39. to blow us, i.e. to blow us up.

40. a haberdasher's wife of small wit. Wright explains this as "who dealt in small wit, and had a ready tongue", comparing the phrase, "all haberdashers of small wit", in Ben Jonson's Magnetic Lady. But this explanation seems forced. The simple meaning tallies better with the "pinked porringer" of the following line.

41. pinked porringer, a cap shaped like a porringer, and pierced or worked with small holes. Cf. Taming of the Shrew, iv. 3. 64, "Why, this was moulded on a porringer the reference being like

wise to a cap.

43. Clubs! The rallying cry of the London prentices; they carried clubs ostensibly to stop fights. See the Fortunes of Nigel, chap. i.

47. to the broomstaff to me, within a broomstaff's length of

me.

48. loose shot, random shooters.

50. win the work, carry the fortification.

53, 54. the tribulation of Tower-hill, or the limbs of Limehouse. No satisfactory explanation of this has been given. Johnson thought that reference was made to certain Puritan congregations, but his suggestion, though expanded by subsequent editors, is unsubstantiated by direct evidence. Others hold that the phrases have no special reference, being "coined for the occasion", and having their origin in the love of alliteration".

66

54. limbs, i.e. limbs of the devil'.

55, 56. Limbo Patrum, prison. See Glossary. Note the play on limbs.

57. running banquet. Cf. i. 4. 12. The whipping the rioters are to get from the two beadles will be a 'dessert' after the three days of prison.

69, 70. lay ye all By the heels, put you all in the stocks. 72. baiting, drinking heavily. See Glossary.

bombards, large leather jugs or bottles for liquor. Cf. 1 Henry IV., ii. 4. 497, where the Prince calls Falstaff "that huge bombard of sack". The word occurs also in the Tempest, ii. 2. 21. Dr. Murray suggests that bombards were probably so called "from some resemblance to the early cannons", bombard being the name of the largest piece of ordnance.

77. Marshalsea, a prison in Southwark, latterly used for debtors (see Dickens's Little Dorrit), and now demolished.

80. camlet, a light stuff, usually made mostly of wool or hair. See Glossary.

o', off from.

81. peck, pitch. See Glossary.

pales, palings.

Scene 5.

Elizabeth was christened on 10th September, 1533, at Greenwich; but the scene appears to be laid at Westminster (cf. i. 2. init.).

I-3. "When the ceremonies and christening were ended, Garter, cheefe king of armes, cried alowd, God of his infinite goodnesse send prosperous life & long to the high and mightie princesse of England, Elizabeth: & then the trumpets blew" (Holinshed, p. 934). 5. My noble partners, the other sponsors. 12. gossips, sponsors. See Glossary.

See v. 3. 167.

prodigal. According to Holinshed (p. 934), "the archbishop of Canturburie gaue to the princesse a standing cup of gold: the dutches of Norffolke gaue to hir a standing cup of gold, fretted with pearle: the marchionesse of Dorset gaue three gilt bolles, pounced with a couer: and the marchioness of Excester gaue three standing bolles grauen, all gilt with a couer ".

23. Saba, the queen of Sheba: see 1 Kings, x., and 2 Chronicles, ix. The form Saba is taken from the Vulgate, Regina Saba.

34. Under his own vine. See 1 Kings, iv. 25, Micah, iv. 4, Zechariah, iii. 10, &c. There are several echoes of Biblical phrases

in this scene: cf. lines 52-55.

37. read, learn.

38. The sentiment of Tennyson's Lady Clara Vere de Vere.

40. the maiden phoenix, the fabulous Arabian bird which reproduced itself from its own ashes. Cf. Samson Agonistes, 1699

1702

"that self-begotten bird,

In the Arabian woods embost,
That no second knows nor third,
And lay erewhile a holocaust ",

43. one, i.e. James I., the reigning sovereign.

&c.

52. new nations. This probably alludes to the first settlement of Virginia in 1607. Malone suggests that there may be a reference to the settlements contemplated in 1612, when there was a lottery for the plantation of Virginia.

57. An aged princess. Elizabeth died in 1603, aged sixty-nine, having reigned forty-six years.

69. my good lord mayor, Sir Stephen Pecocke or Peacock. He was lord mayor also on the occasion of the coronation (iv. 1). 70. your good brethren, the aldermen and councillors.

74. no man think, let no man think.

75. Has, he has; the Folios read 'Has. Cf. i. 3. 57.

Epilogue.

Most of what was said of the Prologue is equally applicable to the Epilogue. It is undoubtedly not by Shakespeare.

7. that, so that: cf. i. I. 25.

