CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A COLLECTION MADE BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 AND BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013164441 SCATTERED NOTES TE3^T .4 mm liifi m M€lA BV J . G ._HB;ilR, Author of ^*The Norfu»n Queen," ^*The Sons of tho Conqueror," etc. Olen. — I will not luive it alteied. Bot.— Will you not '.' Olen — .No, uoi' you sliall not. Hot. — Wlio .shall say me nay ■' Olen.— Why. that will I. 1 HEKKT IV., HI, I, PHILADELPHIA; W. U. WILSUN & 00 , No. Ill S. ELEVENTH STREKT. l«7q A. PREFACE -oOo- The dramas of Shakespeare are admittedly not free from verba) faults, and there can be no impropriety in trying to correct these errors, which owe their. origin to the mistakes of the early editors and printers, and not the poet himself. Lest it be supposed these notes are to contain extreme changes in the structure or phraseology of the text, it is proper to declare that such is by no means the object or intention, the writer only desiring to come the nearest to the meaning of the dramatist, and to suggest emenda- tions where the present reading can be evidently itaproved, while at the same time endeavoring t-o preserve the form, strength and poetry so closely combined with the original that any alteration on these points would seem like a sacrilege as well as unwarrantable. The industry and efforts of n large number of commentators, contained in the various editions, have already made plain very many obscure pas- sages ; but there still remain others which the editors have either ignored or left unsatisfactorily explained , and it is these only whereof the notes treat, hence they are not con- fined to any particular play, but are scattered throughout twelve or fifteen of the dramas. There are undoubtedly a great many readers who forego the pleasure and are deterred from the penisal of Shakespeare in consequence of the numerous verbal imperfections, obsolute.terms and dubious I)hrases in his writings, and who lack the leisure and oppor- tunity to unravel them in a satisfactory manner. All such, we trust, will be glad to see some of the inaccuracies effaced, to reach a clear and thorough understanding of the meanings, and proper emendations justified and established for the reasons adduced in the notes — thus being incited to renewed interest in the noble works of the great poet. While the many misprints are a legitimate sabjeot of correc- tion, it is clearly a duty to remain steadfast to the authorized '■ = " tly with the sense and clearness ; to lend no countenance to changes not essential, or that can be dispensed with ; to advocated a restoration of the text where required and possible, '^By Shakespeare made, to keep the law, And see th' true design of what he foresaw.*' While judging these errors according to tlie writer's pre- ception of their nature and extent, and in presenting sug- gestions to amend them, due care has been observed to adhere to the restrictions mentioned. In respect to recti- fications in metre and grammar we have not concerned our- selves. Metre has already been .sufficiently attended to — perhaps, too much so, as in the regulation of which former editors have often thereby marred and destroyed the mean- ing of many passages. We think Shakespeare's slight grammatical irregularities should not be corrected — they form part of his style, are characteristic, add a quaint charm to his writings, and should be preserved intact, unless obsolutely necessary to render his meaning clear, which is the first and only requisite to be considereil. It is to be hoped some few of the corrections and render- ings will be accepted as right and fully proven ; in which case It is further hoped they will be deemed to counter- balance th e many mistakes the reader may discover. J. G. H. Philadelphia, June, 1879. EUnATA. A. considerable number of typographical errors occur iu these pages, owing to the absence from the city of tlie writer, who thus lacked opportunity to revise the proofs; but as the sense or purport of the comments is in no manner aflfected thereby, (except in a few inst,iaoes), it is thought hot worth while to here correct the errors in detail, and it is left to the reader to do so, if he chooses to take the trouble. The instances referred to are as follows : Fage 3, line 34— /or obsolnte, read obsolete. " 4, " 6— for preception, read perception. " 4, " 18 — for obsolutely, read absolutely. " 8, " 13 — for physioynony, read physiognomy. " 13, " 10 — /or tones, read t'imhi. " 16, " 42 — /or look on more, read look mo more. " 19, " 9-13 — for explainations, read explanations. " 37, " 28 — for unsprung, read upspruni;'. " 39, " 6 — for make, read wake. " 46, " 28— /or Thus, reatZ This " 7C, " \5—for imbare, read imbar. " 97, " 30 — /or forgotting, read forgetting. " 106, " 39 — for pence, read hence. " 118, " 2-^for regard, read regarded. , " 135, " 33-/0?- if with, read is with. " 126, " 33— /or weather, read whether. " 131, " 33 — for pay, read say. " 131, " 10— /or destinctiou, read distinction. " 187, " o — for of heads, /eiftZ of our head^. " 138, " 30 — -/or Kmootlicrs, ;■««? srnnthei-s. CONTENTS. -ooo- Jnllus «;»esiir 7 King John 19 King Rlcliarcl 11 S7 FlrAt Hurt of King Henry IT 45 Neeond Part of King Honry IV 58 King Henry V 76 King Henry VIII SI The Tempest »4 A niclsniniuer-NIgtat'8 nreani 90 All> Well That Ends Well 95 Mnvli Ado About Nothing 102 .llerrbunt ol' Venice 103 Macbeth 1 or Kouieo and Jiillel 115 Hamlet 181 Uthet lo ia9 <;}'»■ bellne 1S5 Trollns and <;r«siilda 141 JULIUS CiESAR. oOo AOT I— SCENE 2. Cassius — Be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus . Were I a common laugher, or did use To stale with ordinary oaths my love To every new protester ; if you know That I do fawn on men and hug them hard And after scandal them, or if you know That I profess myself in banqueting To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. "Jealous" is here used in the sense of dist'-ustful, or sus- picious. "A common laughter,' is the version of the folio, altered first by Pope to "laugher," which change has since been generally followed by subsequent editors. Neither word fully satisfies, and Pope's correction seems to have been adhered to up to this time solely for the lack of one more suitable. Yet within the compass of this play may be found a word that will obviously harmonize more thoroughly with the context and induce belief possibly that it was the one therein wiitten by the dramatist. Note, for instance, these lines : "Romans, countrymen, and lovers :'' * * * * "That, as I slew my best lovei- fur tlie good of Rome'" jt * * * # ' "The gods to (inl. 1, -1 : "What, ho ! slave 1 Oabiban 1 Thou niirlh, Hiou ! speak." Much Ado, 2. 1 : "Not till (iod make men of some other Metal than earth." Winter's 'I'lile, v. t : Leo, — '' Ilis iJiiiiccss, say you, willi himi' Oeitl . — Ay, t\n- mo.st peerless piece oieitrth, I tUiuU. That c'ei- the sun shone bright on." Bichard 11., IS, 4 : "Why dost thou hiiy Kinj; Kicbarri is dt'pi'scd .' JULIUS C8B8AR. 11 Darest thou, thou little better thing than earth. Divine his dovpnfall ?" Romeo and Juliet, 3, 2, "Vile earth, to earth resign ; end motion liere : And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier !" It will be observed from these examples that Shakespeare frequently characterized and indicated the person, individual or body by calling it "earth;" hence it may reasonably be inferred that this is the true word required in the sentence, particularly as it afterwards is applied to the body of Caesar, ' 'thou bleeding piece of earth," and that "crimsoned in thy earth," simply and literally means, "dyed in the blood of thy body;" or figuratively may be interpreted as "marked and distinguished by being as it were bathed in the present and future glory accruing from having shed thy noble blood." ' 'Here wast thou bayed, brave hairt : Here didst thou fall ; and here thy hunters stand, Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimsoned in tliy earth. O world, thou wast the forest to this hart ; And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee — How like a deer, strucken by many princes. Dost thou here lie !" It may be added, that Coleridge doubted the genuineness of the fourth and fifth lines commencing "0 world," because they interrupted the sense and connection and "the Shake- spearian link of association." He remarks : "I venture to say there is no instance in Shakespeare fairly like this. Conceits he has ; but they not only rise out Of some word in the lines before, but also lead to the thought in the lines follow- ing. Here the conceit is a mere alien : Antony forgets an image when be is even touching it, and then recollects it, when the thought last in his' mind must have led liim away from it. " Truly, no wonder Coleridge could not see any connection between "bayed," "lethe," "world," and "deer or hart;" and was thus sorely puzzled. But on the bridge of the word "earth" the transition of thought is clear and easily understood from that to 'world," because the two woi-ds are almost synonymous, thence to "hart and deer." Thus Coleridge's objections vanish into "thin air;" the genuine- ness of the lines is established, and the claim of "earth" to its place in the passage doubly confirmed. 13 JULIUS Cesab. AOT III-SOENE 1. Antony — Over thy wounds now do I prophesy — Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips, To beg the yoicoand utterance of my tongue, — A curse shall light upon the limbs of men ; Domestic fury, and fierce civil strife, Shall cumber all the parts of Italy. '•Limbsof men."— Thisisin the folio, and generally re- tained in all subsequent editions. Various emendations for "limbs" have been proposed, such as "sons," "line," "kind," "lives," "lymms," "times," "tones," "minds." The best yet given is that of Collier's annotator — "loins;" and it. is singulrvr that it has not been adopted. However, tliere is another word applicable which has been strangely overlooked thus far by commentators, namely — "heads." This is sus- tained by the following extracts: "I beg the law, the law upon his head ; I will denounce a curse upon his head ; a curse is fallen upon our heads ; hot vengeance on offenders' heads ; my deeds upon my head ! to pluck his indignation on thy head ; and on my head my shames redoubled ! the sin upon my head ; their blood upon thy head ; on horror's head horrors accumulate, " etc. So possibly we should read — "A curse shall light upon the heads of men." Nevertheless, the present writer rejects his own suggestion, and is prepossessed in favor of that of Collier — "loins," ap- proved by Craik, who says : "The loins of men means, of course, the generations of men. Warburton hit upon what seems to have been the meaning of Shikespearc, with his line of men ; but how much less Shakespearian the ex- pression !'■ oOo AOT IV— SOENE 3. Brutus — O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb, That carries anger as the flint bears fire ; Who, much enforced, shows a hapty spark, And straight is cold again. Pope prints, on conjecture, "with a man ;" and as Craik remarks, "a lamb, at any rate, can hardly be right." Now in this same scene, , the seventh and tenth lines just above Cassius says — "There is ray dagger. And here my naked breast ; within, a heart Dearer than Pltitus' mine, richer than gold : If that thou beest a Roman, take it forth. * I, that denied thee gold, will give my htart: Strike, as thou didst at Csesar." JULrcs'-caesAR. 13 And in the ninth below — Oassius — Give me your hand. Brutus— And my heart too. Now Shakespeare in many instances often repeats and even quadruples the same word in the same scene or passage, and the above Ought to be reasonably convincing to all — particularly as the emendation accords with the context perfectly — that we should read — "O Cassius, you are yoked with a heart, That carries anger as the flint bears Are. AOT v.— SOENE 1. Cassius — Antony, The posture of your blows are yet unknown. "Posture." — Notwithstanding the peirsistency of the edi- tors — who appear to be enslaved to the first folio, although they canndt but admit, as Collier says, that it originally contained 20,000 errors — in retaining this word, yet common sense teaches that it is corrupt, and has no right in the sen. tence. At all events editors, who are alert at other points, here have nothing to say and pass the word unexplained. A slight attempt is here made to change the reading of the line, though not in respect to its grammatical irregularity :— "Antony, The poicem of your blows are yet unknown. " Power or powers" occurs in our author fully five hun- dred times, with various applications of course. It is useless to quote at large ; and here only a few brief citations are given of those found in the play, Coriolanus and Richard III ; — though not that they are all entirely analogous': — "Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power; bid liirn set on his powers betimes ; down upon us with a mighty power: Brutus and Cassius are levying powers ; when it disjoins remorse from power; the capacity of my ruder powers ; wrench up thy power to the highest ; when he hath power to crush ; have had you put your powei'' well on; so far as thou hast power and person ; the quarrel from his powerful arm," etc. If Shakespeare used the word in flvt- hundred instances, why may it not be considered he did so once more? — especially, as it suits the context bMtt<^r than "pos- ture," which is meaningless as it stand.";. 14 JULTUS C^SAR. ACT V— SCENE I. Octavius — Look, I draw a sword against conspirators; When think you that the sword goes up again ? Never, ti]l Caesar's three and thirty wonnds Be well aveng'd ; or till another Caesar Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors. Brutus — CsBsar, thou can'st not die by traitors' hands, Unless thou bring'st them with thee. Oetamus — So I hope ; I was not born to die on Brutus' sword. It is certainly very singular that the above fourth and fifth lines should have escaped the critical acumen of so many commentators and been permitted to both puzzle them and go uncorrected for so long a period. The Collier MS. gave, "Have added slaughter to the word o/traitors ;" — but this only made the matter worse, as it would seemingly be an admission on the part of Octavius (impossible in the case) that Brutus and Cassius wei-e as yet guiltless of posi- tive treasonable slaughter,and traitors only in word or repute. Moreover, CoUiisr himself, in his second edition, rejects the emendation, and restores the old reading. A.nd what is re- quired after all, in order to remedy the difficulty, and make the lines run in harmony with the context — the reply of Brutus ? Not the least substitution of words, but simply a re-adjustment : — Never, till Caesar's three and thirty woands Be well aveng'd ; or till the swords of traitors Have to slaughter added another Caesar. Brutus — Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' bands, Unless thou bring'st them with thee. Octavius — So I hope ; I was not born to die on Brutus' sword . -oOo- AUT V— SCENE 1. Cassius — Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch' d, Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands. "Former" is altered to "forward" by Collier MS,; but neither term is likely to be right, as will appear from the following extract from North {Life of Brutus,) : " When they raised their camp , there came two eagles that flying with marvellous force, lighted upon two of the foremost ensigns. rJ.UiiiJls c^SAR. 15 - and always followed the souldiers, which gave thetn meat, and fed them, until they came naar to the bity of Phillipps ; and there onely one day before the Battel, they both flew a-way." , , . The correction is immaterial ;. yet inasmuch as Sliake- speare is well known to have Used many phrases and 'words from North's work, it is more than probable that he did so in this case — as it is a better word — and wrote : "On our /or6?raos< ensign Two mighty eagles fell; and -there they perched." -oOo- AUT V. -SCENE 1. Cassius — But, since the affairs of men rest still incertain, , Let's reason with the worst that may befall. '■ * If we do lose this battle, then is this The very last time we shall speak together : What are you then determine^dto do ? Bruiui — Even by the rule of .that philosophy. By which I did blame Cato, for the death Which he did give himself, I know not how : But I do find it cowardly, and vile; For fear of what might fall, so to prevent The time of life, arming myself with patience. To stay the providence of some high powers, That govern us below. ■ 3 Thus stands Brutus' speech in the folio, in arrange inent" and punctuation, except tjliat the old style of spelling is here modernized. Collier and White end the 'sentence at "him^ self) " placing a period' there ; — but this^eaves the latter part' of the passage isolated and unexplanablfi. Knight, and Dyce' enclose from "I know no.t how".to'"the time of life" inolu-' sive, in a parenthesis ;— but this does not lielp the matter, and ' the same objection holds. The Cambridge edition connects ''1 know not how," etc., with what precedes^C'I know not how' it is,, but I do find it, by the rule of that philosophy, etc,,, cowardly and vile.) Here may be seen the efforts of the editors to make the passage consistent and comprehensible. Rolfe^— who is usually right, but this time wrong — says: "tlie' meaning apparently is, I am determined to do by (that is, act in accprdanpe with, govern myself by) the rule of that': philosQphy, by, which I did blame Cato, for the death wljich he did give himself," etc. Craik differs witli this ij^iterpie tation and pi-onounees "jt, impossible to suppose such can be the meaning of Brutus." But the most puzzling- difficulty with the editors was not so- much in regard to the proper 16' J0I.n7S G^SAS. punctuation, as about the reasoning of Brutus in this dia- logue.' Steevens, Malone and others saw a decided inconsist- ency between what Brutus here declares as his determination.. not to follow Cato's example, and that which he utters .just, below when Cassias asks — ' Then, if we lose this battle, You are contented to be led in triumph Through the streets of Rome ?" And he responds — "No, Cassius, no : think not, thou noble Roman, That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome ; He bears too great a mlndr But this same day Must end that work the ides of March begun." Malone and the rest are right ; there does exist an incon- sistency in the reasoning and conduct of Brutus, who straightway after the loss of the battle commits suicide rather than undergo the degradation of being led in triumph through the streets of Rome by Octavius. But is this mani- fest inconsistency the fault of Shakespeare? Neither his nor that of the historian Plutarch, upon whose biography the conversation in the scene is founded, and who makes Brutus confess to a change of opinion. In Sir Thomas North's translation (1676) {Life of Brutus) the passage runs thus : "There Cassius begun to speak flrst,.and said : "The gods grant us O Brutus, that this day we may win the field , and ever after to live all the rest of our life quietly one with another. But sith the gods have so ordained it, that the greatest and chiefest things amongst meu are most un- certain, and that if the Battell fall out otherwise to day then we wish or look for, we shall hardly meet again, what art thou then determined to do, to flie, or die ? Brutui answered him, being yet but a young man, and not over greatly experienced in the world, I trust ([ know not how) a certain -rule of Philosophy, by the which I did greatly blame and reprove Cato for killing himself, as being no lawful nor godly act, touching the gods : nor concerning men, valiant ; not to give place and yield to divine Provi- dence, and not constantly and patiently to take whatsoever it pleaaeth him to send us, but to draw back and flie : but being now in the midst of the danger, I am of a contrary mind. For, if it be not the will of God that this Battell fall out fortunate for us, I will look on more foi- hope, but will rid me of this miserable world, and content me with my fortune." JULIUS CSESAB. 1? Now it clearly appears from this extract that in it there exists no incoQsistency in the speech of Brutus. If this be so, can there be any doubt but that the dramatist also sought and meant to impart the same degree of consistency to the dialogue between the two Romans ? He meant it, and did it ; but this is not shown in the passage at issue on account of a typographical error and a slight elliptical omission. A. close and careful observation of Plutarch's account sheds light upon Shakespeare's words, discloses the missing links in his version, and warrants the following interpretation of the latter's real meaning, which is hereby given in plain prose before proceding to exemplify and develope it in the' blank verse : "Well, when I was yet but a young man, and not over greatly experienced in the world, I then held trust in a certain rule of philosophy, (though how I acquired such' belief or opinion I cannot now say^) by which 1 was greatly inclined to blame and condemn Cato for killing himself : I considered it cowardly and vile, for fear of what might be- fall, thus to anticipate the natural period of life, and for not rather arming himself with patience to await the decree of those high powers, who govern all of us below : — But now being in the midst of danger I am of a contrary mind." The folio reading is preferable, and requires very slight alteration to convey this meaning — "Even by the rule of that philosophy, By which I did blame Cato for the death Which he did give himself, — I know not how : But t did find it cowardly and vile, * For fear of what might fall, so to prevent Til' time of life : for »<>« arming AJmMJ/ with patience, To stay the providence of some high powers, That govern us below." The editors' trouble arose from the mistake in printing "myseir' for "himself." It will be perceived in Plutarch's story that the particular phrase " not to give place and yield to divine Providence," refers to Cato, not to Brutus himself So in Shakespeare, the corresponding words " arming with patience to stay the Providence of," refer also to Cato, not to Brutus himself : hence "myself" in the passage should necessarily be printed "himself :" while so it is equally obvious the sense requires that the negative "not," found in Plutarch but accidentally lost out the text of Sh.ikespeare, should be restored, and that it justifies itself to absolute insertion therein. Finally, the ellipsis before " not arming 18 JDLIUS'CASA'E. himself," should be understood to be 'for," so as to run harniohiously with ''For fear of what" in the precediu(f> line. In the reading proposed, it i9 true the measure is not. observed ; but it is better to make the author's meaniu^f clear to the readerby retaining ."for not" than to adhere too rigidly to metre, and leave his meaning in obscurity. Thus the subsequent remarks and reasoning of Brutus coiucide,. and the foi-mer just complaints and objections of inconsist- ency disappear. By tlie way, in speaking of the extract from Plutaroh as compared with the scene iii the play, Cx'aik forcibly remarks that it affords "a most interesting and instructive illustra- tion of the manner in which the great dramatist worked iu such cases, appropriatmg, rejecting, adding, as suited his purpose, but refining or elevating everything, though some- times by the slightest touch, and so transmuting all into the gold of poetry," '^-^^^ KING JOHN. 000—— ACT II— SCENE 1. Oonstanee — I have but -this ta :s»y, That he's not only plagued for her sin, But God hath made her sin and hei the plague On thisremoved issue^ plagu'd for her, And with her plague, her sin ; his injury Her injury, the beadle to Ler sin ; All puuish'd in the pereon of this child, And all for her; A pla,gue upon her ! Although various explainations of this^ passage have been given by different writers, still they have not been such as are entirely satisfactory to many readers in regard to all its details, or as to its, general drift ; >and if one more attempt at explaination is added to the number previously made, it is because the passage yet remains- a legitimate subject for elucidation. Malone considers the several' versions of Steevens and Johnson as incorrect,, and thinks itrprobable that some lines have been lost so as to render the sentence imperfect; but be this as it may, it is incumbent to extract some plausible and consisting meaning from the existing text. All the commentators infer and maintain that Elinor is in effect punished in the punishment of 'her .grandchild Arthur, which inference they base solely upon the words " her injury." But how Elinor is punished it is difScult to see, and does not appear. The pronoun "her" before "in- jury" need not, and does not, I consider, mean the injury which she endures, but rather the injury which inflicts, both by her acts and in consequence of her mds. Besides, the supposition that she is punished ist foreign to the import of the passage — its angry statementi its fierce imprecation, and its direct and bitter exclamation that "all ispunished in the person of this child," — which obviously imi^ies that the punishment falls upon and is confined solely toitbe person of Arthur. It may be noted that Webster defines "removed?' as equivalent to "displaced" — as, "to displace from office;" and doubtless it is used above in this sense, as Constance, in speaking of her son, charges Elinor with usurping bis royal- -ties and rights, thus in eflfect displacing him — 19 20 KING JOHSr. "Thou,, and thine, usurp The dominations, royalties, and riglits Of this oppressed boy." According to Johnson, a beadle was "a parish officer, whose business was to punish petty offenders." "Injury" has several meaaiags, and involves the idea of wrong-doing, or of wrong-suffering ; as, for instance, you may inflict an injury upon another, or yon may suffer an injury from or through another person. The word "plague" has as various mean- ings in the passage as they are variously played upon by Constance; but these can be best understood by paraphrasing thus : "I have but this to say : Arthur is not only punished for Elinor's sin, but God has made her sin and herself ths evil- worker on this displaced offspring, who is punished for her, and through her evil work and her sin ; He has made his wrong-suffering grow out of her wrong-doing — which wrong-doing serves as the scourger to her own sin — or the lash to her own sin ; all, sins and injuries inflicted, punished in the person of this child, and all on her account ; may a curse light upon her !" That such was the general thought and idea of Constance, may be fairly inferred from her pre- ceding words uttered a few lines back — "Thy sins are visited in this poor child ; The canon of the (divine) law is laid ou him, Being but the second generation Removed from thy sin-conceiving womb." It will be seen that the same idea pervades both passages, only expressed in a different form. So in the least manner to roar the text, and in order to convey the above interpreta- tion, the lines should run thus— I have but this to say, — That he's not only plagued for her sin, But God hath made her sin and herself th' plague On this removed issue, plagu'd for her. And by her plague and her sin : made his inj'ry Through her inj'ry, — the beadle to her own sin ; All punished in the person of this child. And all for her ; A plague upon her ! To omit the itiliciseJ words is to leave the passage a puz zle ; to retain them is to make its meaning clear to the general reader— they are in fact merely ellipses restored. At least, it is absolutly essential that "made" should be retained, as it is the key of the whole passage, and will be seen pro- perly to refer to "God hath." " Through" is important as marking the different kinds' of injuries meant. I would • KING JOHN. 31 remark that words ending in "el" or "le," like "beadle," are by Shakespeare, as can be shown in many instances, often pronounced as words of one syllable : hence the metre is observed in the line above. However, I consider it of far less importance that the correct number of feet should be heeded — a point upon which so many commentators lay en- tirely too much stress — than that the meaning of an author should be rendered plain and clear to the reader. As every one is aware, Shakespeare himself does not always confine himself to the regulated measure, Besides, Tennyson, and many other modern poets, in their dramas, no longer destroy and mar the beauty and force of their lines by seeking to com- press them within the authorized limit, although, of course, they do so adhere to measure when it is possible without materially interfering with the idea and meaning that they wish to express. Imagination, thought and beauty consti- tute the poet, not dry logic, regulated metre and strict grammar — though all are desirable and admirable; but no ^ one resorts to Shakespeare to acquire a knowledge of the three last named qualifications ; while proper punctuation is really more important than either of these so far as au in- telligible perusal of our author is concerned. -oOo- ACT II- SCENE 2. Hubert — Such as she