As presence did present them; him in eye, Still him in praife:9 and, being present both, 'Twas faid, they faw but one; and no difcerner Durft wag his tongue in cenfure. When these funs (For fo they phrase them,) by their heralds challeng'd The noble spirits to arms, they did perform Beyond thought's compafs; that former fabulous ftory, Being now seen poffible enough, got credit, BUCK. 'O, you go far. NOR. As I belong to worship, and affect In honour honesty, the tract of every thing 3 Would by a good discourser lose some life, Which action's felf was tongue to. All was royal ;4 "So match'd, as each feem'd worthieft when alone." JOHNSON. Durft wag his tongue in cenfure.] Cenfure for determination, of which had the nobleft appearance. MALONE. WARBURTON. See Vol. IV. p. 190, n. 4. 2 That Bevis was believ'd.] The old romantick legend of Bevis of Southampton. This Bevis, (or Beavois,) a Saxon, was for his prowess created by William the Conqueror Earl of Southampton of whom Camden in his Britannia. THEOBALD. 3 the tract of every thing &c.] The course of these triumphs and pleafures, however well related, muft lofe in the defcription part of that spirit and energy which were expreffed in the real action. JOHNSON. •All was royal; &c.] This fpeech was given in all the editions to Buckingham; but improperly: for he wanted information, having kept his chamber during the folemnity. I have therefore given it to Norfolk. Warburton. The regulation had already been made by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. To the difpofing of it nought rebell'd, BUCK. Who did guide, I mean, who set the body and the limbs BUCK. I pray you, who, my lord? NOR. All this was order'd by the good difcretion Of the right reverend cardinal of York. BUCK. The devil speed him! no man's pie is free'd From his ambitious finger. What had he the office did Diftinctly his full function.] The commiffion for regulating this feftivity was well executed, and gave exactly to every particular person and action the proper place. JOHNSON. 6 -certes,] An obfolete adverb, fignifying-certainly, in truth. So, in The Tempest: "For, certes, these are people of the island." It occurs again in Othello, A&t I. fc. i. It is remarkable, that, in the present inftance, the adverb certes must be founded as a monofyllable. It is well understood that old Ben had no fkill in the pronunciation of the French language; and the fcene before us appears to have had some touches from his pen. By genuine Shakspeare certes is conftantly employed as a diffyllable. STEEVENS. 9 element-] No initiation, no previous practices. Elements are the first principles of things, or rudiments of knowledge. The word is here applied, not without a catachrefis, to a perfon. JOHNSON. 8 no man's pie is free'd From his ambitious finger.] To have a finger in the pie, is a proverbial phrafe. See Ray, 244. REED. 9 fierce vanities?] Fierce is here, I think, used like That such a keech' can with his very bulk NOR. Surely, fir, There's in him ftuff that puts him to these ends: Out of his felf-drawing web,' he gives us note,3 the French fier for proud, unless we fuppofe an allufion to the mimical ferocity of the combatants in the tilt. JOHNSON: It is certainly used as the French word fier. So, in Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair, the puritan fays, the hobby horse " is a fierce and rank idol." STEEVENS. Again, in The Rape of Lucrece : 66 Thy violent vanities can never laft.” In Timon of Athens, we have "O the fierce wretchedness that glory brings !" MALONE. • That fuch a keech-] A keech is a folid lump or mass. A cake of wax or tallow formed in a mould, is called yet in fome places, a keech. JOHNSON. There may, perhaps, be a fingular propriety in this term of contempt. Wolfey was the fon of a butcher, and in The Second Part of King Henry IV. a butcher's wife is called-Goody Keech. STEEVENS. 2 Out of his felf-drawing web,] Thus it ftands in the first edition. The latter editors, by injudicious correction, have printed: 3 Out of his felf-drawn web. JOHNSON. he gives us note,] Old copy-O gives us &c. Corrected by Mr. Steevens. MALONE. 4 A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys A place next to the king.] It is evident a word or two in the fentence is mifplaced, and that we fhould read: ABER. I cannot tell What heaven hath given him, let fome graver eye Pierce into that; but I can fee his pride Peep through each part of him :5 Whence has he that? If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; BUCK. Why the devil, Upon this French going-out, took he upon him, A gift that heaven gives; which buys for him gives to him,--- which will fave any greater alteration. JOHNSON. I am too dull to perceive the neceffity of any change. What he is unable to give himself, heaven gives or depofits for him, and that gift, or depofit, buys a place, &c. STEEVENS. I agree with Johnson that we should read: A gift that heaven gives to him : for Abergavenny fays in reply, "I cannot tell "What heaven hath given him :" which confirms the juftness of this amendment. wise have thought Steevens's explanation right, I can fee his pride Ifhould other M. MASON. Peep through each part of him:] So, in Troilus and Creffida: 66 her wanton fpirits look out "At every joint and motive of her body." STEEVENS. the file] That is, the lift. JOHNSON. So, in Meafure for Measure: "The greater file of the fubject held the duke for wife." Again, in Macbeth: 66 -I have a file "Of all the gentry." STEEVENS. Too, whom as great a charge as little honour Muft fetch him in he papers. I do know ABER. BUCK. 7 -council out,] Council not then fitting. JOHNSON. The expreffion rather means, "all mention of the board of council being left out of his letter." STEEVENS. That is, left out, omitted, unnoticed, unconfulted with. RITSON. It appears from Holinfhed, that this expreffion is rightly explained by Mr. Pope in the next note: without the concurrence of the council. The peers of the realme receiving letters to prepare themselves to attend the king in this journey, and no apparent neceffarie caufe expreffed, why or wherefore, feemed to grudge that fuch, a coftly journey fhould be taken in handwithout confent of the whole boarde of the Counfaille.” MALONE. 8 Muft fetch him in he papers.] He papers, a verb; his own letter, by his own fingle authority, and without the concurrence of the council, muft fetch him in whom he papers down.-I don't understand it, unless this be the meaning. РОРЕ. Wolfey published a lift of the several perfons whom he had appointed to attend on the King at this interview. See Hall's Chronicle, Rymer's Fœdera, Tom. XIII. &c. STEEvens. , Have broke their backs with laying manors on them For this great journey.] In the ancient Interlude of Nature, bl. 1. no date, but apparently printed in the reign of King Henry VIII. there feems to have been a fimilar stroke aimed at this expensive expedition : 66 Pryde. I am unhappy, I se it well, "For the expence of myne apparell |