"The hungry cannibals would not have touch'd, the editor of the second folio, leaving the first line imperfect as he found it, completed the last line by this absurd interpolation: "Would not have stain'd the roses just with blood." These are but a few of the numerous corruptions and interpolations found in that copy, from the editor's ignorance of Shakspeare's phraseology. II. Let us now examine how far he was acquainted with the metre of these plays. In The Winter's Tale, Act III, sc. ii, we find— "What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling? "In leads, or oils?" Not knowing that fires was used as a dissyllable, he added the word burning at the end of the line: "What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling? burning?" So again, in Julius Cæsar, Act III, sc. ii, from the same ignorance, the word all has been interpolated by this editor: "And with the brands fire all the traitors' houses." instead of the reading of the original and authentick copy, "And with the brands fire the traitors' houses." Again, in Macbeth: “I would, while it was smiling in my face, "Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, "As you have done to this." Not perceiving that sworn was used as a dissyllable, he reads"had I but so sworn." Charms our poet sometimes uses as a word of two syllables. Thus, in The Tempest, Act I, sc. ii: "Curs'd be I, that did so! All the charms," &c. instead of which this editor gives us, "Curs'd be I, that I did so! All the charms," &c. Hour is almost always used by Shakspeare as a dissyllable, but of this the editor of the second folio was ignorant; for instead of these lines in King Richard II: "So sighs, and tears, and groans, "Shew minutes, times, and hours: but my time He gives us So sighs, and tears, and groans, "Shew minutes, times, and hours: 0 but my time,"* &c. So again, in The Comedy of Errors: "I'll meet you in that place, some hour, sir, hence,” instead of the original reading, "I'll meet you in that place some hour hence." Again, in The Winter's Tale, Act I, sc. ii: 66 wishing clocks more swift? 66 Hours, minutes? the noon, midnight? and all eyes,” &c. instead of the original reading, "Hours, minutes? noon, midnight? and all eyes," &c. Again, in All's Well that Ends Well, Act II, sc. iii : "Which challenges itself as honours born, "And is not like the sire. Honours thrive," &c. This editor, not knowing that sire was used as a dissyllable, reads: "And is not like the sire. Honours best thrive," &c. So, in King Henry VI, P. I: "Rescued is Orleans from the English." Not knowing that English was used as a trisyllable, he has completed the line, which he supposed defective, according to his own fancy, and reads: "Rescu'd is Orleans from the English wolves." The same play furnishes us with various other proofs of his ignorance of our poet's metre. Thus, instead of * In Measure for Measure we find these lines: "Thou rather, with thy sharp and sulphurous bolt, "Than the soft mirtle;-But man, proud man," &c. There can be no doubt that a word was omitted in the last line; perhaps some epithet to mirtle. But the editor of the second folio, resorting to his usual expedient, absurdly reads: "Than the soft mirtle. O but man, proud man, —.” So, in Titus Andronicus, Act III, sc. ii: complaynet being corruptly printed instead of complayner, "Speechless complaynet, I will learn thy thoughts, this editor, with equal absurdity, reads: "Speechless complaint, O, I will learn thy thoughts." I have again and again had occasion to mention in the notes on these plays, that omission is of all the errors of the press that which most frequently happens. On collating the fourth edition of King Richard III, printed in 1612, with the second printed ip 1598, I found no less than twenty-six words omitted. "Orleans the bastard, Charles, Burgundy, he has printed (not knowing that Charles was used as a word of two syllables) "Orleans the bastard, Charles, and Burgundy.” So, instead of the original reading, "Divinest creature, Astræa's daughter, (Astrea being used as a word of three syllables) he has printed "Divinest creature, bright Astræa's daughter.” Again, ibidem: "Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss." Not knowing that contrary was used as a word of four syllables, he reads: "Whereas the contrary bringeth forth bliss." So sure is used in the same play, as a dissyllable: "Gloster, we 'll meet: to thy cost, be sure." but this editor, not aware of this, reads: "Gloster, we 'll meet; to thy dear cost, be sure." Again, in King Henry VI, P. II : "And so to arms, victorious father, وو arms being used