NOTES TO

KING HENRY VIII

*.*We are unacquainted with any dramatick

piece on the subject of Henry VIII. that preceded this of Shakspeare; and yet on the books of the Stationers' Company appears the following entry: "Nathaniel Butter] (who was one of our author's printers) Feb. 12, 1604. That he get good allow ance for the enterlude of King Henry VIII. be-fore he begin to print it; and with the wardens hand to yt, he is to have the same for his copy. Dr. Farmer in a note on the epilogue to this play, observes from Stowe, that Robert Greene had written somewhat on the same story. STEEVENS.

This historical drama comprizes a period of twelve years, commencing in the twelfth year of King Heury's reign, (1521,) and ending with the christening of Elizabeth in 1533. Shakspeare has deviated from history in placing the death of Queen Katharine before the birth of Elizabeth, for in fact Katharine did not die till 1536.

King Henry VIII. was written, I believe, in 1601. See An Attempt to ascertain the order of Shakspeare's Plays.

Dr. Farmer in a note on the epilogue observes from Stowe, that "Robert Greene had written something on this story;" but this, I apprehend, was not a play, but some historical account of Henry's reign, written not by Robert Greene, the dramatick poet, but by some other person. In the list of "author's out of whom Stowe's Annals were compiled," prefixed to the last edition printed in his life time, quarto, 1605, Robert Greene is enumerated with Robert de Brum, Robert Fabian, &c. and he is often quoted as an authority for facts in the margin of the history of that reign.

Page 3, line 18. 19. to see a fellow

MALONE.

In a long motley coat, guarded with yellow,] Alluding to the fools and buffoons, introduced in the plays a little before our author's time: and of whom he has left us a small taste in his own.

P. 3, 1. 21. 22.

such a show

THEOBALD.

As fool and fight is,] This is not the only passage in which Shakspeare has discovered his conviction of the impropriety of battles represented on the stage. He knew that five or six men with swords, gave a very unsatisfactory idea of an army, and therefore, without much care to excuse his former practice, he allows that a theatrical fight would destroy all opinion of truth, and leave him never an understanding friend. Magnis ingeniis et multa nihilominus habituris simplex convenit erroris confessio. Yet I know not whether the coronation shown in this play may not be liable to all that can be objected against a battle.

JOHNSON

P. 3, 1. 23. 24.

the opinion that we bring, (To make that only true we now intend,) ] These lines I do not understand, and suspect them of corruption. I believe we may better read thus: the opinion, that we bring

Or make; that only truth we now intend.

JOHNSON. To intend in our author, has sometimes the same meaning as to pretend. STEEVENS.

and

If any alteration were necessary, I should be for only changing the order of the words, reading:

That only true to make we now intend: i. e. that now we intend to exhibit only what is

true.

in

This passage, and others of this Prologue, which great stress is laid upon the truth of the ensuing representation, would lead one to suspect, that this play of Henry the VIIIth is the very play mentioned by Sir H. Wotton, [in his letter of 2 July, 1613, Reliq. Wotton, p. 425,] under the decription of "a new play [acted by the King's players at the Bank's Side] called, All is true, representing some principal pieces of the reign of Henry the VIIIth." The extraordinary circum stances of pomp and majesty, with which, Sir Henry says, that play was set forth, and the particular incident of certain cannons shot off at the King's entry to a masque at the Cardinal Wolsey's house, (by which the theatre was set on fire and burnt to the ground,) are strictly applic able to the play before us. Mr. Chamberlaine, in Winwood's Memorials, Vol. III. p. 469, mentions, the burning of the Globe, or playhouse, on the Bankside, on St. Peter's-day [1613, J which, (says he) fell out by a peale of chambers,

"

that I know not on what occasion were to be used

in the play. "Ben Jonson, in his •his Execration upon Vulcan, says, they were two poor cham 2 bers. [See the stage-direction in this play, a little before the King's entrance.“ Drum and trumpet, discharged." The continuator wofi

Chronicle, relating the same accident, p.

1003, says expressly, that it happened at the plays of Henry the VIIIth

In a MS. letter of Tho. Lorkin to Sir Tho Puckering, dated London, this last of June, 1613, the same fact is thus related: “No longer since than yesterday, while Bourbage his compa nie were acting at the Globe the play of Henry VIII. and there shooting of certayne chambers in way of triumph, the fire catch'd," &c. MS. Harl. 7002. TYRWHITT

I have followed a regulation recommended by au anonymous correspondent, and only included the contested line in a parenthesis, which in some editions was placed before the word beside.

MALONE. P. 5, last 1. The first and happiest hearersWere it necessary to strengthen Dr. Johnson's and Dr. Farmer's supposition (See notes on the Epi

of

prologue before us, we might observe that appears in the present instance to have been used with one of its Roman significations, i. c. propitious or favourable: Sis bonus O, felixque tuis!" Virg. Ecl. 5. a sense of the word which must have been unknown to Shakspeare, but w familiar to Jonson. STEEVENS.

at old Ben, not Shakspeare, was author

was

P. 7, 1.7. Lord ABERGAVENNY.] George Nevill, who married Mary, daughter of Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. REED.

·P. 7, 1. 12. a fresh admirer] An admirer untired; an admirer still feeling the impression as, if it were hourly renewed. JOHNSON.

P. 71. 16. Those suns of glory,

That is, those glorious suns. The editor of the third folio plausibly enough reads Those sons of glory and indeed as in old English books the two words are used indiscriminately, the luminary being often spelt son, it is sometimes difficult to determme which is meant; sun, or son. However, the sub sequent part of the line, and the recurrence of the same expression afterwards, are in favour of the reading of the original copy. MALONE.

P. 7, 1. 18. Twixt Guynes and Arde;] Guy nes then belonged to the English, and Arde to the French; they are towns in Picardy, and the valley of Ardren lay between them. Arde is Ardres, but both Hall and Holinshed write it as Shake speare does. REED.

P. 8, 1. 4. 5. Till this time, pomp was single; but now marryd CI To one above itself.] The thought is odd and whimsical; and obscure enough to need an exe planation. Till this time (says the speaker) Pomp led a single life, as not finding husband able to support her according to her dig nity; but she has now got one in Henry Villa who could support her, even above her condition,\\ in finery. WARBURTON."

Dr. Warburton has here discovered more beauty than the author intended, who only meant to say in a noisy periphrase, that pomp was encreased on this occasion to more than twice as much as VOL. XIII.

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