ACT III., SCENE I. P. 185. The Duke has lost Hippolyta; each took A several laund.-The old copies have "A several land"; which surely cannot be right. Dyce conjectured laund, which accords better with the occasion. See foot-note I. Heath proposed stand, which may be right, stand being a well-known technical term in hunter's language. See vol. xviii. page 48, note 8. O'the wood, o' the world, hast likewise bless'd a place pace for place. P. 187. The old copies have The void'st of honour That e'er bore gentle token. - The old copies have voydes instead of void'st. Corrected by Sympson. P. 187. A very thief in love, a chaffy lord, Not worth the name of villain! -The old copies have Nor instead of Not. I am persuaded: &c. Instead of I've the old copies have If. ACT III., SCENE 2. P. 191. He has mistook the brake I meant ; &c. -The old copies have Beake and Beak instead of brake. Corrected by Theobald. So, a little before, the stage-direction, "Enter PALAMON out of a bush, with his shackles." P. 191. In me hath grief slain fear, and, but one thing, I care for nothing, and that's Palamon. - The old text reads "but for one thing." Here for serves no purpose but to mar both sense and rhythm. Probably it was an accidental repetition. P. 191. Food took I none these two days; once, indeed, I sipp'd some water; have not closed mine eyes, &c. — The words once, indeed, are not in the old copies. Dyce justly observes, "That some words have dropt out is quite evident." In the second line, also, the old copies read "Sipt some water. I have not closd mine eyes." Here I evidently got shuffled out of its place. ACT III., SCENE 4. P. 196. Spoom her before the wind, you'll lose all, else, &c. — The old copies have Upon instead of Spoom. The correction is Weber's, who quotes from Fletcher's Double Marriage, ii. 1, "Down with the foresail too! we'll spoom before her." See foot-note 2. ACT III., SCENE 5. P. 197. You most coarse frize capacities, ye jane judgments, &c.— The old copies have "ye jave Judgements"; which seems to have baffled all the editors till Dyce, who notes that “jave is undoubtedly a misprint for jane, a stuff well known in England long before the present play was written." P. 199. An eel and woman, A learned poet says, unless by th' tail And with thy teeth thou hold, will either fail. I suspect we ought to read "will ever fail.". -But the pedagogue rather affects a peculiar dialect. -- P. 199. A fire-ill take her! does she flinch now? Editors have stumbled at fire-ill, and Dyce conjectures the right reading to be "A wildfire take her!" "That expression," he says, "is very common." See foot-note 6. P. 200. O, let me have your company Till we come to the Sound-a! - So Weber, The old copies omit we. Seward inserted I. P. 203. Then mine Host And his fat spouse, that welcome to his cost The galled traveller, &c. - The old copies read "to their cost." But the context shows that the reference is to traveller, not to Host and spouse. The old copies also have welcomes for welcome, and, a little further on, Informes for Inform. Mason thinks it should P. 203. Then the beast-eating Clown, &c. be "the beef-eating Clown." This conjecture certainly has some support from Twelfth Night, i. 3, where Sir Andrew says, “I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit." See, however, footnote 18. P. 203. Ger. Intrate, filii; come forth, and foot it. The prefix to this speech is wanting in the old copies. P. 203. Ladies, if we have been merry, And have pleased ye with a derry, &c.· The old copies have thee instead of ye. For honour's sake and safety, presently Into your bush again, &c.—So Theobald and Seward. The old copies have safely. P. 210. And in this disguise, Against thy own edict, follows thy sister, &c. - The old copies read "Against this owne Edict." P. 213. I tie you to your word now: copies have fall instead of fail. if ye fail in't, &c. -- - The old - The P. 214. And all the longing maids that ever loved them, &c. old copies lack them. But this scene is Fletcher's; and, as Walker says, both sense and the Fletcherian rhythm require it. ACT IV., SCENE 1. P. 218. Where did she sleep? - Dyce's conjecture. The old copies have "When did she sleep?" But surely the context points out Where as the right reading. P. 219. I half suspected What you have told me: the gods comfort her!--The old copies omit have. P. 220. Her careless tresses A wreath of bulrush rounded. — The old copies have wreake and wreak. P. 222. Do, very rearly; I must be abroad else, &c.The old copies have rarely for rearly. See foot-note 6. So Sympson. P. 223. By no means cross her; she is then distemper'd Far worse than now she is." By no meane," and "For worse," in the old copies. ACT IV., SCENE 2. P. 225. Just such another wanton Ganymede Set Jove a-fire with, and enforced the god, &c.—The old copies have Love instead of Jove. See foot-note 1. P. 226. And these thy eyes, They're the bright lamps of beauty, &c. of They're, the old copies repeat these. - So Mason. Instead Utterly lost; my virgin faith has fled me, &c. have virgins for virgin. P. 227. Your two contending lovers are return'd, And with them their six knights: now, my fair sister, You must love one of them. So Walker. The old copies read "their fair Knights." P. 227. for those. Six braver spirits Than those they've brought, &c. - The old copies have these P. 228. The circles of his eyes show fire within him, And as a heated lion so he looks. So Heath and Dyce independently. The old copies have faire and fair instead of fire. P. 228. His shoulders broad and strong; Arms long and round; &c. round," in the old copies. - So Seward. "Arm'd long and P. 229. And in his rolling eyes sits Victory, As if she ever meant to crown his valour.— Instead of crown, the old copies have corect and correct. Corrected by Seward. P. 230. They would show bravely Fighting about the titles of two kingdoms. -- So Seward. The old copies lack Fighting, which, it seems to me, both sense and metre imperatively demand. ACT IV., SCENE 3. are, --- The quarto reads "where P. 232. Then, if it be your chance to come where the blessed spirits there's a sight now! &c. - So Mason. the blessed spirits, as the'rs a sight now." to there's. The folio corrects the'rs P. 233. One cries, O, this smoke! th' other, This fire! - The old copies have another. See the context. ACT V., SCENE 1. P. 237. True worshippers of Mars, whose spirit in you Which still is father of it, &c. So Theobald, Heath, and Mason. The old copies read "Which still is farther off it." As Mason observes, "we may fairly say that apprehension sensibility of danger-is the parent of fear." P. 238. Force and great feat Must put my garland on, where she shall stick that is, a The queen of flowers. — Instead of shall stick, the old copies have sticks, which satisfies neither verse nor sense. And where two or more consecutive words begin with the same or similar letters, one is very apt to drop out. Seward reads will stick; but shall and will were often used indiscriminately. P. 238. Thou mighty one, that with thy power hast turn'd Green Neptune into purple; whose approach Comets prewarn. — So Seward. The old copies lack approach. |