is in beauty, virtue, birth, Is the youna Dauphin in every way complete : If not complete, O say he is not she ; And she again wants nothing, to name want. If want it be not, that she is not he. The third line reads differently in the folio — "If not complete of say he is not she." The "O say" above was the alteration of some editor, and has been generally followed ; but this does not very well coincide antithetically with the concluding line — " If want it be not, that she is not he." It is clear that the author here intended, in his usual style, to form a play upon the words "way" and "want" contained In the respective couplets : to accomplish that requires but a slight transposition, thus : Such as she is in beauty, virtue, birth. Is the young Dauphin in every way complete : S3 KINO lOHX. If not of wwg complete^ be is not she ; And she again wants nothing — to name want — If want it be, that not she is not he. That is, " he is in every way complete, except in the way of being she ; and she again wants nothing to make her per- fect, unless it is that she lacks being he." -oOo- AOT II— SCENE 2. Hubert — This union shall do more than battery can, To our fast-closed gates ; at this match, With swifter spleen than powder can enforce. The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope, And give you entrance. The word "spleen" is manifestly a misprint, having no claim to be retained in the passage, and should be removed — probably reading : With swifter speed than powder can enforce, The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope. And give you entrance. Bastard — Here's a stay, That shakes the rotten carcase of old death Out of his rags ! Here's a large mouth, iudeed, That spits forth death, and mountains, rocks, and seas, Talks as familiarly of roaring lions As maids of thirteen do of puppy dogs ! Johnson recognized the impropriety of "stay" to intro. duce the succeeding lines, and in lieu of it proposed " flaw,'' in the sense of "a Sudden gust or blast." Malone and Steevens uphold and are satisfied to retain " stay." Dyceat first approved of a proposal to substitute "storm " but finally abandoned it, and fell back on "stay." The Cam- bridge edition has suggestions of "say" and "story." The difficulty consists in finding a word that will correspond with the image and various figures of the speech that follow; and such a word, fulfilling these requirements, I confidently believe is expressed in that of "sway" — '' Here's a sv>ay. That shakes the rotten . carcase of old death Out of his rags !" Webster defines it as, " anything moving with bulk and power." Shakespeare uses the word further on in the same act iiud scene : KING JOHN. 38 " 'Till this advantage, this vile drawing bias, This sway of motion, this commodity, Makes it take head from all indififerency, From all direction, purpose, course, intent." etc, And again — "Are not you moved when all the sway of earth Shakes like a thing unflrm ?" Here "sway" and "shakes" are brought into juxtaposi- tion with the like words in the passage in question, and ■ furnish stronger coafirmatiou of the correctness of the amendment, » ♦ » » » Bastard — And this biaii, this commodity, This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word Clapp'd on the outward eye of fickle France, Hath drawn him from his own determin'd aid, From a resolved and honorable war To a most base and vile-concluded peace. — And why rail I on this commodity ? But for because he hath not woo'd me yet : Kot that I have the power to clutch my hand, When his fair angels would salute my palm : But for my hand, as unattempted yet, Like a poor beggar raileth on the rich. "Word" of the second line appears in the first folio, but is altered to "world" in the second, third and fourth, folios. Both are probably incorrect, as they are not consonant with the text ; perhaps the right word may be found in "wooer:" " This bawd, this broker, this all changing wooer.'" This is confirmed by the eighth line quoted — "But for because he hath not woo''d me yet." " Lfke" in the last line should be understood to imply "just as," "in like manner," and connects "a poor beggar railing" with "myself railing on this commodity" — not as a comparison of "my hand railing" like "a poor beggar railing." To make this elear to the reader, the lines should run thus — "And why rail I on this commodity ? But for because he hath not woo'd me yet : Not that I have the power to clutch my hand, When his fair angels wo'ild salute my palm, But for my hand is unattempted yet : — Like as a poor beggar raileth on the rich." That is, "But why do I rail on this commodity? Truly, not because I possess the strength of mind to shut my 34 KING JOHN. hand in refusal if commodity should offer me money, but because no money is yet offered to my hand, — in like man- ner as a poor bejjgar rails on rich persons." oOo AUT III.— SCENE 1. Salisbury — Pardon me, madam, I may not go without you to the kings. Constance— Thctn raay'st, thou shalt, I will not go with thee: I will instruct my sorrows to be proud : For grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop. To me, and to the state of my great grief. Let kings assemble ; for ray grief's so great That no support but the huge firm earth Can hold it up : here I and sorrows sit ; Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it. The word "stoop" is generally acknowledge to be corrupt, and has been variously altei-ed into "stout," 'too," etc. IVIalone adheres to the old reading, applying it to the attitude of Constance sitting down on the "firm earth," — but this is strained and arbitrary. "Strong" is probably as apt a word to substitute as either of these cited ; but none are accept- able or appropriate, or such as can be properly sustained by comparitive quotations from the author's text. Mr. Fleay, I learn from the "Literary World," has a note to this effect in his recent edition : "Stoop — i, e., stoop to grief. I bow to my grief, let others (kings or otherwise) also bow to grief, who is embodied in me. I^toiij, Hanmer's reading, is not required." This is curt and brief enough, but it is not quite sntisfnctory after all. Mr. Pleay seems to have con- founrled "stoop" with the concluding part of the passage in thus arbitrarily referring it ore to the "enthroned state of her great grief," and to her bidding "king« come bowto it." Constance does not say — nor is it implied — tiiat she "bows to her grief," but summons kings to do so, as before a throni? ; nor does she say that s.he will, or that she intends to, "stoop to grief;" on the contrary, she invokes the aid of pride to sustain and instruct her how to combat the weak- nesses of grief, — "to suffer and be strong" — and to enable her to rise in proud and rehellio us resistance to the depres- sing effects of grief or sorrow. She desires herself and her grief to become proud in order that both may be firm . resistive, and unyielding. " Tliou sJialt, I will not go with thee." Here she is uncomplying, aggressive and rebellious in a material sense, and she is determined that her grief shall likewise rise proud and hostile in a moral senso to op- pose the ills of fortune or the machinations of her enemies. KING JOHN. 35 So far from her "stooping to grief" or ought else, a strili- ing manifestation of her being proud is evinced in her haughty charge, "bid kings come bow." Probably the word most calculated to express the condi- tions indicated, that is most used hi combination and associa- tion with pride, and the one most likely to have been selected by the author, is "stiff." Who has not heard often used the phrases, "stiff and proud," or "stiff-necked pride?" The Bible — and Shakespeare was a profound student of that volume — is full of such allusions ; for instance in Nehemiah, Chap. ix. 16 : — " But they our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks," — where "hardened their necks" means "became stiff-necked in pride." 80 3 Chron xxxvi : "He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to the Lord." Readers more conversant with the Bible than myself can doubtless easily find other quotations therein even more fully bearing on the point in question than those here given. There are many lines in S-hakespeai'e's text where the word occurs, as in Coriolanus, i. 1. — "What, art thou stiff? stand'st out?" So Henry IV. pt. 3., i.i.— "And none of this. Through strongly apprehended, could restrain The stiff-borne action." Where "stiff-borne" is applied to a rebellious rising in arms. Of course the word bears various shades of meaning, as stubborn, inflexible, not easily subdued, contumacious, etc.; but all these are naturally conjoined and associated with a sense or feeling of pride. Thus Shakespeare uses it in short phrases — "How stiff is my vile sense " "this is stiff news:" "they are stiff-hearted ;" "stiffen the sinews; summon up the blood," etc. Under these con.siderations, it may be al together likely that we should read— I will instruct my sorrows to be proud : For grief is proud, and makes his owner stiff. * tt * V Oonntiince — O lawful let it be. That I have room witli Home to curse awhile ! Good father cardinal, cry thou, amen. To my keen curses : for, without my wrong. There is no tongue hath power to curse him right. Pandulph— There's law and warrant, lady, for my curse. Oonstanee—And for mine too; when law can do no right. Let it be lawful, that law bar no wrong; Law cannot give my child his kingdom here ; For he that holds the kingdom holds the law : Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong, How can the law forbid my tongue to curse ? 2S KINS' JOHN. The reasoning In the seventh and eighth lines would seem to import that because law can do no right, it shonld not hinder wrong ; but such an Interpretation does not coincide with the conclusion at the end of the passage. Consider- able controversy lias arisen in the discussion of this couplet, but every attempt at explanation has been directed chiefly toward the word "bar," all agreeing that therein lay the error ; but none thus far, I believe, have suspected that the mistake lies rather in the word "wrong." It should be noted that Constance desires leave to " have room with Rome to curse" King John ; whereupon the Cardinal prohibits, checks and rebukes her for presuming to mingle her curse with that of the sacred and holy anathema of Rome, saying, "'there's law and warrant for my curse."' To this, Constance quickly retorts — And for mine too ; when law can do no right, Let it be lawful, that law bar no curse; Law cannot give my child his kingdom here ; For he that holds the kingdom holds the law: Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong. How can the law forbid my tongue to curse ? Here the sense is plain, and in harmony with the entire reasoning of the passage. Thei-e can be slight doubt but that the printer from the manuscript must have accidentally caught up the word "wrong," either from the fourth line above or the third line below, and improperly inserted it where "curse" should have been placed instead, — a not un- common occurrence. * * # « * Constance — O Lewis, stand fast ; the devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new untrimmed bride. "Untrimmed" is obviously wrong, as it cannot be made to harmonize witli the context. John-ion and Malone adbptod Theobald's alteration — "trimmed;" Warburtonand Steevens preferred "untrimraed," the latter explaining it as meaning, ' 'divested of all clothing, and therefore the cause of an ir- resistible temptation ;" Collier's corrector reads "uptrira- med," applying it to the apparelling of a bride for the wed- ding ceremony. These interpretations appear decidedly far- fetched and unsatisfactory; it would seem futile to endeavor to make the signiflcatiou square with the sense required ; and it is better to regard the entire word — for such it most likely to be the case — as another misprint, erreneous throughout. Blanch did not there appear in the likeness of KTNQ JOHN. 37 a trimmed bride ; and It is altogether improbable that the thoughts of Constance were directed to the biide's personal attire, whether trimmed or untrimmed, as to cause her to so indicate it as a temptation to love and sensual desire ; but it is far more probable that her remark and thoughts had re- ference to the immediate circumstances which surrounded hei- — such as the new and sudden "match of birth" proposed and about being consummated by France and England, through a union betweeu Lewis and Blanch. She was stung with a sense of injury to her son and herself by "this conjunction, this match," hastily brought forward and inter- posed in the person of Blanch, thus suddenly enriched "with titles, honors, and promotions ;" whose "dowry shall ^eigh equal with a queen," and whose "bridal bed was gilded with Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poictiers." Hence, is it not likely the author wrote ? — O Lewis, stand fast ; the devil tempts thee here In likeness of a new intervened bride. Which may be interpreted to mean, "the devil tempts you here in the shape of a bride newly brought forward as an intermediary offering to further and secure the base interests of fickle France and false England." Webster defines, "to intervene — to happen in a way to disturb, cross, or interrupt. Events may intervene to frustrate our purposes or wishes." This definition applied to above expresses exactly all that occurs and which is described in and throughout the scene, It is well known that in Shakespeare "un" is often printed for "in," imdi i)iee versa. "Unsprung, upsuramoned" also occur, as suitable words; at least either would be infinitely better than to retain the senseless one, "untrimmed," in the text. * * # * » Pandulph — What since thou swor'st is sworn against thyself. And may not be performed by thyself: For that which thou hast sworn to do acjiss. Is not amiss when it is truly done ; And being not done, where doing tends to ill. The truth is then most done not doing it. This has proven a puzzling passage, and has been variously amended by "most amiss," "yet amiss," "is but amiss," "is done amiss," etc. In the last line, that "done" and "doing" are used in the sense of "fulfill" and "fulfilling," is conclusively shown by their association with the word "performed" above, which is like wise a synonymous term referring to the carry- ing out, the fulflUing of the truce or vow entered into by 33 KINO JOHN. King Phillip with King John. ' 'To do amiss" does not mean ''to act wiclsedly," but "to fulfill wrongly." So the whole may be Interpreted to read, "For that vow, whereby thou hast Bwom to fulfill wrongly, will not be wrongly forsworn, when it is truly and honestly left unfulfilled: and a vow being not fulfilled, -where fulfilling tends to evil, the truth is there most fulfilled, in not fulfilUtig it," i. e., that row. To develope the reasoning, with the slightest alteration of the text, the passage might be stated — What thou swear'st since, is sworn against thyself. And may not be performed by thyself : That vow, whereby thou hast sworn to do amiss, Is not mia-sioorn, when 'tis truly left Mradone ; And being not done, where doing tends to ill, The truth is then most done, not doing it. That "undone" was written by Shakespeare, is evident from the conjunction and succeeding phrase, '■'and being no^ done :" " undone" and "not done" being here identical. "Forsworn" could as properly be inserted above as " mis- sworn ;" but the latter word is possibly more appropriate as implying a slight play upon "amiss and sworn,"' thereby being more in the author's manner, » * # * Pandulph — It is religion that doth make vows kept ; But thou hast sworn against religion. By what thou swear'st, against the thing thou swearest, And mak'st an oath the surety of thy truth Against an oath. " Keligion," in the second line, as here ipoken of by the Cardinal, should be understood in the sense of " holy church," or "Rome," which latter terms were in fact used as identical by all writers in those days. "What" is equiva- lent to "that which," and does not refer to "relis^iou," but " to the truce sworn between John and Phillip, who, as King of France, is styled "the eldest son of Holy Church," and on coronation swears to support and uphold the Church of Rome. "Surety" signifies "to attest," tocoafirm, " as in the Merchant of Venice: " She called the saints to surety. That she would never put it from her finger. Unless she gave it to yourself." Thus, the last lines may be paraphrased to read, "By that which thou swearest — to England, thou swearest quite con- trary to a thing already sworu — to Rome, and makest one KING JOHTM. 29 oath — to England, the conflrmation of thy good faith against another oath — to Rome." -000- AOT IlI-SOENE 1. Pandulph — The truth thou art unsure To swear, swears only not ho forsworn ; Else, what a mockery should it be to swear ? But thou dost swear only to be forsworn; And most forsworn, to keep what those dost swear. Pope changed "swears" to "swear," an alteration accepted by Malone with the view of extracting some kind of sense from the lines ; Capell retained "swears,', but changed "to swear" into "who swears" — a reading which only made the sentence ungrammatical, and rendered the real meaning no clearer. As it is the proposed "truce" between France and England — previously alluded to in the text — which forms the subject of the Cardinal's argument, it must here evidently be understood that the word truth implies "good faitli, or troth." The Cardinal does not refer to truth in the moral sense alone, as generally believed, but more particularly, in the sense of good faith or fidelity, although of course both meaning* are involved in the word, the one with the other : yet to convey the entire sense more plainly it were advisable to substitute the word "troth," which implies equally moral obligation and pliglited faith. "Unsure to swear, swears only" has made the sentence somewhat inconsistent and un- intelligible ; but before showing a revision of the text, it may be well to first interpret the passage in pro«e as fol- lows : "That troth of which thou be'st not otherwise sure as morally right in swearing, swears only that it may not be considered in worldly eyes as having falsely sworn, — as in your case in respect to England ; else, what a mockery will it be to swear at all ! — considering that you are already sworn to Rome. But thou dost swear — to England, only to be forsworn — to Rome ; and art most forsworn — to Rome, to keep what thou dost swear — to England." If correct, and to bring out this view, the lines should run — The troth thou be'st unsure In swearing, swears only not to segm forsworn ; Else, what a mockery will it be to swear ! But thou dost swear only to be forsworn ; And most forsworn, to keep what thou dost swear. 30 KING JOHjr. It may be added that "unsure" signifies "insecure, un- safe," as in Henry IV. pt. n., 1, 2 — " An habitation giddy and unsure Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart." -oOo- AOT III— SCENE a King John — I had a thing to say, — But I will fit it with some better tune. Judging from the whole passage, should not this read- But I will fit it with some better time? King John — Then, in despite of brfwded, watchful day, I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts. Considerable ingenuity has been expended in explaining the word "brooded" and giving to it some plausible signi- fication that would account for its presence in the line; but none has proven satisfactory. The Cambridge edition sug- gests "broad and ;" Collier's corrector, "the broad." Pope proposed "broad-eyed" — but with "watchful," this is some- what redundant. Why may it not be — "the proud,, watchful day?,' This reading would seem to be confirmed by the eighteenth line above — "The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day. Attended with the pleasures of the world, Is all too wanton and too full of gawds To give me audience." It is no reasonable objection to say that this would convict Shakespeare of repetition: — for it is well known that he is frequently inclined to tautology, especially in the same general passage or scene. ACT IV— SCENE 1. Arthur — O, save me, Hubert, save me ? my eyes are out, Even with the fierce looks of those bloody men. Probably this should run — O, save me, Hubert ! save my eyes, ere they out, Even with the fieroe looks of those bloody men . » ♦ « » » Hubert — Well, see to live ; I will not touch thine eyes. For all the treasure that thine uncle owes. ilHG JOHSf. SI Steevens remarks that "see to live" means only : "con- tinue to enjoy the means of life." Malone believes it to mean : "Well, live, and live with the means of seeing ; that is with your eyes uninjured." Why not simplify the matter and read — ' ' Well, see and live ; I will not touch thine eyes, For all the treasure that thine uncle owes." It must be considered that the deed of burning out the eyes was often followed by loss of life ; that such was the result intended by King John in this case cannot be doubted ; and consequently when Hubert forbore from inflicting the mutilation upon Arthur, he thereby virtually granted to the latter both future sight and future life. And such was pro- bably the meaning the author intended to convey. oOo AOT IV— SCENE 2. Pe?nbroke — Then we . . . heartily request Th' enfranchisement of Arthur ; whose restraint Doth move the murmuring lips of discontent To break into this dangei'ous argument, — If, what in rest you have in right you hold. Why, then, your fears (which, as they say, attend The steps of wrong) should move you to mew up Your tender kinsman ?" "In rest" was converted into "in wrest" by Steevens to give to the fifth line some degree of consistency, which it appai-ently lacks as it stands; and Malone proposed, "you hold not," with the same object; but neither of these amend- ments have been adopted by modern editors. Pope, with the approval of Dyce, propo'ed to araeud the awkward construction of the two next lines by placing " then" where "should" is, and transferring "should" to the place where "then" stands. This seems to be a happy suggestion, and why it has nut been generally followed is more than I cau understand. However, to present another reading of the passage — If, what interest you have, in right you hold, Why, then, your fears (which, as they say, attend Th' steps of wrong) should thep move you to mew up Your tender kinsman ? Interest=possession. Compare in act iv. 3: "The unowed interest of proud swelling state," where "interest" means "possession or power of loyalty," 80 ill V. 'i: 82 KiiTG sows. "You taught me how to know the face of right. Acquainted me with interest to this land." ~ And again in Henry IV pt. 1, 3. 2 — "He hath more worthy interest to the state, Than thou, the shadow of succession," in which "interest" signifies "a title justifying and posses- sing a claim." The word will be seen to agree with the entire context, and was doubtless therein written by the author. OQO ACT V— SCENE 1. Faulconbridge — Let not the world see fear, and sad distrust, Govern the motion of a kiu>jly eye: Be stirring as tlie time ; be fire with fii'e ; Threateu the threat'ner, and out face the brow Of bragging horror : so shall inferior eyes, That borrow their behaviours from the great. Grow great by your example, and put on Tiie dauntless spirit •(' resolution. Either the word "eyes" is wrong in this passage, and should possibly re.id ''allies" — for "eyes'* can hardly be described as "growing great" by example, — or the word "grow" should be changed to "show." in order to make the pa«sage consonant with the retained expression, "inferior eyes." I incline to the latter version, and would read — So shall inferior eyes. That borrow tlieir behaviours from the great. Show great by your example, and put on The dauntless spirit of resolution. "Show" also fully accords with the general tenor of the advice given to the king — to at least "assume a virtue if he had it uot." oOo ACT V —SCENE 2. Salisburg — And is't not pity, O ray grieved friends. That we, the sons and children of this isle. Were born to see so sad an hour as this : Wherein we step after a stranger march Upon her gentle bosom, and fill up Her enemies' ranks, (I must withdraw and weep' Upon the spot of this enforced cause,) To grace the gentry of a land remote. And follow unacquainted colours here ? KTHQ JOHJT. 33 To "step after a stranger march" is an awkward expres- sion, carrying no clear idea to the mind, and should perhaps be transposed to run, "wherein we march after a stranger step." But possibly the true reading should be — Wherein we step after a stranger monarch Upon her gentle bosom, This would describe the exact case, for Salisbury and his friends had abandoned the cause of their legitimate king, to uphold that of Prince Lewis, a stranger monarch. The Cambridge edition suggests "spite" for "spot" in the seventh line, and Grant White, "thought," Both are suit- able; but I would here add that pealiaps it should be "sport,' — in the sense of weeping at the crael sport or turn of for- tune thus imposed and enforced upon them by unlooked for circumstances. — Uoacquainted-=unfamiliar. That such is here the meaning of "unacquainted," will be seen from a line in Henry IV. pt. 2, 5. 2: "As things acquainted and familiar to us." * # » « * Lewis — Come, come ; for thou shalt thy hand as deep Into the purse of rich prosperity. As Lewis himself: — so, nobles, shall you all. That knit your sinews to the strength of mine. Enter Pandulph, attended. And even there, metli'nks, an angel spake : Look, where the holy legate comes apace, To give us warrant from the hand of heaven ; And on our actions set the name of right, With holy 'breath. The Cambridge editors are of the opinion that Lewis speaks the fifth line — "even there, methinks, an angel spake" — as an "aside," with an accent of contempt for his allies ; but this is highly improbable. Hanmer reads, "an angel speeds, " with.Warburton's approval; Malone and Johnson saw no necessity for alteration ; Johnson expl.ainingthe line as, "At the sight of this holy man I am encouraged as by the voice of an an^el" — a strained interpretation, thereby stultifying either himself or the poet ; Dyce and Knight follow the folio reading as above without comment. Now the line is not difiBcult to understand, and simply contains one more of the innumerable equivocations or plays upon words that are so often found throughout the dramas of Shakespeare. An angel means a celestial being or mediator, and an angel also 34 KrSa' JOHN. meant in Shakespeare's day a piece of coined money, and is so alluded to in several places of this play — "Not that I have the power to clutch my hand, When his fair angels would salute my palm." — 3.3. And again — "And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags Of hoarding abbots ; imprison'd angels Set thou at liberty."— 3.3. With this understood, and remembering that Lewis had just been alluding to the "purse of prosperity," there should be no trouble in comprehending the transition in thought from "purses" to that of the heavenly mediator in the per- son of the "holy legate," and from him to the word "angel, ' ' signifying both a celestial personage and a coin of the realm. But still all this does not explain how an angel "there spake" — on the entrance of Pandulph ; nor does it, for that word is misprinted, and the line should doubtless run — And even there, me thinks, an angel shakes : Look, where the holy legate comes apace. That is, "even there an angel isshaken out from the pursa of prosperity — look, where the holy legate quickly comes." "To shake the bags" or "to shake the purse," was, aud still is in Pennsylvania, a common phrase to express the empcy- ing out of their contents, wliether gold or silver. Selora "shakes" an ellipse occurs, and the line must be understood to read, "an angel is out shaken'''' — from "the pur.se of rich prosperity." At the words "there" and "where," Lewis ol[ course is supposed to point toward the entering Cardinal. oO AOT V— SCENE 8. Hubert — The king, I fear, is poison'd by a monk : I left him almost speechless, and broke out To acquaint you with this evil : that you might The better arm you to the sudden time, Than if you had at leisure known of this. The Cambridge edition state that Capell proposed the last line as "than had you at leisure known of this." This inver" sion presupposes that " at leisure" rel'er.s to the leisure of Pauloonbridge; but such is not the case, as the words evidently apply to Hubert's own leisure, and not to that of Paulcon- bridge. To remedy, and make this plain requires but the insertion of "my," and a slight abreviation to conform to the metre — KING JOHN. 35 That you might The better arm you to the suddeu time, Than if you had at my leisure known o' this. it » ♦ » Fauloonbridge — Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven. And tempt us not to bear above our power I That is, " subject us not to any trial that will require ub to bear more than is our power to endure." -oOo- AOT V— SCENE 7. Prince Henry— It is too late ; the life of all all Uis blood Is touch'd corruptibly; and his pure brain (Which some suppose the soul's frail dwelling house) Doth, by the idle comments that it makes. Foretell the ending of mortality. If "the life of all the blood is corrupted," it follows as a natural sequence that the brain cannot be "pure," particu- larly when it is so employed in making " idle comments" as to signify the coming on of death. Should we then not read, "sor« brain," instead? "Bore" is a word found frequently throughout the text, in the sense of ill, sick, hurt, etc! Com- pare in Henry V: "sore complaint ;" and also in act 1.1.383 — "And his soul Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance That shall fly with them." * * » » ♦ PembroJce, — He is more patient Than when you left him: even now he sung. Prince Henry — O vanity of sicknes.s ! fierce extremes. In their continuance, will not feel themselves. Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, Leaves them invisible ; and his siege is now Against the mind, the which he pricks and wounds With many legions of strange phantasies. Warburton, supported by Steevens, defines and proves that in Shakespeare the word "vanity," when used ironical- ly — as it doubtless is in the above case — means "the excess of a thing, excessive." "Fierce extremes will not feel them- selves," is a vague, scarcely intelligible phrase, aud cannot be reconciled to the succeeding context. I propose substi- tuting "breed" instead of "feel," the former of which is couatenanced by the following quotations : — "Time is the nurse and breeder of all good ;" "ambition breeds factions;" "to breed this present peace ;" "had he a heart and brain to breed it iu?" "lest example breod, by his sufferance, more of snch a kind;" "it was in a place where I could not breed 36 KINO RICHARD 11. no contention with him." "Breed" causes the sentence to read true at least ; for excessive, fierce extremes, in their continued strife and warfare, are not calculated to breed themselves, but on the contrary, are certain to involve and finally destroy themselves. The first folio has the fourth line, "Leaves them invisible and his siege is now." For "invisible"' Mason and Hanmer read, and Dyce approves and adopts, "insensible," as best agreeing with the second line, deeming it a paraphrase thereof. But, as Mason observes, there is in the old reading no distinct coherence between the first lines of the passage and the last. Steevens recommends "Invincible ;" Collier's Corrector reads "leaves them unvisited ;" Malone retains the authentic phrase, "leaves them invisible,'- interpreting the latter word as an adverb, "invisibly, i. e., imperceptibly ' and without a trace of the precise time when he shifts his point of attack." Malone's view is probably the right onia only it remains obscured, and requires developement by transposition and punctuation, thus — O vanity of sickness ! fierce extremes. In their continuance, will not breed themselves. Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, Leaves them ; and, invisible, his siege is now Against tlie mind, the which he pricks and wounds With many legions of strange phantasies. ErS^^^^^fl^^ KING ETCHARDII. -•Oo- AOT I— SCENE 1. BoUnghroke — First, heaven be the record of my speech ! In the devotion of a subject's love, Tendering the precious safety of my prince, And free from other misbegotten hate, Oome I appellant in this princely presence. Misbegotten="of a bad origin." (Schmidt.) For "other misbegotten Jiate," the Collier MS. has instead, "wrath or misbegotteu hate," but Collier does not adopt it in his second edition. On the part of the speaker, this would be disclaiming more than the circumstances justified. But in reality the v^ord "other" ought not to be in the line, since no kind of ''hate" had been spoken of, and Bolingbroke was all the while avowing that he was "free from" all malice, and lint actuated by worthy motives solely, cherishing "the precious safety of his prince." To remedy the difficulty, it would perliaps be well to read — And free from aught of misbegotten hate, t'Ome I appellant in this princely presence. King Richard — Cousin, throw down your gage; do you begin. BoUnghroke — O, God defend my soul from such foul sin ! Shall I seem crest-fallen in my father's sight? Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height. Before this out-darM dastard ? The first quarto has "throw up your gage," wliich is clearly right, in the sense of "resign, deliver up." The king desii'ed Boli ngbroke to withdraw his challenge of N^orfolk. and to give back to Norfolk the latter's gi^e which had >een 37 38 KINO BICHAED 11. previously accepted in retura and taken up by Bolingbroke. Above, the latter says — "Pale, trembling coward, there I throw my gage :" to which Norfolk answers — "I take it up, . . . And interchangeably hurl down my gage Upon this overweening traitor's foot," showing that the exchange had been made. So afterwai-ds Uaunt says — "Throw down, my son, the Duke of Norlolk's gage." And King Richard — "And, Norfolk, throw down his." All of which proves the line should run — Cousin, throw up his gage ; do you begin. " Pale beggar-fear" is the reading of the first quarto and of the two folios, The second, third and fourth quartos have " beggar-face;" the third and fourth folios, " beggar'd fear." The word " fear" is to be preferred to that of "face;" but in associating the epithet "beggar" with it there seems a palpable unsuitableness, quite unlike Shakespeare's style. Now in the play, V. 5. 109, we have — * f "That hand shall burn in never quenching fire That staggers thus ray person ;" Hex'e "staggers" means "to make to reel, gtrike down." >gain in Eenry VIII. 3. 4. 313 : " The question did at first so stagger me:" Where it is metaphoiical, and equivalent to "bewilder." Also in M. W. .3. 3. 13 : "without any pause or staggering, take this basket," here meaning to waver or hesitate With all these blended meanings, where could a word be found more appropriate, more in accord with the context, or more likely to have been selected by Shakespeare to be com- pounded with "fear," in order to delineate with a master- stroke the aspect of a man "crest-fallen in his father's sight," struck and I'eeling under a disgraceful terror, such as the image would seek to suggest ? So it may scarce be doubted we should read — Shall I seem crest-fallen in my father's sight? Or with pale stagger'd fear impeach my height Before this out-dar'd dastard ? Impeach iny height="detract from my dignity." Out- dar'd="defied." KING SICSARD tr. 89 AOT I.-SOENE 3. King Richard — And for our eyes do hate tlie dire aspect Of civil wounds plough'd up with neighbors' sword ; [And for we think the eagle-wing'd pride Of sky-aspirin|; and ambitious thoughts, With rival-hating envy, set you ou To make our peace, which in our country's cradle Draws the sweet infant breath of gentle sleep ;] Which so roused up with boisterous untuned drums, With harsh-resounding trumpets' dreadful bray, And grating shock of wrathful iron arms, Might from our quiet confines fright fair peace And make us wade even in our kindred's blood ; Therefore, we baniiih you our territories. The bracketed lines are not in the folio, but were found in the quartos by Pope, who, not attending sufBciently to their arrangement therewith, placed them in the common text as they are, and strange to say, subsequent editors have allowed them to stand up to the present time, without proper adjust- ment. Warbiirton, however, protested against their reten- tion, and said these five lines were, he believed, omitted by Shakespeare himself, as not agreeing with the rest of the context, which the poet on revising, thought fit to alter, and moreover because of the absurdity involved in the imagery of the couplet reading — 'I'o wake our peace, which in our country's cradle Draws the sweet infant breath of gentle sleep. We disagree with him on these points, and cannot for a moment think of parting with these beautiful lines, notwith- stanrllng his objections as to their being absurd in the sense. Tht'.y merely and poetically refer to the "King's personal peace" — in contra-distinction to the kingdom's "peace" in geneial, — as enjoying the sweet and gentle repose of infantile slumber in its cradle, the King's realm. Warburton's views have been refuted by others, and it is not necessary to now do so here. To resume : it will be seen that the five lines in brackets and the succeeding five fully agree in and by them- selves, but that the last five, if the first five be left out, — as the folio really does leave them out — do not harmonize with the two lines which directly precede them — the two at the head of this citation. This they should do, in grammatical construction, for the phrase "roused up" must lefer in such a case to either "wounds" or "swords," to neither of which docs or could such a phrase apply. But Shakespeare did not intend it to so apply ; the incongruity is owing to the faulty arrangement of Pope, not to the dramatist, who, we 40 KING HICHARD 11, believe, added the bracketed lines in a consistent manner, and Warbarton and his successors should have long ago detected and rectified Pope's imperfect adjustment. Where- in, then, lies the difBouIty ? Simply in the displacemeut of a line, which, when restored to its proper position as fol- lows, will cause the passage to flow smoothly in its several expressions, and harmoniously in the entire tenor of it, — a reading by which "peace" herself will no longer beabsurdly represented as being "roused up" by "boisterous drums" and other named instruments, to "fright fair peace" from her "qhiet confines :" — And for we think the eagle-wing'd pride Of sky-aspiring and ambitious thoughts. With rival-hating envy, set you on To wake our peace, which in our country's cradle Draws the sweet infant breath ot gentle sleep. And make us wade even in our kindreds' blood : Which so roused up, with boisterous untuned drums. With harsh-resounding trumpets' deadful bray, And grating shock of wrathful iron arms, Might from our quiet oontines fright fair peace : Therefore, we banish you our territories. "For" in the first line is equivalent to "because." "To" before "make" is an ellipse understood. * * * * » King Richard — Norfolk, for thee remains a heavier doom, Which I with some unwillingness pronounce: The fly-slow hours shall not determinate The dateless limit of thy dear exile ; The hopeless word of — never to returu Breathe I againsc thee, upon pain of life. "Upon pain of life." Holiashed uses the phrase in his history, and it is there equivalent to "upou paiu of death." "Dear," often means "heartfelt," and is used both of agree- able and disagreeable affections. (Kolfo.) Notwithstand- ing, as given in the fourth line, it is somewhat difiScult to share in the general view that it is. properly applied, or was there placed by Shakespeare. In the folio it is spelled "deere," and presents such a blurred appearance, that tlie second "e" might easily be taken for a "c," and lead one to conceive that the word should read "decreed," the final -'ed" having been probably omitted This would certainly accord with the facts of history, for the severe sentence spoken by the King had been previously "decreed" by his council, and that decree only announced by him. Compare with Julius CsBsar, iii. 1: " Thy brother by decree is banished." Also in Henry IV. pt. I, i. tj "What yesternight our council did KING RICHARD II. 41 decree." Consequently, the reading may be suggested to run this wise — The fly-slow hours shall not determinate Th' dateless limit of thy decreed exile. * • • . » Norfolk — A heavy sentence, ray most sovereign liege. And all unlook'd for from your highness' mouth: A dearer merit, not so deep a maim As to be cast forth in the common air. Have I deserved at your highness' hand. In Shakespeare, merit is synonymous with meed, reward. There is probably an ironical reference on the part of Nor- folk to the "dear exile" of the King ; and if there was an error in the former passage, there must necessarily be one in this. Johnson could not reconcile himself to the expres- sion, and considered the phrase "to deserve a merit" as a violation of the rules of language. For if merit means reward, "a dearer reward" would imply that the award against which Norfolk protests was a reward also, but not enough to satisfy his de servings — a supposition entirely un- warrantable. But all objections and difficulties will be ovei- oorae, if the word proposed in the former passage be ac- cepted, and we thus read — A decreed merit, not so deep a main As to be cast forth in the common air. Have I deserved at your highness' hand. ACT II-SCENE 1. Qaunt — Though Richard my life's counsel would not hear, My death's sad tale may yet undeaf his ear. York — No, it is stopp'd with other flattering sounds. As praises of his state: then, there are found Lascivious met»es, to whose venom sound The open ear of youth doth always listen. The fourth line is the reading of the folio and of the third and fourth quartos, the first quarto has "of whose taste the wise are found;" the second quarto, "of whose state the wise are found." Collier proposed "as prai-scs, of whose taste the wise are fond," which the Cambridge edi- tion adopts. The latter version is obviously absurd, for in- asmuch if the wise are inclined to be fond of praises, that very inclination would be a decided evidence of their Lick of wisdom : it jjS the unwise who generally manifest a taste for praises. But it is apparent from these several versions that the early editors did not apprehend the true meaning of the 43 KING nrCHATlD It. line in question, and in order to surmount their difficulty, tliey twisted it into the above prosaic and inconsistent form, thereby smothering up a terse and profound thought of the poet. The excluded line of the first quarto should have been retained, for it is undoubtedly the one penned by Shake- speare; its plain meatting being, "As praises, which are the test and proof whereby tlie wisdom of an individual or his lack of it is discovered."- "Taste" in our author is often equivalent to proof of the quality of anything, and would be greatly simplified by using "test" — ^(ofold spelled "teste," hence, probably, the error in printing) which amounts to the same thing, and would be better comprehended at the pre- sent day. So in King Lear, 3. 3: " he wrote this but as an essay and taste of my virtue." "Found" signifies "found out, discovered, ascertained the quality of," as in Henry IV. pt. 1. 1. 3: "and you have found me," means "and you have asoei'tained my disposition." Then, to make the line clear to the reader, all required is to change" of" into "by," "taste" into "test," and punctuate diflferently: — No, it is stopp'd with other flattering sounds : As praises, by whose teal the wise are found ; Lascivious metres, to whose venom sound The open ear of youth doth always listen. * * . ♦ , Tork — The King is come : deal mildly with his youth; For young hot colts, being rag'd, do rage the more. "Being rag'd" has given rise to many conjectures to re- move the incongruity and obscurity of the phrase. Collier MS., proposed plausibly " urg'd;" Ritson has "rein'd;" others suggest "chaf'd," "curb'd," etc. To these I add one more guess, and would read — For young hot colts, being rous'd, do rage the more. A somewhat like sentence in sentiment and manner is in Troilus and Cressida, 1. 8., from which it may reasonably be inferred that "rous'd" is the right word to substitute— "The thing of courage. As routed with rage, with rage doth sympathise." ACT II -SCENES. Berkley— To you, my lord, I come (what lord you will) From the most gracious Regent of this land, The Duke of York, to know, what pricks you on KING RICHARB IT. 43 To take advantage of the absent time, And fright our native peace vifith self-born arms. "Self-born arms" is in all editions, old and modern, and has proven "almost unintelligible." Schmidt takes the word to be "self-borne," and defines it as " borne for one's self (not for the king.") It is certainly a singular compound, and may be regarded as an error in writiag or printing. In this view, I believe the word intended to be expressed was "self-drawn.^'' Compare in the play,act 1, scene 1, 46 : "What my tongue speaks, my right-drawn sword may prove," Which Johnson explains as "drawnin aright or just cause." However, in this case "self-drawn arms" and self-borne arms" are virtually one and the same thing; and Schmidt's definition answers for either. Or — to give still another ver- sion — should not the line read — "And fright ournative peace -vrWci' self -brave arms." This is best explained by comparison with line, act 2 so. 3. 112: "And here art come. In hraviny arms against thy sovereign.'' Again, 3. 3. 142: " But in this kind to come, in braving arms. To find out right with wrong, — it may not be." Bishop Garlisle — Tofearthefoe, since fear oppresses strength, Gives, in your weakness, strength unto your foe, And so your follies fight against yourself. The last line is omitted by the folio, but found in the quartos. Some editors, conscious, possibly, of the truism and superfluity of the verse, place it in brackets. But the line becomes forcible and edifying when the word "follies" is eliminated and the one that doubtless belongs there is in- serted instead, thus — And so your powers fight against yourself. "Powers" is a word much used in a military sense by Shakespeare, and signifies, "forces, strength." t)Oo AOT IV— SCENE 1. A Lord — I take the earth to the like, forsworn Aumerle. This is omitted in the folio; perhaps, as Warburton sug- gests, "because the expression was considered inexplicable." The first quarto has, "I task the earth;" .Tohnson conjectur- ed, "I take thy oath ;" Steevens, "I task thy heart;" and the Cambridge edition explains it, "I lay on the earth the task of bearing the gage." Now when it is remembered that ■44 KING BICHARD II. Aumerle had just given utterance to a fierce oath to the effect that he would at once sieze and dare the chjillenge of Percy, and that this lord was equally anxious to obtain a, challenge from Aumerle — in conformity to this, what more natural than that this lord should say — I task thy breath to the like, forsworn Aumerle. "Breath" here would signify voice or tongue. Compare King John, 3. 1: "What earthly name to interrogatories Can task the free breath of a sacred king?" Also, Richard II., 4. 1: "And shall the figure of God's majesty, Anointed, crown'd, planted many years, Be judged by subject and inferior breath. And be himself not present?"' oO AOT V— SCENE 6. K.Richard — My thoughts are minutes, and with sighs they jar Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch. Whereto my finger like a dial's point. Is pointing still, in oleansinpr them from tears. Now, for the sounds that tell what hour it is, Are clamorous groans, that strike upon my heart. Which is the bell: so sighs, and tears, and groans Show minutes, times, and hours. So read the quarto and first folio; but the other folio reads the second line — "Their watches to miue eyes the outward watch." Johnson thought the passage corrupt, and proposed — "Their watches on; mine eyes the outward watch." However, it is more probable that a certain word is corrupt than the passage generally — and that woi-d, I think, is "watches," which should be "posting on." This phrase is repeated a few lines below — "But my time Runs posting on in Bolingbroke's proud joy.'" "Posting on" corresponds with the context, is in everyway suitable, and is equivalent to "working, strokes, tickings, Bwayings, reaches, lengths, stretches" — of the pendulum: agitating sighs representing the vibrations of the pendulum; either of which words would answer as well and be preferable to "watches on." Or — My thoughts are minutts; and. with sighs, they jar Their weights on unto mine eyes, the outwai-d watch. "Show minutes, times, and hours." This, I imagine, should read, "minutes, terms, and hours," to be in opposition to to "sighs, tears, and groans." '• Terms" signify any portion of an hour. FIRST PART KING HENRY IT. -oOo- AOT 1— SCENE 1 King — No more the thirsty entrance of this soil Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood. "Entrance" has been defined by Steevens to mean "the porous surface of the earth," and by others, "the parched and cracked surface of the earth." Yet Steevens was not con- tent, and proposed "entrants" in the sense of " invaders;" but finally accepted and incorporated into his text ' 'Erinnys, ' ' which had been suggested by Mason, principally for the rea- son that Shakespeare had employed the personification "Nemesis" elsewhere in his writings. However, Mason and- Steevens have not been followed, subsequent editors not deeming the emendmeat of sufficient worth to justify a de- parture from the text. The Cambridge editors state that the fourth folio gives the reading as "entrails" in lieu of "en- trance" — herein alone differing from the first folio and the five first quartos, — a difference not very material, however. The passage as it stands above has never met with entire acquiescence, for the intended personification is recognized as defective, and'far from being either natural or consistent. "Her lips" and "her own children"' of course, refer to "soil ;" and the idea of the surface of the soil daubing the lips of the soil (which mast also be its surface, or a part thereof) with blood, is arbitrary and remote from both the reason and fancy. The action is unfitted to the agent, and " surely Shakespeare never so blundered in his personifica- tion or language. Hence, to give what T suppose the poet wrote, to make the passage acceptable and consistent. I would propose reading — No more the thirsty appetite of this soil Shall daub her lips with her own ohildrea's blood. 45 46 FIEST PABT OF KlNtt IIBJNRY IV. In corroboration, compare Titus Andronicus, 3. 1 : Let my tears staunch the earth's dry aj_ My son's sweet blood will make it shame and blush. Here "the earth's dry appetite" is synonymous with "the thirsty appetite of the Foil" — while thirst for " blood" is equally ascribed or implied to earth or soil. Note 3 Heury VI., 2, 3. — though not as fully applicable — "Thy brother's blood the thirsty earth hath drunk," * * * * King Henry — Those opposed eyes Which, — like the meteors of a troubled heaven, All of one nature, of one substance bred, — Did lately meet in the intestine shock And furious close of civil butchery Shall now, in mutual well-beseeming ranks, March all one way and be no more opposed Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies. "Those opposed eyes." " Eyes" is looked upon as badly corresponding with the various expressions of this passagtt, as they neither "march in ranks," "close in civil butchery," nor "meet in intestine shock." Warburton proposed to substitute " files;" and the Cambridge edition suggests " arms;" but neither meet with entire acquiescence, Per- adventure the poet wrote — "Those opposed neas Which, — like the meteors of a troubled heaven. All of one nature, of one substance bred, — Did lately," etc. Thus suits all the allusions. The metaphor of the seas is a favorite one with Shakespeare, and is often made u.se ^f throughout the plays; for instance in 3 Heury IV"., 3. 1, where the "imperious surge" and "the winds" are repre- sented as performing more wonderful feat.s — "Wilt thou upon the high and giddy mast Seal up the ship-boy's eyes, and rock his brains In cradle of the rude imperious sui'ge „ And in the visitation of the winds. Who take the rufBan billows by the top, Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging tlieiu Withdeaf'ning clamour in the slippery clouds,, That, with the hurly, doath itself avv;i,kes?" King Henry — The edge of war, like an ill-sUcathed knife, No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends, As far as to the sepulchre of Clivi.'it, (Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross FIRST PART OF KINO HENRY IV. 47 We are impressed and engaged to figbt,) Forthwith a power of English shall we levy. The last word is spelled " levie" in the first folio and "leavy" in the earliest quarto, in modern editions now altered to "levy." Commenting upon the passage, Capell observes that "to levy a power as far as to the sepulchre of Christ" is quite anomalous and unusual : and says "lead" might be substituted without marring the sense ; other writers endeavour to remove the dififloulty by inferring that " as far as" signifies, not "to the distance of," but "so far only as regards." But this is interpreting an expression to suit every varying occasion, is unwarrantable, and further- more discountenanced by similar phrases dispersed through- out the text, where it always means "as distant as" and nought else. Pi-obably the author wrote — "Forthwith a power of English shall we head." This word conforms to the context, and is confirmed by frequent usage in the same sense on the part of Shake- speare; for example — "For which we have in head assembled them?" — Heraj-j/ V. 2, 2. * * * * "The powers that he already hath in Gallia Will soon be drawn to head."— Ci/m. 3. 5. * # * * *'The G-oths have gathered head, and with a power They hither march amain."— T.^. 1. 4. # * * * '.'Three times hath Henry BolinEbroke made head Against my power."— 1 Henry 1^.3.1. * * * » "A mighty and a fearful heed they are, As ever offered foul play in a state."- 1 Henry IV. 3. '2. It will be noted that "power" and "head" are words that are always closely conjoined in most every sentence by Shakespeare. K. Henry — Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty knights, Balk'd in their own blooj, did Sir Walter see On Holmedon's plains. Various attempts have been made to impart a coherent meaning to "balk'd." in this connection, but none has proven satisfactory. "Baked," "bathed," "steeped," etc., have been suggested, aocompained with far-fetched argu- ments. "Balk'd" has been defined as "ridged, heaped up," — a strained and unnatural interpretation, which doubtless 48 PIKST PAKT OF KING HEKEY IV. some wiseacre must have laboriously "evoked from his inner coDSoiousness." In fact it is unimportant, and the word may be regarded as a misprint merely; but possibly we should read, as it comes nearest to the spelling, — Soak'd in their own blood. For this reading, compare in Henry V., 4. 7. 70 — For many of our princes — woe the while ! — Lie drown'd and soak'd in mercenary blood. -oOo- AOT I— SCENE S. King Henry — Worcester, get thee gone, for I do see Danger and disobedince in thine eye; O, sir. Your presence is too bold and peremptory, And majesty might never yet endure The moody frontier of a servant brow. Steevens, I believe, defines "frontier" as the "forehead;" brow and foreliead are nearly one and the same thing, making a stilted reiteration; and other writers, by a power- ful etfort of imagination, represent it as "a fortification on the border of a country;" instead of that border itself, as modernly understood. This is very well indeed; yet while not quite agreeing to the interpretation, I can but think the intended meaning lies somewhat nearer home; however, since their view has been suggested, I can and do enjoy both theirs and the more homely and understandable one here proposed, thus having the advantage in the matter. And majesty might never yet endure The mooAy frowning of a servant brow. This word too enables and assists the imagination to con- jure up a picture of some gloomy fortress frowning defiantly on the mountain's brow upon the vallies below. "Frown and frowning" occur frequently througliout the text, whereas "frontier" only appears in tlie line — "Of palisades, frontiers, parapets. Of basilisks, of cannon, culverins." King Henry — Why, yet lie doth deny his prisoners ; But with proviso and exception, — That we at our own charge, shall ransom straight His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer; Who, on my soul, hath wilfully betray'd The lives of those, that he did lead to fight Against the great magician, damn'd Glendower; FIBST PART OF KING HENRY IV. 49 Whose daughter, as we hear, the Earl of March Hath lately married. Shall our coffers then Be emptied, to redeem a traitor home? Shall we buy treason? and indent with fears, When they have lost and forfeited themselves? By the different editors this passage has been deemed ex- ceedingly complicated, and divers efiForts have been made to elucidate it. Instead of "'indent with fears," Johnson pro- posed reading " indent with peers," applying the term to Worcester, Northumberland and Hotspur, as having " lost and forfeited" their peerages and " themselves;" while Col- lier brought forward his MS. Corrector, and proposed to in- terpolate "foes" for "fears;" but none of the changes are needful, while all proceed from the mistaken conception that the phrase "indent with fears" refers to the three per- sonages just named, which is not the case. Worcester, Northumberland and Hotspur could not possibly at this time and here be regarded as traitors by the King, nor would they be styled by him either "foes or fears;" besides, neither of these had yet "lo.st and forfeited themselves." "To redeem a traitor," "to buy treason" refer to the Earl of March; but "to indent with fears" refers to the King him- self, who in effect says, "shall we empty our treasury to redeem a traitor home in the person of Mortimer? Shall we foolishly buy treason by sucli a redeinption ? Shall we again possess ourself with former fears, which now are luckily set at rest in consequence of the absence and capture of this Mortimer, who has always continued to be a cause of danger to us on account of his aspirations and near claims to our own throne?" Tliat such is the true meaning of the passage is manifest by the subseq\ient words of Hot- spur in speaking of this interview and the King — " And when I urged the ransom once again Of my wife's brother, then his cheek look'd pale, And on my face he turn'd an eye of death, Trembling even at the name of Mortimer. Worcester — T cannot blame him : was lie not proolaim'd, By Richard that dead is, the next of blood ? Mortimer was an object or cause of fear to the King, who is here represented as having trembled with ansrer and turn- ing an eye of deadly menace upon Hotspur at mention of the name of the Earl of March. "Indent with fears" is equiva- lent to "possess with fears," as in act ii. so. 3 — "The thieves are scattered, and possessed with fear So strongly, that they dare not meet each other; Bach takes his fellow for an officer." 