231. Asher-house. It appears from Holinshed that Asher was the an-
cient name of Esher^ near Hampton Court. " Shakespeare forgot that
Wolsey was himself Bishop of Winchester, unless he meant to say, you



ACT III, SCENE IL 187

must confine yourself to that house which you possess as Bishop of Win-
chester" (Malone). See Addenda below.
236. Till I find more than will, etc. " Till I find more than will or
words (/ mean more than your malicious will and words) to do it — that
is, to carry authority so weighty — I will deny to return what the king has
given me" (Johnson).
240. My disgraces. The folio reading. D. and H. have " disgrace ;"
but the it refers \.o following my disgraces.
244. You have Christian warrant, etc. This is either ironical or sarcastic.
247. Mine and your master. On mine, see Gr. 238.
250. Letters patents. This is the folio reading, and, as D. remarks, is
"according to the phraseology of S.'s time." We find the same form in
Rich. II. ii. I. 202 and ii.3. 130— the only other places where S. uses the
expression. Cf. Greene's James IV. ii. i : "your letters-patents," etc.
253. These forty hours. Malone thdught that S. wrote "these four
hours ;" but, as Steevens remarks, " forty seems anciently to have been the
familiar number on many occasions, where no very exact reckoning was
necessary." J. H. suggests that " forty hours would have given the car-
dinal time to take vengeance on Surrey."

259. Plague of your policy. Cf. i Hen. IV. ii. 4. 127 : " A plague of all
cowards !" with Temp. i. i. 39 : "A plague upon this howling !" Gr. 175.
