And when my knightly ftomach is fuffic'd, I fhall befeech you,that is question now: And talking of the Alps and Apennines, 6 Like an a, b, c book] An a, b, c book, or, as they fpoke and wrote it, an alfoy book, is a catechifm. 7 And fo e'er arfwer knows what question would, SAVING in dialogue of compl ment] In this fine fpeech, Faulconbridge would fhew the advantages and prerogatives of men of worjoip. He obferves, particularly, that he has the traveller at command; (people at that time, when a new world was difcovering, in the higheft eftima. tion.) At the firft intimation of his defire, to hear strange ftories, the traveller complies, and will fearce give him leave to make his question, but e'er anfwer knows what question would -What then, why, according to the prefent reading, it grows towards fupper-time: And is not this averfbinful fociety? To fpend all the time between dinner and fupper before either of them knows what the other would be Real SERVING inftead of Javing, and all this nonfenfe is at. 66 comes to talk of the Alps and A "penines,&c. and, by the time this "difcourfe concludes, it draws "towards fupper." All this is fenfible and humorous; and the phrafe of ferving in is a very pleafant one to denote that this was his worship's fecond court. What follows fhews the romantic turn of the voyagers of that time; how greedily their relations were swallowed, which he calls fweet poifon for the age's tooth; and how acceptable it made men at court-For it fall frew the footsteps of my ring. And yet the Oxford Editor fays, by this sweet poison is meant flatWARBURTON. tery. This paffage is obfcure; but fuch an irregularity, and perplexity runs thro' the whole fpeech, that I think this emendation not neceffary. The The Pyrenean and the river Po; It draws towards fupper in conclufion, fo. And fits the mounting fpirit like myseif: SCENE IV. Enter Lady Faulconbridge, and James Gurney. Lady. Where is that flave, thy brother, where is he, That holds in chafe mine honour up and down? Phil. My brother Robert, old Sir Robert's fon, * Colbrand the giant, that fame mighty man, Is it Sir Robert's fon, that you feek fo? Lady. Sir Robert's fon? ay, thou unrev'rend boy, 8 Which though, &c.] The conftruction will be mended, if inftead of which though, we read, this though. 9 But who comes here.] Milton, in his tragedy, introduces Dallilah with fuch an interrogatory exclamation. To blow a horn.] He means, that a woman who travelled about like a pot was likely to horn her husband. 2 Coibrand was a Danish giant, whom Guy of Warwick dilcomfited in the prefence of king Athelftan. The combat is very pompously defcribed by Drayton in his Polyolbion. Sir Robert's fon; why scorn'st thou at Sir Robert? Phil. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave a while! Phil. Philip!. -fparrow There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more. -James; [Exit James. Madam, I was not old Sir Robert's fon, Sir Robert never holpe to make this leg. Lady. Haft thou confpired with thy brother too, That, for thine own gain, should'ft defend mine ho nour? What means this fcorn, thou most untoward knave? 4 Phil. Knight, Knight, good mother lifco like. -Bafi What! Philip, fparrow, James.] I conbridge's Words here carry a think the Poet wrote, Philip! Spare me, James. i. e. don't affront me with an appellation that comes from a Family which I difclaim. WARB. The old reading is far more agreeable to the character of the Speaker. Dr. Gray obferves, that Skelton has a poem to the memory of Philip Sparrow; and Mr. Pope in a fhort note remarks, that a Sparrow is called Philip. + Knight, Knight, good Mother, Bafilifco like.] Thus muft this Paffage be pointed; and, to come at the Humour of it, I must clear up an old Circumftance of Stage-Hiftory. Faul concealed Piece of Satire on a Baf. O, Ifwear, Ifwear. What! I am dub'd; I have it on my shoulder: ; Lady. King Richard Caur-de-lion was thy father; Baf. By the Contents of this Pift. I, the forefaid Bafilifco, Pift. Knave, good fellow, knave, knave, So that 'tis clear, our Poet is fneering at this Play; and makes Philip, when his Mother calls him Knave, throw off that Reproach by humorously laying claim to his new Dignity of Knighthood; as Bafilico arrogantly infifts on his Title of Knight in the Paffage above quoted. The old Play is an execrable bad one; and, I fuppofe, was fufficiently exploded in the Reprefentation: which might make this Circumstance so well known, as to become the Butt for a Stage-farcafm. THEOBALD. Knight, Knight, good mother Bafilifco like] The words allude to an expression in an old foolish play, then the common butt of ridicule, but the beauty of the paffage confifts in his alluding, at the fame time, to his high original. His father, Richard the firft, was furnamed Caur-de-lion. And the Cor Leonis, a fixed star of the first magnitude, in the fign Leo, is called Bafilif. co. WARBURTON. Could one have thought it! 5 Some fins.] There are fins, that whatever be determined of them above, are not much cenfured on ea th. And Againft whofe fury, and unmatched force, And they fhall fay, when Richard me begot, 6 ACT II. SCENE I. Before the Walls of Angiers in France. Enter Philip King of France, Lewis the Dauphin, the LEWIS. EFORE Angiers well met, brave Auftria. 6 Richard, that ribb'd, &c.] So Raftal in his Chronicle. It is fayd that a Lyon was put to kynge Richard, beynge in prifon, to have devoured him, and when the lyon was gapynge he put his arme in his mouth, and pulled the lyon by the harte fo hard that And |