50 FIRST PABT OF KINS HENBT IV. In fine, to render the passage in a manner easily to be understood, requires but a very slight alteration of the text, as follows — Shall our coffers then Be emptied, to redeem a traitor home ? Shall we buy treason? — indent ourself with fears, Which now have lost and forfeited themselves ? It will be seen that the third line suffers an ellipse of "shall we," which should precede "indent oarself with fears." In the fourth line, "which now" is substituted to avoid cumbering the line thus, and in the way it really means — "When they (the fears) have lost and forfeited themselves." As to "ourself," Shakespeare frequently uses it either in the singular or plural number, just as may suit his purpose. -oOo- A.OT II— SCENE 1. Qndshill — "1 am joined with no foot land-rakers, no long staff, six-penny strikers; none of these m.id, . mustachio, purple-hued raalt-worms; but with nobility and tranquility; burgomasters and great oneyers, such as can hold in; such as will strike sooner than speak, and speak sooner than drink, and drink sooiierthan pray." "Great oneyers." Critical ingenuity has been hugely ex- ercised in endeavoring to explain "oneyers," and has fairly exhausted itself in the effort. Johnson defines it as "great ones," "great one-eers," a word formed like auctioneers; others as "great moneyers," that is, "great brokers;" and others again, write it as, ''great mynheers, ones-yes, wan- dyers, monsieurs, honorables, " etc., etc. "Tranquility" is another Viord that looks suspicious and out of place in the above, and probably ought to be printed "true quality." Altogether I would suggest reading the sentence thus : "But with nobility and true quality, burgomasters and great major.% such as can hold in."' " Major," in Shake- speare's day meant, I believe, either the chief magistrate of the city of London, or the Sheriff — I am not clear which, but possibly the latter. The reader will find in act 3, scene 1, of this play a syllogistic equivocation uu the word by Falstaff : — "I deny your major: if you will deny the Sheriff, so : if not, let him enter." The acceptance of the proposed reading would at least reasonably sustain the classification as to position and character of the individuals named in the text. FIRST PART OF KING HENRY IV. 51 — Or to offer still another suggestion for "great oneyers,*' — how would "gi-and jurors" answer? In act 2, scene 2, Fal- staflf uses the words: — "You are grand jurors, are ye? We'll jure ye, i* faith." -oOo- ACT II— SCENE 4. Prince Ilsnry — Did'st thou never see Titan kiss a dish of butter? pitiful-hearted Titan, that melted at the sweet tale of the son ! If thou did'st, then behold that compound." i. e. Falstaff. The critics have abandoned this passage in utter despair ; and I can but wonder whether the ghosts of Titan and Phseton do not haunt them in retaliation for permitting it to remain so long unrectified. That is, I should marvel, if the text did not otherwise assure me that Titan is "pitiful- hearted," and hence kindly refrains. There are several read ings that are followed in the editions: "pitiful-hearted Titan, that melted at the sweet tale of the sun;" "pitiful- hearted butter, that melted at the sweet tale of the sun." Probably it was the latter word that gave origin to the con- fusion and contention of the critics. Above, we have the remarkable conception of "Titan as melting at the tale of the son or sun," which is remarkable indeed, and remote from the mythological fable itself, to which it alludes. Why did it not occur to the editors to transpose, and read as follows : — "Didst thou never see Titan kiss a dish of butter? pitiful- hearted Titan, that sweated and melted the son of the tale 1 If thou didst then behold that compound." It is most probable that "sweet" should be "sweat;" and that the sentence should run as stated, rather than read, "the sweet son of the tale," or, "the son of the sweet tale." This is not the only instance in the play which needs trans- position, but even parts of sentences have been omitted and require filling up to complete the sense, as will be pointed out hereafter. Upon further examination, I propose and prefer the following version — "Didst thou never see Titan kiss a dish of butter? pitiful- hearted Titan, that melted that Phaton of the tale? If thou didst, then behold that compound." I have very little doubt but that some careless printer set up "at sweet son," for "that Phoeton." As to "pitiful-heart- 53 rinsT part of king hkwkt it. ed," should it not be "spiteful heartad?"— but let it pass. * * » * * Prince Henry. — What trick, what device, what starting- hole, caust thou now find out to hide thee fiom this open and apparent shame? Poins — Come, let's hear. Jack: What trick hast thou now? Falstaff — Whv, thou knowest I am as valiant as Hercules; but beware instinct; the lion will not touch the true priuce. lustinct is a great matter; I was a coward ou instinct. The witty evasion and excuse are visible enough, but it is not clear why Falstaff should here charge the prince to "beware instinct," and is probably an error of the types. Should it not read : — "but be aware thou of instinct" — in which consists his excuse, and is so implied. This reply of Falstaff is equivalent to, "but you must remember the nature of instinct. The wordinjT is certainly more consonant with the outext, anl wiiy sh )al'l n:>t tlie line be rectitied, inas- much as here — tlie said line being in prose — there would consequently be no interference with measure, as in other cases? Or, perhaps, it mi;j;ht answer, thouijh it would not be as plain, if the word were separated and printed, — "but be 'ware instinct." o o » * Prince Henri/ — Do thou stand for my father, and examine me upon the pirticul.irs of my life. FitUtiiff — Shall I? content — This chair shall bo my state, this da^'i^or iny sceptre, and tills cushion ray crown. Prince Henry — rhy state is taken for a joint-stool, thy golden sceptre for a le.'den dagger, and thy precious rich crown, for a pitiful ba d crown." Johnson advises the omission of the Prince's reply as con- taining a mere repetition of Falstaff' s own description. His reinark corroborates my former statement that there had been words .and sentences lost from the play: for it is evident that some witty turn wjis embraced and intended in the passage, or it never would have been printed. This being the case, I venture diffidently to supply a version, until a better one i-i proposed by some one else, thus — "Forsooth, thou has mistook a joint-stool for thy chair of state, a leaden dagger for thy golden sceptre, but we alone have taken thy precious rich crown for what it is — a pitiful, bald crown." — i. e. pate. A crown, or a French crown was a common expression f(n- a bald-head. Compare JI. N. D. 1, 3, 99: — "Some of your French crowns have no hair at all and then you will play bare-faced." FIRST PAET OF KING HENRY IV. '63 AOT m,- SCENE 1. Olendower — The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds Were strangely clamorous to the frighted fields. This should probably read — The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds, Wild, strangely clamorous to the frighted fields The epithet is applied to cattle in act 4, scene 1 — "Wanton as youthful goats, wild as young bulls." The proposed reading renders the passage grammatically coi'reot, which it before was not — "ran," of course, in the secoud line being implied before "strangely." ACT III— SCENE 2. Prince Henry — This, in the name of God, I promise here: The which if He be pleased I shall perform, I do beseech your majesty, may salve The long-grown wounds of my intemperance. It is not unlikely that for "long-grown wounds," the poet wrote — "The long-soicra wounds of my intemperance;" As "long-grown" is au adjective that hardly applies to wounds, or proper in a line expressive of the "wild oats sown" by the priuce in his youth. For "intemperance" the folio gives "intemperatm-e." The latter word should be restored, inasmuch as "intemperance" has nowadays been so tossed about, so commonized and made synonymous with drunkenness that it conveys in the mind of the reader the idea of habitual intoxication on the part of the Prince, an impression at variance with the truth. "Intemperature," on the other hand, refersraore particularly to inclination, or natural disposition, a youthful wildness or fondness for lively escapades only, in accordance with the character of the Prince as drawn by Shakespeare and by history. So may we read — The long-soMi/i wounds of my intemperature. oOo ACT IV— SCENE 1. Hotspur — Well said, my noble Scot: If speaking truth, In this fine age, were not thought flattery. Such attribution should the Douglas have, As not a soldier of this season's stamp Should go so general current though the world. By Heaven, I cannot flatter: I do defy 5* PIKST PART OF KING HENET IT. The tongues of soothers ; but a braver place In my heart's love hath no man than yourself: Nay, task me to my word ; approve me, lord. Douglas — Thou are the king of honor : No man so potent breathes upon the ground. But I will beard him. The first line of Douglas' answer lacks completion in metre, a part probably lost or omitted by some editor or printer, as frequent in other instance in this play. After the eulogistic speech of Hotspur, it would seem incumbent that Douglas should at least acknowledge the compliment received, and possibly did so in the portion of the line want- ing : hence, aiming to s\ipply the deticiency, and being gov- erned by the words of Hotspur, especially by those contained in the above first two sentences — "If speaking truth. In this fine age, were not thought flattery, — " it might perhaps be advisable to read : — "Thou art the king of honor, the prince of truth." Here king and prince, honor and truth, are relatively classitied and associated. « * o o » Hotspur — Were it good, To set the exact wealth of all our states All at one cast ? to set so rich a main Ou the nice hazard of one doubtful hour ? It were not good: for thei-ein should we read The very bottom and the soul of hope, The very list, the very utmost bound Of all our fortunes. Very many amendments have been proposed in substitu- tion for "read," which is obviously and admittedly incorrect, as it in no manner agrees, grammatically or figuratively, with "soul," "bottom," "list," or "utmost bound." "Risk, rend, tread, dare, reap," etc., have been suggested: yet it is strange that the very word which, as I think, is most ap. plicable to the act described, as well as to the metaphor, should have been overlooked for so long a period. That •word is "leap;" and that it is the right one, will be plainly seen by comparison with the accompanying quotation, Henry IV. pt. S. 1, 3., wherein Hotspur is depicted as having done t)ie very thing which he is here talking about — "And so with great imagination, Proper to madmen, led his powers to death. And, winking, leap'd into destruction." "Soul" is incongruous, and possibly might be improved PIKST PART OP- KING IIBNKT IV. 55 upon ; and as to "list," I confess I know not what it means in this place, preferring to see it altered : then reading — It were not good : for therein should we leap The very bottom and the inch of hope, The very line, the very utmost hound Of all our fortunes. Compare "inch" with the line in 4. 3: "I have speeded hither with the very extremest incJi of possibility." th * # * Hotspur — He shall be welcome tuo. Where is his son, The nimble-footed madcap Prince nf Wales, And his comrades, that daffed the world aside. And bid it pass ? Vei-non — All furnish'd, all in arms : All plumed, like estridges that with the wind Bated, — like eagles having lately ibath'd ; Glittering in golden coats, like images ; As full of spirit as the month of May, And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer ; Wanton as youthful goats, wild as young bulls. Knight's edition, as above, differs from that of others Issued, the majority of which, I believe, read, "likeestridges that wing the wind." This is undoubtedly a great improve- ment ; but still, not being strictly descriptive of the habit and mode of running of the ostrich, it does nat-altogether satisfy, and leaves the question of the exact word written instead an open one, and consequently one yet to be ascer- tained. Tlierefore, along with otliers, I offer this guess — "All plumed, like estridges that out-thigh th' wind." Out-thigh="out-leg, out-run:" figuratively bearing and implying the construction of, "the ostrich, that thighs a race against the wind, — and beats him in the race." Or, if this version be not approved, tlien I propose another which has a finer and more poetical signification as follows — "All plmned, like estridges t\\a,\, flight the wind," Compare lines in act 3, scene 3, where the word occurs : — " Yet let me wonder, Harry, At thy affections, whicn do hold a wing Quite from the flight of all thy ancestors." "Bated." Here is a word that has been twisted inside-out and rolled over and over again in order to impart to it some kind of a definition which might fairly bo accordant with its application to the line wherein it appears. And finally none has been found or presented, for the simple reason that 58 FIKST PART OP KING HKNBT IV. Shakespeare never placed it there, hence it is out of place, and ought decidedly to be uprooted and ignominiously ejected, having caused more trouble than it is worth. To remove it out of the way this change is proposed-^ "Ruft'd like eagles that had lately bath'U." "Buffled, ruflfed, rufted" do not only mean furnished with ruffles, but convey the idea of pride, elevation ; and are em- ployed in the latter sense by L'Estrange, as "Princes in the ruff of all their glory;" and thus understood the word perfects and completes the imagery, and is therefore the one which possibly Shakespeare must have written. In the quarto it is spelled "bayted," and it will be readily seen how easy might be the mistake of r and / into b and y — "Feather'd" occurred as suitable, but on reflection 1 rejected it, for though in a measure applicable to eagles, yet as the object of the desoription is the gallant army arrayed in all the parapharnalia of war-like costume and preparation, and not that of eagles particularly, it is not therefore really as appropriate as that of "ruflfed." Besides, that word had already been engaged more admirably further on — "I saw young Harry, with his beaver on, His cuises on his thighs, gallantly arm'd. Rise from the ground like feather'd Mercury;" And here both adjective?, eve:i should' one transfer either to the place of the other he will discover that he has improved neither metaphor, but has spoiled both by so doing. Several other words might be substituted, such as "arrayed, raimeuted, tufted," etc : but my preference is the one in licited. I would add that the word "thigh" is touud not only in the lines last quoted, but also in A.. Y. L. 1, 3, 119: — "A gallant curtle-axe upon my thigh." Finally then, the lines would run — All furnish'd, all in arms : All plumed like estridges that thigh the wind ; Ruft'd like eagles that had lately bath'd; Glittering in golden coats like images ; As full of spirit as the mouth of May : And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer. Hotspur — Come, let me take my horse, Who is to bear me, like a thundetbolt. Against the bosom of the Prince of Wales : FIRST PART OF KINO HEKRY IV. 57 Harry to Harry shall, hot horse to horse, Meet, and ne'er part, till one drop down a corse. — O, that Glendower were come ! There are two slio^ht errors here that perhaps had better be rectifiod. "'Taste my horse" is the phrase contained in the quarto which has been changed as above. And by the way, let me here call attention to the fact that nearly all editors define "taste" — when found almost everywhere throughout the text in use — as "to make proof of;" the definition is cor- rect, I doubt not : but why is it so? Simply because "taste" in itself has been wrongly priijted, and should read "test," the proper word, meaning "to make proof of." Formerly it was spelled "teste," and thu.-i was easily mistaken for "taste." Ergo, the above should read, "let me test my horse." The other error, I deem, is the omission of a letter : sup- plying which we should read — ■ "Harry to Harry shall, shot horse to horse, Meet : — and ne'er part till one drop down a corse." " Shot" appeals to the imagination, making the lino eflfeotive anl forcible, and corresponding better with "like a thunderbolt." The words naturally belong together, and doubtless were there written by Shakespeare "When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war." The reader's at- tention should not be diverted by the word "hot," whatever it may mean, toward the horses, but be fully concentrated upon the two Harrys, encountering in the terrific shock and crush of conflict. "The neighyinge of the war-horse proude. The rowlinge of the drum. The clangor of the trumpet loude. Be soundes from heaven that come ; And oh ! the thundering presse of knightes, When as their war-cryes swell. May tole from heaven an angel brighte And rouse a fiend from hell ." 'n^;?2=^^^=. SECOND PART KING HENRY lY. -oOo- ACT I-SOENE 1. Jforthumberland — In poison there Is physio, and these news, Havinij been well, that would have made me sick, Beinsj sick, have in some measure made me well : And as the wretch, whose fever-weaken'd joints,' Like strentjthless hinijes, buckle under life. Impatient of his fit, breaks like a fire Out of His keepers arms; even so my limbs, Weaken'd witli grief, bein;; now enrag'd with grief, Are thrice themselves: hence therefore, thou nice crutch. "Buckle under life." "Buckle" is now seldom employed in the sense here evidently meant — "to bend, to bow, to sink under." '" Life" can scarcely be correct in this passage, for the joints of a fever-weakened man cannot be said to sink under "life," but rather do they give way under pres- sure of his body or limbs, weakened by the effects of the fever. This objection to the phrase — "buckle under Ufe" — was perceived by Malone, who sought to overcome it and amend the passage by altering "weaken'd with grief" into "weaken'd with age," or "pain." ' But this emendation affords no remedy, and serves fmly to destroy the resem- blance of the comparison, which is assisted by attributing contrary effects to the same cause : and the same cause is most fully shown by the same expiession or word "grief:" "Weaken'd with grief, being now enrag'd with grief." There are several common phrases which everybody lias heard ; such as "bow your limbs," or "bend your limbs ;" and perchance the author meant simply to use the latter word, and wrote — And as the wretch, whose fever-weaken'd joints, Like strengthless hinges, buckle under limb. 58 SECOND PART OF KINO KBNItYav. $9 The very repetition of the word in the seoondlinei below — "even so my limbs" — helps to oonfirm and authenticate, is as the true one, inasmuch as it seems to be absolutely neces- sary to round and complete the simile instituted. * «■ * » Northumberland: Let heav'n kiss earth ! Now let not nature's hand Keep the wild flood confin'd I let order die ! And let the world no longer be a stage To feed contention in a lingering act. "All the world's a stage," and the stage has its exhibi- tions, acts, scenes, entrances and exits; but it is not a place to "feed" anything, and so the metaphor above is marred. The poet has another word better adapted to the imagery — "Time is the nurse and breeder of all good ;" "ambition breeds factions;" "to breed this present peace;" "had he a heart and brain to breed it in ?" and in Henry V., 5, 1 : "it was in a place where I could breed no contention with him." In the last quotation, " contention" and "breed," as in the line above, are brought and used together by the author : and thus I am convinced we should read — And let this world no longer be a stage To breedi contention in a lingering act. A similar error was noted in King John V., 7. 15., where "feel" occurs instead — "O vanity of sickness ! fierce extremes. In their continuance, will not breed themielves." ♦ » * * » Morton — But now the bishop Turns insurrection to religion : Suppos'd sincere and holy in his thoughts. He's follow'd both with body and with mind ; And doth enlarge his rising with the blood Of fair King Richard, scraped from Pomfret stones, "Enlarge" seems hardly proper in the line, and was changed by Warburton to "enlard" — a vile and greasy altera- tion. The "rising" undoubtedly means his up-rising in rebellion against his king; and with Richard's blood, scraped from Pomfret stones, how can it be strictly said that he en- larged his rising? It it a probable error, and the lines might more consistently read — He's follow'd both with body and with mind ; And doth enforce his rising with the blood Of fair Kiny Richard, scraped from Pomfret stones. 60 SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IT. To enforce=to urge on to strengthen, to animate; this is the interpretation warranted by passages elsewhere in Shake- peare: "We were enforc'd, for safety sake, to fly Out of your sight, and raise this present head." —Henry IV., pt. 1, 5. 1. King Henry was charged with having caused the murder of King Richard at Pomfret Castle, and consequently it might be supposed that the very stones thereof cried out to avenge bis blood on the murderer : an accusation which the Bishop made use of and e7i/0rcet{ to fire the public heart, and justify his own rebellion. ooo AOT I— SCENE 3. Hastings — But, by your leave, it never yet did hurt, To lay down likelihoods, and forms of hope. Bardolph. — Yes; — in this present quality of war; — Indeed the instant action, (a cause on foot) Lives so in hope, as in an early spring We see the appearing buds; which, to prove fruit, Hope gives not so much warrant as despair That frosts will bite them. Thus editions generally. The folio reads somewhat dif- ferently — "Yes, if this present quality of war Indeed the instant action, a cause on foot." Rowe changed "if" into "in;" but Pope restored "if," and changed "indeed" thus: "Yes, if the present quality of war Impede the instant act," and so, as .Johnson notes, miking the lines at variance with the ensuing tenor of Bardolph's argument. But Pope was right in his idea, and .Johnson wrong, although the former did not, as I think, hit on the precise word intended by the text. Steevens suggested "impel to instant action;" Mason, "induc'd" for "indeed," as well as "prescient quality" for "present quality;" Collier's Corrector gives, "Indeed the instant act and cause on foot ;" and Knight retains the folio reading, with the exception of a slight change in punctua- tion. Yet it is plain that all these suggestions come in direct collision with the succeeding words and true reasoning of Bardolph. How all these learned editors came to stultify themselves in such a manner is a mystery, and forms one of the curiosities of literature. But the folio reading is with out doubt correct, and should never have been altered; ex- SECOND PART or KING HENKY IV. 81 oept in the word ' 'indeed," which creates the whole difficulty, and which should be "denied" — the exact word that suits the context and argument, and contains the same identical letters, showing clearly that some printer had unintentionally reversed them in position. To deny=to refrain from, to decline, to refuse. Johnson, Steevens and Pope unite in considering " this present quality of war," as equivalent to "the present con- dition and state of war:" and there is no reason to doubt the correctness of their interpretation. "The instant action" here, has the signification of " the direct battle-engage- ment." I would then but change "this" to "the," and place the passage thus , — Yes, if the present quality of war Denied tlie instant action: a cause on foot Lives so in hope, as in an early spring We see the appearing buds ; which, to prove fruit, Hope gives not so much warrant, as despair, That frosts will bite them. The whole may be stated in prose more plainly: — "Yes, it does hurt very much, if the immediate policy of war exacted tliat one should refrain from the then engage- ment offered by the enemy: An affair under way exists in the like state of hope and fear in regard to the result, as does an early spring when tlierein we see the newly appear- ing buds; so that when we hope that buds will change into fruit, we are warrantable in so hoping indeed, but still more are we justified in anticipating the reverse, and that the buds will be nipped by the frost." * * » * » Bardolph — Like one, that draws the model of a house Beyond his power to build it : who, half through. Gives o'er, and leaves his part-created cost A naked subject to the weeping clouds, And waste for churlish winter's tyranny. "Part-created cost" would apparently mean the money expended or incurred in the building of the house; but this cannot be the true meaning intended aa the expression does not accord with the succeeding lines, in which the com- parison is drawn between "a naked subject" and "part- created house." Hence, the error must be in the word "cost" which clearly should be "cast" instead ; and the passage then rightly punctuated will make the meaning, and construction plain and visible. "Part-created," of course, refers to "house," but an ellipse here occurs and "house" is implied, not expressed. So we should read — 63 aECOND PART OF KIMO SKHKT IT. Like one, that draws the model of a house Beyond his power to build it : who, half through. Gives o'er, and leaves his part-created, cast A naked subject to the weeping clouds, And waste for churlish winter's tyranny. "Cast a naked subject to the weeping clouds," brings to the recollection the picture of King Lear wandering forlorn and deserted ou the heath amid the rain, wind, thunder and fire of the pitiless storm; and reminds one of Cordelia's re- buking speech — "Was this a face To be opposed against the warring winds? To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder? In the terrible and nimble stroke Of quick, cross liglitning? to watch (poor perdu!) With this thin helm ? Mine enemy's dog. Through he had bit me, should have stood that night Against my fire." -oOo- ACT IV— SCENE I. Westmoreland — Tf that rebellion Came like itself, in base and abject routs. Led on by bloody youth, guarded with rags. And countenanced by boys and beggary; I say, if damn'd commotion so appear'd, In his true, native, and most proper shape, You, reverend father, and these noble lords. Had not been here. " Guarded with rage" is the reading of Malone and Steevens, who define it as "faced, turned up with rage, rebel- lion being regarded by the poet as a garment or banner.' Pope has "goaded with rage;" while Collier's Corrector has as above, followed by Knight. Of all these. Pope's emenda- tion appears to be the most plausible; but as the question is still an open one, and neither version fully agrees with the first part of the line — "led on by bloody youth" — it strikes me that both "guarded" and "rage" are corruptly printed, and the sentence should run — Led on by bloody youth, frenzied with gore. And countenanc'd by boys and beggary. The slight play on "blood" and "gore" seems somewhat in the author's usual manner, and was probably so intended. " Frenzied with gore" agrees with all the colors in this delineation of rebellion. SECOND PART OF KING HKNBY IV. 63' Westmoreldnd — Wherefore do you so ill translate yourself, Out of the speech of peace, that bears such grace, Into the harsh and boist'rous tongue of war? Turning your books to graves, your ink to blood, Your pens to lances; and your tongue divine To a loud trumpet, and a ppint of war ? This magnificent similitude loses a portion.of its force and lustre, is marred and rendered imperfect by the retention of one word therein — "graves." Knight defines it as "armor for the legs:" but this seems strained and inapplicable to " books," and satisfies no one. How can it be correct, from any point of view, to liken "bpok., who.sideoi- KING HKHR'X VIII, 83 sion the Spanish king dared not openly by war oppose or resist, however disagreeable to himself. So it is most likely we should read — Who can be angry now? what enmity can reach you? -oOo AOT II— SCENES. Ohamberlain — I have perus'd her well, Beauty and honor in her are so mingled, That they have caught the king : and who knows yet. But from this lady may proceed a gem To lighten all this isle? ' 'A gem to lighten all this isle. " Johnson gives to this the following singular explanation : " Perhaps alluding to the carbuncle, a gem supposed to have intrinsic light, and to shine in the dark." I cannot but think that Johnson here misses the point; more probably it may be supposed to be simply an alluxion to the prospective birth of Queeu Eliza- beth, daughter of A.nna BuUeu, the lady whose "beauty and honor had caught the king." The last act of this play has several allusions to Elizabeth. THE TEMPEST ACT I— SCENE Z. Prospero — He being thus lorded, Not ouly with what my revenue yielded, But what my power might else exact — like one Who having unto truth, by telling of it, Made such a sinner of his memory, To credit his own lie — he did believe He was indeed the Duke, out o' th' substitution, And executing th' outward face of royalty, With all prerogative. Various and numerous have been the speculations among editors and commentators to impart to the fourth, fifth and sixth lines a consistent and intelligible reading. The first folio has, " Who having into truth." Warburton changed "into to unto," and his alteration has since been generally adopted. The Collier MS. Corrector save "Who having to untruth." At the first glance this appears plausible; but it will not bear examination, and has been universally rejected, as it makes Prospero expres.s the rever.se of what he would apparently mean \.n say. Arrowsmith retains "into" of the folio, strikes out the comma after "truth," and constnie.s, "by telling of it into truth." Rev. .T. Hunter explains that "by telling of it," means "through his manner of stating It (the truth)," that is, by his misrepresentation of it. Hud- son proposes "falsing for telling," — but he mistakes in changing the wrong word. These changes and constructions show the efforts of the editors to render the sentence consist- ent ; they are ingenious, but after all somewhat too strained and super-subtle to satisfy readers generally, nor do they altogether suit in manner witli the other portions of the passage. The error of some editors consists in referring "it" — not back to "truth," as they ought to do if the line is genuine — but on to " his own lie;" but where else can they find a passage whereby such a course of proceeding is justi- fiable, allowable, or ever before followed by grammarians? Such a method of interpi'ctation has never been applied and forms not (a« Mr. Hudson says) "a legitimate English loiistmction." However, they are driven to this necessity 84 TEMjrKST. 