10. construction, interpretation.

APPENDIX A.

THE HISTORICAL AUTHORITIES.

The chief sources of the incidents of Henry VIII. are the second edition (1587) of Holinshed's Chronicle and Foxe's Actes and Monumentes of the Churche (first edition, 1563). The following are the longer passages which have been followed in the play.

Act I. Scenes 1 and 2. Holinshed, pp. 862-864.

The cardinall, boiling in hatred against the duke of Buckingham, & thirsting for his bloud, deuised to make Charles Kneuet, that had beene the dukes surueior, and put from him . . . an instrument to bring the duke to destruction. This Kneuet being had in examination before the cardinall, disclosed all the dukes life. And first he vttered, that the duke was accustomed by waie of talke, to saie, how he meant so to vse the matter, that he would atteine to the crowne, if king Henrie chanced to die without issue: & that he had talke and conference of that matter on a time with George Neuill, lord of Aburgauennie, vnto whome he had giuen his daughter in marriage; and also that he threatened to punish the cardinall for his manifold misdooings, being without cause his mortall enimie.

The cardinall hauing gotten that which he sought for, incouraged, comforted, and procured Kneuet, with manie comfortable words and great promises, that he should with a bold spirit and countenance obiect and laie these things to the dukes charge, with more if he knew it when time required. Then Kneuet partlie prouoked with desire to be reuenged, and partlie mooued with hope of reward, openlie confessed, that the duke had once fullie determined to deuise meanes how to make the king away, being brought into a full hope that he should be king, by a vain prophesie which one Nicholas Hopkins, a monke of an house of the Chartreux order beside Bristow, called Henton, sometime his confessor had opened vnto him.

The cardinall having thus taken the examination of Kneuet, went vnto the King, and declared vnto him, that his person was in danger by such traitorous purpose, as the duke of Buckingham had conceiued in his heart, and shewed how that now there is manifest

tokens of his wicked pretense: wherefore, he exhorted the king to prouide for his own suertie with speed. The king hearing the accusation, inforced to the vttermost by the cardinall, made this answer; If the duke haue deserued to be punished, let him haue according to his deserts. The duke hervpon was sent for vp to London, & at his coming thither, was streightwaies attached, and brought to the Tower by sir Henrie Marneie, capteine of the gard, the sixteenth of Aprill. There was also attached the foresaid Chartreux monke, maister Iohn de la Car alias de la Court, the dukes confessor, and sir Gilbert Perke priest, the dukes chancellor.

After the apprehension of the duke, inquisitions were taken in diuerse shires of England of him; so that, by the knights and gentlemen, he was indicted of high treason, for certeine words spoken . . by the same duke at Blechinglie, to the lord of Aburgauennie; and therewith was the same lord attached for concelement, and so likewise was the lord Montacute, and both led to the Tower.

And furthermore, the same duke on the fourth of Nouember, in the eleuenth yere of the kings reigne, at east Greenwich in the countie of Kent, said vnto one Charles Kneuet esquier, after that the king had reprooued the duke for reteining William Bulmer knight into his seruice, that if he had perceiued that he should haue beene committed to the Tower (as he doubted hee should haue beene) hee would haue so wrought, that the principall dooers therein should not haue had cause of great reioising: for he would haue plaied the part which his father intended to haue put in practise against king Richard the third at Salisburie, who made earnest sute to haue come vnto the presence of the same king Richard: which sute if he might haue obteined, he hauing a knife secretlie about him, would haue thrust it into the bodie of king Richard, as he had made semblance to kneele downe before him. And in speaking these words, he maliciouslie laid his hand vpon his dagger, and said, that if he were so euill vsed, he would doo his best to accomplish his pretensed purpose, swearing to confirme his word by the bloud of our Lord.

Beside all this, the same duke the tenth of Maie, in the twelfe yeare of the kings reigne, at London in a place called the Rose, within the parish of saint Laurence Poultnie in Canwike street ward, demanded of the said Charles Kneuet esquier, what was the talke amongest the Londoners concerning the kings iournie beyond the seas? And the said Charles told him, that manie stood in doubt of that iourneie, least the Frenchmen meant some deceit towards the king. Wherto the duke answered, that it was to be feared, least it would come to passe, according to the words of a certeine holie moonke. For there is (saith he) a Chartreux moonke, that diuerse times hath sent to me, willing me to send vnto him my chancellor : and I did send vnto him Iohn de la Court my chapleine, vnto whome he would not declare anie thing, till de la Court had sworne vnto him to keepe all things secret, and to tell no creature liuing what hee should heare of him, except it were to me.