•iV'' 5 5E .•r Pir*(> ^ARVQ \. ■ jiiiin' . ,t"'v.Mrrir THE COMEDY OF MUCEDORUS REVISED AND EDITED WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY KAEL WARNKE, ni. d. AND LUDWia PROESCHOLDT, ph.d. > • « » .... • • •. • * 9 • • • > • • • • t • • • • • • ; • • ••• • . • • • • HALLE: ^l \X NlEMKYIiK. 1878. « « t «^ t c <>) \9 7^ i. S ■s CM :*■ > o 4 TO PROFESSOR KARL ELZE 1). THIS EDITION OF ' MUCEDORUS ' IS INSCRIBED IN TOKEN OF THEIR HIGH ESTEEM AND \ SINCERE GRATITUDE V BY TlIK EDITORS. 420806 INTRODUCTION. The earliest known edition of the comedy of Mucedorus was published in i5q8, with the title: A Most pleasant Comedie of Mucedorus the kings sonne of Valentia and Amadine the king's daughter of Arragon, with the merie conceites of Mouse. Newly- set foorth , as it hath bin sundrie times plaide in the honorable Cittie of London. Very delectable and full of mirth. London Printed for William Jones, dwelling at Holborne conduit, at the signe of the Gunne. 1598. 4" (QA). As appears from the words newly set foorth, the Editio Princeps of the pla)' has been lost and we must now consider the edition of 1598 as such, A second edition, mentioned by Dyce^), was issued in 1606 (QB); it bears the same title as QA, of which it seems to have been a mere reprint. In the beginning of the reign of king James I, several additions were made to the play, and it was published again in 1609 (QC) and in 16 10 (QD), the latter edition being entitled: A Most pleasant Comedie of Mucedorus the kings sonne of Valentia, and Amadine the kings daughter of Aragon. With the merr)' conceites of Mouse. Amplified with new additions, as it was acted before the king's Maiestic at White -hall on .Shroue- Sunday night. By his Ilighnes Seruants vsually playing at the Globe. Very delectable, and full of conceited Mirth. Imprinted at London for William Jones, dwelling neare Holborne Conduit, at the signe of the Gunne. 1 6 10. 4*'. The scenes added in these editions arc: i. The Prologue. — 2. The dialogue between Mucedorus and Anselmo (I, i). — 3. The soliloquy of Mouse (I, 2). — 4. The scene in which Anselmo com- ') The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher , The Knight of the Burning Pestle. Note to the Induction. I* 4 INTRODUCTION. municates to the distressed king of Valentia the reason of the clandestine departure of his son (IV, i). — 5. The last scene of the play was amplified in QC by the introduction of the king of Valentia with his train just at the moment, when the king of Arragon has bestowed the hand of his daughter Amadine on Mucedorus. The introduction of the king of Valentia and of Anselmo who do not appear in the two earliest editions, at the same time made it necessary to raise the original number of eight actors (in QA) to ten (in QC). — 6. The epilogue, from 1. 14, has been altered. From this altered form of the epilogue, we learn the occasion on which the new scenes were added. 'A comedy', says the late R. Simpson 2) , ' by some poet unaccustomed to write for the com- pany, had been acted at the Globe, and afterwards at court before the king himself. It was full of dark sentences for which the actors were delated to the magistrate, to their great danger. And on occasion of their being admitted to act again at court, they presented the old, inoffensive Mucedorus as their peace-offering, with an elaborate excuse for their error.' (Epilogue 11. 15 — 77.) R. Simpson then goes on to enumerate several plays of a scandalous character which were performed at the Globe between the publication of Mucedorus in 1606 and the issue of the edition of 16 10; it is however difficult to say which of them had given the oflfence alluded to in the epilogue. From the very beginning, the comedy of Mucedorus, probably on account of 'the merry conceits of Mouse', seems to have been highly popular. An allusion to this eifect is found in Beaumont and Fletcher's drama: The Knight of the Burning Pestle, first acted in 1 6 1 1 , in the Induction of which the wife of a citizen says with regard to her husband's apprentice: 'Nay, gentlemen, he hath play'd before, my husband says, ^Mucedorus, before the wardens of our company '. — Another proof of the great popularity which, for more than half a century, our play enjoyed, consists in the great number of editions still extant. Not even the period during which the theatres w-ere closed, and in which so many old plays sank into oblivion, deprived the comedy of Mucedorus of the esteem in which it was held by the play -going public: for in ^) Pseudo-Shaksperian Dramas. In: The Academy, Apr. 29, 1876, p. 401, FNTRODUCTION. 5 1663, it was performed at Witney in Oxfordshire^); and what is still more surprising, at a time when the French taste had already completely taken hold of the English stage, in the same year in which the first playwright of the Restoration — Sir William Davenant — died, a new edition of our play was published (1668). The editions issued between 16 10 and 1668 are the following: 1 613 (QE), 16 1 5 (QF), 16 19 (QG), 1 62 1 (QH), 1629 (QI), 1634 (QK), 1639 (QL), 1668 (QM). — Qq EFGIKLM are enumera- ted by Halliwell '*) ; QH is contained in a miscellaneous volume belonging to the Municipal Library of Dantzic and bearing the press- mark: Comcediae Anglicanae XVII. F. 5. q. Professor Elze, who thinks this copy to be unique, had a transcript made of it in 1859, which has been mentioned by Professor Delius in the Introduction to his edition of our play : and the only two English critics that refer to the edition of 1 621 — R. Simpson and Professor Ward 5) — probably owe their knowledge of it to that introduction. Of these twelve old editions only QH has been accessible to us in the original, whilst Qq .\CD]M have become known to us either through reprints or collations. QA forms the basis of the reprint of our play in Dodsley's Select Collection of Old English Plays, cd. by W. Carew Ilazlitt (vol. VII, London 1874). Throughout the play, Mr. Ilazlitt has modernized the old spelling, now and then he has corrected an evident blunder of QA, not however without regularl}- giving the reading of the Ed. Pr. in a note, so that with the aid of his edition the reader is able to reconstrue the text of QA. In the arrange- ment of the lines, in particular, he has not deviated from QA, giving as prose several passages which without doubt are to be ^) On that occasion , some persons lost their lives by an unfortunate accident, a catastrophe which was made the subject of a pamphlet by an Oxfordshire clergyman under the title: Trapi - Comcedia. Being a brieff relation of the strange and wonderful hand of God, discovered at Witney in the Comedy acted February the third, where there were some slaine, many hurt, and several other remarkable passages. See Collier, Annals of the Stage, II, 118 seq. *) Dictionary of Old English Plays. ^) A History of English Dramatic Literature. London 1875. L 458 seq. Professor Ward eiToneously slates that the ' new additions' only consisted of the Prologue , and of the opening and concluding dialogue between Comedy and Envy, and that these scenes were first published in ilie edition of 162 1. 