8C in order to make sense out of the sentence as it stands; and this fact alone goes far to prove that the poet never wrote the lines muddled as they are, but that a serious and im- portant error lurks therein, caused possibly by the early printers, and which the commentators have not yet perceived or exposed, thus leaving it unrectified. The fact of the mat- ter is that "it" properly refers both to "my power" of the preceding line, and to the word which will be stated pre- sently. Briefly, the whole argument against the correctness of the passage may be summed up thus wise. A person can- not, by telling the truth of a thing, be said to make a sinner of his memory so as to credit his own lie: for if he tells the truth he certainly does not lie, and hence could not make a sinner of his memory. Too much importance has been at- tached to the word, "truth," as furnishing the pivot around which the entire meaning of the succeeding expression revolves; but it can easily be displaced without in the least degree aflfecting the sense of that expression; for "the credit- ing of his own lie," refers, not to "truth," but to "the sub- stitution" of liiraself for the Duke, and grows out of his belief that he is the real ruler wliile "executing the outward face of royalty." Herein had he made "a sinner of his memory, through repeated talking about, and exercising, the ducal power — until he came "to credit his own lie, i. e., "the substitution." The "lie" does not simply mean his telling of an untruth, but means the general self-deception he had undergone so as to cause him to slip in memory and be self- persuaded that he himself was "indeed the Duke." All this will more clearly appear by oneslijifht alteration in the speech: He being thus lorded, Not only with what my. revenue yielded, But what my power might else exact. — like one Who having eome into truM, by telling of it, Made such a sinner of his memory, To credit his own lie— he did believe He was indeed the Duke, out o' th' substitution, Andexcuting th' outward face of royalty, With all prerogative. "By telling of it," refers to "my power, the trust of my ducal power." "Come, or got," is an obvious ellip.sis that may be retained or not, as deemed advisable— its omission does not affect the sense, and is only inserted to make the meaning clear for the moment. The folio reading of "into" is light, and is simply restored. Finally, to establish Ui- fact that "trust" is the true word, note its occurrence in the sentence immediately above : 8(j lEilPEST. "And my truti. Like a good parent, did beget of him A falsehood, in its contrary as great As my trust was; which had indeed no limit, A confidence sans bounds." Is it not then most probable the printer misread "trust" for "truth," and hence the diflSculty? Does not the word enlarge the meaning of the passage, and give a truer con- ception of the real thought and idea Shakespeare intended to convey? Hereto are added a few quotations to show how the author applies "trust" in nearly a similar sense in 1 Henry IV., 3, 3. and Richard III , 1, 3:— "Thou Shalt have charge, and sovereign trust, herein." > * » • "Oh, he is youug, and his minority Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloster." -oOo- AUT I— SCENE 2. Proapero — Now I arise : — Sit still and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. Here in this island we arriv'd. "Now I arise." Of this, RoUe remarks, "it ia very doubt- ful what this means." Stanton suggests that the words are spoken aside to Ariel, and quotes in support of that view the conclusion of Prospero's speech, "Come away, come '. I'm ready now," etc. But this is highly improbable, inas- much as Ariel ha» not yet appeared in the scene, and does not come on the stage until after twenty further lines have been spoken by Prospero and Miranda. On the contrary, I take it the phrasp should be — Now I arrive: That is, "come to the point or end of my story." Prospero had been giving a long account of himself to his daughter, and here simply summed up by saying that he now ap- proached the conclusion of his history ; and h» really does finish it in the same passage. This view is further borne out by the next line — "Sit still, and hear t?ie last of our sea-sorrow." ACT II— SCENE 1. Sebastian — I have no hope That he's undrown'd. Antonio — O, out of that uo hope What Kveat hope have you ! no hope that way i.-* TEMPEST. :87 Another Tray so high a hope, that even Ambition cannot pierce a \rink beyond, But doubts discovery there. No satisfactory explanation of the last line has ever yet been given, and never will be or can be as it now stands. Remove "doubts," substitute "drowns," and you will most likely have what Bhakespeare wrote: Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond, But drowns discovery there. That is, "even Ambition cannot see a loftier object be- yond the throne of Naples to attain, but, when once attained, there extinguishes all desire for further search after higher elevation," "Discovery" is used in the sense of "search," a search or voyage of discovery ; as in As You Like It 3. 3 ; "One inch of delay more is a South Sea of discovery." "Doubts" appears In Hamlet iv. 7. 190 ; but it is an error ther* also, and should be printed "drowns," which is the right word contained instead in the quartos and later folios. If "doubts" is wrong in Hamlet, is it not fair to infer that it is also wrongly printed here, since both passages would seem to require the substitution "drowns" to thereby render theii meanings clear and sensible ? In note to Henry V. iv. 2. 12. a similar mistake is pointed out. It may be added, that the above emendation likewise agrees with Shakespears's usual manner or fondness for repetition of words, insofar as both "undrown'd" above, and "drown'd" just below, occur in this passage. The latter fact we regard as strong corroboration. • « » ♦ Sebastian — What stuff is this ! How say you ? 'Tis true, my brother's daughter's Queen of Tunis ; So is she heir of Naples ; 'twixt which regions There is some space. Antonio — A space whose every cubit Seems to cry out, "How shall that Claribel Measure us back to Naples ? Keep in Tunis, And let Sebastian wake." "Us" refers to that which is supposed to "cry out," or every cubit. Antonio's speech is made somewhat confusing by the early printers, and so has proven a sore trouble to the commentators. All it needs to make it clear is pr^iper punctuation and the insertion of a pronoun — A space whose every cubit Seems to cry out, "How I shall that Claribel Measrue us back to Naples ? Keep her in Tunis, And let Sebastian wake." That is, "Let her keep in Tunis, and let Sebastian w.ike." "How" is frequently used by Shakespeare (and many 88 TEMPEST. Americans) as equivalent to "what," in either an exclama. tion or interrogation. See line above, "How say you ?" and act V. 1. 53. "How's the dajf?", o()o AOT III.— SCENE 1. Ferdinand — I forget : But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours, Most busy, least when I do it. The last line constitutes the great crux of the play. "Few passages in Shakespeare have been the subject of raore conjecture, and to none has conjecture been applied with less happy results." The first folio has "most busie lest, when T do it," the other three, "most busie least, when I do it." Pope gives, "Least busie when I do it;" Theobald, "most busie — less when I doit," and was generally followed until recent date. ' White reads "busiest," naming it "the happy conjecture of Holt White." The Collier MS. has "most busy — blest ;" Spedding, "most busiest when idlest;" the Cambridge editors, "most busiest left when idlest." These afford variations enough, and show the perplexity encountered by the editors and critics in amending the pass- age. But so long as they persist in regarding " least or lest" as correct, the effect will be to make the passage con. tradictory, unexplainable and obscure ; but as soon as they conclude to look upon the word as corrupt (as it obviously is and must be) and are willing to discard it from the texttliere will exist no difficulty in supplying its place, and causing the passage to read sensibly, as Shakespeare doubtless wrote it. In several sentences of this play (and elsewhere) a word may be found quite applicable to this passage, whioli will make the lines run — I forget : But these ^weet thoughts do even relresh my labour, Most busy beat, when I do it. "Beat"=throb, exercise, pulsate. "Beat" of course re. fers to "thougfits," and the whole may be paraphrased as, "1 forget ray work: but my labor is even refreshed by these sweet thoughts, which even nicest busily exercise my miud when I am engaged in the discharge of my task." Or more literally, "which even most busy (AroA in my mind when," etc. Compare how the poet employs "beat, or beating," in con- nection with thoughts, mind, pulse and heart, to either of which the word most aptly applies, so provinf^ by analogy that "least" is doubtless a mi.sprint for "beat":— "And now, I pray you sir. For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reasons TEMPEST. 89 For raising this sea-storm?" — T. 1. 2. ♦ » * • "A turn or two I'll walk, To still my beating mind."— T. 4. 1. * * « * "Do not infect your mind with beating ou The strangeness of this business." — T. 3. 1. « * » * "Thine eyes and thoughts Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart." — Hen. vi. 3. 1. * * * * * "And return or ere your pulse twice beat." — T. 5. 1. * * * * ♦ "Thy pulse beats, as of flesh and blood."— T. 5. 1. * * * * "How comes it then that thou art called a king When living blood doth in these temples beat ? — K. J. 3. 1. * It * * * "My heart beats thicker than a feverous pulse." — T. C. 3. 2. oOo ACT V-SOENE 1. Frospero — This misshapen knave. His mother was a witch; and one so strong That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs, And deal in her command without her power. The last line is contradictory to the preceding one. It is explained by Malone as, " Act as her vicegerent without being authorized, or empowered so to do." But if the witch was sufficiently strong to control the moon, she certainly would not need the authority or consent of the moon in any reepect; for the moon, being weaker, would be subject to the superior command of the witch, who could act as she saw proper. The phrase "without her power," Jephson ex- plains, "though not equal to the moon in power." But if the witch could govern the moon, cause flows and ebbs in like manner, she was to that extent the equal of the moon in power. Malone and Jephson's interpretations are not satis- factory; and none others are likely to be as the line now stands, for it is nonsensical. The probability is it has been transposed, and that we should read — His mother was a witch ; and one so strong That could control the moon, make flows and ebb.s, And its power deal in her command withal. That is, "could wield the power possessed by the moim an she choose to direct." To make this meaning clearer, the pro- noun "her" is changed to "its," as referring to the moon. The possession, on the part of witches, of such power here ascribed to them, was a common belief among the supersti- tious of the poet's day, and this is perhaps what the sen- euce was intended to describe. A mmSMllER-NIGHT'S DREAM. •OO- AOT II-SOENE 1. Tiiania — The human mortals want their winter here ; No night is now with hymn or carol blest : Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, washes all the air, That rheumatic diseases do abound : And through this distemperature we see Tne seasons alter : hoary-headed frosts Pall io the fresh lap of the crimson rose, And on old Hiens' thin and icy crown An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds Is, as in mockery, set : the spring, the summer, The childing autumn, the angry winter, change Their wonted liveries, and the mazed world. By their increase, now knows not which is which. There are several very important errors in this lengthy citation, the retention of which renders the entire passage inconsistent and at variance with its purport. First, as re- gards " their winter here." Theobald proposed, and has been followed by Halliwell, Collier and Dyce, to read "their winter cheer." At first siglit this seems quite plausible, as it changes but a single letter of the " Se«r«" of the early editions, and is apparently sanctioned by the next line, " no night is now with hymn or carol blest;" but the fact is it does not in the least conform to the general sense of the passage, which throughout describes a total reversal of the laws of nature, a universal upheaval and alteration of the seasons, changing winter to summer and summer to winter. Therefore it was not cheer that the "human mortals" pai'- ticularly "wanted," but a return of their usual, customary weather, their distinct winter season, so that they might know what to rely upon iu their agricultural labors, and it was because of failure in this regularity that they mourned and had no merriment, that consequently "no night was now with hymn or carol blest." Let any one carefully read 90 A MIDStmiTER-NlBHT'S DKEASf, 91 the whole speech, and he will aoknowledge this to be the real purport of it. So far then from amending by "cheer," we should select instead a word just the opposite, one dp- scriptive of, and appropriate to, the cold and frosty nature of winter, as — The human mortals want their winter 7ioar ; No night is now with hymn or carol blest : Therefore tne moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, — " Hoare" might easily be misprinted " heere" by some c|ireless compositor ; besides it is indirectly proven to be the right word, for Shakespeare also uses it just below — "hoai-y- headed frosts," — and that is pretty strong evidence. "Frosty winters" were "wanted," as agriculturally most beneficial to the ploughman and the land. Next, "on old Hiems' thin and icy crown." The early editions have "chhine, or chin ;" but Tyrwhitt emended this by "thin," which has since been adopted generally. (The change was hardly necessary, as "chin" anyhow here signi- fies "beard.") "Hieras," as it stands, is neither a name nor a word, and signifies nothing. It occurs in but one other place in Shakespeare, and that, most singularly, serves as a guide to teach us what should be the proper name to sub- stitute both here and there too — for it is wrong in both places — and so two birds can be killed with one stone. In Love's Labour Lost v. 3. 901. will be found — " This side is Hiems, Winter, this Ver, the Spring ; the one maintained by the owl, the other by the cuckoo." "Ver" likewise is neither a word or a name, and means nanght, as it stands ; but seeing Winter and Spring con- joined, it suddenly occurred to us that we had seen some- where in some old poem or tale a passage in which Eve was figuratively likened to the Spring, and Adam to the Winter ; and we consequently concluded that Shakespeare meant a like personification here, and that we ought to read — "This side is Adam, Winter, this Eve, the Spring." We regret we cannot specify the poem or tale in which this comparison appeared ; but we have no doubt some of our readers, if they choose, will be able to place it, and pos- sibly adduce similar representations from many of the elder poets, for the comparison cannot have been very original, but must naturally have prevailed generally among all the writers. Thus, then, finding Adam likened unto Winter under the disguise of Hiems, and remembering^ tliat Winter 93 A midsummer-night's dkeam. is the subject spoken of in the Midsummer- Night under the same corrupt name, we readily inferred that a misprint had also happenad iu the latter instance, and that Adam is here figuratively used by the poet for Winter. This view is in- directly confirmed by a passage in Richard II., 3, 4, 73-5, where the white-bearded old gardener is by the Queen com- pared to Adam (who, in olden pictures is often represented with thin hair and white-beard) and in which Eve is also associated and mentioned: — "Thou, old Adam's likeness, set to dress this garden. How dares they harsh rude tongue sound this unpleasing What Eve, what serpent hath suggested thee [news? To make a second fall of cursed man?" It may be added that the term "white-beard" is employed by Shakespeare in Richard 11., 3, 3, 113, to designate old men : "White-beards havearm'd their thin and hairless scalps Against thy majesty." But a further and stronger corroboration will be found in As You Like It, 3, 1,5, where the name of Adam, the Win ter, and "icy" are brought in close conjunction — "Here feel we but the penalty of Adam, The seasons' difference, as the icy fang And churlish chiding of the winter's wind." And in the same comedy, 3, 8, 5a, even one of the charac. ters, old Adam, compares the old age of himself to winter — "Therefore my age is as a lusty winter. Frosty, but kindly." These points may be somewhat indirect, but the subject scarcely admits of positive proof; yet it is highly probable that in Titania's address Shakespeare intended to personify the winter under the name of old Adam ; and if he so wrote, as we have no noubt he did, then it is further obvious that the figure used is a perfectly legitimate one, and not at all un- usual. "Childing autumn." "Childing" is used nowhere else by the poet, and we confess we know not its definition; but if it means, as given by Rolfe, "fruitful," then it is certainly out of place and not in keeping with the general spirit of the passage as previously explained, or with "angry winter." "Chiding" has been suggested, but to us it is hardly satis- factory. Perhaps it should be either "chilling" or "churlish." The latter word we prefer, in the sense of unyielding, cross- grained; for the seasons having been changed, autumn is A midsummer-night's dheam. 93 now represented as being stubborn and refusing to yield her accustomed fruits, as no longer prolific in her usual bounti- ful largess. In accord, then, with these supposed meanings of Shakespeare, we would propose reading — The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose, And on old Adam's chin, and icy crown. An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds Is, as in mockery, set: the spring, the summer, The churlish autumn, the angry winter, change Their wonted liveries, and the mazed world. By their increase, now knows not which is which . oOo ACT III-SOENE 2. Oberon — But hast thou yetlatch'd the Athenian's eyes With the love juice, as I did bid thee do ? "Latch'd" is defined as caaght, infected. Some explain it as smeared, anointed ; and there can be very little doubt but that the latter interpretation is here the true one, not- withstanding that it may, as said, represent the first mean- ing elsewhere in Shakespeare. It seems to us that in this passage at least the word is a misprint, and should properly be "streak'd ;" for in act 2, scene I, 254-8, Oberon speaks very distinctly of his intentions toward Titania — "And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes And make her full of hateful fantasies" — and also gives directions to Puck to "anoint" the eyes of the "disdainful youth" — "Anoint his eyes ; And do it when the next thing he espies May be the lady — " While here above Oberon now questions Puck as to whether he had yet done the very duty thus previously enjoined upon him to perform. Upon this ground, therefore, it is fair to infer we should read — But hast thou yet streak'd the Athenian's eyes With the love juice, as I did bid thee do ? It will be seen that "to streak" and "to anoint" mean one and the same thing with our author. oOo ACT V— SCENE 1. Theseus— yievry and tragical I tedious and brief ! That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow. How shall we find the concord of this discord ? 94 A MnJStTMMEE-NIGHT'S DKEAir. "Strange snow" is the reading of the early editions, and many emendations have been made to make it consistent with "hot ice." "Scorching snow," "stranjfe shew," "black snow," "strong snow," "seething snow," "swarthy snow," etc., have been proposed by diiferent editors and critics. That "strange" is an error can hardly be doubted; it would seen doubly probable that it is so from the fact that "won- drous" is here a dissyllable, thus causing a defect in the metre and requiring, evidently, tliat the true word to re- place "strange" shouKl consist of two syllables, in order to remedy the irregularity of the line. So many plausible sug- gestions have already been made that it seems useless to offer another , but as one has occurred to us, we present it any- how, and would have the lines run — Merry and tragical ! tedious and brief ! That is, hot ice and wondrous iooty snow. The word is only found once elsewhere — in Othello — but we consider it quite suita-ble to the passage. THAT -oOo - ACT I— SUKNK 2. King — Wlio were below bim, He used as creatures of another plane, And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks. Making them proud of his humility, In their poor praise he humbled. Of this play, Staunton rightly remarks : " There is scarcely a passage of importance in the earlier scenes of this comedy, the meaning of which is not destroyed or impaired by some scandalous textual error." The one above is a specimen of the few we propose to note and shall endeavor to rectify or explain. For "another place" in the second line, Hanmer instead suggested "a brother race ;" Williams, "a nobler place." These alterations denote that they recog- nized the inaptitude of "another," and may be deemed com- mendable and satisfactory. First, it is needful to know the precise meaning of "place." As employed here, it evidently applies and refers to the different distinctions and degrees which appertain to life and society. If it were necessary, we could quote largely to prove that it is here used, as often elsewhere, in the sense of "rank, position, degree." This granted, the first three lines may be roughly interpreted as, "All lelow him he used as if they occupied other station or degree than the one to which they really belonged, "bowing his eminent top to their low ranks,' thus disregarding their state or condition of life, foregoing his high and exclusive privileges, and treating all men with the kindness of equal brotherhood and love, in the broad spirit of humanity." As to the fourth line, "making them proud of his humility," we can see no trouble in underetanding it, and consider that it needs no alteration. Nevertheless it seems that Warburton and several other editors have, by a queer system of punc- tuation, destroyed its plainness and made it read, "proud, 98 ALl,'* WELI. THAT ENDS WELL and his," or "proud, as his," etc., in order to make it merge into and extract a meaning out of the suceeeding line. Now it is well known that man is proud of very many things in this world with which he bears connection, which he fancies to he valuable or superior, wherein he has an interest, or which adds to his importance. Thus Shakespeare does not err when he represents men as taking pride in, or being proud even of the "humility" of another when honestly evinced by one above them in rank, whom they esteem, and who so conduces to the flattery of their self-love. Conse- quently, the line should stand as it is and be comprehensible by all. Regarding the last line, it has been proposed by Williams to read, "In their poor praise the humbler; but we think the change is in the wrong word, and that the inser- tion of an obvious elliptical omission would be better, and make the matter plainer. "He humbled;" that is, became all the humbler, in the sense of lowly in mind, reduced in self-pride; and simply means that he sought not from men the commendation which his very humility drew upon him, and when their praise, as it were, was thrust upon him, to his innate modesty and humbleness it was more painful than pleasurable. To make all this apparent will not require much change: — Those who were below him, He used as creatures they of other place. And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks. Making them proud of his humility, While in their poor praise was he humbled. The second line should be understood to read, "he used as if creatures they were of other degree than their own really." There ought not to be any objections to the pronoun "they," since it fills up the measure, and serves to make plain to the reader the real meaning of the line, which other- wise is somewhat obscure. As to "other," there is no ma- terial difference between it and "another." The verb "was" might probably be omitted without marring the sense ; yet its retention adds to the harmony of the phrase, at least to our ear. An expression in the Bible somewhat similar ap- pears, in allusion to one of the patriarchs: " through this was he humbled." But it is absolutely essential the word "while" should be retained if any meaning whatever is to be derived from the line, which has baffled scores of readers. oOo— - AOT I— SCENE 1. Helene — Yet these flx'd evils sit so fit in him, all's well that ends well. 97 That they take place, when Virtue's steely bones Look bleak 1' th' cold wind : withal, full oft we see Cold wisdom waiting on superflous folly. Here again "place" has the signification of precedence, giving entree, standing, rank, or degree, which is substan- tially the same definition pointed out in the preceding comments as embraced in its use in that passage sage, thus confirming the view and explanation there given. "Steely" — meaning of course hard and tough as steel — gives a sense at variance with the sentence. Williams remarks: " Helena, speaking in pitying terms of the ex- posure of virtue's bones to the cold wind, would hardly characterize them as endowed with the very qualities best fitting them to endure the infliction." Hence, he would substitute "seely"=simple, guileless. But it occurs to us, that a transposition of the words has happened somehow, for it is not likely, from ths nature of the reflection, that Shakespeare meant to characterize the bones of virtue, hut virtue herself; so possibly the passage may run — When steely virtue's bones Look bleak i'th' cold wind : withal, full oft we see Old wisdom waiting on superfluous folly. We thus propose to change "cold wisdom" to "old wis- dom" for the reason that the first affords no definite sense, and because we deem it a printer's error originating, possi- bly, from "cold" standing just above in the preceding line. Among all authors, ever since the art of writing existed, wisdom has been