Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA.

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

P. 650, note (a). The emendation of "physician" for
precisian is really Theobald's. (See Nichols's Illustrations,
Vol. II. p. 274.)

P. 653, note (e). An antithesis was possibly intended
between firmly and frailty. The meaning being,-"Who
thinks himself so secure on what is a most brittle found-
ation.'

P. 665, note (a). Add: The meaning being-I see what
you would be if Fortune were as bountiful to you as
Nature has been.

P. 18.

VOL. II.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

"Where hope is coldest, and despair most fits.'
Mr. Collier assigns the emendation "fits" for shifts to a
MS. correction in Lord Ellesmere's folio, 1623, but it is due
to Theobald. (See Nichols's Illustrations, Vol. II. p. 343.)
P. 23, note (a). For "Act V. Sc. 2," read "Act V.
Sc. 5."

P. 40, note (a). I believe now the old text is correct;
made, in the sense of being fortunate, is a very common
expression, even at this day.

KING HENRY THE FIFTH.

P. 87, note (a). "Nook-shotten isle," means, in fact,
an isle spawned in a corner. Shotten-herring is a herring
"Here comes Romeo without
that has spawned his roe.
his roe."-"Romeo and Juliet," Act II. Sc. 4.
Ibid. note (f). So in the "Taming of the Shrew,"
Act I. Sc. 1:-

"Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl."
Again in "The Malcontent," Act V. Sc. 4:-
"Slave take thy life:

Wert thou defenc'd, through blood and wounds
The sternest horror of a civil fight,
Would I atchieve thee."

P. 92. Prefix "Cho," to the first line.

P. 108. Prefix "Cho," to the first line.

PERICLES.

P. 183. "Her face the book of praiess," Read:
face the book of praises."

"Her

P. 187. "His seal'd commision," Read: "His seal'd
commission."

P. 192. "If it be a day fits you, scratch out of the
calendar," &c. "Fits you," possibly means disorders you,
puts you out of sorts, wrenches you. So in "Sonnet CXIX,'
"How have mine eyes out of their spheres been fitted,"
i.e. been started, wrenched.

P. 213, note (a). So in "Measure for Measure," Act
IV. Sc. 2:-" And indeed, his fact, till now in the govern-
ment of lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof."

TWELFTH NIGHT; OR, WHAT YOU WILL.

P. 233. (Introduction.) In speaking of the Manning-
ham Diary, I erred in attributing to Mr. Collier any
share in the discovery of this interesting MS. I have
before me now unquestionable evidence that the credit of
its detection, as well as of determining its authorship, is
solely due to the Rev. Joseph Hunter.

This feeble pun upon
the words as and ass, was an old joke. It occurs in a rare
tract called, "A Pil to purge Melancholy," supposed to
have been printed about 1599:-

P. 249. "Ass, I doubt not."

"And for bidding me, come up asse into a higher roome."

P. 268, note (b). The literal meaning of "I am for all
waters," was, undoubtedly, "I am ready for any drink."
The cant term for potations, in Shakespeare's time, was
waters; and to "breathe in your watering," "Henry IV."

Pt. I. Act II. Sc. 5, meant to take breath while drinking.
See Taylor's (The Water Poet, "Drinke and welcome, or
the famous history of the most part of Drinkes in use in
Greate Britaine and Ireland; with an especial Declaration
of the Potency, Vertue, and Operation of our English Ale:
with a description of all sorts of Waters," &c.

HENRY THE SIXTH. PART I.

P. 288, note (c). Add: which he took from Theobald.
See Nichols's Illustrations, Vol. II. p. 452.

P. 289, note (a). Add: which we owe, not to Mr. Col-
lier's annotator, but to Theobald. See Nichols's Illustra-
tions, Vol. II. p. 414.

he
" See

P. 320, note (a). Lither indisputably signified lazy, slug-
gish. See North's Plutarch, (Life of Sertorius)
saw that Octavius was but a slow and lither man.'
also Florio in voce "Badalone." And compare "Why then
give way, dull clouds, to my quick curses.'
the Third," Act I. Sc. 2.

P. 325, note (a). But yet see
Act I. Sc. 3:-

"Richard

"Richard the Third,"

"O princely Buckingham, I'll kiss thy hand,
In sign of league and amity with thee."

HENRY THE SIXTH. PART II.

P. 362, note (a). So in "Julius Cæsar," Act I. Sc. 2:-
"Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions."

[blocks in formation]

KING RICHARD THE THIRD.

