The Life of Henry V.
Act I Sc. 1
“Cant. The King is full of grace and fair regard,
And a true lover of the Holy Church.
Ely. The courses of his youth promis’d it not.
Cant. The breath no sooner left his father’s body,” etc.
It is really marvellous that for two centuries and a half no critic—not even Theobald or Tyrwhitt—should have discerned that this was the true distribution of the speeches. See Introd. p. 48.
“Upon our spiritual convocation.”
This is no doubt metrical; but it is not easy to make sense of it. I suspect that the poet may have written ‘Upon the part of,’ the verse still being metrical.
Sc. 2
“They know your Grace has cause and means and might...”
There is an evident aposiopesis.
“To fill King Edward’s fame with prisoner-kings,
And make their chronicle as rich with praise,” etc.
Collier’s folio reads (I think, well) train for ‘fame,’ and his or her for ‘their.’
“To tear and havoc more than she can eat.”
‘Tear’ is Rowe’s; the 4tos have spoil, the folio tame.
“For government, though high and low and lower.”
It might seem that ‘though’ was a misprint for through. In M. for M. iii. 1, the folio has through for though.
“They have a king and officers of all sorts.”
“And therefore living hence did give ourselves
To barbarous licence.”
We should surely read thence or here for ‘hence.’
“Be like a king and show my sail of greatness.”
Perhaps ‘sail’ should be full; or ‘my sail’ me full.