personified as venerable, because it is sup- posed to be a natural concomitant of age, which supposition, however, is not always correct, particularly when, foigot- ting itself, it waits on youthful folly. Consequently, "old" would seem required here to make the line read properly. oOo-- — AOT ITI— SCENE2. Clown — I have no mind to Isbel since I was at court; oui' old lings, and our Isbels a th' country, are nothing like your your old lings and your labels a th' court. "Our old lings — your old lings" make a nonsensical jumble of the clown's speech, and cause the true point of the sentence to remain hidden. Walker "suspects that old iiji^ is a corruption of some other word or words." He is right ; and we would suggest a remedy in the case, which will at least impart some fair meaning to the passage : "I have no mind to Isbel since T was at court; our oglings, 98 all's \tell that ends ■well. and our Isbels a tli' country, are nothing like your oglings and your Isbels a th' court." " Ogllngs" — from the verb "to ogle," to cast side glances in fondness, or in common phrase, to cast sheep's eyes ; or perhaps, beyond this meaning of the word, it may be con- jectured to include — at least in this instance, as coming from the mouth of the clown, who thus gives utterance to it in a sort of half-humorous soliloquy — the delights of kissing and hugging too. Fondling is also an appropriate word, found in Venus and Adonis. oOo AOT IV-SOENE Z. Diana — 'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth ; But the plain single vow tliat is vow'd true. What is not holy, that we swear not by. But take the highest to witness: then, pray you. tell me, If I should swear by Jove's great attributes I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths, When I did love you ill ? this has no holding. To swear by him whom I protest to love. That I will work against him : Therefore, your oaths Are words, and poor conditions ; but unseal'd ; At least in my opinion. This passage is regarded by editors as a standing puzzle, and has originated a vast deal of comment ; but for our part we perceive no particular trouble in understanding it. The diflSeulty with the commentators has mainly turned on the line "To swear by him whom I protest to love;" and this, Johnson, followed by Dyce, reads, "To swear to him whom," etc.; but this does not remedy the matter. Singer has when instead of whom; but this is a needless change, and does not help in tlie solution. Hudson proposes reading, "To swear by Him, wlien I protest to love ;" but he altogether mistakes in supposing Mm to refer to God or Jove, and thus printing it with a capital H; him alludes to an individual, not to the Deity, or to Jove. There is no necessity for straining for any remote sense in explanation of the pasStige; but the fact must be considered and remembered (as clearly shown from the beginning of the scene) that Bertram has pleaded with Diana "not to strive against his vows," and just ex- claimed "How deeply I have sworn!" and that Diana now is argumentatively expressing to Bertram her total disbelief in the sincerity of his vows and protestations, and at the same time strongly insinuating that his love cannot be true love, insofar that he is seeking to compass her downfall rather all's well the ends well. 99 than her happiness and well-being : — with this remembered, it will then only be necessary to ascertain the real meaning of "ill" and the phrase "This has no holding." Here «'H== ruin, misfortune. " This" refers to vow or oath. But, perhaps, we can more briefly convey the meaning by resort- ing to temporary interpolations, as follows : 'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth; But the plain single vow that is vow'd true. What is not holy, that we swear not by, But (generally) take the highest (most sacred object) to wit- Then, pray you, tell me, [ness: If I should swear by Jove's great attributes I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths, When I did love you to your ill ? (ruin, misfortune) This (such a vow) has no holding, [no value, no binding force, no substance) As to swear by one whom I protest to love, While that I did work against him. rthat is, to his (your) disadvantage or destruction) Therefore, your oaths Are words, and poor conditions, (tendei:s), yet unseal'd ; At least in my opinion. The fourth line above can be read, "when that I should work against him ;" or, ''whilst I do, or shall, work against him" — ^just as the reader pleases. True, the metre is slightly marred, but that is unimportant in comparison to arriving at a distinct understanding of the passage, and besides is nothing unusual to find in Shakespeare. Tt is not of much consequence whether the italicised words as, one, and yet, are retained or not; but it is essential, if it is not desired to let the passage remain a puzzle to readers, that to your, while, and did, should be inserted. In truth, to make the matter plainer, perliaps it ivould be well to strike out this in the fourth line, and read — "When I did love you to your ill? Such vow has no holding." But this over-fills the measure, and editors would not permit it. » , » . Diana — I see that men make ropes, in such a soarre. That we'll forsake ourselve-s. In this, some editors adhere to "ropes," but the majority incline to "hopes" as the correct word. With due respect to all, we take it that none .are right, but that perhapa it should read thus: I see that men make oaths, in such a siege, That we'll forsake (yield) onrsclves. See throughout, "Tis not the many oath.'< that make the 100 all's well that BND8 WELL. truth;" "would you believe my oaths;" "your oaths are words;" "all men have the like oaths." Ton say, this convicts Shakespeare of repetition; we reply, true; but since he has used the word four times in the same short scene, why may he not have done so five ? As to the word "siege" being proper, it can be sustained by the twentieth line of act 3, scene 7, of this play, where Bertram is described as doini; the very thing whereat he is engaged in this scene : — "The count he woos your daughter, Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty," which, by the way, is a splendidly poetical line, we deem. Also in Cymbeline, 3, 4, 128 — "That Cloten, whose love-suit h!\,th been to me As fearful as a siege." Rowe reads, "make hopes, in such affairs ;" Malone, "in such a scene;" Collier, "in such a suit;" Dyce, "in such a case ." Now all these words may justly be considered iden- tical with siege as applied in the passage, and indirectly help to confirm the latter as the true text. The whole may be literally translated as meaning : "Well, I see that you men, in your love sieges, profifer vows and promises freely, in order to win us to you liking and cause us to forget our honor." But the reading in which we have the greatest faitli as being the most probably correct, runs — I see that men make loves in such a service That we'll forsake ourselves. Now continue to remember that the subject of discourse is love, that Bertram is all the while strongly making love to Diana, and that his last remark — to which the above forms a harmonizing answer — is as follows, and then say what word she would use other than the vei'y natural one here given ? — ' 'Say thou art mine, and ever My love as it begins shall so perserver." The expressions, '"to make love" and "making love," are as old as the hills, are general, common, natural, and are employed still in every-day conversation. "Love and ser- vice" are conjoined in many sentences throughout the text; this is not much evidence, but we give a few instances any- how: "Ay, gentle TUurio, for you know that love all's well that ends well. 101 Will creep in »ermce where it cannot go." T. G. of V. 4. «. "A fool, sir, at a woman's service." A. W. 4, 5. "And sueh a piece of service will you do, If you oppose yourselves to match Lord Warwick." 3 Henry VI., 5. 1. But a strong and fair confirmation is in the passage just above : — Ber. — But I love thee By lore's own sweet contraint, and will for ever Do thVe all rights of service, Diana — Ay, so you ttrve us Till we serve you. Apparently, the letters in "soarre" have accidently become transposed ; or if not, it is most probable the printer was unable tc read the indistinctly written manuscript, and so construed "service" into "scarre." At all events, the adop- tion of either of the emendations proposed will give to the lines. a more understandable and poetical signification than they now possess. We would say that if "service" is unsatisfactory, there remain many other words that would answer as well, such a* scheme, course, spirit, form, shape, sort, way, siege, as- sault, etc. But as to "love or loves," we are fully convinced that is right at least, and shall adhere to the version given until some one else establishes a better. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. —000- ACT II— SCENE 1. Don Pedro — I will in the interim undertake one of Her- cules' labours; which is, to bring Signior Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a mountain of affection the one with the other. "A mountain of aflfection" is an expression that lias led to much discussion. It gave great uneasiness to Johnson, who suggested "mooting." Malone and Steevens finally con- cluded that Shakespeare may have written it, as he has "many phrases equally harsh." The passage is parallel to the one in act ii, scene 3, 198; where Don Pedro remarks: — "The sport will be, when they hold one an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter." Here the word hold is equivalent to maintain: and the latter is the word that properly belongs in the sentence above, harmonizing as it does with the context, and applied by Shakespeare in several other passages in this play. Maintain="hold, or held, a holding of." Compare in iv. 1, 181 and lia : "Or that I yesternight Maintained the change of words with any creature. Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death." » » » ■ ♦ "She dying, as it must be so maintained." In V. a. 54 : "For them all together, which maintained so politic a state of evil that they will not admit any good," etc, And act 1, 1 : — "And never could m.aintain his part." ' ... "■Maintain a mourning ostentation." So peradventure the lines should run :— "which is, to bring Signior Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a main, tain of affection the one with the other. 102 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. 108 AOT V-SOENE 1. Leonato — And bid him speak of patience ; Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, And let it answer every strain for strain; As thus for thus, and such a grief for sueh, In every lineament, branch, shape, and form; If such a one will smile and stroke his beard, Bid sorrow wag, cry "hem !" when he should groan. Patch grief with proverbs, make misfortune drunk With candle- wasters; bring him yet to me, And I of him will gather patience. "Bid sorrow wag," etc. This is the great crMic of the play. The folio and quarto read ' 'And, sorrow, wagge, crie hem," etc. The emended reading above was suggested by Capell, and has been adopted generally by the editors. Among others proposed, Theobald has, "And sorrow wage;" Hanmer, "And sorrow waive;" Johnson, "cry, sorrow, wag;" Malone, "In sorrow wag;" the Collier MS., "Call sorrow joy, cry hem;" Heath, "And sorrowing, cry hem ; Knight, "And, 'sorrow wag,' cry; hem when ;" etc., etc. It is some- what sti'ange that so many editers have gone to the unneces- sary trouble of emending the line without once suspecting the word "wagge" to be corrupt and turning their attention to the correcting of that waggish syllable instead, which has thus evidently played the wag with them all ; for had they scanned the eleventh line just below they would have discovered a word suggested entirely suitable to replace the one in question, and which without much doubt was origin- ally written therein by the author: To those that wring under the load of sorrow. Compare also Henry V. iv. 1 : "Whose sense no more can feel But his own wringing." And Cymbeline, iii, 6: "He wrings at some distress." Again, T. A., iv. 3: "Yet wrung with wrongs more than our backs can bear." From these, it is reasonable to assume we should read — If such a one will smile and stroke his beard, And, soxvov -wrung, cry "hem !" when he should groan, Patch grief with proverbs, make misfortune drunk With candle-wasters ; bring him yet to And I of him will gather patience. "Candle-wasters." Considerable controversy has arisen as to whether this term is applied to those who waste the time in revelry, as Steevens explains it, or in study "burning the 104 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTiriNO. midnight oil," as Whalley suggests. Dyoe adopts the former, and Schmidt the latter interpretation, defining the sentence as, "drown grief with the wise saws of pedants and bookworms." Ingleby also explains it, "drown one's troubles in study." Now one of these different views may be right ; but we are inclined to believe the interpretation here should be — inasmuch as it is known Shakespeare was familiar with the Irish custom indicated — rather in this wise : "those who sit up with the dead, as at an Irish wake, where everybody forgets his grief in drunkenness." -oOo- AOT V— SCENE 1. Leonato — Therefore, give me no counsel ; My griefs cry louder than advertisement. Seymour explains this: "my griefs are too violent to be expressed in words." Rather should it be, judging from the passage generally : ' 'my griefs are too deep to be ovcr- couie by admonition or advice." oOo ACT V-SOENE 3. 8ong. Midnight, assist our moan : Help us to sigh and groan. Heavily, heavily: Graves, yawn and yield your dead. Till death be uttered, Heavily, heavily. The folio has "heavenly," which is doubtless a misprint, now changed as above. J. Hunter's edition of Much Ado, has "heavenly," and takes the meaning to be, "Let these words be uttered in a heavenly spirit until death, that is, so long as I live." (1) I doubt not "uttered" is likewise a misprint, and propose the following which explains itself :— Graves, yawn and yield your dead. Till death be interred. Heavily, heavily. See parallel idea in R. and J., 5. 3, 88; "Death , lie thou there, by a dead man interr''d. MEECHANT OF VENICE. OQO ACT I— SCENE 2. Neriasa — Plow like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nepnew 1 Portia — Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when he is best, he is a little worse than a man ; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast. "Vilely" may possibly be right; but if it is so, then the result is to cause this passage to be far less sprightly and witty than those other ones in which Portia so playfully and gayly characterizes her various suitors. In the old editions the word is spelled mdely; and we cannot but think the editors have mistakenly construed it into "vilely," whereas it should properly be "widely," in the sense of far off, dis- tantly. Portia's application of the word would then here be about equivalent to the familiar expressions, "your room is better than your company;" "the farther off you remain the better I shall be pleased," etc.; thus giving a wittier turn to her reply, and harmonizing with the general lively tone of the diallogue — " Very widely in the morning, when he is sober, and most widely in^ the afternoon, when he is drunk." -oUo — ACT III. -SCENE 2. Bassanio — Thus ornament is but the guiled shore To a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarf Veiling an Indian beauty; — in a word, The seeming truth which cunning times put on To pntrap the wisest. "An Indian beauty." That "Indian" is here used in a derogatoi-y sense is obvious ; its oonjunctui-e hero with "beauty" is certainh- contradictory, and pence the latter 105 106 MERCHANT OF TENICB. word may be justly viewed as corrupt. Yet Warburton would contend that the occurrence of "beauteous" and "beauty" in the same sentence is not at all unlike Shake- speare's manner. At least, the manner of Shakespeare is of such a kind that when he repeats, or plays upon words, he does so in a sensible way, and not in a nonsensical style, as above. Theobald desired to point the passage thus : "Veiling an Indian; beauty, in a word," etc. This was in- genious ; but assuredly not in Shakespeare's "manner." Kumerous proposals have been made by the critics to alter "beauty" to "dowdy, gipsy, idol, visage, feature, beldam," etc. However, there remain one or two more suggestions to be added to the list, that appear to have been overlooked thus far : The beauteous scarf Veiling an Indian deity. This in manuscript might easily be read by the compositor as "beauty." "Deity" appears often in the text, and is al- ways given in its proper signification of "divinity, godhe^," etc. Or possibly the phrase may run — Veiling an Indian swarthy. Shakespeare has in T. G. of V., "A swarthy Ethiope ;" and in T. A., 11. 3 :— "Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian Doth make your honour of his body's hue, Spotted, detested, and abominable." Sooty is also appropriate : it is used but once — in Othello, 1. 3: "The sooty bosom of such a thing as thou." MACBETH. -oOo- ACT I— SCENE 8. Ross — He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks, Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make, Strange images of death, as thick as tale Can post with post, and every one did bear Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence. And pour'd them down before him. Thus in the folio. The obscurity of the third and fourth lines was removed by Rowe changing them to "as thick as hail came post.'' Johnson restored "tale," explaining it as, "posts arrived as fast as they could be counted." White, however, remarks: "To say that men arrived as thick as tale, i. e., as fast as they could be told, is an admissable hyper- bole ; to say that men arrived as thick as hail, i. e., as close together as hailstones in a storm, is equally absurd and ex- jtravagant." It had occurred to us that the i-eading possibly might be — as in several passages in the text "thick" is equivalent to "quick" — As thick as Jitixte Came posb with post, — but since we have seen Mr. Leighton's version, as follows, we prefer his and renounce our own : "He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks, Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make, Strange images of death, as thick as hail. Came post with post, and every on one did bear," etc. • This mode of pointing describes, not the posts arriving "as thick as hail," but the falling of death, through the blows of Macbeth, on the Norweyan ranks. ACT I— S(5ENES. Lady Macbeth— itto)} up the access and passage to remorse. That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it ! 108 MACBETH. " Keep peace" is a phrase to wblch mauy of the editors have taken exception, deeming it inappropriate and errone- ous. Johnson suggested "keep pace;" Bailey, "keep space." Although Knight's explanation — to the effect that aught that stands between a purpose and its accomplishment may be said to keep peace between them, — is satisfactory to myself, yet notwithstanding as a new reading occurred in lieu there, of, it is here given for what it may be worth: That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep cool between The effect and it. This is partly sustained by the close combination of tlie words "purpose" and "cool" in act iv. sc 1: "This deed I'll do before this purpose eool." In act V. 1 : "I have almost forgot the taste of fears : The time has been, ray sense would.have cnoVd To hear a night-shriek." And in King John, II. 1: "Lest zeal, now melted by the windy breath Of soft petitions, pity tiud remone. Cool and congeal again to what it was." It may be added that ''calm" would also answer as well. * » * « * Lady Macbeth — Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear. Moberly interprets this as, "To bear an altered face marks fear in you and creates it in others." Guided by the con- versation in the scene, does it not rather mean? — "Only look the 'great business' boldly in the face; to change or slight Fortune's favor ever is to be liable to her vindictive retalia. tioii." oOo AOT I— SOENE 7. Macbeth — Prithee, peaee: I dare do all that may become a man ; Who dares do more is none. Lady Macbeth — What beast was't then That made you break this enterprise to me ? When you durst do it, then you were a man. Hunter wished to omit "beast," and read instead, ''What was't then;" the Collier MS. suggested "What ioatt was't then;" but neither of these emendations have been generally approved or accepted. By many readers the retort of Lady Macbeth is considered a gross vulgarism, and as totally dis- MACBETH. 109 agreeiug with the uniform high respect, love and gentleness which she extends toward her husband throughout the play: hence "beast" has been suspected to be erroneous. It would seem to be futile and uncalled for to propose to amend the text, however, since some of the editors now profess to have discovered an antithesis- between the words "man" and "beast" and are thus satisfied that the present reading is sufficiently natural and correct. Perhaps it is so in the sense indicated: but it remains doubtful, and fails to obtain the acquiescence of all as to whether the word in question be genuine or the antithesis so intended by the poet. It may not then be out of place to present a new word, inasmuch as it accords with the context perfectly and carries with it the possibility of being the true one: — WhSitjent was't, then, That made you break this enterprise to me ? "Jest" is used by Shakespeare several hundred times In various shapes and forms of course; therefore to give quota- tions in which the word appeared alone would be unavailing toward establishing the likehood of this emendation ; but when citations are added, as below, in which the word "jest" is found closely united in the same sentence with tlie word "break," itis adducing all the proof whereof the sub- ject is capable, and ought at least, though not analogous, to count as some slight confirmation of its natural right in the line, and of its having been originally placed therein by the author: — "Or is it else your pleasure Like pleasant travellers, to break a je»t Upon the company yon overtake ?"^-T. S. iv. 5. « * » * » "You break jests as braggarts do their blades, Which, God "be thanked, hurt not. "— ^V. Ado, v. 1. "Je.st" used to be spelled '■'■least-'' hence, might be mis. read into "boost." Gleel-=}e.?-i. likewise might be taken for "beast." oOo AOT II— SUKNEl. i?((/*S«.o— What, .'iir, not yet at rest? The kins^'s a-bed : He hath been in unusual pleasui-e. and Sent forth great largess to your offices : This diamond he greets your wife withal. By the name of most kind hostes.s: niid ■^but up In measureless content. '.'Shut up" has been ;i stumWiny-bloek to the eJitore and Ho MACBETH. critics ; and very curious are some of the explanations they give thereupon. Steevens defines it as "concluded ;" Malone presents a quotation containing the phrase from Stow's Annals, which is remote to the purpose and utterly inapplicable; while Schmidt explains the passage thus — "summed up all that he had to say, in expressing his mea- sureless content" — which is ingenious at least, but not right. "Shut it up" is the reading of the second folio, and Hunter says that "it" is "undoubtedly the jewel in its case !" This caps the climax. Now what is the difficulty?" Simply that the last line has been displaced, and should succeed the first — What, sir, not yet at rest ? The king's a-bed, And shut up in measureless content : He hath been in unusual pleasure, and Sent forth great largess to your offices : This diamond he greets your wife withal, By the name of most kind hostess. That is, "the king's a-bed, and is shut up (locked-in) in slumber in measureless content." In proof that "shut up" is equivalent to asleep, a-slumber, compare the following in act v. 1, of this play: Doctor — You see her eyes are open . Oent. — Ay, but tlieir sense is shut. The Tempest, 11, 1: "What, all so soon asleep ! I wish mine eyes Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts; I find They are inclin'd to do so." M. N. D., iii, 3: "And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye, Steal me awhile from my own company. " Romeo and Juliet, iv. i: "Like death, when he shuts up the day of life." "Sleep," in Macbeth, is called "death's counterfeit." -oOn- AOT II— SCENE 4. Rosn—Thon see.st, the heavens, as troubled with man's act. Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock't is day. And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. Is't night's predominance, or the day's shame. That darkness does the face of earth entomb, When living light should kiss it ? "The travailling lampe" is the reading in the folio. The modern distinction between travel and travail was unknown in Shakespeare's day, eitlier term being used interchange- ably without reference to the meaning. Collier gave the MACBETH. Ill preference to travailing as "having rafe»ence to the struggle between the sun and night;" but Dyce points out that, as the -word sun has not been previously tiiimed in the passage, "the word Zamp ceases 'to signify the sun" if travelling is changed to travailing. But it is not necessary the sun should be mentioned or to suppose that the word lamp signifies the sun; for it is the struggling light of day which is referred to in the passage as being strangled by the darkness, not the travelling lamp or sun : hence in all probability the word lamp is a misprint for light, and the lines should run — Bv the clock't is day. And yet dark night strangles the travailing light. "Light" refers to "day" of the preceding line; and that it is the correct word to substitute for "lamp" is corrobor- ated by the word occurring in ihe third line below — "when living light should kiss it." Thns the sentence may be para- phrased . as, "The darkness of the night overpowers and strangles the laboring light of the day." -oOn- ACiT JU— SOF.NE 1, Maob»th — To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus. This is explained by Abbott as "to be thus (that is. to reign) is nothing; but to be safely thus is something " Does it rather not mean ? — "to be thus (that i.s, to be king) is nothing; but to be safely thus is the important considera- tion, or point." ooo AOT I/I -SCENE 4. Machete — Or be alive again, And dare me to the desert with thy sword ; If trembling I inhabit then, protest me The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow ! "If trembling I inhabit then," has given rise to numerous emendations, such as "inhibit, then," by Pope; "exhibit," by Collier; "evince," "evade," etc., by others; but none are needed. Explanations have been equally numerous, many of which are far from being either happy, probable, or satis- factory. Schmidt defines "inhabit" as, "to take as a habit (whether a costume or a custom,) to do on,,' Moberly ren- ders it, "If I keep house, shrink under shelter.', Henley takes it to be, "If I, through fear, remain trembling in my IVi MACBETH. castle." These general ezplanationR are all very well; but, perhaps, maybe deemed as hardly definite enough; so I pre- fer to considpr "inhabit" as here equivalent to "possess;" that is, "If trembling fear possess me then." This inter- pretation is borne out by several passages in Henry V, iv, 1: "Yet, in reason, no man should possess him with any ap- pearance of fear, lest he, by showing it, should dishearten his army," ' 'O God of battles ! steel my soldiers' hearts ! Possess them not with/«ar .' take from them now The sense of reckoning of the opposed numbers !" In King John IV. 2: ' 'Why seek'st thou to possess me with fears ?" And 1 Henry IV., B: "The thieves are scatter'd, a,ad possessed y/ith fear So strongly, that they dare not meet each other." From these, it may reasonably be inferred that "fear" is merely an elliptical omission in the passage — necessary to the comprehension of the sentence, though it is not required or advisable that it should be inserted in the line — which would make the full reading to be : "If trembling I fear in- habit (possess) then, protest me the baby of a girl." OQO — AOT IIl-SOENE e. Lennox — For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late. Who cannot want tjie thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm aud for Donalbain To kill their gracious father ? damn'd fact ! How it did grieve Macbeth ! "Who cannot want the thought" is a phrase that has been much disputed. As Malone indicated, the sense of the passage seems to require "can" in place of "cannot." White proposed the joining of the sentence to the preced- ing one (men must not walk too late who cannot help think- ing, etc.,) but npon further reflection concluded that Malone may have been right, and that "the disagreement between the words and the thought is due to the confusion of thought which Shakspeare may have sometimes shared with inferior intellects." The probability is that "want the" is a mis- print, which, remedied, will cause the incongruity to dis- appear: Who cannot but have thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm and Donalbain To kill their gracious father ? damn'd fact ! Faet=^eeA. MACBETH. 