6 INTRODUCTION. read as verse, and not choosing, when printing verse, to restore the regular blank verse in cases where it was easy to do so. Not content, however, only to give the text of QA, he has taken the pains to collate it with QD , from which he has derived the pas- sages not contained in QA. QC has lately been reprinted for subscribers by Mr. J. Payne Collier, who has likewise modernized the old spelling, and, beside a short introductory notice in which he claims one of the scenes first printed in QC (IV, i) for Shakespeare, has added a few notes and conjectures ; as for the rest, Mr. Collier has made no attempt to restore that form of the old play which originally it must have borne, even if penned by the humblest of all Elizabethan play- wrights. As to QH Professor Elze has not only with great liberality lent us his transcript, but has also most kindly procured the ori- ginal from Dantzic for our inspection. After having once more com- pared the transcript with the original, we think we are allowed to consider it to be as faithful as can be. The title of QH differs from that of QD only in the imprint (London, Printed for John Wright, and are to be sold at his shop without Newgate at the signe of the Bible). Professor Delius , to whom we owe the first German edition of our play 6), has formed his text from QM, the title of which agrees with that of QD except in the imprint, which runs as fol- lows: London, Printed by C. O. for Francis Coles, and are to be sold at his shop in Winestreet near Hatton - garden 1668. In his introduction, Professor Delius discusses the hypothesis of Tieck on the authorship of our play and gives a survey of the different editions, as far as he knew them. As for the text of the play, he has compared QM with the transcript of Professor Elze, giving some of the variations as well as some conjectures of his own and of Professor Elze's on pp. XII — XIV ; substantially , however, his edition may be considered as a reprint of the last quarto edition of 1668. As there can be no doubt that QA is superior to all subse- quent editions, we have followed it as closely as possible, adopting *") Pseiido - Shaksperesdie Dramen. Herausgegeben von Nicolaus Delius. Viertes Heft : Mucedorus. Elberfeld 1 874. INTRODUCTION. 7 the reading of the other Qq only in cases where the text of QA is obviously corrupt. For brevity's sake, we quote Mr. Hazlitt's reprint as A, Mr. Collier's reprint as C, Professor Delius' edition as M, and the Qq of 1610 and 1621 as D and H. In most cases we have deemed it sufficient in the notes only to indicate the readings of those Qq which differ from that to which we have given the preference. The corrupted text and the deficient versification of our play have, in part, been restored by Professor Wagner") and Professor Elze^). As a number of the emendations proposed by these learned gentlemen seem to be incontestable, we have not hesitated to prefer them to the readings of the Qq, particularly in cases in which the latter are not in unison with one another; such con- jectures, however , as seemed to be of a more doubtful character, have been embodied in the notes. In the notes we have also given some suggestions with which Professor Elze and some of our friends have privately favoured us. I'or those emendations, lastly , which have been given without an author's name , we are answerable ourselves. The question as to the author of our play has been repeatedly discussed ; but as cogent arguments are absolutely wanting , it is not likely ever to be brought to a satisfactory close. Among the different hypotheses jjut forth both in England and Germany , we are able to distinguish three principal groups. There are , or to speak more correctly , there were some critics who attributed the whole of the play to no meaner poet than to Shakespeare ; others, particularly English scholars, think it not improbable that the scenes added in the edition of l6og, were written by Shakespeare, whilst a third group of critics hold that the great English poet had nothing at all to do with our comedy, but that some other of the Elizabethan dramatists — Lodge, Greene, or Peele — composed it in the beginning of his dramatical career. The principal advocate of the first hypothesis was the Ciennan poet Tieck. Highly meritorious as his efforts were to make his countrymen acquainted with the works of the great P'nglish bard, ') Shakespeare -Jahrl)uch XI, 59 — 70 : Ueber unci /u Mucedorus. *) Shakespeare- Jahrbuch XIII, 45 — 91: Noten unci Conjecturen. We have enjoyed the advantage of using a separate impression of these Notes; the volume itself will only be published some weeks hence. 8 INTRODUCTION. yet it is well known that, guided by nothing but his own individual taste , he attributed to Shakespeare a number of plays which cer- tainly were not written by him. To these plays belongs the co- medy of Mucedorus. In the second part of Tieck's novel : Dichter- leben , Shakespeare is made to confess to the Earl of Southampton that, when still at Stratford, he wrote the singular play of Muce- dorus , and that after the lapse of many years when he chanced to be present at a performance of it, he was struck with astonish- ment to see the long-forgotten comedy meet with great applause ^). Setting aside the poetical frame of this passage , we may , with Professor Delius, infer two facts from it, firstly that Tieck believed Shakespeare to have been the author of the play , and then , that he did not think it quite worthless. Turning to the external evidence which may have led Tieck to that supposition, we know that none of the old editions gives on its title Shakespeare as the author of the play; nor is any allusion to that effect to be found in contemporary writers. The only fact that speaks in favour of Tieck's hypothesis, is the circumstance of a volume having existed in the library of K. Charles II, containing Mucedorus together with the comedies of The Merry Devil of Edmonton and Fair Em, which was labelled Shakespeare, Vol. I. ^o). It is not likely that the book - binder should have given the volume this inscription on his own authority : on the contrary, we may suppose that he was instructed to do so by the original owner of the book. But we are entirely ignorant, who that owner was and whether he did not attribute the three plays to Shakespeare merely on the same ground on which many other plays have been ascribed to him, viz. because they had been represented at the Globe. That, moreover, Shakespeare was not generally considered as the author of the three comedies , becomes evident from the fact that the editors of the third Folio of Shakespeare's works, although ad- '■') It forms a singular contrast to the intimate knowledge which Tieck evidently possessed of our play, that Schlegel in his Lectures on Dramatic Art (II, 2, 240, German edition of 1809) is obliged to own that he never saw this comedy and therefore feels unable to pronounce an opinion of it. '0) This volume afterwards passed to the British Museum, where it has been broken up to allow the plays to be separately bound. Malone's Shakspeare by Boswell (1821) II, 682. Simpson, School of Shakspere II, 339 and 404. According to Simpson, Transactions of the New Shakspere Society 1875 — 6, p. 157 the label was Shakespeare, Vol. II. INTRODUCTION. mitting seven plays not contained in Ff AB included in it neither The- Merry Devil of Edmonton, nor Fair Em, nor lastly jMucedorus. In short, the external evidence pointing to Shakespeare as the author of our play, can hardly be turned to account. Tieck has omitted to give some internal evidence speaking in favour of Shakespeare ; and it seems in fact to be difficult to find a single passage in the play that bears the stamp of Shakespeare's genius. On the contrary, there is one criterion which, in our opinion , is of sufficient moment to prove that our play was not ' written by Shakespeare, and this is the striking predilection which the author of our play shows for alliteration. Some of the most prominent alliterative passages are: I, 3. Prying from place to place to find his prey. Prolonging &c. I, 4. But hard, yea hapless, is that wretch's chance, Luckless his lot, and caitiff- like accurst, At whose proceedings fortune ever frowns. ib. A trusty friend is tried in time of need. ib. In harmful heart to harbour hatred long. ib. A merry man a merry master makes. II, 2. Tremelio, ah, trusty Tremelio ! ib. Whose doom will be thy death as thou dcscrv'st. n, 3. Who fights with me and doth not die the death? III, I. Pour forth your plaints, and wail a while with me And thou bright sun, my comfort in the cold. ib. Ye wholesome herbs and, ye sweet- smelling savours. Ill, 2. a fair broad - branched beach. III, 3. Should such a shepherd, such a simple swain. ib. My present promise to perform. ib. Now glut thy greedy guts. ib. Ay, woman, wilt thou live i 'th' woods with me? IV, 3. In time of yore, when men like brutish beasts Did lead their lives in loathsome cells and woods, And wholly gave themselves to witless will, .