Of that occafion, that thall bring it on.

Hot. I fell it. On my life, it will do well.

North. Before the game's a-foot, thou ftill lett'ft* dip, Hot. It cannot chufe but be a noble Plot; And then the Power of Scotland and of York To join with Mortimer-ha!

Wor. So they fhall.

Hot. In faith it is exceedingly well aim'd.
Wor. And 'tis no little reafon bids us speed
To fave our heads, by raising of a head † ;
For, bear ourselves as even as we can,

(9) The King will always think him in our debt;
And think, we deem ourfelves unfatisfy'd,
'Till he hath found a time to pay us home.
And fee already, how he doth begin
To make us ftrangers to his looks of love.

Hot. He does, he does; we'll be reveng❜d on him.
Wor. Coufin, farewel. No further go in this,
Than I by letters fhall direct your courfe.
When time is ripe, which will be fuddenly,
I'll steal to Glendower, and lord Mortimer,
Where you and Douglas, and our Pow'rs at once,
(As I will fashion it) thall happily meet,
To bear our fortunes in our own ftrong arms,
Which now we hold at much uncertainty.

North. Farewel, good brother; we fhall thrive, I trust.
Hot. Uncle, adieu. O let the hours be fhort,

'Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport!
[Exeunt.

To let flip is, to loofe the greyhound.
A head is a body of forces.

(9) This is a natural defcription of the flate of mind between thofe that have conferred, and those that have received, obligations too great to be fatisfied.

That this would be the event of Northumberland's disloyalty was predicted by King Richard in the former play.

A CT

II.

SCENE I.

An Inn at Rochester.

Enter a Carrier with a Lantborn in his Hand.

НЕ

I CARRIER.

TEIGH ho! an't be not four by the day, I'll be hang'd. Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horfe not packt. What, oftler?

Oft. [within.] Anon, anon.

1 Car. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cutt's faddle, put a few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers, (1) out of all cefs.

Enter another Carrier.

2 Car. Peafe and beans are (2) as dank here as a dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the (3) bots: this houfe is turn'd upfide down, fince Robin Oftler dy'd.

1 Car. Poor fellow never joy'd fince the price of oats rofe; it was the death of him.

2 Car. I think, this be the most villainous house in all London road for fleas: I am ftung like a Tench.

1 Car. Like a Tench? by the Mafs, there's ne'er a King in Chriftendom could be better bit than I have been fince the first cock.

2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jourden, and

(1) out of all cefs.] The Oxford Editor, not understanding this phrafe, has alter'd it to-out of all cafe. As if it were likely that a blundering tranfcriber fhould change fo common a word as cafe for cefs, which, it is probable, he understood no more than this critic, but it means out of all meafure: the phrase being taken from a cefs, tax or fubfidy; which being by regular and moderate rates, when any thing was exorbitant, or out of meafure, it was faid to be, out of all cefs. WARBURTON.

(2) as dank-]. e. wet, rotten.

(3) Bots are worms in the ftomach of a horse.

POPE.

then

then we leak in your chimney: and your chamber-lie breeds fleas (4) like a Loach.

1 Car. What, oftler!-Come away, and be hang'd, Come

away.

2 Car. I have a gammon of bacon, and two (5) razes of ginger to be deliver'd as far as Charing-crofs.

1 Car. 'Odsbody, the Turkies in my panniers are quite ftarv'd. What, oftler! a plague on thee! haft thou never an eye in thy head? canft not hear? an 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a very villain.-Come and be hang'dhaft no faith in thee?

Enter Gads-hill.

Gads. Good-morrow, carriers. What's o'clock ?
Car. I think, it be two o'clock. Thes

Gads. I pr'ythee lend me thy lanthorn, to fee my gelding in the ftable.

1 Car. Nay, foft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that, i'faith.

Gads. I pr'ythee lend me thine.

2 Car. Ay, when? canft tell?-lend me thy lanthorn, quoth a! marry, I'll fee thee hang'd first. Gads. Sirrah, carrier, what time do

come to London as

you mean to

2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a Candle, warrant thee.-Come, neighbour Mugges, we'll call up the gentlemen; they will along with Company, for they have great Charge.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt Carriers.

Enter Chamberlain.

Gads. What, ho, chamberlain !

(4) like a Loach.] Scotch, a lake.
(5) And two Razes of Ginger-]

WARBURTON.

As our Author in feveral

Paffages mentions a Race of Ginger, I thought proper to distinguish it from the Raze mentioned here. The former fignifies no more than a fingle Root of it; but a Raze is the Indian Term for a Bale of it.

G4

THEOBALD.
Cham

Cham. At hand, quoth pick-purfe.