113 ACT IV-SCENE 2. Rosa — But cruel are the times, when we are traitors And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour From what we fear, yet know not what we fear, But float upon a wild and violent sea ' Each way and move. Various have been the modes suggested of emending the last line. Johnson proposed "each way, and move;" Steevens, "And each way move;" Capell, "And move each way:" Ingleby, "which way we move," or "each day a new one" (of rumours); Theobald, '"'each way and wave;" the Cam- bridge editors, "each way, and none;" Leighton, "each way- ward move." This would seem to have nearly exhausted the sea of conjecture, but not so, for there remains one more phrase which will apply that has the merit of being used by Shakespeare in its entire form, and employed in almost simillar passages : When we hold rumour From what we fear, yet know not what we fear, But float upon a wild and violent sea, Each sway of motion, Compare how Shakespeare applies "sway" and "motion:" "This sway of motion, this commodity, Makes it take head from all indifferoncy, From all direction, purpose, course, intent,'. — K.J.,11,^. * * » • "Within this bosom never enter'd yet The dreadful motion of a murd'rous thought. " — JJ.iv, 3. » * » * " Let not the world see fear and distrust Uovern the motion of a kingly eye." — 7*. v. 1, » » » "Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth Shakes like a thing unflrm ?"— J. C, 1. 3. oOo ACT IV— SOKNES. Malcolm— 'Ro'w we'll together, and tlie chance of goodness Be like our warranted quarrel ! Hanmer gave "our chance, in goodness," and .Johnson proposed 'the chance, O goodness." The Cambridge editors paraphrased, " May the chance of success be as certain as the .justice of our quarrel ;"— but this does not altogether express the poet's idea. Staunton deflnes "be-like" as equiva- lent to "approve, favour." The general sense of the passage is clear, and all these explanations are readily deduced there- from; but to obtain the exact words which Shakespeare most probably wrote it will be necessary fust to quote from 114 MACBETH Holinshed's history, whence the former derived many of his phrases, to show the true expression which ought to replace that of "goodness." In the part relating to King John, Holinshed says: "Thus, by means of this good success, the countries of Poictou, Touraine and Anjou, were recovered. " Success here means "issue," as it does in many places throughout Shakespeare; and the probability is that "good- ness" is a misprint for "good success," i.'e. happy issue. Besides, the poet uses the term similarly in 3 Henry VI, Coriolanus, A. and C, and King Lear. Further, from the exclamatory point, it is obvious that the passage partalies of the nature of an invocation,, and not that of comparison; henc* the word "be likj" may also be regarded as a typographical error for " betide;" so leading to the fair inference that the lines should run — ; Now we'll together, and th' chance of good success Betide our warranted quarrel ! That is, "Now we'll away together, and may the chance of successful issue befall our righteous cause !" oOo — ACT V— SCENE 5. Macbeth — I pull in resolution, and begin To doubt the equivocation of tlie fiend That lies like truth. Doubt=suspect, mistrust. — "Pull in" has been conjectured as, "rein in," "pall in," "pale in." May not the proper reading be ? — I fail in resolution, and begin To doubt the equivocation of the fiend That lies like truth. ROMEO AND JUXIET. -oOo- AOT I— SCENE 1. Prince — Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Profaners of this neighbor-stained steel, — Will they not hear 1 "Steel" was conjectured by David to be a misprint for "soil." He very nearly hit upon the word, but not quite; for the true one required is undoubtedly "street," as will be plainly seen from the ninth and fouiteenth lines just .below— "Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets." « * « » "If ever you disturb our streets again. Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace." And in v. 3, 191 : "The people in the street cry Romeo." * » * ^ Benvolio — I, measuring his affections by my own. Which then most sought where most might not be found- Being one too many by my weary self, Pursued ray humour not pursuing his. And gladly shiinn'd who gladly flee from me. "AflFections"=feelings, inclinations. The second "most" in the second line somewhat confuses the meaning to the reader, and is possibly a misprint for 'many," as the recur- rence in the third line of the latter word would seem to in- dicate that it had thus been suggested the one by the other : Which then most sought where man}/ (others) might not be Being one too mani/ by ray weary self, [found, Pursued my humour not pursuing his. That is, "I.. like Komeo, being disinclined for society ^ 115 ► 116 iSOKEO AHD JULIET. sought to be most where many people were not to be met, being already one too many even when by myself, and fol- lowed my own mood and meditations in not following to trouble his." Shakespeare uses " many" to signify "many people, or many others" in act 1, scene 3: '•That book in many's eyes doth share the glory. That in gold clasps locks lu the golden story." In the Sonnets 03, 7: "In many's looks," etc. » » * * * Borneo — Love is a smoke rais'd with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes ; Being vex'd, a sea nourish 'd with lovers' tears. "Purg'd," That is, -'purg'd from smoke," as Schmidt explains it. But this is unsatisfactory, and leaves the ex- planation itself to be explained, if possible. Johnson re-- garded the word as wrong, and suggested "urg'd" instead ; the Collier Corrector gave "puff'd ;" but neither have been adopted. Now "rage" is a word frequently employed by Shakespeare in connection with the wind, passions, seas, and love, and would he appropriate to the line — Being rag'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes ; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears. Compare in Richard II., 2. I: The king is come: deal mildly with his youth ; For young hot colts, being rag'd, do rage the more . Here the exact expression is found, and it tits in admir-« ably. "Purg'd" is decidedly nonsensical. ACT I— SUKNE 'i. Gapulet — The'earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she, She is the hopeful lady of my earth. Evidently, "earth" of the last line was suggested by that in the first, and it is highly requisite to know what real mean- ing attaches to the last "earth." Ulrici understands it as, "my world, my life;" Mason explains it as "my corporal part;" while Steevens and Schmidt take it is "my lands, my landed property." At ono time T had thought "earth" in- correct, and of reading — She is the hopeful lady of my hearth — but am now satisfied that it is right, and simply means "my earthlier person or body," "the offspring of my body," or as Mason aptly says, "my corporal part," By reference to UOMBO AND JDLIBT. 117 note in Julius Csesar, citations will there be found sustain ing this view; and even in this play the word is several times employed in the sense indicated. Compare act 2, scene 1: "Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out." Here "dull earth," as Clarke says, "is Romeo's epithet for his small world of man, the earthlier portion of himself." And Juliet in 3, 3 : "Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here : And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier." Also Sonnet 146. 1: "Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth." These ought to be sufScient to establish that Uhici, 8tee- vens and Schmidt's interpretations are incorrect, and that Shakespeare often means by "earth "="bodily being, cor- poral part, earthly being." -oOo- ACT ril— SCENES. Juliet — Spread thy close curtain, love-perfox-ming night, That runaways' eyes may wink, and Romeo Leap to these arms, untalk'd of and unseen. "That runaways' eyes may wink." This is the great crux in Shakespeare, and has caused more controversy and dis- cussion than aoy other sentence in the writings of the dramatist. Rolfe says, "the condensed summary of the comments upon it Alls twenty-eight octavo pages of fine print in Furness' V. edition." Innumerable have been the at- tempts at emendation: consisting, among others, of "Renomy (Pr. Renommee) Rumour's rumourers," Cynthia's, enemies, rude day's, curious, sunny day's, runagates, etc., etc. But none of the many suggestions presented have been fully satisfactory, and conseqilently the majority of the editors still adhere to the original folio reading of "runaways," although nine. tenths of their readers are dissatisfied there- with and cannot be brought to the belief that Juliet is re- ferring to "vagabonds, rascals, thieves, and runagates," as interpreted and embraced in the word "runaways:" but pre- ferring rather to think and believe tliat the more natural thought to occupy her mind at the time would be in regard to her surrounding friends and near relatives, whose "eyes" she most might wish to "wink," and from whom she had most reason to apprehend interruption or opposition. The early editions print it as a compound word — "nin-aways, or 118 BOMJBIO- AND JTTLrET. nm-awaies." Personally then the word being unacceptable as applied, and being as it wereuniTersally regard as cor- rupt, it should be allowable to any one to approach the sub- ject with perfect freedom in order to give to the line such a reading as may be accordant with his views, without incur- ring the "wafture of the hand" wherewith so many editors summarily dismiss all interferers from the sacred text, under threat of rousing the "sleeping lion." They forget it is not the true and authorized text of Shakespeare himself that anjT one wishes or presumes to correct, but only the errors and corruptions of the unskilled early editors and printers, who left on record, according to Mr. Collier, no less than twenty thousand mistakes and irregularities therein. Assum- ing the liberty here advocated, the writer proposes oflfering several new renderings, sustained by divers citations, in the hope that they may not prove altogether unprofitable toward the solution of the problem; first — That surveyors' eyes may wink, and Romeo Leap to these arms, nntalk'd of and unseen. '•Snrvoyors"=observer8, lookers-on, beholders; it is often found in Shakespeare, is a plain, natural expression, and gives a common-sense turn to the line, such as the text does not possess: nor does it derogate from the poetical qualities of the passage in general, as in the case of "runaways." In hand-writing it bears a semblance to "runaways," and, supposing a slightly blurred or illegible penmanship, might easily be mis-read and misprinted therefor. Compare the following, especially where "survey or surveying," appears in connection with "eye" — "Whose beauty did astonish the survey Of richest eyes, whose words all ears took captive." All's Well, 5. 3. "And thou, thrice-crown'd queen of night, survey With they chaste eye. from thy pale sphere above." A. r. L., 3. 1. " Besides I say and will in battle prove, Or here or elsewhere to the furthest verge - That ever was survey 'd by English eye." RieTiard IL, 1. 1. "Which here thou viewest, belwildest. surveyest. or seest " L. L. L., 1. 1. '^^^ r Norweyan lord surveying vantage, With furbiBh'd arms and new supplies of men Began a fresh assault." ifacbetfi, 1. 2. "And time, that takes survey of all the world. Must have a stop." ] ffgnrj, TV., 5. 4. ROMEO AND JULIET. 119 Another word, possibly somewhat commonplace, but still preferable to "runaways," algo often employed by the author, would cause the line to run — "That every ones' eyes may wink, and Komeo," etc. "Every and every one" are also frequently brought in con- junction with "eye;" as note: "invisible to every eyeball else; in the eye of every exercise; that blind rascally boy that abuses every ones' eyes, because his own are out; A. T. L., 4. 1; every wink of an eye, some new grace will be born. — TT. T., 5. 2; blow the horrid deed in every eye, — Mae. 1. 7; his liberal eye doth give to every one, — Henry V, 3. 1 cJior; were tried by every tongue, every eye, — Henry VIII, 3. I; care keeps his watch in every old man's eye, — B. and J. 3.3. A word suitable in imagery and beauty to Juliet's magni- ficent "Hymn to the Night" may be found in firmament — "That th' firmament's eyes may wink." "Eyes" here would be equivalent to Hamlet's "wandering stars of night." Shakespeare in Richard II, calls the sun the "eye of heaven, the searching eye of heaven." King Lear has, "the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled ;" and Hamlet, "This brave o'er-hanging firmament." Oanopy would likewise be appropriate. Many other words might be suggested, such as, "unfavoring, wandering, beholders, cni- sorax-y," etc.: but of all, the writer prefers reading — Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night. That uufav'ring eyes may wink, and Romeo Leap to these arms, untalk'd of and unseen. AOT V— SCENE 1. Knmeo—K I may trust the flattering' truth of sleep, My dreams presage some joyful news at hand. "Truth." The first quarto has "flattering eye," which mauy editors adopt. The Collier Corrector gives "flatter- ing death;" White, "flattering sooth" (—augury, or prog- nosticate). Personally none of these versions are acceptable, while I cannot but consider "truth" as an error, and would reail — If I may trust the flattering breath of sleep, My dreams presage some joyful news at hand. Dreams are thus represented as the flattering hren.th ol' sleep, to our imagination a highly poetical and beautiful conception, and restoring a long-hidden image of the poet. 130 KOMKO AND J0I/IET. This Tiew is favored by the sixth line below, where Romeo describes the "strange dream" as having "Breath'd such life with kisses in my lips, That I reviv'd, and was an emperor." Shakespeare often uses "breath" as synonymous with language, tongue, voice. Compare M. If. D., 2. 1 : "Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath That the rude sea grew civil at her song.' ' Also T. N., 2. 8. SI: "8o sweet a breath to sing ;" and M. 2f. D., 3.3.44: "O, why rebuke you him that loves you so ? Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe." Again in M. for M., 8, 1. 122: "Shall we thus permit A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall On him so near us?" "When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife." O. of K, 3. S. HAMLET. -oOo- ACT I— SOENK 2. Hamlet — Frailty, thy name is woman ! — A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she foUow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears, — "Or ere," a reduplication, or being—before. "Shoes" is the reading of Knight and of editions generally. It detracts from the poetry of the passage and 'tis altogether absurd to suppose that Hamlet is thinking of the shoes which his mother wore when she followed her husband to the grave. Some commentators profess to see a bitter sarcasm in the expression as it stands; but we would rather dispense with the irony, and prefer having the poetry; therefore would read — Or ere those shows (of grief) were old With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears, — We believe in restoring, not only the word, but the idea of the author whenever possible: and we believe shows is what Shakespeare really wrote and intended, and are borne out in this opinion by the passage just above:— " Nor the dejected haviour of the visage. Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief That can denote me truly; these indeed seem, For they are actions that a man might play: But I have that within which passeth show; These but the trappings and the suius of woe." A like error occurs in King John ii, 1, where "shoes" ibould be "shows," i. e. looks — "As great Aloides' (robe) shows upon an ass." oOn ACT I— SCENE 4. Hamlet— The dram of eale Doth all the noble substanee of a doubt To his own scandal. 121 132 HAMLKT. There is no difiiculty in knowing the general meaning of this passage, insofar as that is sufficiently manifest from the preceding words, whereof it is clearly a figurative summing up or corollary. The thought is that of a small leaveu of evil corrupting the entire mass of "noble substance:" and many words of that sense, such as ill, base, vile, soil, leavtn, taint, etc., have been suggested to supply the place of "eale." So numerous have been the emendations proposed as to iill six or seven closely printed pages in Furness's Vari- orum edition with a mere synopsis of them, some of which are fair and plausible, while others are absurd and non- sensical. White, in commenting, says: "I will leave this grossly-corrupt passage unchanged, because none of the at- tempts to restore it seem to me to be even worth recording, and I am unable to better them." But the trouble lies not so much with the rectification of "eale" (which without much question must be either evil, leaven, base, or ill, no such word as "eale" existing in the English language,) as in the emending of the phrase "of a doubt," now generally changed to "oft or often dout"(=do out, efface) "oft corrupt, " "ever dout,"etc. As then so many attempts have already been made, it may seem futile to offer additional suggestions; but the passage remaining a source of fruitful conjecture we here venture, "under leave of Brutus and the rest," to give several new renderings that have recently occurred to us. First it may be said, that "dram" here signifies, not a liquid, or distilled liquors, but an indefinitely small quantity, a grain, particle, atom; in this sense it is also used by Dryden, who has, "no dram of judgment;" and Quarles' Emblems, b. ii. E. 7 : "Where every dram of gold contains a pound of dross;" in Spencer's Fairie Queene : "A dram of sweet is worth," etc.; and now-a-days it would be spelled "drachm." "His own scandal." His, of course, is grammatically understood as its/ and scandal here has been rightly defined as reproach, dis- (jraoe. These noted, the words may run — The dram of base Doth all the noble substance oft loeirjh down. To its own scandal. "Base, or baseness," (identical in meaning with the author) is very often employed by him as synonymous with evil, vile- ness, vice, etc. This reading is sustained by the following from Cymbeline, 3. 5. 88 : "Where is thy lady ... Is she with Posthumus '! Prom whose so many weights of baseness cannot A dram of wortli be drawn." HAiBIiElT. lag "Worth" may be here reasonably eoiiisidered as equivalent to "noble substance." Also Timon of AtTimt, v. 1: "And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd render, Together with a recompence more fruitful Than their offence can weigh down by the dram." In All's Well, 3. 4. 31, there is a sentence indirectly favoring : — "Write, write, Rinaldo, To this unworthy, husband of hifi wife ; Let every word weigh heavy of her worth That he doth weigh too light." This proposed reading harmonizes completely with all that precedes it in Hamlet's speech. Next, we may emend by — The dram of leaven Doth all the noble substance often drown, To its own scandal. " Leaven" occurred to me long before I saw recently ill Furness's Variorum that It had already been proposed by Cartwright; and it has also been advocated by Hudson in his edition of Mamlet, published about two months' ago. It is supported by the seventh line above in the same pas- sage, "o'er-leavens ;" and by Cymbeline, S. 4: "And Sinon's weeping Did scandal many a holy tear, took pity From most true wretchedness; so thoa, Posthumus, Wilt lay the leaven on all proper men ; Goodly and gallant shall be false and perjured From thy great fail." Also Matt. XVI: "Beware the leamen of thePharisses and Sadducess;" and 1 Cor. v, : "A little leaven leaveueth the whole lump." As to drown, it is used by Shakespeare in the sense of "o'erwhelm," "extinguish," and can be justi- fied by reference to Hamlet, iv. 7, 189, where, by the way, a similar error or point deeds correcting: "I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze, But that this folly douts it." In the quarto and later folios the word douU of the last Hue reads drowns. Now it is olsar and evident the quartos and later folios are right, insofar as Laertes' figurative lan- guage naturally implies that the "speech of fire," or "blaze" is " drown'd" "extinguish'd," "overwl-elm'd," by "this folly," i. e. the weak and womanly tears that spring to his (Laertes') eyes at tlie drowning of Ophelia. It is like- wise indirectly substantiated by his remark in the sixth line 134 HAMLET. above, where he speaks of "water" — a word equally as- sociated with "drowns :" — "Too much of water hast tbou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears : but Yet it is our trick ; nature her custom holds." In this case, why then should not drowns be restored to the text, since it is the better word, and besides is found in the quartos and later folios? In hundreds of instances the quarto readings have been preferred and adopted to those of the first folio; why not then here ? why this exception ? So if it be established that drowns should properly supersede douU in this case, it should likewise take its place in the passage at issue, where "douts or doubts" really means nothing intelligable, and is, therefore, doubly nonsensical. Like mistakes in regard to "doubt or douts" have already been pointed out in Henry V, 4. 2. 13; and the Tempest, 3. 1; and as in all of these instances "drown or drowns" is plainly more suitable, it may hence reasonably be questioned whether Shakespeare ever wrote doubts in either, all being typographical blunders. These are the only four passages in Shakespeare where the word "douts or doubts" occurs, and in all of them it is wrong. But where ever else the genuine word — doubt — is met with, it will be found used by the poet in its proper place and sense, there and then, and easily recognizable by the reader; as, for instance, in this play 2. 3, where it is right : "Doubt thou the stars are fire: Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love." So without doubt we should read the couplet — "1 have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze, ^ut that this folly drowns it." There remains still another emendation; but it is neces- sary to state that it springs from the writer's belief that the passage in question has by some unaccountable accident lost a line — perhaps dropped out in the printing — and hence the main difficulty and its chief corruption. This belief is sup- ported by a remark of Mr. White, who, in discussing the same subject, apparently entertained the same supposition : "But it occurs to me that the corruption lurks in a part of the passage hitherto unsuspected." However, before under- taking to snpply the cmiission then, it must be understood the writer does not presume or venture to present his own words in the supposed missing portion ; but that the line in- HAMLET. 185 terpolated is a piece of patch-work composed of sentences taken from Cymbeline which bear on the same idea. One of these passages has already been quoted above in this note, and the reader can refer to it; the other is also in Cymbeline, 3. 4:— "All good seeming By the revolt, O husband, shall be thought Put on for villany." This clearly understood, the suggested reading might run — The dram of leaven Doth all the noble substance of a deed. Good and gallant, make seem put on for false, To its own scandal. It may however be added, that this reading, being unsure and dubious, it hence were safer to entertain either of the two emendations previously given, of which the first is decidedly preferred by the present writer, as affording a clear and consistent meaning at least. oOo AOT IV-SOENE 2. Bosencmntz — My lord, you must tell us where the body is and go with us to the king. Hamlet— Tht body is with the king, but the king is not with the body." Of Hamlet's reply, Rolfe remarks: "If this is not meant to be nonsense, the commentators have made nothing else of it." The answer has reference to the body of Polonius and is evidently but a slight equivocation or play on the words. Throughout this scene Hamlet has "put au antic disposition on," and is talking oddly in order to baffle all questioning, but yet expresses himself witli an undercurrent of truth and sense. I would suggest as the proper interpretation, (re- quired to be carried in the mind of the reader) that the meaning may perhaps be such as the accompanying interpo- lations denote : "The body if with the king (of Heaven), but the king (of Denmark) is not with the body." This view is confirmed further on, in act 4, scene 3, 33-3: mng— Where is Polonius ? Hamlet— In heaven; send thither to see: if your messenger find him not there, seek him i' the other place yourselt. oOo ACT V— SCENE 1. Hamlet— 'S-nonnAs, show me what thou 'It do: Woo't weep? woo't fight? woo't fast? woo't tear thyself ? Woo't drink up eisel ? eat a crocodile ? I'll do't. 136 HAMLET. "Eisel." This word constitutes the huge stumbliuf^-block, the utter despair of editors and critics. The great Shake- spearian scholar, Furness, sums up the voluminous com- ments of the different commentators, and remarks : " With the exception of the dram of eale, no word or phrase in this tragedy has occasioned more discussion than this E»ill (in the quartos) or Esile (in the folio), which, as it stands, re- presents nothing in the heavens above, or the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth." Theobald long ago sug- gested that the word either represents the name of a river (as the Yssel) or is an old word meaning vinegar. It may be true that there is an old Anglo-Saxon word, aisil, which means vinegar; and also that it appears in Sonnet iii. 10, (but in an entirely diflFerent application): •'I will drink Potions of eisel 'gainst my strong infection ;" vinegar being esteemed a protection against contagion; — all this may be true, but still it is difficult to see how it applies, or why Shakespeare should have been thinking of vinegar and employed the word aisil in the passage, even though the whole speech of Hamlet is intended to be exaggerated and hyperbolical. It is certainly a harder feat to drink up a river than to drink vinegar: and as Hamlet undertook to perform some of the most wonderful things, it is preferable to believe be here meant to swallow, not vinegar, but a river: but not the Yssel, as that stream is entirely too small to cor- respond either with his proposal or character. In lieu thereof then, we propose that he should offer to imbibe a larger quantity of water : — Woo't drink up MIuh ? eat a crocodile ? I'll do 't. It is extremely doubtful as to weather Shakespeare ever heard of such an obscure brook as the Yssel ; and had he even had such geographical knowledge it is altogether likely that he would not have adopted it merely because the stream happened to be locally near the scene of his tragedy, for the employment of the name of Yssel would have been unreco- gnizable and unknown to his hearers, the majority of whom at least must have been ignorant of it, and the author wrote for hearers, not readers: but in regard to the Nile or Nilus, how familiar was it to his own tongue and pen, how well known to everybody in general," and how appropriate in the speech of the scholarly Hamlet. The poet was a man who would much prefer to maks a thus broad and coraprehensi- HAMLKT. 187 ble allusion than to adhere to a merely local name for the sake of observing a petty accuracy in his writings. Who is it that ever hears of a 'crocodile -without instinctively as- sociating it with the Nile,- or the Nile without naturally thinking of the crocodile 1 The two words are interchange- able, and almost locked together. The line really sounds as if it were an ordinary household phrase on the' tongue of every Englishman of that day, and hencB came pat to the thought and pen of the author, and to the ears of his audi- ence; it fairly jingles and rhymes — Woo't drink up the Nile ? Or eat a crocodile ? Observe how often Shakespeare uses Nile or Nilus in Antony and Cleopatra and Titus Andronicus; I cite a few detached phrases: " My serpent -pf old Nile; melt Egypt into Nile; outvenoms all the worms of Nile: overflowing Nilus' presageth ; that quickens Nilus' slime; the higher Nilus' swells; hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus; like Nilus, it dis- daineth bound& ;" etc. In Antony & Cleopatra, act 3, scene 7, Antony gives Lepidus a full account of the Nile and crocodile, showing that Shakespeare naturally connected and associated the amphibious animal with Egypt's river, and the reverse. OQO AOT V-SOENE 2. Hamlet — An earnest conjuration from the king. As England was his faithful tributary. As love between them like the palm might flourish, As peace should still her wheaten garland wear And stand a comma 'tween their amities, And many such like as's of graat charge, That,— "A comma. " Moberly explains this, "so as to separate them as little as possible ;" Schmidt, "keep their amities from falling together by the ears." Hanmer, followed by White and Hudson, reads "cement." The last version is cer- tainly more plausible and preferable; but it hardly fits in the line, and reads very awkwardly. In the three other only instances where Shakespeare applies the word, it is done naturally and properly; as, "burned in their cement;" "may cement their divisions;" and "as the cement of our love.". "Comma" is of course a corrupt word, and all explanations of it must necessarily be mere guess-work founded upon the meaning apparent from connection with the context ; so in guessing, Schmidt and Mobevly's interpretations may be 1>8 HAMLBT. considered sufSoiently adequate and may possibly answer every purpose. But as it is at all times better to restore the right word to the text, the following is here inserted as being in all probability the true one : — As love between them like the palm might flourish, As peace should still her wheaten garland wear And stand a calm between their amities. "Calm, calmed, and calmly" are very often employed by Shakespeare in various senses of course. Of this, compare Trolius and C, 1. 