DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. We have made some slight changes in the titles and order of the _dramatis personæ_ in accordance with the suggestion of Mr George Russell French, who writes to us: "Why should Edmund Langley be placed before his elder brother John of Gaunt? The title of 'Berkely' should be simply 'Lord,' as that family were not made Earls till the time of Charles II. Shakespeare only calls him 'Lorde Barkley.' I would recommend that the name of 'Sir Pierce Exton' should be placed after that of 'Sir Stephen Scroop,' as the latter was actually a baron of Parliament. The 'Duchess of York' should have precedence over the 'Duchess of Gloucester,' whose husband was the youngest son of Edward III." NOTE II. I. 1. 2. _Band_ is given by Minsheu with the sense of 'obligation' (_Guide into Tongues_, 1617). Both words _band_ and _bond_ were concurrently in use with the same sense. In this play, V. 2. 65, the first four Quartos read _band_, the Folios and the fifth Quarto _bond_, while in the 67th line both Quartos and Folios agree in _bond_. NOTE III. I. 1. 149. In this place and in several others Capell in his _Various Readings_ has attributed the reading of the fourth Quarto to the third. The same error is found 34. 5, _Brittaine_; 46. 22, _two_; 46. 31, _profession_; 47. 11, _impresse_; 48. 21, _from my_; 49. 26, _can cannot_; 78. 17, _night_; 88. 30, _the how_; 92. 18, _have holp_. NOTE IV. SCENE II. As usual, there is no division into Acts and Scenes in the Quartos. We follow generally the Folios in their arrangement, carefully noting the exceptions. NOTE V. I. 2. 1. We retain here the reading of the Quartos which is doubtless what Shakespeare wrote. Probably it was altered for the stage, because 'Thomas of Woodstock' was better known to the audience by his title 'Duke of Gloucester.' NOTE VI. I. 2. 70. Notwithstanding the paramount authority of the first Quarto we conceive that the antithesis between _there see_, line 67, and _hear there_, is too marked to admit of a doubt that the reading of the second is to be preferred in this place. NOTE VII. I. 3. 7. The stage direction in the text is made up of those given in the Quartos and Folios. The first Quarto has: _The trumpets sound and the King enters with his nobles; when they are set, enter the Duke of Norfolke in armes defendant_. The first Folio has: _Flourish. Enter King, Gaunt, Bushy, Bagot, Greene, and others: Then Mowbray in Armor, and Harrold._ At I. 3. 25, the first Quarto gives as the stage direction, _The trumpets sound. Enter Duke of Hereford appellant in armour_. The first Folio has simply, _Tucket. Enter Hereford, and Harold._ NOTE VIII. I. 3. 20. Notwithstanding that the emendation of the Folios yields an easier sense, we follow the reading of the Quartos, which may be explained, inasmuch as the Duke of Norfolk's 'succeeding issue' would be involved in the forfeiture incurred by disloyalty to his king. It may also be noted that King Richard had never any issue.