\ rude unruly rout, then man to man became A present prey : then might prevailed. The weakest went to wall &c. IV, 5. In such a cruel cut- throat's company. • ib. And will do still as long as life shall last. 10 INTRODUCTION. These instances will be sufficient to show that in almost all the scenes, at least in the original play before it was amplified, alliterative lines are to be met with. Now, alliteration is a figure of speech of which Shakespeare never made use, except once in Love's Labour's Lost IV, 2 (in the well-known lines, beginning: The preyful princess pierc'd and prick'd a pretty pleasing pricket) in order to characterize and ridicule his Holofernes. If therefore now- a -days there should be critics bold enough to assert Shake- speare to have been the author of our play, this grammatical test would of itself, we think, suffice to refute them. The second of the above mentioned theories seems to boast of more supporters than the one just discussed: two English critics, at least, ascribe the scenes first published in QC to Shake- speare. These critics are the late R. Simpson, who on different occasions * 1) turned his attention to our play, and Mr. Collier who takes IV, i to have been Shakespeare's contribution, i') Indeed every reader, however cursorily examining our play, must be struck with the different tone and style of these scenes. Professor Wagner ^^), although not acquainted with the different editions, points out IV, i as the only scene in which the diction rises above the usual triviality and becomes somewhat more graceful and elegant. He might have added that also the latter part of the Epilogue is written in a more racy and vigorous style than the rest. Besides, alliteration is very rarely, if at all, to be met with in the new scenes.'*) If, on the other side, it is true that also in these scenes the passages in which sense and metre are deficient, are by no means wanting, we must bear in mind that, in all probability, this is rather the fault of the old editors , than that of the author. Mr. Hazlitt, therefore, is wrong when saying i^) : 'Whether the •') School of Shakspere II, 404 seqq. — The Academy April 29, 1876, p. 401 seq. — Transactions of the New Shakspere Society 1875 — 6, pp. 157—160. '2) Mr. Collier is mistaken in stating in the Introductory Notice to his edition of Mucedorus, that IV, i is the only scene not contained in QA. •') Shakespeare - Jahrbuch XI, 61. '■') The following passages in I, i : But faith plant firmer; ib. My resolution brooks no battery ; ib. breed a blemish ; ib. lock thy lips — are hardly to be considered as instances of alliteration. '*) In a short note on the titles of the two old copies which he used in preparing his edition. ENTRODUCTION. 1 1 additions and corrections were the work of the original writer, or of some one else is uncertain; but it does not appear improbable that they were the author's.' On the contrary, it is certain that the author of the original play did not add the scenes in question; whether, however, we are entitled to consider them as Shake- speare's is a question which is to be considered apart. R. Simpson (School of Shaksperc II, 404) says: 'The old play is too bad to be Shakespeare's, unless it was written in his very earliest days, yet the additions in tlie edition of 1610 have in them a ring quite consistent with Shakespeare's authorship, who, too good an artist to patch cloth of frieze with cloth of gold, yet could hardly help showing a fibre of his golden vein in anything that he scribbled.' R. Simpson expresses himself in a similar way in the Transactio i s of the New Shakspere Society and in the Academy. Although he owns in the latter paper that the additions, though far superior to the old play, yet 'bear no internal evidence of being Shakespeare's', and that 'there might have been many poets attached to the (ilobe in 1605 — 10 capable of this and much better', yet on the same occasion he gives us the reasons which seem to him to 'add some slight weight to the tradition that Shakespeare was the author of those scenes.' He does not think it impossible that Shakespeare was the head -manager of the King's Company at the time when the offence alluded to was given to the court, and that therefore it naturally devolved on him to extricate the players from their difficulty. 'It must be confessed that the molestation of the ashes in 1. 2 is like the tnolestation of the tmcha fed flood in Othello II, i, and that the use of the word sight has a Shakespearian twang.' To these arguments may be fitly added the one brought forward by Mr. Collier. As has already been mentioned, he supposes only IV, i to have been added to the old play, which scene on account of its diction and more particularly on account of the use of the word extohtmit (which licsides the passage in question only occurs in Hamlet IV, 2) he thinks to have been contributed by Shakespeare. Tiiese arguments would, even if advanced in a greater number, be far from proving Shakespeare's authorship; besides if we are not mistaken, there is a difference to be recognised in the use of the word molestation in Otliello and Mucedorus. The passages referred to are: 12 INTRODUCTION. For do but stand upon the foaming shore The chidden billow seems to pelt the clouds, The wind-shaked surge with high and monstrous mane Seems to cast water on the burning bear, And quench the guards of the ever- fixed pole: I never did like molestation view- On the enchafed flood. OTHKLLO II, I. Mirth to a soul disturbed is embers turned Which sudden gleam with molestation. MUCEDORUS IV, I. The expression which to R. Simpson seemed to have a Shake- spearian twang is contained in the following line: But sooner lose their sight for it. The earliest known edition (1609), however, that contains this line, instead of sight reads light, which has also been independently conjectured by Professor Elze. Both Mr. Simpson and INIr. Collier confine their remarks to IV, i : but, if it be assumed that Shake- speare added this scene, it must also be assumed that he wrote I, I and 2, as well as the conclusions of the play and of the epilogue. In these scenes, however, no critic has as yet discovered a spark of Shakespeare's genius. On the contrar}- INIr. Collier expressly says: 'All other portions of the drama [with the exception of IV, i] are clearly by an inferior hand and in a much humbler and comparatively barbarous style'; also ]\Ir. R. Simpson has not been able to point out lines in I, i and 2 and in the conclusion of the play as being not unworthy of the great poet. We have remarked indeed that the diction in the latter part of the epilogue is different from that of the rest of the play, but it rather calls to mind the inflation of style so frequently to be met with in the works of the precursors of Shakespeare. Moreover, there is one point in the versification of our play which speaks against Shake- speare's authorship. Both authors — he who composed the old play, as well as he who added the new scenes — had a predilection for rhyme. According to Abbott, Shakespearian Grammar § 515, Shakespeare made use of rhyme only in two cases, viz. as an effective termination at the end of the scene, and as a conven- tional means to mark an aside. In our play, however, rhyme frequently occurs, also in the middle of a scene, without any reason for its use being discernible. INTRODUCTION. 