T except in the case of mere obvious errors of the 20. "Dost thou think, for that I infinuate or toze" P. 402. "Doft thou think, for that I infinuate and toze-" P. 231. 21. "You might have spoke a thousand things," P. 414. 22. "Where we offend her now, appear-" P. 417. like a weather-beaten conduit." P. 425. -like a weather-bitten conduit." P. 246. This your fon-in-law, " And fon unto the king, who, heavens directing, "Is troth-plight to your daughter." P. 437. " This your fon-in-law, "And son unto the king, (whom heavens directing,) " Is troth-plight to your daughter." P. 257. KING JOHN. 1. Which fault lies on the hazard of all husbands. P. 10, 2. "'Tis too respective, and too fociable, "For your conversing." P. 14. "'Tis too respective, and too fociable, "For your converfion." P. 456. 3. "Thus leaning on my elbow, -" Р. 16. 4. P. 451. "With them a bastard of the king deceas'd." P. 25. 5. "That thou hast under-wrought its lawful king." P. 26. 16. "Say, Shall the current of our right run on?" " P. 465. press, the reader is apprized by a note; and every 7. "And now he feasts, mouthing the flesh of men,-." P. 38. "And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men,-" P. 477. 8. "A greater power than ye-" Р. 39. "A greater power than we-" P. 478. That I may be accurately understood, I fubjoin a few of these unnoticed corrections : In King Henry VI. P. I. Act I. sc. vi: Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens, "That one day bloom'd, and fruitful were the next." The old copy reads-garden. In King John, Act IV. fc. ii: - that close aspect of his "Does shew the mood of a much-troubled breast." The old copy reads-Do. Ibidem, Act I. fc. i: "'Tis too respective, and too fociable," &c. The old copy,-'Tis two respective," &c. Again, in the fame play, we find in the original copy: Against the inuoluerable clouds of heaven." In King Henry V. Act V. sc. ii : Corrupting in its own fertility." The old copy reads-it. In Timon of Athens, Act I. sc. i: The old copy has-Comes. Ibidem: "Even on their knees, and hands,-." The old copy has-hand. In Cymbeline, Act III. fc. iv: "The handmaids of all women, or, more truly, The old copy has-it. It cannot be expected that the page should be encumbered with the notice of such obvious mistakes of the press as are here enumerated. With the exception of errors such as these, whenever any emendation has been adopted, it is mentioned in a note, and afcribed to its author. emendation that has been adopted, is ascribed to its proper author. When it is confidered that 9. " For grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop." P. 52. " For grief is proud, and makes his owner ftout." " P. 492. 10. O, that a man would speak these words to me!" "O, that a man should speak these words to me!" P. 497. 11. 12. P. 52. " Is't not amiss, when it is truly done?" P. 64. " Then, in despight of brooded watchful day," P.72. P. 512. 13. “A whole armado of collected fail." P. 74. "A whole armado of convicted fail." P. 514. 14. " And bitter shame hath spoil'd the sweet world's taste." P.79. " And bitter shame hath spoil'd the sweet word's taste." P. 519. " 15. Strong reasons make strong actions." P. 81. Strong reasons make strange actions." P. 522. 16. " Must make a stand at what your highness will." "Doth make a stand at what your highness will." P. 89. P. 530. 17. " Had none, my lord! why, did not you provoke me?" Р. 96. "Had none, my lord! why, did you not provoke me?" P. 536. 18. Mad'st it no conscience to destroy a king." P.97. "Made it no conscience to destroy a king." P. 537. 19. Sir, fir, impatience has its privilege." P. 102. Sir, fir, impatience has his privilege." P. 541. 20. Or, when he doom'd this beauty to the grave,-" P. 102. P. 541. "Or, when he doom'd this beauty to a grave," there are one hundred thousand lines in these plays, and that it often was neceffàry to confult 21. "To the yet-unbegotten fins of time." P. 102. "To the yet-unbegotten fin of times." P. 541. 22. "And breathing to this breathless excellence,-" P. 102. "And breathing to his breathless excellence,-" P. 542. 23. "And your supplies, which you have wish'd so long,-" P. 121. 24. "And your Supply, which you have wish'd so long,-" What's that to thee? Why may I not demand-" P. 561. P. 122. "What's that to thee? Why may not I demand-" P. 562. O, my sweet fir, news fitted to the night." P. 123. "O, my sweet fir, news fitting to the night." P.563. 25. " 26. Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, "Leaves them; invisible his fiege is now Against the mind,-" P. 124. "Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, " Leaves them invisible; and his fiege is now 27. "The falt of them is hot." P. 125. "The falt in them is hot." P.568. Two other restorations in this play I have not fet down: "Before we will lay down our just-borne arms-' and Act II. fc. ii. Act III. fc. i. "Be these sad figns confirmers of thy word." because I pointed them out on a former occafion. It may perhaps be urged that fome of the variations in these. lifts, are of no great consequence; but to preserve our poet's genuine text is certainly important; for otherwise, as Dr. Johnfon has justly observed, "the history of our language will be loft;" and as our poet's words are changed, we are constantly in danger of lofing his meaning also. Every reader must wish to peruse what Shakspeare wrote, supported at once by the authority of the authentick copies, and the usage of his contemporaries, rather than what the editor of the second folio, or Pope, or Hanmer, or Warburton, have arbitrarily substituted in its place. fix or feven volumes, in order to ascertain by which of the preceding editors, from the time of the publication of the second folio, each emendation was made, it will easily be believed, that this was not effected without much trouble. Whenever I mention the old copy in my notes, if the play be one originally printed in quarto, I, mean the first quarto copy; if the play appeared originally in folio, I mean the first folio; and when I mention the old copies, I mean the first quarto and first folio, which, when that expression is used, it may be concluded, concur in the fame reading. In like manner, the folio always means the first folio, and the quarto, the earliest quarto, with the exceptions already mentioned. In general, however, the date of each quarto is given, when it is cited. Where there are two quarto copies printed in the fame year, they are particularly diftinguished, and the variations noticed. The two great duties of an editor are, to exhibit the genuine text of his author, and to explain his obscurities. Both of these objects have been fo constantly before my eyes, that, I am confident, one of them will not be found to have been neglected for the other. I can with perfect truth say, with Dr. Johnson, that "not a single passage in the whole work has appeared to me obfcure, which I have not endeavoured to illustrate." I have examined the notes of all the editors, and my own Let me not, however, be misunderstood. All these variations have not been discovered by the present collation, some of them having been pointed out by preceding editors; but such as had been already noticed were merely pointed out: the original readings are now established and fupported by the usage of our poet himself and that of his contemporaries, and restored to the text, instead of being degraded to the bottom of the page. |