as a dissyllable. But the second folio reads: "And so to arms, victorious noble father." Again, in Twelfth Night, Act I, sc. i, we find 66 when liver, brain, and heart, "These sovereign thrones, are all supply'd, and fill'd, (Her sweet perfections) with one self-king." 66 for which the editor, not knowing that perfections was used as a quadrissyllable, has substituted 66 when liver, brain, and heart, "These sovereign thrones, are all supply'd, and fill'd, (Her sweet perfections) with one self-same king." Again, in King Henry VI, P. II: "Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king." for which the editor of the second folio, not knowing Henry to be used as a trisyllable, gives us, "But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king." In like manner dazzled is used by Shakspeare as a trisyllable in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II, sc. iv: "And that hath dazzled my reason's light." instead of which, we find in the second folio, "And that hath dazzled so my reason's light." The words neither, rather, &c. are frequently used by Shakspeare as words of one syllable. So, in King Henry VI, P. III: "And neither by treason, nor hostility, "To seek to put me down -." for which the editor of the second folio has given us, In Timon of Athens, Act III, sc. v, Alcibiades asks, The editor of the second folio, not knowing that pours was used as a dissyllable, to complete the supposed defect in the metre, reads: "Is this the balsam, that the usuring senate "Pours into captains' wounds! ha! banishment?" Tickled is often used by Shakspeare and the contemporary poets, as a word of three syllables. So, in K. Henry VI, P. II: "She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs." instead of which, in the second folio we have, "She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs." So, in Titus Andronicus, Act II, sc. i: "Better than he have worn Vulcan's badge." This editor, not knowing that worn was used as a dissyllable, reads: "Better than he have yet worn Vulcan's badge." Again, in Cymbeline, Act II, sc. v: "All faults that name, nay, that hell knows, why hers, "In part, or all; but rather all: for even to vice," &c. These lines being thus carelessly distributed in the original copy, "All faults that name, nay, that hell knows, Why hers, in part, or all; but rather all :" &c. the editor of the second folio, to supply the defect of the first line, arbitrarily reads, with equal ignorance of his author's metre and phraseology, "All faults that may be named, nay, that hell knows, In King Henry IV, P. II, Act I, sc. iii, is this line: "And being now trimm'd in thine own desires, —." instead of which the editor of the second folio, to remedy a supposed defect in the metre, has given us— وو "And being now trimm'd up in thine own desires, —.” Again, in As you Like it, Act II, sc. i: instead of which we find in the second folio, (the editor not knowing that country was used as a trisyllable) he pierceth through "The body of city, the country, court." In like manner, in The Winter's Tale, Act I, sc. i, he has given "The doctrine of ill-doing, no nor dream'd we knew not "The doctrine of ill-doing, nor dream'd," &c. doctrine being used as a word of three syllables. "Pay him six thousand," &c. says Portia in The Merchant of Venice, "Before a friend of this description "Should lose a hair through Bassanio's fault." the word hair being used as a dissyllable, or Bassanio as a quadrisyllable. Of this the editor of the second folio was wholly ignorant, and therefore reads: "Should lose a hair through my Bassanio's fault." In The Winter's Tale, Act IV, sc. iii, Florizel, addressing Perdita, says, my desires "Run not before mine honour; nor my lusts "Burn hotter than my faith." To complete the last hemistich, Perdita is made to reply, "O but, sir, "Your resolution cannot hold," Here again this editor betrays his ignorance of Shakspeare's metre; for not knowing that burn was used as a dissyllable, he reads "O but, dear sir," &c. Again, in King Henry VIII, Act II, sc. iii, the Old Lady de clares to Anne Boleyn, ""Tis strange; a three-pence bow'd would hire me, But instead of this, hire not being perceived to be used as a word of two syllables, we find in the second folio, ""Tis strange; a three-pence bow'd now would hire me," &c. This editor, indeed, was even ignorant of the author's manner of accenting words, for in The Tempest, where we find, Spirits, which by mine art "I have from their confines call'd to enact "My present fancies, he exhibits the second line thus: "I have from all their cónfines call'd to enact," &c. |