8-100: "The unity and married calm of itates." ^ * ♦ « "A soul as even as a calm." Senry VIII, 3. 1. » » , * « "The cankers of a calm world and a long^eac*." 1 Henry lY, 4. 3. » » ♦ ♦ ' "But heaven hath a hand in these events, To whose high will we bound our calm contents." Richard II, v. 3. "And calmlg run on in obedience Even to our ocean, to our great King John." K. J. v. 4. OTHELLO. -oOo- A(JT I— SCENE 1. lago—KnA what was he ? Forsooth, » great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife, That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a battle knows More than a spinster. A wonderful amount of ingenuity has been expended in the endeavour to rectify and explain the fourth line, and it still remains one of the great problems in Shakespeare. Mr. Hudson says that, "as the line stands, it can hardly be ex- plained to any fitting sense, but by methods too subtle and recondite to answer the demands of a calm and well poised judgment." We fully and entirely agree with him in this opinion. Sixteen editors, Innumerable commentators and critics generally for the past two hundred and fifty years, have considered the line corrupt and sought by every imagin- able mode to emend it. Therefore, it may be be granted that it is corrupt ; yet a late writer has attempted to justify and explain it. If then, from this general opinion, the sen- tence be erroneous, it is but fair to assume the question an open one, wherewith any one is justifiable in taking a liberty in order to supply the most probable meaning of Shake- speare, so unluckily lost through error of the early printers, rather than to accept the original of the folio and be con- strained to believe, as the said writer woi|ild havens, that the line refers to Oassio's connection with Bianca: in which case the sense either is, as this critic contends, "a fellow almost cracked after a good-looking Wench, " or the more general paraphrase of "a fellow who would almost sell hiiriself to the devil for the sake of a pretty woman !" Shade of Shake- speare, look down and authorize that any degree of violence should be taken with this line to arrive at, your intended 139 130 OTUBIyLO. meaning, rather than that such an idea and interpretation should be aflSxed to it and permitted 1o exist among your critics ! Either let editors omit it altogether from the text, or give to it some consistent meaning. As the boy who was digging for woodcbucks said to the inquiring stranger, "There is no fresh meat in the house, and something has got to be done:" so in respect to the line at issue, as the folio reading is thought to be nonsensical and dubious, something positive has got to be proposed to make it at least under- standable and sensible, and at the same time in accordance with the context. Under the circumstances then, instead of the old reading, we present the following new rendering : A fellow aXuiost fram' d in a, form 'o wax. This well harmonizes with the succeeding lines, and agrees with the sneering and contemptuous manner in which lago throughout the play often speaks of the handsomeness of Cassio's person, apparently basing his scheme partly upon that circumstance as an aid to the furtherance of the latter's ruin : "Cassio's a proper man." "He has a person, and a smooth dispose, To be suspected; fram'd to make woman false." "Besides, the knave is handsome, young: and hath all those requisites in him that folly and green minds look after." In the above, the implied comparison seems to be a favorite one with Shakespeare, as witness ; "To you your father should be as a god ; One that composed your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax, By him imprinted, and within his power To leave the figure, or disfigure it." M.W.D.1.-1.4Q. "Why he's a man of wax." R. and J., "Thy noble shape is but a form of wax. Digressing from the valour of a man." R. and J., 3. 3. 136. In regard to the phrase being a natural one and in com- mon use in Shakespeare's day, see how it is applied by other writers of that period : Lily, Euphues. and Ms England: "So exquisite that for shape he must be framed in ics mo tooffer— 134 OTHELIX). "Therefor my hopes, not buffeted to death, Stand in bold cure." Herein a metaphor is implied, which may have been sug- gested by the supposed rude buffetings of the ' ' stormy ele- ment" and "dangerous seas" through which Cassio had just passed, or had encountered. It looks very much as if the letters in "buffeted" had been reversed and transposed into "surfetted." "Buffet and buffeting" are often employed by Shakespeare — in Julius Csesar, Macbeth, Henry V., etc. The latter version is to be preferred, as most probably correct. CYMBELINE. -oOo- AOT I— SCENE 1. First Oent. — You do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers Still seem as does the king. The very first lines of this play are of such an ambiguous nature as to have given rise to much critical conjecture and rectification for the past hundred years, and they remain enigmatical still : — You do not meet a man but frowns. Our bloods no more obey the Heavens Then our courtiers: Still seem, as do's the kings. So runs the passage in the folio, altered by Tyrwhitt as above, — a change which is now generally adopted, not because any one probably ever believed or believes that this is what the dramatist wrote, but only because the editors had nothing better to present. As it stands, it is certainly a difficult passage to comprehend, for the comparison here evidently intended to be drawn by the poet, cannot be made to harmonize; and the real reason of this discord, we deem, lies in the word "bloods," whatsoever foreign meaning some editors may strive to attach to it in order to make it apply to the sentence. It may be regarded as another misprint; and the true word to substitute may, peihaps, be found in the passage a dozen lines further on, where the same speaker expresses the very samt idea, only in other words,— But not a courtier, Althoujjh they wear tlieir faces to the bent Of fhe king's looks, hath a heart that is not Qlad at the tiling they scowl at. Here "looks" supplie.s the key to unlock the passage in question, and enables us to read — You do not meet a man bnt frowns: than our looks. No more obey the heavens, than our conitiers' Still seem, as does the king's. 135 136 CTUBELINE. That is, ' 'Every man you meet wears a frown: the heavens do no more readily obey the direction or control of eacb sky- changing influence, than the looks of our courtiers do ever seem in accord with the aspect of the king: as be frowns, so all others do follow suit." "Still" is here, as in many other places, equivalent to "ever." Compare R. and J., "still-waking sleep:" Tempest, 1. 2., "still-vexed Bermoothes;" Tempest, 3. 3., "still-closing waters." Heavens=skies. There is no logical coherency, no "Shakespearean link of association," between "bloods and frowns;" but between "looks and frowns" it is perfectly plain and clear. Observe the close combination of the latter words in A. T. L., 3. 5. 68: "As fast as sbe answers tbee with frowning looks, I'll sauce her with bitter words." Also, in Hamlet, 1. 2: "What, look'd he frowningly?" And Gym, 3. 3: "And may save, but to look back in frown." The repetition and interpolation of the first "than," is necessitated in order to somewhat remedy the loose-jointed construction of the passage, and make it literally readable thus : — You do not meet a man but frowns : the heavens do no more readily obey (each weather-change,) than out looks, than our courtiers' looks ever seem, as do the king's. oOn AOT I— SCENE 1. Imogtn — 0, tliat husband ! My supreme crown of grief I and those, repeated Vexations of it ! Here exists a manifest defect in rhythm, seldom in Shake- speare, and something must be wrong as the passage stands. Of has frequently been printed elsewhere in the text for to; and that preposition should probably be inserted instead, thus affording a slight remedy, — — and those, repeated Vexations to it — i. e. "and those, (Cymbeline, the queen and Cloten,) the continual and vexatious accompaniments to my supreme grief," — grief for the banishment of her husband. » » » » » laehimo — What ! are men mad ? Hath nature given them eyes To see this vaulted arch, and the rich crop Of sea and land, which can distinguish 'twixt The fiery orbs above, and the twinn'd stones Upon the number'd beach ? Theobald and some other editors have regarded "number'd beach" as a misprint and changed it to, "th' nnnumber'd CYMBBLIKE. 137 beach;" but such is BOt our view, and we consider tbe altera- tion inadmigsible; for inasmuch as the Bible tells us that "each hair of heads is numbered," so with equal propriety might the poet suppose that the stones of the beach are likewise numbered, — and thus we believe he wrote tlie phrase as it is above, and that it cannot be classed as an inaccuracy. "Num- ber'd beach" is an expression that involves the figure of speech called prolepsis, and simply moans, "tlie twinn'd and number'd stones upon the beach." Shakespeare has many like examples of proleptical language, particularly in Macbeth, where five or six exist. For instance — "Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal," — where the meaning is, "ere humane laws made the com- monwealth orderly and gentle by purging and purifying it from the crimes of barbarism." But in respect to the word "crop," it may more reason- ably be suspected to be an error, for in the sense here indi- cated, it is impossible or diflBcult for the eyes to behold the "rich crop," or productions, of the sea, hidden beneath the waters. Hence, Warburton substituted cope; but this has been rejected, because the effect was to introduce merely a repetition of "the vaulted arch." In harmony with the context, we propose reading ricli scope, — in the sense of "wide extent, amplitude, sweep: — " Hath nature given them eyes To see this vaulted arch, and the rich scope Of sea and land. Shakespeare frequently employs the word: for instance in AWs Well, 1. 1:— "The fated sky gives us free scope " Also in King John, 3. 4: - " No natural exhalation in the sky. No scope of nature, no distemper'd day." "Scope Of nature" and "scope of sea and land" may be dremed identical expressions. — -000 AOT XI— SOENE 5. Posihumus — Perchance he spoke not, but Like a full Acorn'd Boare, a larmen on, Ory'de oh, and mounted. This is given precisely as it appears in the two earliest folios. The expression "a larmen on," is admittedly a corruption, and has caused much trouble and controversy amony the coiiiracnliators. Pope and Warburton read "a 138 CTMBELINE. churning on," which Malone pronounced a sophistication, ■while he himself gives, "a German one," — a reading equally absurd and incongruous, but which is followed in all modern pditions for the lack of one more suitable. Why should Shakespeare be supposed to have had none but German boars in his thoughts when he wrote ? Why should he desire to specify the nationalty of the animal particularly, and name it, too, in such a manner as to make the line read harshly and awkwardly ? If he did so wish, would lie not rather have made Posthumus, who was speaking in Italy, speak in character with his surroundings, and cause him to say, an Italian one ? — or, to make the allusion classical, an Ithacan one ? But we believe he here neither wrote about or alluded to any of these countries, and that the line should run — Perchance, he spoke not, but Like a full acorn'd boar, a lachimo, Cry'd 'O,' and mounted. Posthumus is talking of lachimo, and merely in contempt and scorn designates and likens him to a boar, with perhaps an equivocal double play upon the word, — a boar and boie, a worthless fellow, one who spoke not, nor knows how "to win a woman with flatteries of his tongue," yet did win "like an acorn'd boar." The name occurs often, is a trisyl- lable, agrees with the metre, and is pronounced Yachimo. ACT III— SCENE 4. Imogen — Some jay of Italy, Whose mother was her painting, hath betray'd liiiii. This is one of the most thoroughly discussed pass.iges iu the play. Hanmer reads, "Whose feathers are her paint- ing:" Capell, "whose feather was her painting;" and Col- lier's annotator, quite ingeniously, " Who tmoothers her with painting." None of these suggestions, however, have been adopted, and all editions still read as above, which version is explained as, "her painting was her mother, I. e. she is made up by art." The interpretation is well enough, for that is evident from the context, and it is not difficult to arrive at such a meaning; but the true question is whether the wend "mother" was written by Shakespeare in the text, or whether it is a misprint. We incline to the latter belief, and it should in no way be surprising to find it constitutt; one more among the many heretofore existin;,' errors. zVn- other word can be found that will suit the passage just as CTMBELINE. 139 well — and better — one that Shakespeare was found of em- ploying, and which he full often applied to the complexion, looks, — and that is "colour:" Some jay of Italy, Whose eolour was her painting, hath betray'd him. If we rightly recollect, we once read a fable of a jay dres- sing in the borrowed or painted colours of the peacock, in order to enhance her beauty — the moral exemplifying, fine appearance made up by art; and no doubt the poet had the comparison floating in his mind when he wrote the passage in question. See how the author uses the word. Love's Labour's Lost, 4, 3: "Your mistresses dare never come in rain, For fear their colours should be wash'd away-" In Midsummer's Night, 3. 1 : "Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier." And 3 Eenry IV, 2. 4: "Your colour, I warrant you, is as red as any rose." Also, Mtrchant of Venice, 3. 3: "That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek." We add that the phrase "hath betray'd liim," is here equivalent to "hath led him astray." OQC AOT III— SCENE 6. Belarivn — Boys bid him welcome. Ouiderius — Were you a woman, youth, I would woo hard but be your groom. In honesty, I bid for yon as I 'd buy. The old copies read, — "I bid for you as / do buy." The above version is Tyrwhitt's, and is far from satisfactory. We think the line has been misunderstood, that it has reference to the "welcome" which Belarius enjoins upon the brothers to extend to Imogen, and not to the first portion of fiuiderius' remark. This view is sustained by Arviragus' words im- mediately following, which he utters also in jirompt obedi- ence to the injunction of Belarius : — I'll love him as my brother : — And such a welcome as I'd give to him After long absence, such is yours : — most welcome ! Therefoie, we would suggest the line should run thus — In honesty, I bid (welcoine) to yon as I'd be done by. Do, in llif folio, is a remaining portion of iloiir., tlie iM\cv being accidentally lo.st or dropped out, probably. 140 cymbbIjINE. AOT iV-~S(JENE 2. Belarius — Being scarce made up, I mean to man, he bad not apprehension , Of roaring terrors, for defect of judgment Is oft the cause of fear. "The cause of fear" is the reading of the old text, and it is undoubtedly erroneous, inasmucli as the direct opposite is clearly meant to be expressed. To remedy the matter, Han- raer changed to, "the cure of fear;" Staunton to, "the auuce of fear," — using the word in the sense of a corrective or antidote; while Theobald sought to impart a meaning to tlie sentence by rending — "For the effect of judgment Is oft the cause of fear." Theobald's version is now genernlly followed, but never- theless it is considered somewhat dubious and far from being fully satisfactory. The thought is used in allusion to Cloten, one "scarce made up to manhood," whose weak or defective judgment blinded him to all apprehension of true danger, whereas had be possessed a sound and effective judgment it would have better taught him to realize the nature of his peril or danger, and thus possibly have restrained him from venturing alone among "outlaws and villian mountaineers." The alteration of Theobald fails to convey the intended pur- pose of the poet, makes the remark apply generally, not in particular to Cloten, and was exercised upon the wrong word. The textual error lies, we apprehend, in tlie word cause; which should be displaced and give way to cease — used not unfrequentty by Shakespeare in tlie sen.se of extinc- tion, cessation, want : — For defect of judgment Is oft the cease of fear. That is, "for defect of judgment often produces the lack of fear :"— just as sometimes with children and fools, who, being deficient in judgment, do not know when and where to look for, or ward off, danger, and thus frequently rush into it. Compare how the poet employs the word : The eeiixe of majesty Dies not alone; but, like a gulf,' doth draw What's near it with H.—Uam., .3. 3. A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would mis,- The present power of life. — C'j^m., 5. 5. That the contending kingdoms of Prance ;uid F,ngl:,uiil May cease their liatred.—Here/v/ V, '). 3. CYMBELINE. 141 Belariua — O melancholy ! Who ever yet could sound thy bottom ? find The ooze, to show what coast thy sluggish crare Might easiliest harbour in ? The old copies have care, now changed to arare, which has been defined as "a small vessel of burthen,"— sometimes spelt crayer, eray. Also, the first folio reads might' st, instead of might. For our part, we cannot clearly see how crare im- proves the sense of, or applies to, the text, particularly to the first part of the line— "find the ooze;" while we rather apprehend that the word cave should be substituted instead, and that several of the words in the line have inadvertently been transposed, requiring re-adjustment to make the mean- ing explicit and consistent: hence would read — O melancholy ! Who ever yet could sound thy bottom ? fiud The coast, to show what catie thy sluggish ooze Might'st easiliest harbour in? In 2 Henry VI, 3. S, Shakespnare speaks of "lean-faced Envy in her loathsome cave," and in Titus Andronins of "Revenge's Cave," — a local habitation equally a))propriate Cor Melancholy; while Donne describes Melancholy as "deni- zpu'd in her cave." ACT V— SUEJNEl. Posthumus — Gods ! . . . But, alack, You snatch some hence for little faults; tha.t's love, To have them fall no more: you some permit To second ills with ills, each elder worse. And make them dread it, to the doer's thrift. Malone fouiid a difficulty in the phrase "each elder worse," contending that the last ill deed, which was the worse, was, in truth, the younger, and not the "elder.'' We would sug- gest that the latter word is a pi'obable misprint for "other." But the chief trouble centres in the last line, which is far from intelligible, and which has been altered by various commentators into — "And make men dread it to the door's thrift." "And make them dreaded to the doer's thrift." "And make them deeded to the doer's tlirift." "And make them dreaded to the doer's thrift." The error, we take it, lies in the words "dread it," which we would havi^ read "trade in." and then transposing thus : You some permit To second ills with ills, eacli other worse. And make lr<(.ih: in them, to the doer's thi'irt. 142 CYMBKLIKE. "Ills, ill deeds," is the antecedent of tlie relative "tliera, '» •and the whole may be paraphrased as Posthumus' intended reflection this wise: "How different are the dispensations of the Gods: some are called hence for little faults, in love and mercy that they may fall no more: others are permitted to add ill deed to ill deed, each one worse than its predecessor, and even make them the instruments of barter to pi-omote the doers' worldly prosperity." Shakespeare uses the word tradt often : see M. for M., 4. 3: "And, I think forty more; all great doerH in our trade, and now for the Lord's sake;" compare King John, 4. 3:— "For mlliany is not without such rheum; And he, long traded in it, makes it soem Like rivers of remorse and innocenoy." Here "villiany" and "ills, ill-doings," maybe regarded as equivalent terms. A thought corresponding to that in the above passage may be found in Measure for Meanure, act 'I . scene 1 : — Well, heaven forgive him ! and forgive us all ! Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall : Some run from brakes of ice, and answer none : And some condemned for a fault alone. By the way, the line next to the last appears to be devoid of any sensible meaning, apparently owing to a, misprint therein. "Ice" should probably read ".jraoe"— the free, un- merited love and favor of the Creator, tlie sprmg and source of all benefits received. Orace and ice are in sound some- what alike, phonetically: hence the error may have happened through mishearing on the part of the transcriber or com- positor. The word i?-«A;« technically applies to a horse's liit or snaffle; but here it metaphorically signifies to curb, rein in, restrain, restrict. The plirase, "and answer none," would evidently mean, and do not respond by way of adequate re- turn; so reading then — Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall : Some run from brakes of grace, and answer norjo: And some condemned for a fault alone. That is — "Some run counter to the restraints of ht^aveuly grace, and make no reciprocal return in gratitude for the continued love and favor bestowed npon them : while others are condemned and suffer for a trivial fault — a single mis- demeanor." The career of the pro;Hgal son affords a partial illnsti-.aiopi of the truth of the poet's rcMuark. CTMBELINE. 148 ACT V- SCENE 4. Posthumus — Gods are more full of mercy. Must I repent r" I cannot do it better than in gyves, Desir'd, more than constrain 'd : to satisfy, If of my freedom 'tis the main part, take No stricter render of me, than my all. This passage, out of which Malone supposes a line to have been lost after "satisfy," is looked upon by some editors a.s "hopelessly incurable ;" but we conceive Malone to be mis- taken.and that itrequiresno medicine in the shape of emenda- tion to make it sound and clear, but only the slis;ht help of elucidation, for it is right as it stands, the difficulty in its comprehension arising from its extreme condensation. Post- humus is remorseful for having caused the (supposed) death of Imogen, and his chief desire is to repent, lay down the bur- den of life, be free to depart and join her, and so welcomes his bondage and approaching execution as "a way to liberty," to eternal freedom. "To satisfy" refers to the gods — to ex- piate, atone and satisfy the rigor of the gods. "Render," to render, is used in the sense of, to return, to pay baclc, as in 1 Thess. V: "See that none render evil for evil to any man." The principal trouble to the reader is to know the anteced^nt of the pronoun it in the phrase, " 'tis the main part ;" but this is implied, and should doubtless be understood as the atonement, the penitence and satisfaction due to the gods, and exacted by them : — To satisfy. If of my freedom 'tis the main part, take Ko stricter render of me, than my all. That is — "if to satisfy the gods, if for the achievement of my eternal freedom atonement be the main condition, exact no stricter reckoning of me, O gods, than my all — ray life." TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. -oOo ACT V— SOENE 3. Hector — Begone, I say : the gofls have heard me swear. Cassandra — The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows: They are polluted offerings, most abhorr'd Than spotted livers in the sacrifice. Andromache — O, be persuaded I do not count it holy To hurt by being just : it is as lawful. For we would give much, to use violent thefts, A.nd rob in the behalf of charity. Herein is contained the crucial passage of this play. The scene is at Troy, and Andromache, the wife, and Cassandra, the sister of Hector, are striving to persuade the latter from attending the flght, about occurring that day. The line next to the last is the one in question, and is here given as it appears in the Cambridge text, a reading which is now generally followed in all editions; but it runs very differently in the folios — For we would count give much to as violent thefts. It will be observed that in the Cambridge rendering the word "count" is expunged and that of "use" substituted, a change first made by Malone from a conjecture by Tyrwhitt, to remove the obscurity of the passage — a purpose scarcely achieved. In several other attempts to mend the line, "count" has been altered to "countenance," to "commit," and to "compass;" all of which changes are now considered to have afforded no remedy in the matter. No exception need be taken, we conceive, with the word "count," for it is right; but the main error of the line lies in the word "give," which is superfluous, and should doubtless be removed, having slipped in accidentally. The Oambririae editors' employment of the word "use" dons not after all convey to the reader's mind any very clear or definite irlcia or explanation; and such as it does convay, is quitch contrary to that which the author intended to express: hence the word is unsatisfactory, as it fails to give us Sliakosppaiv's real 144 TROILUS AND CRGSeiDA. 145 thought, which alone is to be sought and desired. The way to arrive at this object, tlien, Is to first ascertain the precise meaning placed by the poet upon several of the words in the passage, such as count, hurt, just, and lawful — all apparently very easy to understand, but which, since the author's day, have varied somewhat in signification and usage. "Lawful" is here used in the sense of rightful, righteous, and I'efers to "be persuaded." "To hurt" signifies to wound, to give pain to; as, to /mrtthe feelings. "Just" and "unjust" often mean true or false : as in 3 Henry IV: — What ! is the old king dead ? Pistol — As nail in door; the thing I speak is just. In the passage, "just" stands for true, faithful ; as just to one's word or engagement. The first occurring "count" is equivalent to reckon, esteem; the second, to set to the ac- count of, to ascribe, to impute; as, in Rom. iv: " And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness;" or the allied phrase in Oen. xv\ "Abraham believed in God, and lie counted \t to \\va\ for righteousness." These points under- stood and remembered, it remains but to strike out "give," slightly transpose, change "rob" to "robberies" for the sake of the rhythm, and to follow the exact punctuation found in the folio, which is correct. It should be noted that Andro- mache's speech is a direct reply to Hector, who had just re- pulsed her entreaties, and fiercely said that he had vowed to the gods to go to the fight, and go he would — Begone, I say: the gods have heard me swear. To this she answers — O, be persuaded I do not count it holy, To hurt by being just; it is as lawful : For we would count as much to violent theftf, And robb'ries in th' behalf of charity. Paraphrased, this would run — "O, be persuaded to forego your oath and remain ! do not esteem it holy, to wound (us) by being true to your vow; it is as righteous a thing to be persuaded to leave unfulfilled a rash vow, in mercy to us : for we all would impute as mucii to violf nt thefls and to rob- beries, when perpetrated in the behalf of charity,— for they would be righteous, since good and worthy purposes do sanctify ill-deeds." Clearly, the reasoning and views of Andromache are antagonistic to the Biblical axiom of "hating robbery for burnt-oflfering ;" but they are in strict accord with the views and practice of Robin Hood, who robbed rich nobles and 146 TK0ILU8 AND CftBSBIDA. opulent churchmen to give to the poor, thus, in his owu opinion, and in that of many others, sanctifying the deed. Objection has been held by critics to the phrase "vio- lent thefts ;" on the ground that if thefts are attended with violence, they become robberies, and as we have "rob" in the next line, the expression is therefore seemingly tauto- logical. But as it is believed that Shakespeare undoubtedly wrote the phrase, it must and should stand as it is, and admits of no alteration, the critics notwithstanding. The slight variation from "rob" to "robb'ries" does not materially afifect the ineaning of the last line, and the change is made only to conduce to the rhythm : besides, it is altogether pro, bable the latter word was originally so written by the author, as it seems to be necessitated in order to conform to the preceding line and phrase. —FINIS.— Cornell University Library PR 3071.H56 Scattered notes on the text of Shakespea 3 1924 013 164 441