Page:Henry VI Part 2 (1923) Yale.djvu/147

King Henry the Sixth ticular to have been peaceful and dignified. See L. B. Radford's judicial and sympathetic biography (Henry Beaufort, Bishop, Chancellor, Cardinal, 1908).

 its lips. One of the very rare instances of the possessive its in Shakespeare. The corresponding line of the Contention has 'his lips'; the Folio 'it's lips.'

 The gaudy, blabbing, and remorseful day Is crept into the bosom of the sea, And now loud-howling wolves arouse the jades, etc. 'These obviously additional lines, inartistically joined to the scene by the word "Therefore" [line 8] bear impress of Shakespeare's earliest Marlovian style, or rather Peeleian, but vastly more powerful and more musical.' (Hart.) The Contention version opens very simply with the equivalent of line 8: 'Bring forward these prisoners that scorn'd to yeeld.'

 whilst our pinnace anchors in the Downs. The Downs are a roadstead off the east coast of Kent, protected by Goodwin Sands (which are mentioned in The Merchant of Venice, III. i. 4). This reference to the Downs is not in the Contention version. From King Lear it would seem that Shakespeare must have had some personal knowledge of the coast of Kent.

 Or with their blood stain this discolour'd shore. 'Discolour'd' is used 'proleptically': stain this shore, which will then be discolored by their blood.

 Look on my George; I am a gentleman. An image of Saint George in gold was worn by Knights of the Garter.

 And told me that by Water I should die. Compare I. iv. 36. The 'l' in Walter was silent, as in the abbreviated form 'Wat.'

 The Folio text of these lines is evidently corrupt, and has been corrected by comparison with the Contention. The Folio omits line 48 and gives line 50 as part of the Lieutenant's speech, making