13 Considering all this, we must confess that there is just as little evidence, either external or internal, for Shakespeare's authorship of the scenes first added in QC, as for Tieck's hypothesis that he composed the whole of the play. The same must be said of the other suggestions as to the author of our play. As all of them lack" evidence, and are nothing but mere guesses, it will be sufficient briefly to enumerate them. Malone thinks Robert Greene to have been the author of our play. He says^s): 'Chettle, in a miscellaneous piece, consisting of prose and verse, entitled England's Mourtmig Gar7netii &c. (1603) shadows Marlowe the poet under the name of Musceus; because he had translated the poem of Hero and Leander, attributed to Musaius : and Robert Greene, under the name of iNIusidore, doubtless from his having been the author of Mucedorus, a play, which has been absurdly attributed to Shakspeare'. Al. Dyce, in his edition of the works of Robert Greene, does not mention the passage just quoted. Simpson (Transactions of the New Shakspere Society) says : •The poet Mucidore addressed by Chettle in England's Mourning Garment is either Thomas Lodge or Robert Greene.' Von Friesen'") lastly, induced by the frequent use of alliteration, does not think it unlikely that George Peele was the author of our play. Quite as uncertain as the author of our play, is the date of its composition. The only means by which we are enabled to make a guess at this date consists in the examination both of the verse and of the use which the author has made of the interspersed prose. The clown, as might be exjjected, speaks in prose throughout the play; and also the other characters when talking to him, generally prefer prose to verse; verses addressed to the clown are ver}' rare. Collen, the Councillor, converses with him in prose in II, I ; in verse in V, i . The messenger that was to be represented by the same actor as Collen, indiscriminately uses verse and prose in his discourse with the clown (III, i). It may be added that in the Qq passages which are to be read as prose, are repeatedly printed as verse. With the exception of the scenes in which the clown, Collen, '«) Malone, Life of William Shakspeare in Malone's Shakspeare by Boswell (1 82 1) II, 251 note. '') Shakespeare - Jahrbuch X, 37 1. 14 INTRODUCTION. and the messenger appear, our play has been written in blank- verse. As the blank-verse is quite regular in a number of scenes, particularly in the monologues, we may suppose that where the metre is spoiled, it is not the fault of the author. In many passages, therefore, in which QA prints prose or irregular verse, we have after the example, and very often with the aid of the notes and conjectures, published by Professors Wagner and Elze, tried to restore the blank- verse; as, on the other side, however, the poet apparently did not scruple frequently to admit lines of four or six accents, we have as a rule not attempted to reduce such lines to regular metre, although, as the notes will show, in many cases it would have been easy to do so. As has been mentioned, both authors agree in their predilection for rhyme; in another point, however, their versification differs: viz. in the admission of double endings which are much more frequent in the additions than in the original play; the latter con- tains only 2^ double endings, whereas in the additions their number amounts to 17. If to this we add the frequent use made of alliteration, we shall hardly be wrong in concluding that our play had been in existence several years before the Ed. Pr. (1598) was published. The division of our play into acts and scenes which we have introduced, is not to be found in either old or modem editions and we must therefore ask the reader's indulgence if it should not in all points find his approval. In the first act, Mucedorus, in the disguise of a shepherd, leaves his father's court, and, on his arrival in Arragon , saves Amadine by killing the bear. In the second act he dispatches Tremelio who, instigated by Segasto, tries to murder him; Segasto accuses him of murder, but the king pardons that offence , and recompenses Mucedorus for having saved the life of his daughter. On a sudden, however, he changes his mind, and we learn in the third act that Mucedorus is banished from the court. Amadine resolves to follow her lover, but misses him at the appointed place and falls into the hands of Bremo, a wild man. Mucedorus, in the new disguise of a hermit, kills Bremo and sets her free, and immediately after both are discovered by the clown and Segasto, to the latter of whom Mucedorus reveals his princely birth. The fifth act contains the reconciliation of all parties. Although it is true that the last act INTRODUCTION. 15 is far shorter than the preceding ones, yet as the fourth act must needs contain Bremo's death, and as Segasto meets Amadine and Mucedorus at the same place where tlie latter has killed Bremo, it seems impossible to begin the fifth act at an earlier scene. Moreover, it should be observed that it seems to speak in favour of our division, that, according to it, the fourth act, like all the preceding ones , concludes with a scene in which the clown plays a prominent part. MUCEDORUS. THE PROLOGUE. Most sacred Majesty, whose great deserts Thy subject England, nay, tlie world admires: Which heaven grant still increase! O, may your praise IVIultiplying with your hours, your fame still raise ! Embrace your council : love with faith them guide, 5 That both, as one, bench by each other's side. So may your life pass on, and run so even. That your firm zeal plant you a throne in heaven, Where smiling angels sliall your guardians be From blemish'd traitors, stain'd with perjury. 10 And as the night's inferior to the day. So be all earthl}" regions to your sway! Be as the sun to day, the day to night. For from your beams Europe shall borrow light. Mirth drown your bosom, fair delight your mind, 15 And may our pastime; your contentment find. [Exit Prologue. The Prologue. First in C. — i. The whole prologue being written in verse, also the first two lines ought to form a couplet. Coll. proposes to read either desires in 1. I, or asserts in 1. 2. • — 4. Multiplying, cp. Abbott, Shakespearian Grammar s. 468. — 6. C both, as one, bench; D botli at one bench; H as one bench, by; M both as one bench by. — CD each other^s; HM the other's. — 8. CDH thro7ie ; M place. DRAMATIS PERSONS. Adrostus, king of A?-ragon."-^ The King of Valentia. Segasto 1 Noblemen of '^lvCEDO^v?>, the Prince of Valentia. RuMBELO*'' / Arragon. Anselmo, his friend. CoLLEN, a Cotmcillor.'^> Roderigo i Nohlemen of Tremelio, a Captain. BoRACmus'^-' j Valentia. Mouse, the Clown. Bremo, a ivild Man. Noblemen, Couticillors. A Messenger, a Boy. Amadine, the king of Arragon s daughter. Ariena, her Maid. An old Woman. Comedy. Envy. Dramatis Person.^.. In A the number of performers is limited to eight , among whom the parts are distributed in the following manner : The King and RoMBELO; Mucedorus, t/w Prince of Valencia; Amadine, the King's Daughter of Arragon ; Segasto, a Nobleman; Envy, Tremelio, a Captain, Bremo, a wild man ; Comedy, a Boy, an Old Woman, Arlena, Amadine' s Maid; Collen, a Councillor, A Messenger; Mouse, the Clown. — The characters of the King of Valentia and Anselmo have been added in CHM, where, accordingly, ten actors are required. — a. The name of Adrostus occurs II, I ; AH Adrostus ; CM Adrastus. — b. A, p. 202 Rombelo, p. 244 Rumbelo ; C Rombolo ; H Ro?nelo, Rumbelo ; M, p. 2 Romelio, p. 42 Rumbelo. ■ — c. AC Collen; HM Collin. — d. The name of Boracliius is omitted in the Dramatis Persona of the old copies ; but it occurs in the stage-directions IV, I, where CD have Borachius , HM Barachiiis , and V, I, where C has Boracliius, D Barciieus, H Baracheus, and M Brachius. INDUCTION. Enter CoMEDY, joy/idly, with a Garland of Bays on her head. Why so ; thus do I hope to please : Music revives, and mirth is tolerable; Comedy, play thy part and please; Make merry them that come to joy with thee. Joy then, good gentles; I hope to make you laugh. 5 Sound forth Bellona's silver-tuned strings; Time fits us well, the day and place is ours. Enter Envy, his arms naked, bestneared with blood. Envy. Nay, stay, you minion, stay; there lies a block! What, all on mirth? I'll interrupt your tale. And mix your miisic with a tragic end. 10 Co?n. What monstrous ugly hag is this. That dares control the pleasures of our will? Vaunt, churlish cur, besmear'd with gory blood. That seemst to check the blossoms of delight, And stifle the sound of sweet Bellona's breath ; 1 5 Blush, monster, blush, and post away with shame, That seekest disturbance of a goddess' deeds. Emy. Post hence thyself, thou counterchecking trull; I will possess this habit, spite of thee. And gain the glory of thy wished sport. 