THERE IS A BUSCH THAT IS FORGROWE: NOTES
1 busch. A patent reference to Sir John Bushy, speaker of the House of Commons and one of Richard's favorites. Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford (later King Henry IV), beheaded Bushy at Bristol in 1399. The author of Richard the Redeless makes similar punning references to Bushy and Green in passus 2, lines 152-53: "Thus baterid this bred [bird] on busshes aboute / And gaderid gomes on grene ther as they walkyd" (ed. Skeat). In Shakespeare's Richard II, Bolingbroke contemptuously refers to Bushy, Green, and Bagot as the "caterpillars of the commonwealth" (II.iii.165). See also the Gardener's statements about Richard's ministers in III.iv.
4 grene. A reference to Sir Henry Green who, with Bushy (note to line 1), guided Richard's legislation through the House of Commons and who was also beheaded at Bristol.
6 the. So Wr; Hamper th'.
7 bagge. A reference to Sir William Bagot, another of Richard's ministers in the House of Commons.
8 kettord. MED, directing to "? Cp. cater, katur num" (from OF catre, four), cites this word only from this poem, with the notation "? Quartered."
13 swan. Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloucester, whose badge was a swan (which he had adopted from his father Edward III). Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk, executed Gloucester at Calais in 1397. Some have felt that Norfolk was acting under King Richard's orders. The author of the present poem attributes Gloucester's death to Bushy. Hamper identifies the swan as "Hugh Earl of Stafford" and the eldes bryd of line 32 as "Edmund Earl of Stafford, eldest surviving son."
14 sclawtur. So Wr; Hamper sclawtr.
20 stede. "A horse was the crest of the earl of Arundel, who was beheaded in the 21st Ric. II" (Wr). Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, was appealed by eight lords appellant of killing Simon Burley; and John of Gaunt ordered Arundel's property confiscate, condemning him to death. He was executed on Tower Hill in 1397.
25 bereward. "The earl of Warwick banished to Isle of Man" (Wr). His badge was a black bear. RHR glosses the political allegory of this stanza: "a bearward (the Earl of Warwick) found a rag, and made a bag through which he is undone (i.e., he aided to raise up Bagot, who became instrumental in his banishment)." A Manual of the Writings in Middle English 1050-1500, ed. Hartung, 5:1440.
26 the. So Wr; Hamper th'.
32 Her eldest . . . fro. Trans.: "Her eldest bird has been taken away from her." For this line Wr reads: "Her eldes[t] bryd his taken her fro"; Hamper: "Her eldes bryd his taken her fro." Of the bryd Wr glosses: "Humphrey [Plantagenet], Gloucester's only son, was, after his father's death, carried to Ireland and imprisoned in the castle of Trim."
34 stedes colt. "Thomas earl of Arundel, son of the earl beheaded in the 21st Ric. II" (Wr).
35 An eron. The heron is Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, whose cause Thomas Arundel has joined.
36 wondur. So Wr; Hamper wondr.
37 berewardes sone. "Richard Beauchamp, under nineteen, was at this time married to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas lord Berkeley" (Wr). tendur, so Wr; Hamper tendr. On "berewardes" see note to line 25.
44 contré. So Wr; Hamper contr'. Hamper glosses: "Ravenspur in Yorkshire, where Henry landed."
47 and y thinges. So Hamper and Wr. y = in. The syntax seems defective.
49 gees. The Percy family of Northumbria. Hamper's note: "The Commons."
52 pecokes. The Neville family of Yorkshire. Hamper's note: "The Lords."
55 the busch. So Wr; Hamper th' busch.
57 aftur. So Wr; Hamper aftr.
58 the grene. So Wr; Hamper th' grene.
60 Of lines 34-60 RHR explains: "the steed's colt (Thomas of Arundel) has escaped, and has joined the heron (the Duke of Lancaster); and the bearward's son (Richard Beauchamp) has been married off, but is watching to join the heron. The heron and the colt are up in the North in company with the geese and the peacocks (the Percys and the Nevilles). The heron will alight on the bush, and will fall upon the green."
64 the ges. So Wr; Hamper th' ges. all so. So Hamper; Wr alleso.
67 sere. So Wr; Hamper ser'.
68 lengur. So Wr; Hamper lengr.
70 Ywys I con no nodur bote. So Wr; Hamper y wys y con no nodr bote.
73 The longe. So Wr; Hamper th' longe.
77 rought. From OE hrútan to snore. See Chaucer's Reeve's Tale, said of Symkyn's family: "Men myghte hir rowtyng heere two furlong; / The wenche rowteth eek, par compaignye" (lines 4166-67).
83 Yif. Wr yf.
87 Yif. Wr yf.
89 beste. Wr's insertion (in brackets).
90 were. So Wr; Hamper wer'. Hamper glosses in point to spylle: "This expression occurs in Henry's declaratory speech on assuming the royal power. 'The rewme was in point to be undone for defaut of governance, and undoyng of the gude lawes.'--Archaeologia, vol. XX, p. 201, note p." See also The Simonie line 432.