P. 575. "Abate the edge of traitors." Mr. Collier, upon
the authority of his MS. annotator, changes "Abate" to
as indisputable.
Rebate, and lauds the "emendation"
This, however, is only one of innumerable instances where
the "old corrector," by the needless ejection of an ancient
and appropriate word, betrays the modern character of
his handy-work. "Abate" here means, to blunt, to dis-
edge. So Florio, in voce, "Spontare," "to abate the edge
or point of any thing or weapon, to blunt, to unpoint.”
See also, "Love's Labour's Lost," Act I. Sc. 1:—
"That honour which shall bate his scythe's keen edge."

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

P. 612, note (a). The following extract from Markham's
"Hunger's Prevention, or the whole Arte of Fowling,
&c." 1621, substantiates the explanation given in this
note. "For a Fowle is so wonderfully fearefull of a man,
that albeit a Hawke were turning over her to keepe her in
awe, yet upon the least show of a man she will rise and
trust to her winges and fortune."

To

P. 637. "Hark how the villain would close now."
the note (b) on the word "close," add: but most im-
properly; for "close" and not gloze, despite of all Mr.
Collier can adduce in favour of the latter, is the genuine
word. In proof of this take the following unanswerable
quotations:-

"It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies."
Julius Cæsar, Act III. Sc. 1.
"This closing with him fits his lunacy."

Titus Andronicus, Act V. Sc. 2.
"I will close with this country peasant very lovingly."
WEBSTER'S Works, Dyce's ed. p. 281.
"Thus cunningly she clos'd with him, and he conceaves
her thoughts."-WARNER'S Albion's England.

P. 637, not and for "£3

66

(2). For "£6 13s. 4d.," read "£16 13s. 4d." 3s. 8d.," read "£133 6s. 8d."

KING HENRY THE EIGHTH.

P. 650. Things, that are known alike, &c. Mr. Collier claims for his "corrector" the merit of reading here,"Things, that are known belike, &c. but the substitution was made first by Theobald. See Nichols's Illustrations, Vol. II. p. 459.

P. 654, note (a). "As first good company." We should, I think, read: "As feast, good company.'

P. 693, note (a). The reading of culpable, for "capable," which Mr. Collier assigns to his annotator, was I find originally proposed by Theobald. See Nichols's Illustrations, Vol. II. p. 468.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]

P. 136, note (a). "Take only the following examples, from plays which that gentleman must be familiar with.' Read: "- must be acquainted with."

P. 146. For "scarfs and handkerchief," Read: "scarfs and handkerchiefs."

P. 156, note (b). See Shirley's "Bird in a Cage," for a similar obscure use of the word :

"Or for some woman's lenity accuse
That fair creation."

P. 161. After "my unbarbed,” insert (ƒ).

P. 169. For, "think our fellows are asleep," Read: “I think our fellows are asleep."

WINTER'S TALE.

P. 209, note (a). After "Pliny," add: Natural History. P. 229, note (b). So in "Antony and Cleopatra," Act IV. Sc. 15: "-gentle, hear me."

P. 241, note (a). Add: Sometimes this state was called handling: thus in the "London Prodigal;"'-"Ay, but he is now in hucster's handling for (i.e. for fear of) running away."

P. 250. In the line " Would I were dead, but that," &c. Dele the first comma.

Note (a). In addition to the examples given in this note, the following from Florio's "World of Words" deserves to be quoted. "Poss'io morire, an oath much used, as we say, I would I were dead, I pray God I dye, may I dye."

[blocks in formation]

happen; if the prince of the light of heaven, which now as a giant doth run his unwearied course should, as it were, through a languishing faintness begin to stand and to rest himself; if the moon should wander from her beaten way, the times and seasons of the year blend themselves by disorders and confused mixtures, the winds breathe out their last gasp," &c. &c.

HAMLET.

P. 335. For, "pray thee stay with us," Read: “I pray thee stay with us."'

P. 341, note (a). Add: So in Spenser's Faerie Queene, b. i. c. iii. s. 30:

"A dram of sweete is worth a pound of sowre."

P. 358, note (b). Another example of the phrase occurs in a letter from Thomas Wilkes to the Earl of Leicester, under the date 1586 (Egerton MS. 1694, British Museum):-"I am arrived here in such a time and sea of troubles;" and it is employed by Spenser in the Faerie Queene, b. vi. c. ix. s. 31:—

"With storms of fortune and tempestuous fate, In seas of troubles, and of toylesome paine." P. 396, note (a). For "no lory:" read " no glory."