20 Induction. i. El., iliinking the Induction to have begun with a regular blank verse, proposes: H'/iy, even so. — 3. Supposing Co»i^ to have (hopped before Comedy, we should have a regular octosyllabic. — Coll. conjectures: J>tay thy part with ease. — 6. B ell ana , cp. El.'s Notes. — 7. C arc ours. — 8. A Nay, stay, minion; tJiere ; C Stay, stay; minion there ; HM Nay, stay minion, stay, there ; you added by El. — 14. A blossoms; CUM blossom. — 15. AH stijte ; C stiffe ; M still. — 17. HM natnc ; Wag. proposes fatne. — 20. HM ftiis ■wished. — Qq port ; El. sport. 22 MUCEDORUS. [Induction. I'll thuuclcr music shall appal the nymphs, And make them shiver their clattering strings, Flying for succour to their dankish caves. Sound Drums Tvithin, and ay, Stab, Stab Hark, hearken, thou shalt hear a noise 25 Shall fill the air with shrilling sound. And thunder music to the gods above: Mars shall himself reach dov^^n A peerless crown upon brave Envy's head. And raise his rival with a lasting fame. 30 In this brave music Envy takes delight, Where I may see them wallow in their blood, And spurn at arms and legs quite shivered off. And hear the cries of many thousands slain. How lik'st thou this, my trull? 't is sport alone for me! 35 Com. Vaunt, bloody cur, nurs'd up with tiger's sap, That so dost seek to quail a woman's mind! Comedy's mild, gentle, willing for to please, And seeks to gain the love of all estates. Delights in mirth, mix'd all with lovely tales, 40 And bringeth things with treble joy to pass. Thou bloody, envious 'sdainer of men's joys, Whose name is fraught with bloody stratagems, Delights in nothing but in spoil and death, Where thou may'st trample in their lukewarm blood, 21. HM appale. — 22. Wag. shiver tit their. — 23. Qq Danish; El. and Coll. dankish. — ■ 24. Hark added by Wag. -- HM hear noise. — 2^. AC with a shrilling. — 27. AC breathe; LM breath; Wag. reach. — 29. AHM chival; C cheval ; Wag. rival. 'Even Mars acknowledges the merits of his rival Envy by presenting him with a crown.' Wag. — 31. Qq the7n wallow. As there is no antecedent to which them might refer, it would perhaps be better to read me7t; cp., however, 1. 65. — 32. Qq To spur ft. — 33. A cry. — A thousand. — 34. A this; CHM 'tis. — 35- A tigers'. — 36. C does; HM That\ so dost quail. — 37. Qq Comedy is mild. — 39- Q<1 d e light ifig ; Wag. delights. ■ — 41. Qq disdainer ; as to 'sdainer, cp. Marlowe, King Edward II. p. 216 (ed. by Dyce, London 1870): Why, youngling, 'sdain'st thou so of Mortimer 'r See Abbott s. 460. — El. thinks bloody to have intruded by mistake from the following line. ■ — 43. AHM delights ; C delightst. Cp. Abbott s. 340. — 44. C on their lukewarm,. Induction.] MUCEDORUS. 23 And grasp their hearts within thy cursed paws. 45 Yet veil thy mind; revenge thou not on me; A silly woman begs it at thy hands. Give me the leave to utter out my play; Forbear this place ; I humbly crave thee, hence ! And mix not death 'mongst pleasing comedies, 50 That treat nought else but pleasure and delight. If any spark of human rests in thee, Forbear ; begone ; tender the suit of me. Envy. Why, so I will ; forbearance shall be such, As treble death shall cross thee wdth despite, 55 And make thee mourn, where most thou joy'st. Turning thy mirth into a deadly dole, WTiirling thy measures with a peal of death. And drench thv metres in a sea of blood. This will I do ; thus shall 1 bear with thee ; 60 And more, to vex thee with a deeper spite, I will with threats of blood begin thy play. Favouring thee with envy and with hate. Co7n. Then, ugly monster, do thy worst, I will defend them in despite of thee: 65 And though thou think'st with tragic fumes To brave my play unto my deep disgrace, I force it not, I scorn what thou canst do ; I'll grace it so, thyself shall it confess. From tragic stuff to be a pleasant comedy. 70 Envy. Why then. Comedy, send now thy actors forth, And I will cross the first steps of their tread, Making them fear the very dart of death. 46. CHM thee not. — 48. M Give me leave ; Wag. give me hut leave. — 49. HM thee hence. — 51. MM treats. — 52. H humafie. As to spark of human cp. Shakespeare's Sonnets 68, 3: Before these bastard signs of fair ■were born. See Abbott s. 5. — AHM rests; C rest. — 58. Q(\ pleasures ; El. measures. — 59. Qq methods; El. metres. — 60. M Thus will. — 61. A And, more to. — 62. HM the play. — 65. them has no antecedent to which it refers; cp. 1. 31. — 66. Wag. supposes thy to have dropped \>^{o\e. tragic ; the verse is, however, to be considered as an octosyllabic; cp. 11. 24, 25, 64. — 67. A brave ; C prave ; HM prove. — M great disgrace. — 68. C I force thee not. — 71. Qq Why then, Comedy, send thy actors forth; cp. 1. 77. — 72. HM step. — HM trade. 24 MUCEDORUS. [I, I. Com. And I'll defend them maiigre all thy spite. 75 So, ugly fiend, farewell, till time shall serve, That we may meet to parley for the best. Envy. Content, Comedy, I will go spread my branch, And scattered blossoms from mine envious tree Shall prove two monsters, spoiling of thy joys. [Exeunt. ACT I. SCENE I. Sound. Enter Mucedorus atid Anselmo his friend.. Muce. Anselmo ! Ansel. My lord and friend. Muce. True, my Anselmo, both thy lord aiid friend — Ansel. Whose dear affections bosom with my heart, 5 And keep their domination in one orb, Whence ne'er disloyalty shall root it forth. But faith plant finner in your choice respect. Muce. Much blame were mine, if I should other deem, Nor can coy Fortune contrary allow. lO But, my Anselmo, loth I am to say, I must estrange that friendship ; Misconstrue not, 't is from the realm, not thee: Though lands part bodies, hearts keep comf)any. Thou know'st that I imparted often have 15 Private relations with my royal sire. Had as concerning beauteous Amadine, Rich Arragon's bright jewel, whose face (some say) That blooming lilies never shone so gay, 76. C parte. — 77. Qq /'//. — 78. M my. — 79. Qq their ; Del. thy. — Qq Exit. Scene i. Omitted in A. — 3. CD give 11. 3—5 to Mucedorus, 11. 6 — 7 to Anselmo. — In HM 1. 3 is omitted, 11. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are given to Anselmo. — 9. C coy Fattcy. ^- 10. C am I. — 10 — il. Printed as one line in HM. — II. H / m-ust enstrange that friendship ; M enlarge that friendship; Wag. proposes estrange my friendship ; El. completes the verse by adding ybr a -ivhile. — 12. C misconster. — 16. Wag. 's emendation Sucti as for //ad as would require the change of concerning into concerned. I, I.] MITCEDORUS. 25 Excelling, not excell'd; yet lest report Does mangle verity, boasting of what is not, 20 Wing'd with desire, thither I'll straight repair. And be my fortunes, as my thoughts are, fair! Anse/. Will you forsake Valentia, leave the court. Absent you from the eye of sovereignty? Do not, sweet prince, adventure on that task, 25 Since danger lurks each where ; be won from it ! Mtice. Desist dissuasion. My resolution brooks no battery. Therefore, if thou retain thy wonted form, Assist what I intend. 30 Ansel. Your miss will breed a blemish in the court, And throw a frosty dew upon^that beard, Whose front Valentia stoops to. Muce. If thou my welfare tender, then no more; Let love's strong magic charm tin- trivial phrase, 35 Wasted as vainly as to gripe the sun. Augment not then more answers ; lock thy lips. Unless thy wisdom suit me with disguise, According to m\' purpose. Ansel. That action craves no counsel, 40 Since what you rightly are, will more command. Than best usurped sha])e. Muce. Thou still art opposite in disposition; A more obscure servile habiliment Beseems this enterprise. 45 Ansel. Then like a Florentine or mountebank! Muce. 