. in the previous line. Delius reads That, connecting it with my transgression (Wright), which is hardly so likely. Evidence and probability seem equally balanced between Lady Faulconbridge's praying that she should not be punished for her transgression since she was forced into it, and praying that her transgression should not be visited upon the innocent issue of it. 257. dear offence] either offence for which I have paid dearly (as Mr. Wright suggests), or my own private 267. hand] hands F 4. offence. Compare Richard II. 1. i. 130: "Upon remainder of a dear account." 266. The aweless lion, etc.] Alluding to the legend of Coeur-de-lion. Richard, being in the clutches of the King of Almain, is to be put to death by a fasting lion. The beast, however, is nearly felled by a blow from Richard's fist, and as it is opening its mouth to roar previous to renewing the attack, Richard thrusts his arm down its throat and tears out its heart, which he eats later before the assembled court (see Ellis, Early Eng. Metr. Romances, pp. 296, 297). Who lives and dares but say thou didst not well And they shall say, when Richard me begot, 275 [Exeunt. (Vaughan). Vaughan's suggestion seems quite un-Shakespearian. Still, literally, the stanza is nonsense in its present shape. The meaning is obvious, but we arrive at it by wresting round the "it" in the last line to mean Lady Faulconbridge's surrender to Coeur-de-lion. |