JULIUS CESAR.

P. 416, note (a). If the old text required further confirmation it would be supplied by the following couplet from Daniel's "Vanity of Fame:'

"Is this the walke of all your wide renowne,

This little point, this scarce discerned ile?"

P. 418, note (b). Compare likewise (which put this interpretation beyond doubt) the following lines of Sir Philip Sydney, quoted by Harington in his Ariosto (Orlando Furioso) :

"Not toying kynd, nor causlesly unkynd,

Not stirring thoughts, nor yet denying right:
Not spying faults, nor in plain errors blynd,
Never hard hand, nor ever rains to light.”

P. 436, note (b). c. i., ii., s. 20.

So also in the Faerie Queene, b. i.

"the thirsty land Dronke up his life."

MACBETH.

P. 476. "Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair." Query, upfix? That temptation whose horrid image fixes my unstable hair, and shakes my seated heart.

P. 477." The swiftest wing of recompence is slow," &c. The substitution of wind for "wing" in this line, which Mr. Collier credits his "annotator" with, was first proposed by Pope.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

P. 543. For, "Enthron'd 'n the market-place:"-Read: "Enthron'd the market-place."

P. 547. For, "and therefore have: "-Read: "and therefore have we.'

P. 580. For, "My country's high pyramids my gibbet :"Read: "My country's high pyramides my gibbet."

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

P. 609. For, "The snake ies rolled:"-Read: "The snake lies rolled."

OTHELLO.

P. 675, note (*). After "First folio," insert: "your." P. 687, line 35. For, "Oth. What? what" Road: "Oth. What? what?"

[graphic][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed]

THE

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

THIS play, indisputably one of the earliest complete productions of Shakespeare's mind, was first printed in the folio of 1623, where, owing to the arbitrary manner in which the dramas are disposed, it is preceded by The Tempest, assuredly one of the poet's latest creations. Some of the incidents in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Steevens conjectures, were taken from Sidney's Arcadia (Book I. Chapter vi.), where Pyrocles consents to lead the Helots; but the amount of Shakespeare's obligations to this source does not appear to be considerable. For a portion of the plot he was unquestionably indebted to the episode of Felismena, in the Diana of George of Montemayor, a work very popular in Spain towards the end of the sixteenth century, and which exhibits several incidents, and even some expressions, in common with that part of the present play, which treats of the loves of Proteus and Julia. Of this work there were two translations, one by Bartholomew Yong, the other by Thomas Wilson.* There is a strong probability, however, that Shakespeare derived his knowledge of Felismena's story from another source, namely: "The History of Felix and Philiomena," which was played before the Queen at Greenwich in 1584.+ Be this as it may, the story of Proteus and Julia so closely corresponds with that of Felix and Felismena, that no one who has read the two can doubt his familiarity with that portion of the Spanish

romance.

Mr. Malone, in his "Attempt to ascertain the Order in which The Plays of Shakespeare were Written," originally assigned The Two Gentlemen of Verona to the year 1595; but he subsequently fixed the date of its production as 1591; a change which he has thus explained: "The following lines in Act I. Scene 3, had formerly induced me to ascribe this play to the year 1595:

He wonder'd that your lordship

Would suffer him to spend his youth at home;

While other men, of slender reputation,
Put forth their sons to seek preferment out:
Some, to the wars, to try their fortune there;
Some, to discover islands far away.'

"Shakespeare, as has been often observed, gives to almost every country the manners of his own; and though the speaker is here a Veronese, the poet, when he wrote the last two lines,

• The translation by Yong was not published until 1598; but from his "Preface to divers learned gentlemen," we learn that it was written many years before. "It hath lyen by me finished," he remarks, "Horace's ten, and six yeeres more." He further observes:-"Well might I have excused these paines, if onely Edward Paston, Esquier, who heere and there for his own pleasure, as I understood, hath aptly turned out of Spanish into English some leaves that liked him best, had also made an absolute and complete translation of all the

parts of Diana; the which, for his travell in that countrey, and great knowledge in that language, accompanied with other learned and good parts in him, had of all others that ever I heard translate these Bookes, prooved the rarest and worthiest to be embraced." Thomas Wilson's version, Dr. Farmer informs us, was published two or three years before that of Yong. "But," he adds, "this work, I am persuaded, was never published entirely."

+ See Cunningham's "Revels at Court," p. 189.

« AnteriorContinuar »