'Tis much too tedious; I dislike thy judgment. My mind is grafted on an humbler stock. Ansel. Within my closet there does hang a cassock. Though base the weed is, 'twas a shepherd's once, 50 19. M less. — 20. C mangle virtue. — The substitution of truth for verity, suggested by El., would restore the metre. — 3f). to gripe the sun, cp. Spenser, The Shepherd's Calendar, Eel. VII: to strive to touch io7v, \ I love no one but only thee. — 35. Qq may ; Wag. maynH. — 38. A Therefore to ; CDHM There for to ; Haz. There to. — 40. In A tliis line ends at do thou. — 41. Two lines in HM: Do thou therefore appoint the place, | Where me may meet. \ — 45. Qq thetn ; Wag. him. — In A the line ends meeting of. — 46. HM / like it well. — 48. AHM / will; C Til. — 52. Qq departure. Scene in. 3. Qq As he eclipse. — famous omitted in M. Ill, 3.] MUCEDORUS. 49 No, ply, Segasto, ply! . And let it not be said in Arragon, 5 A shepherd hath Segasto's honour won. Enler MouSE, the Chnvti, calling his master. Mouse. What ho ! master, will you come away? Seg. Will you come hither, I pray you, what is the matter ? Mouse. Why, is it not past eleven o'clock? 10 Seg. How then, sir? Mouse. I pray you, come away to dinner. Seg. I pray you, come hither. Mouse. Here's such a -do with you, will you never come? 15 ^S"^^. I pray you, sir, what news of the message I sent you about? Mouse. I tell you, all the messes be on the table already. There wants not so much as a mess of mustard half an hour ago. 20 Seg. Come, sir, your mind is all upon your bell}-. You have forgotten what I bid you do. Mouse. Faith, I know nothing, but you bad me go to breakfast. Seg. Was that all? 25 Mouse. Faith, I have forgotteii it, the very scent of the meat hath made me forget it quite. ^S"^^. You have forgotten the errand I bid you do? Mouse. What arrant? an arrant knave, or an arrant whore ? 30 Seg. Why, thou knave, did I not bid the(> banish the shepherd, buzzard? Mouse. Oh, the she])herd's bastard. 5. Qq Let it fiot in Arra_!,'-o>i be sniJ. — For 11. i — 6 we have adopted the arrangement given by El.; in A the lines end: 7i'///, srvaiii, throui^r/i, Segasto pJy, said, won ; in HM the last words of the lines are : iviU, as lie, court, said, won. — 10. C // is not past. — HM of the clock. — 22. A / did bid vou do. — 26. C have fori^otten, the very scent. — 27. AD hath forget; C hath made me; Haz. meat made me forget. — 28. C bid you to do. — 32. buzzard aildcd by El. Cp. notu on II, 2, 22. •1 50 MUCEDORUS. [Ill, 3. Seg. 1 tell ihee, the shepherd's banishment. 35 Mouse. I tell you , the shepherd's bastard shall be well kept; I'll look to it myself. But I pray you, come away to dinner. Seg. Then you will not tell me whether you have banished him, or no ? 40 Mouse. Why, I cannot say banishment, an )'ou would give me a thousand pounds to say so. Seg. Why, you whoreson slave, have you forgotten that I sent you and another to drive away the shepherd? Mouse. What an ass are you ; here's a stir indeed , here's 45 message, errand, banishment, and I cannot tell what. Seg. I pray you, sir, shall I know whether you have drove him away ? Mouse. Faith, I think I have ; an you will not believe me, ask my staff. 50 Seg. Why, can thy staff tell? Mouse. Why, he was with me too. ^S"^^. Then happy I, that have obtain'd my will. Mouse. And happier I, if you would go to dinner. Seg. Come, sirrah, follow me. 55 Mouse. I warrant you, I will not lose an inch of you, now you are going to dinner. [Aside] I promise you, I thought it seven year, before I could get him away. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Enter A^iadine sola. Ania. God grant my long delay procures no harm, Nor this my tarrying frustrate my pretence. My Mucedorus surely stays for me, And thinks me over-long. At length I come, 5 ^ly present promise to perform. 35. M I tell thee. — 40. HM if you linndd. — 45- C errand; AHM arratit. — 56. AC dinner, J pro?nise you. 1 thou gtit seven year ; HM dinner: I promise you I ttiought seven years. — it first in D. — 57. Aside omitted in CHM. SCENK IV. 2. pretence = intention, cp. Ill, 5, 3. m, 4.] MUCEDORUS. 51 Ah, what a thing is firm, unfeigned love! What is it which true love dares not attemj^t? My father, he may make, Init I must match ; Segasto loves, but Amadine must like, Where likes her best: compulsion is a thrall: 10 No, no, the hearty choice is all in all. The shepherd's virtue Amadine esteems. But what, methinks m}- shepherd is not come; I muse at that, the hour is sure at hand. Well, here I'll rest, till Mucedorus come. 15 [She sils (hnvn. Enter BrEiMO, looking about ; hastily taketh hold of her. Bremo. A happy prey! now, Bremo, feed on llesh: Dainties, Bremo, dainties, thy hungry paunch to fill: Now glut thy greedy guts with lukewarm blood. Come, fight with me, I long to sec^ thee dead. Ajna. How can she light, that weapons cannot wield? 20 Bremo. What, canst not fight? Then lie thou down Ama. \Miat, must I die? [and die. Bremo. What needs these words? I thirst to suck thy Ama. Yet pity me, and let me live a while ! [blood. Bremo. No pity, I will feed upon thy flesh, 25 And tear thy body })iecemeal joint from joint. Ama. Ah, how I want my shepherd's company! Bremo. I'll crush th}' bones betwixt two oaken trees. Ama. Haste, shepherd, haste, or else thou com'st too late, Bremo. I'll suck the sweetness from th} marrow-bones. 30 Ama. Ah spare, ah spare to shed my guiltless blood! Bremo. With this my bat will I beat out thy brains; Down, down, I say, prostrate thyself upon the ground. Ama. Then, Mucedorus, farewell, my hoped joys, farewell! 7. ^\ihat true love. — \0. thrall, cp. I, 4, 7. — 13. HM the shepherd. — 14. CHM omit sure; El. proposes near. — 15. (Stage-direction.) D hastily he taketh; H lookin,if about hastily takes hold on her; M lookin^i^ about hastily, takes hold on her. — 21. C lay thee down; HM lie thee. — 23. C What need. — 25. Qq No pity /. 77/. — 26. A 77/ tear. — HM Joint by joi?tt. — 27. HM Ah, now. — 28. HM between. — 32. HM 7 7.7//. — 11. 32 — 33 printed as three lines in A, ending respectively out, say, ground. — 34. Assuming a different accent m farewell, we have a regular Alexandrine. 4* 52 MUCEDORUS. [HI, 4. 35 Yea, farewell life, and welcome present death ! [She kneels. To thee, O God, I yield my dying ghost. Bremo. Now, Bremo, play thy part. How now, what sudden change is this? My limbs do tremble, and my sinews shake, 40 My weak'ned anns have lost their former force. Ah, Bremo, Bremo, what a foil hast thou, That yet at no time ever wast afraid To dare the greatest gods to fight with thee, [He strikes. And now wants strength for one down-driving blow? 45 Ah, how my courage fails, when I should strike! Some new-come spirit abiding in my breast, Saith, Spare her, Bremo, spare her, do not kill. Shall I spare her, which never spared any? To it, Bremo, to it; essay again. 50 I cannot wield my weapon in my hand, Methinks I should not strike so fair a one, I think her beauty has bewitch'd my force, Or else within me alter'd nature's course. Ay, woman, wilt thou live i' th' woods with me? 55 Ama. Fain would I live, yet loth to live in woods. Bremo. Thou shalt not choose, it shall be as I say, And therefore follow me! [Exeuyit. SCENE V. Enter Mucedorus solus. Muce. It was my will an hour ago and more, As was my promise for to make return; But other business hind'red my pretence: 38. Qq chance ; corrected by El. — 40. Qq unweakened ; El. and Coll, weali'ned. — 41. HM haJst. — 42. CHM omit ever; El. would prefer: That yet at tio time wast afraid before. — 44. A want ; CHM wants ; Wag. wantst. Cp. Abbott s. 340. — 48. Qq transpose the two commencing words of this line, and the first word of the preceding one in the following manner: Saith spare her , -wtiicli ?iever spared any. | Shatt I spare tier, Bremo? Spare tier, do fwt Idll. \ — HM that never. — 49. Qq say ; Haz. essay. — 50. AH weapons. — 54. ACH in woods. Scene v. 3. pretence, cp. Ill, 4, 2. in, 6.] ]MUCEDORUS. 53 It is a world to see, when man appoints, And purposely one certain thing decrees, 5 How many things may hinder his intent. What one would wish, the same is farthest oft". But yet th' appointed time cannot be past. Nor hath her presence yet prevented me. Well, here I will stay, and expect her coming. 