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

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.

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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?
Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man?
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 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.

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

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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.

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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:
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.

Some sins do bear their privilege on earth,

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260

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

The aweless lion could not wage the fight,

265

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.

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
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:
Who says it was, he lies; I say 'twas not.

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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.

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