Volume Viii Part 104 (2/2)

[288] The first act has already occupied too much s.p.a.ce, but it was difficult to divide it: in fact, as Friar Tuck says, it is a ”short play,” complete in itself. What follows is an induction to the rest of the story, the Friar continuing on the stage after the others have gone out.

[289] The 4to. reads thus--

”Apollo's _master doone_ I invocate,”

but probably we ought to read--

”Apollo's _masterdom_ I invocate,”

and the text has been altered accordingly. _Masterdom_ means _power, rule_; to invocate Apollo's masterdom is therefore to invocate Apollo's power to a.s.sist the Friar in his undertaking.

[290] _Enter in black_ is the whole of the stage direction, and those who enter are afterwards designated by the letters _Cho_. Perhaps the princ.i.p.al performers arrive attired in black, and are mentioned as _Chorus_, one speaking for the rest. _Cho_. may, however, be a misprint for _Chester_, who was sent in to ”attire him.”

[291] [In the new edit. of Nares the present pa.s.sage is cited for _ill-part_, which is queried to mean _ill-conditioned_. Perhaps it is equivalent to _malapert_.]

[292] [Old copy, _de Brun_.] ”John married Isabel, the daughter and heiress of the Earl of Angoulesme, who was before affianced to _Hugh le Brun_, Earl of March (a peer of great estate and excellence in France), by the consent of King Richard, in whose custody she then was.”

--Daniel's ”History of England.”

[293] [Old copy, _lose_.]

[294] _Led by the F.K. and L_. means, as afterwards appears, the _French king_, and _Lord_ Hugh le Brun, Earl of North March.

[295] The entrance of Bonville is omitted in the 4to.

[296] These _Lords_, as we afterwards find, are old Aubrey de Vere, Hubert, and Mowbray.

[297] [Old copy, _troops_.]

[298] [Old copy, _triumphs_.]

[299] Lodge was in the habit of using the adjective for the substantive, especially _fair_ for _fairness_; one example is enough--

”Some, well I wot, and of that sum full many, Wisht or my _faire_ or their desire were lesse.”

--_Scilla's Metamorphosis_, 1589.

See also note to ”The Wounds of Civil War” (vol. vii. p. 118).

Shakespeare may be cited in many places besides the following--

”My decayed _fair_ A sunny look of his would soon repair.”

--_Comedy of Errors_, act ii. sc. 1.

See Steevens's note on the above pa.s.sage.

[300] The King calls him in the old copy _good Oxford_, but Oxford is not present, and from what follows we see that the command was given to Salisbury. The same mistake is again made by Hubert in this scene.

Salisbury must be p.r.o.nounced _Sal'sb'ry_.

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