10 [They cry tvithin. Hold him, stay him, hold! Some one or other is pursued, no doubt, Perhaps some search for me; 'tis good To doubt the worst, therefore I will be gone. [Exit. SCENE VI. Cry within. Hold him, hold him! Enter IMouSE, the Cloivn, with a pot. Mouse. Hold him, hold him, hold him! here's a stir indeed; here came hue after the crier, and I was set close at mother Nip's house, and there 1 called for three pots of ale, as 'tis the manner of us courtiers. Now, sirrah, 1 had taken the maidenhead of two of them — now as I was lifting up 5 the third to my mouth , there came , Hold him , hold him ! Now I could not tell whom to catch hold on, but I am sure I caught one, perchance a may be in this pot. Well, I'll see. j\Iass, I cannot see him yet; well, I'll look a little further. Mass, he is a little slave, if a be here; why, here's nobody. 10 All this goes well yet; but if the old trot should come for her pot? — ay, marry, there's the matter, but I care not, I'll face her out, and call her old rusty, dusty, musty, fusty, 4. It is a world to see. Cp. Taming of the Shrew II, i : 'Zi-f a world to see I How tame, when men and women are alone, \ A meacocli wretch can malie the curstest shrew. — 9. AC prevented we. — prevented, cp. Julius Cjcsar V, I : So to prevetit the time of life. — 10. AHM /'//; C / will. — A the coming. — (Sta^'C - direction) CHM They cry witliin. Hold liim, hold him! — 13. CHM /'//. — In IIM 1. 13 begins at Therefore. SCF.XE VI. I. M Hold him, hold him. — 3. Mother Nip (or Nips?) brings to mind John Naps of Greece in the Induction to The Taming of the Shrew. — 5. HM and as I was. — 10. M // he be there. — 11. IIM -.4// this is well yet. 54 MUCEDORUS. pn, 6. crusty firebrand, and worse than all that, and so face her out 15 of her pot. But soft! here she comes. Enter the Old Woman. O. Wo7najt. Come on, you knave; where's my pot, you knave ? Mouse. Go, look for your pot; come not to me for your pot, 'twere good for you. 20 O. Woman. Thou liest, thou knave, thou hast my pot. Mouse. You lie, an you say it. I — your pot? I know what I'll say. O. Woman. Why, what wilt thou say? Mouse. But say I have him, an thou dar'st. 25 O. Womafi. Why, thou knave, thou hast not only my pot, but my drink unpaid for. Mouse. You lie like an old — I will not say whore. O. Woman. Dost thou call me whore? I'll cap thee for my pot. 30 Mouse. Cap me, an thou dar'st; search me, whether I have it or no. [She scarcheth him, and he drmketh over her head, and casts doivn the pot ; she stumbleth at it, then they fall together by the ears ; she takes her pot and goes out. Enter Segasto. Seg. How now, sirrah, what's the matter? Mouse. Oh, flies, master, flies. Seg. Flies? where are they? 35 Mouse. Oh, here, master, all about your face. Seg. Why, thou liest; I think thou art mad. Mouse. Why, master, I have kill'd a dungcartful at the least. -5"^^. Go to, sirrah; leaving this idle talk, give ear 40 to me. 16. CHM Come, you knave. — 18. Oq looli your pot. — for added by "Wag. — 23. Why omitted in H. — 24. HjSI / have it. — 28. cap, see Nares s. Cap. — (Stage-direction.) CHM casteth doimt. — C and they fall; HM and then they fall. — C takes up the pot. — HM and runs out. — 39. ;M Go, go, sirrah. — C leaving thy ; HM leave this. — C ear unto me. m, 6.] MUCEDORUS. 55 Mouse. How, give you one of my ears ? not, an you were ten masters. Seg. ^Vhy, sir, I bad you give ear to my words. Mouse. I tell you, I will not be made a curtal for no man's pleasure. 45 Seg. I tell thee, attend to what I say. Go thy ways straight, and rear the whole town. Mouse. How, rear the town? Even go yourself; it is more than I can do. Why, do you think I can rear a town that can scarce rear a pot of ale to my head ? T should rear a 50 town, should I not? Seg. Go to the constable, and make a privy search ; for the shepherd is run away with the King's daughter. Mouse. How? is the shepherd run away with the King's daughter, or is the King's daughter run away with the shepherd? 55 Seg. I cannot tell, but they are both gone together. Mouse. What a fool she is to run away witli the shepherd! Why, I think I am a little handsomer man than the shepherd, myself; but tell me, master, must I make a privy search, or search in the privy? 60 Seg. Why, dost thou think they will be there? Mouse. I cannot tell. Seg. Well, then search everywhere; leave no place unscarched for them. [Exit. Mouse. Oh, now am I in office, now will I to that old 65 firebrand's house , and will not leave one place unsearched. Nay, I'll to her ale-stand, and drink as long as I can stand; and when I have done, I'll let out all the rest, to see if he be not hid in the barrel; an I find him not there, I'll to the cupboard; I'll not leave one corner r)f her house unsearched. 70 r faith, ye old crust, I will be with ycni now. [Evil. 43. YiM J pray you give. — 44. Curtal, see Nares s. v. — 46. ADIIM attend what; C attend to what. — 48. HM rear the whole town h — ^^ even you go yourself. — 49. C / could do. — M think that I can. — 50. M / should go rear a town. — 57. CHM is she. — H so to run. — 59. C or search the privy. — 65. CHM now I am. — C in an office. — C no7v I ^ji,ai, _ 66. C and I will not leave. — 67. CHM to the ale-statui. — HM so long. — 68. M // he 7iot hid (if it be not a misprint in Del.'s edition). — 69. C an if I find; HM and if I find. — /'// to the cupboard omitted in M. — 71. C Faith, old crust. — M /'//. 56 MUCEDORUS. PV, i. ACT IV. SCENE L Sound Music. Enter the Ki?ig of Valentia, Anselmo, RoDERiGO, Lord Borachius, xvith others. King. Enough of music, it but adds to torment, Delights to vexed spirits are as dates Set to a sickly man, which rather cloy than comfort; Let me entreat you, to repeat no more. 5 Rode. Let your strings sleep, have done there. [Music ceases. King. Mirth to a soul disturb'd is embers turn'd Which sudden gleam with molestation. But sooner lose their light for it. 'Tis gold bestow'd upon a rioter, lO Which not relieves but murders him; a drug Given to the healthful, which infects, not cures. How can a father that has lost his son, A prince both virtuous, wise, and valiant. Take pleasure in the idle acts of time ? 15 No, no; till Mucedorus I shall see again. All joy is comfortless, all pleasure pain. Ansel. Your son, my lord, is well. Kitig. I prythee, speak that twice. Anse/. The prince, your son, is safe. 20 King. Oh, where, Anselmo? surfeit me with that! Ansel. In Arragon, my liege; And at his 'parture bound my secrecy Scene I. Sound Music omitted in D. — 3- H to the sicli man; M to a sick man. A regular blank verse might be restored, if we were to read : Set to sick men dr-V. — 4. DHM to entreat no tnore ; C to retreat no more ; Coll. happily conj. repeat. — 5. D Let yon strings. — (Stage-direction.) D Let the music cease. — 6. Qq are embers ; Haz. is embers. — 8. DHM sight ; C light, as had independently been conj. by El. — HM /orV. — 10 — 11. Printed as three lines in Qq, which besides read: 'tis a drug ; by omitting 'tis, El. has construed two regular blank verses. — 1 3. Qq A prince both wise, -virtuous and valiant ; transposed by El. — 18, DHM thrice ; C twice. — 22. HM parting. IV, 2.] MUCEDORUS. 57 By his affection's loss, not to disclose it. But care of him, and pity of your age, Makes my tongue blab what my breast vow'd — concealment. 