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any deviation is made from the authentick copies, except in the

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"The doctrine of ill-doing, no, nor dream'd—” P. 295.

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we know not

"The doctrine of ill-doing; nor dream'd

-" P. 126.

3." As o'er-dy'd blacks, as winds, as waters;
"As o'er-dy'd blacks, as wind, as waters; -'

4." As ornament oft does." P. 302.

"As ornaments oft do." P. 130.

"P. 300.

"P. 130.

The original copy, with a disregard of grammar, reads-" As ornaments oft does." This inaccuracy has been constantly corrected by every editor, wherever it occurs; but the correction should always be made in the verb, and not in the noun.

5."Have you not-thought (for cogitation

"Resides not in the man that does not think it)

"My wife is slippery ?" P. 408.

"Have you not-thought (for cogitation

"Resides not in the man that does not think)

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7. "

My wife is slippery?" P. 138.

wishing clocks more swift?

Hours, minutes? the noon midnight? and all eyes,-" P. 408.
wishing clocks more swift?

Hours, minutes? noon midnight? and all eyes," P. 139.
Ay, and thou, who may'st see

"How I am gall'd—thou might'st be-spice a cup,-" P. 309.
Ay, and thou,who may'st see

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"How I am galled,—might'st be-spice a cup,—” P. 140. I'll keep my stable where

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hear me,

who profess

-" P. 333.

10." And I beseech you,
"And I beseech you hear me, who professes

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11. "This session to our great grief,-" P. 343.
"This sessions to our great grief," P. 170.

"P. 162.

12." The bug which you will fright me with, I seek." P. 347. "The bug, which you would fright me with, I seek." P.175.

*

case of mere obvious errors of the press, the reader is ap

13. "You here shall swear upon the sword of justice,—" P. 349. "You here shall swear upon this sword of justice,-"

14. "The session shall proceed." P. 349.

"The sessions shall proceed." P. 178.

15." Which you knew great; and to the certain hazard
"Of all incertainties "P. 350.

"Which you knew great, and to the hazard
"Of all incertainties" P. 179.

P. 177.

Some word was undoubtedly omitted at the press; (probably fearful or doubtful;) but I thought it better to exhibit the line in an imperfect state, than to adopt the interpolation made by the editor of the second folio, who has introduced perhaps as unfit a word as could have been chosen.

16. “Through my dark 1ust! and how his piety -” P. 360. "Thorough my rust! and how his piety —" P. 179. The first word of the line is in the old copy by the mistake of the compositor printed Through.

17. "O but dear sir," P. 375.

"O but, sir,

-"P. 200.

18. "Your discontenting father I'll strive to qualify, -" P. 401. "Your discontenting father strive to qualify, -" P. 224. 19. "If I thought it were not a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would do it." P. 407.

"If I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I'd not do it." P. 229.

20. "Dost thou think, for that I insinuate or toze-" P. 402. "Dost thou think, for that I insinuate and toze —" P. 231. 21." You might have spoke a thousand things,—" P. 414. "You might have spoken a thousand things,

22. "Where we offend her now, appear" P. 417. "Where we offenders now appear—” P. 237.

23. "Once more to look on.

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"And son unto the king, who, heavens directing,
"Is troth-plight to your daughter." P. 437.

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This your son-in-law,

"P. 235.

"And son unto the king, (whom heavens directing,)
"Is troth-plight to your daughter." P. 257.

prized by a note; and every emendation that has been adopted,

KING JOHN.

1. "Which fault lies on the hazard of all husbands." P. 10.
"Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands." P. 451.
3. "'Tis too respective, and too sociable,

"For your conversing." P. 14.

""Tis too respective, and too sociable,
"For your conversion." P. 456.

3. "Thus leaning on my elbow," P. 16.

"Thus leaning on mine elbow, -" P. 457.

4." With them a bastard of the king deceas'd." P. 25.
"With them a bastard of the king's deceas'd." P. 464.
5. “That thou hast under-wrought its lawful king." P. 26.
"That thou hast under-wrought his lawful king." P. 465.
6." Say, shall the current of our right run on?" P. 37.

"Say, shall the current of our right roam on?" P. 476.
7. "And now he feasts, mouthing the flesh of men,
"And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men,

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.." P. 38.

"P. 477.

9. "For grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop." P. 52.
"For grief is proud, and makes his owner stout." P. 492.
10. "O, that a man would speak these words to me!" P. 52.
"O, that a man should speak these words to me!" P. 497.
11. "Is 't not amiss, when it is truly done?” P. 64.

"Is not amiss, when it is truly done." P. 504.

12. " Then, in despight of broad-ey'd watchful day," — P. 72: "Then, in despight of brooded watchful day," P. 512. 13. "A whole armado of collected sail." P. 74.

"A whole armado of convicted sail." 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."

15. "Strong reasons make strong actions." P. 81.
Strong reasons make strange actions." P. 522.

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P. 519.

16. "Must make a stand at what your highness will." P. 89.
"Doth make a stand at what your highness will." P. 530.
17." Had none, my lord! why, did not you provoke me?" P. 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.

is ascribed to its proper author. When it is considered that

19. Sir, sir, impatience has its privilege.” P. 102.

"Sir, sir, impatience has his privilege." P. 541.

20." Or, when he doom'd this beauty to the grave, -" P. 102. "Or, when he doom'd this beauty to a grave, -" P. 541. 21. "To the yet-unbegotten sins of time." P. 102. "To the yet-unbegotten sin of times." P. 541. 22. "And breathing to this breathless excellence,· "And breathing to his breathless excellence,” P. 542. 23. “And your supplies, which you have wish'd so long,—”

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P. 102.

P. 121.

"And your supply, which you have wish'd so long,—”

P. 561.

24. "What's that to thee? Why may I not demand- " P. 122. "What's that to thee? Why may not I demand —” P. 562.

25. “O, my sweet sir, news fitted to the night." P. 123.

“O, my sweet sir, news fitting to the night.” P. 563. 26. "Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, "Leaves them, invisible his siege is now

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Against the mind,- " P. 124.

Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, "Leaves them invisible; and his siege is now Against the mind,· -" P. 565.

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27." The salt of them is hot." P. 125.

"The salt in them is hot." P. 568.

Two other restorations in this play I have not set down: "Before we will lay down our just-borne arms—" Act II, sc. ii.

and

"Be these sad signs confirmers of thy word.” Act III, sc. i. because I pointed them out on a former occasion.

It may perhaps be urged that some of the variations in these lists, are of no great consequence; but to preserve our poet's genuine text is certainly important; for otherwise, as Dr. Johnson has justly observed, "the history of our language will be lost;" and as our poet's words are changed, we are constantly in danger of losing 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.

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

there are one hundred thousand lines in these plays, and that it often was necessary to consult six or seven 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 witheut 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;

readings are now established and supported 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.

*That I may be accurately understood, I subjoin 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, sc. ii:

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"Does shew the mood of a much-troubled breast."

The old copy reads-Do.

Ibidem, Act I, sc. i:

""Tis too respective, and too sociable," &c.

The old copy," "Tis two respective," &c.

Again, in the same play, we find in the original copy:

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'Against the inuoluerable clouds of heaven."

In King Henry V, Act V, sc. ii:

66 Corrupting in its own fertility."

The old copy reads-it.

In Timon of Athens, Act I, sc. i:

"Come, shall we in?"

The old copy has-Comes.

Ibidem:

"Even on their knees, and hands, —”

The old copy has-hand.

In Cymbeline, Act III, sc. iv:

"The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
"Woman its pretty self."

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 ascribed to its author.

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