"I suppose the meaning is, '_that_ or _such a man_, I am, have _been_, and will _ever_ be.' Our author has many hard and forced expressions in his plays; but many of the hardnesses in the piece before us appear to me of a different colour from those of Shakspeare. Perhaps however, a line following has been lost; for in the old copy there is no stop at the end of this line; and, indeed, I have some doubt whether a comma ought not to be placed at it, rather than a fullpoint." Mr. Knight, however, places a fullpoint at _will be_, and says: "There is certainly some corruption in this passage; for no ellipsis can have taken this very obscure form. Z. Jackson suggests 'that _aim has_ and will be.' This is very harsh. We might read 'That _aim_ I have and will,' _will_ being a noun." Mr. Collier has the following note: "In this place we can do no more than reprint exactly the old text, with the old punctuation; as if Wolsey, following 'that am, have, and will be' by a long parenthesis, had forgotten how he commenced his sentence. Something may have been lost, which would have completed the meaning and the instances have not been infrequent where lines, necessary to the sense, have been recovered from the quarto impressions. Here we have no quarto impressions to resort to, and the later folios afford us no assistance, as they reprint the passage as it stands in the folio 1628, excepting that the two latest end the parenthesis at 'break.'" I cannot think that the poet would have put a short speech into Wolsey's mouth, making him forget how he commenced it! Nor do I believe that anything has been lost, except the slender letter _I_ preceding _am_. The printer or transcriber made the easy mistake of taking the word _true_ for _haue_, which as written of old would readily occur, and having thus confused the passage, had recourse to the unconscionable long mark of a parenthesis. The passage undoubtedly should stand thus: _Car._ "I do profess That for your highness' good I ever labour'd More than mine own; that _I_ am _true_, and will be Though all the world should _lack_ their duty to you, And throw it from their soul: though perils did Abound, as thick as thought could make them, and Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty (As doth a rock against the chiding flood,) Should the approach of this wild river break, And stand unshaken yours."