Gads. That's ev'n as fair, as at hand, quoth the chamberlain; for thot varieft no more from picking of of purfes, than giving direction doth from labouring. Thou lay'ft the plot how.

Cham. Good-morrow, mafter Gads-bill. It holds current, that I told you yefternight. There's a (6) Franklin, in the wild of Kent, hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold; I heard him tell it to one of his company laft night at fupper, a kind of auditor, one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what, They are up already, and call for eggs and butter. They will away presently.

Gads. (7) Sirrah, if they meet not with St. Nicholas' clarks, I'll give thee this neck.

Cham. No, I'll none of it; I pr'ythee, keep that for the hangman; for I know thou worthipp'ft St. Nicholas as truly as a man of falfhood

may.

Gads. What talk'ft thou to me of the hangman? if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows. For if I hang, old Sir John hangs with me, and thou know'ft, he's no ftarveling. Tut, there are other Trojans that thou dream'it not of, the which, for fport-fake, are content to do the profeffion fome grace; that would, if matters fhould be look'd into for their own credit fake, make all whole. (8) I am join'd with no foot-land-rakers, no long-ftaff-fixpenny-ftrikers, none of thofe mad Mufta

(6) Franklin is a little gentleman.

(7) Sirrah, if they meet not with St. Nicholas' clarks, I'll give thee this neck.] Highwaymen or robbers were fo call'd, or St. Nichelas's knights.

"A mandrake grown under fome heavy tree,

"There, where St. Nicholas's knights not long before

"Had dropt their fat axungia to the lee."

Glarcanus Vadianus's Panegyric upon T. Coryat.

Dr. GRAY.

St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of fcholars; And Nicholas, or Old Nick, is a cant name for the Devil. Hence he equivocally calls robbers, St. Nicholas's clarks. WARBURTON.

(8) I am join'd with no foot-land-rakers- -] That is, with no padders, no wanderers on foot. No long-staff-fixpennyftrikers, no fellows that infeft the road with long ftaffs and knock, men down for fixpence. None of thofe mad Mustachio-purple-hued-walt-warms, none of these whofe faces are red with drinking.

ale.

chio-purple-hu'd-malt-worms; but with nobility and tranquillity; (9) burgo-mafters, and great Oneyers; fuch as can hold in, fuch as will (1) ftrike fooner than fpeak and speak fooner than think; and think fooner than pray; and yet I lye, for they pray continually unto their faint the Common-wealth; or rather, not pray to her, but prey on her; for they ride up and down on her, and make her their boots.

Cham. What, the common-wealth their boots? will The hold out water in foul way?

Gads. (2) She will, the will; juftice hath liquor'd G 5

her.

(9)-burgo-mafters, and great one-eyers ;] Perhaps oneraires, Trustees, or Commiffioners; fays Mr. Pope. But how this Word comes to admit of any fuch Construction, I am at a lofs to know. To Mr. Pope's fecond Conjecture, of cunning men that look fearp and aim well, I have nothing to reply ferioufly: but chufe to drop it. The reading which I have fubftituted, I owe to the Friendfhip of the ingenious Nicholas Hardinge, Efq. A Moneyer is an Officer of the Mint, which makes Coin and delivers out the King's Money. Moneyers are alfo taken for Banquers, or thofe that make it their trade to turn and return Money. Either of these Acceptations will admirably fquare with our author's Context. THEOBALD.

This is a very acute and judicious attempt at emendation, and it is not undeservedly adopted by Dr. Warburton. Sir T, Hanmer reads great owners not without equal or greater likelihood of truth. I know not however whether any change is neceffary; Gads-hill tells the Chamberlain that he is joined with no mean wretches but with burgomafters and great ones, or as he terms them in merriment by a cant termination, great-oneyers, or greatone eers, as we fay privateer, auctioneer, circuiteer. This is I fancy the whole of the matter. sh

(1)- - fuch as will strike fener than speak, and speak fooner than DRINK; and DRINK foner than fray;-] According to the fpecimen given us in this play, of this diffolute gang, we have no reafon to think they were lefs ready to drink than speak. Befides, it is plain, a natural gradation was here intended to be given of their actions, relative to one another? But what has Speaking, drinking and praying to do with one another? We should certainly read THINK in both places inftead of drink; and then we have a very regular and humourous climax. They will ftrike foner than speak and speak fooner than THINK; and THINK fooner than pray. By which laft words is meant, that Tho' perhaps they may now and then reflect on their crimes, they will never repent of them. The Oxford Editor has dignified this correction by his adoption of it. WARBURTON (2) She will, he will; juftice hath liquor'd her.] A Satire on

chicane,