25 King. Thou not deceivest me. I ever thought thee what I find thee now, An upright, loyal man. But what desire or young-fed humour, nurs'd Within his brain, drew him so privately 30 To Arragon? Ansel. A forcing adamant: Love, rmx'd with fear and doubtful jealousy, Whether report gilded a worthless trunk, Or Amadine deserved her high extolment. Kitig. See, our provision be in readiness, 35 Collect us followers of the comeliest hue For our chief guardians ; we will thither wend. The crystal eye of heaven shall not thrice wink. Nor the green flood six times his shoulders turn. Till we salute the Arragonian king. 40 Music, speak loudly now, the season's apt, For former dolours are in pleasures wrapt. [Afusic. Exeimi omncs. SCENE II. Enter MuCEDORUS, to disguise himself. illuce. Now, iMucedorus, whither wilt thou go? Home to thv father, to thv native soil. Or try some long abode within these woods? Well, I will hence depart, and hie me home. What, hie mc home, said I? that may not be; 5 In Amadine rests my felicity. Then, ]Mucedorus, as thou didst decree, 21 — 23. D ends these lines: paritirc, love, disclose it: wc have adopted El.'s arranjjemenl. -- 23. CDM affection's love; H affections love; El. affection^ loss. — 26 — 28. Two lines in D, ending thought thee, loyal matt. — 30. CD the brain. — 38. D eyes. — 41. D loudly; now. — 42. CD pleasure. SCENK n. 7. Qq Then, Mucedorus, do as thou. 58 MUCEDORUS. [TV, 2. Attire thee hermit-like within these groves; Walk often to the beech, and view the well; lO ]Make settles there, and seat thyself thereon, And when thou feel'st thyself to be athirst, Then drink a hearty draught to Amadine. No doubt, she thinks on thee. And will one day come pledge thee at this well. 15 Come, habit, thou art fit for me. [He disguiseth himself. No shepherd now, an hermit I must be. Methinks this fits me very well; Now must I learn to bear a walking staff, And exercise some gravity withal. Enter the Clown. 20 Mouse. Here's through the woods, and through the woods, to look out a shepherd and a stray Idng's - daughter. But soft ! Who have we here ? what art thou ? Mitce. I am an hermit. Mouse. An emmet, I never saw such a big emmet in all 25 my life before. Muce. I tell you sir, I am an hermit: one That leads a solitary life within these woods. Mouse. Oh, I know thee now, thou art he that eats up all the hips and haws; we could not have one piece of fat 30 bacon for thee all this year. Muce. Thou dost mistake me, but I pray thee, tell me. What dost thou seek for in these woods ? Motise. What do I seek for? a stray king's - daughter run away with a shepherd. 35 jSluce. A stray king's-daughter run away with a shepherd? Wherefore ? canst thou tell ? 14. come omitted in M. — 16. AC a hermit. — CH^M must I. — 20. To look out a shepherd ; cp. Whosoever has such treatment when he is a man, wil/ look out other company, imth whom he can he at ease. Locke (quoted by Latham, Diet.) — 21. A and stray. — 26 — 27. Qq end these lines hermit, woods ; as to our arrangement cp. I, 3, 32. — 28. AD art her. — 31 — 32. printed as prose in Oq. — 31. C pray tell. — 32. Qq seek in these woods. — for added by El. — C Who dost thou seek; HM whom dost thoti seek. — 33. Qq Do I seek'r for a stray. — C Who do I seek. rV, 2.] MUCEDORUS. 59 Mouse. Yes, that I can ; 'tis this. My master and Araadine walking one day abroad, nearer to these woods than they were used, about what I cannot tell ; but toward them comes running a great bear. Now, my master, he played the man and ran 40 away, and Amadine crying after him: now, sir, comes me a shepherd, and he strikes off the bear's head. Now, whether the bear were dead before or no , I cannot tell ; for bring twenty bears before me, and bind their hands and feet, and I'll kill them all. Now, ever since, Amadine hath been in 45 love with the shepherd, and for goodwill, she's even run away with the shepherd. Muce. What manner of man was he? canst thou describe him unto me? ATouse. Scribe him? a\", I warrant you, that I can; a was 50 a little, low, broad, tall, narrow, big, well-favoured fellow, a jerkin of white cloth, and buttons of the same cloth. Muce. Thou describest him well ; but if 1 chance to see any such, pray you, where shall I find you, or what's your name? DO Mouse. My name is called Master Mouse. Muce. O IMaster Mouse, I pray you what office might you bear in the court? Mouse. Marry, sir, I am a rusher of the stable. Muce. Oh, usher of the table. 60 Mouse. Nay, I say rusher, and I'll prove my office good ; for look, sir, when any comes from under the sea or so, and a dog chance to blow his nose backward, then with a whij) I give him the good time of the day, and strow rushes presently. Therefore I am a rusher, a high office, I promise ye. 65 Muce. liut where shall I find you in the court? Mouse. Why, where it is best being, either in the kitchen eating, or in the buttery drinking. Ikit if you come, I will 37. HM nearer these 'ajoods. — 38. HM towards. — 39. IIM master played. — 46. M she is. — 48. A ma7i 'was a. — AHM canst describe; C canst thou describe. — 54. C pray, ivherc shall. — 57. C Mister Mouse. — 59. M I am rusher. — (>\. HM mine office. — 62. HM look you, sir. — El.'s conjecture seat for sea, allhouj^h very plausible, does not seem sufficient to clear up the sense of the passa{(C. — O4. A straw; M strew. — C8. A a eating'. 60 MUCEDORUS. PV, 2. provide for thee a piece of beef and brewis knuckle-deep in 70 fat; pray you, take pains, remember Master Mouse. [Exit. Muce. Ay, sir, I warrant I will not forget you. Ah, Amadine! what should become of thee? Whither shouldst thou go so long unknown? With watch and ward each passage is beset, 75 So that she cannot long escape unknown. Doubtless she's lost herself within these woods, And wand'ring to and fro she seeks the well, Which yet she cannot find; therefore I'll seek her out. [Exit. SCENE III. E7iter Bremo and Amadine. Br €7)10. Amadine, how^ like you Bremo and his woods? Ajjia. As like the woods of Bremo's cruelty. Though I were dumb, and could not answer him, The beasts themselves would with relenting tears 5 Bewail thy savage and unhuman deeds. Bremo. My love, why dost thou murmur to thyself? Speak louder, for thy Bremo hears thee not. Aina. My Bremo? no, the shepherd is my love. Bremo. Have I not saved thee from sudden death, 10 Giving thee leave to live, that thou mightst love, And dost thou whet me on to cruelty? Come, kiss me, sweet, for all my favours past. Ama. I may not, Bremo, therefore pardon me. Bremo. See, how she flies away from me! I'll follow 15 And give attent to her. Deny my love! [Aside. Ah, worm of beauty, I will chastise thee! 70. C Mister. — 72. HM of her. — 74. With -watch and ward, cp. Spenser, F. Q., B. I, 3, 9. — 75. omitted in A. — 76. Qq she hath. — 78. ACH will I seek ; M / will seek. Scene in. 5. A imhuman ; C inhtwian ; HM inhumane; see Abbott s. 442. — 8. CHM my Bremo, no. — 10. HM giveji. — 13. A Bremo and therefore. — 14 — 18. Qq end these lines from me, to her, beauty, come, block; we have adopted El.'s arrangement. — 14. AC she flings away. — Qq I will. — 15. A rt rend; CDHM attend. — 16. CHM a worm. IV, 3-] MUCEDORUS. 61 Come, come, prepare thy head upon the block. Ama. Oh, spare me, Bremo, love should limit life, Not to be made a murderer of himself. If thou wilt glut thy loving heart with blood, 20 Encounter with the lion and the bear, And like a wolf, prey not upon a lamb. Bremo. Why, then, dost thou repine at me? If thou wilt love me, thou shalt be my queen, I'll crown thee with a chaplet made of ivy, 25 And make the rose and lily wait on thee. I'll rend the burl}' branches from the oak, To shadow thee from burning sun. The trees shall spread themselves where thou dost go, And as they spread, I'll trace along with thee. 30 Awa. You may, for who but you? [Aside. Bremo. Thou shalt be fed with quails and partridges, \\'itli blackbirds, thrushes, larks and nightingales. Thy drink shall be goats' milk and crystal water, Distiil'd from th' fountains and the clearest springs, 35 And all the dainties that the woods afford I'll freely give thee to obtain tli\- love. A?na. You may, for who but you? [Aside. Bre?no. The da}' I'll spend to recreate ni} Une With all the pleasures that I can devise, 40 And in the night I'll be thy bed-fellow And lovingly embrace thee in mine arms. Ama. One may, so may not you. [Aside. Bremo. The sat}rs and the wood-nymphs shall attend On thee and lull thee 'sleep with music's sound, 45 And in the morning, when thou dost awake, The lark shall sing good morrow to my queen, And whilst he sings, I'll kiss my Amadinc. 25. AC / laill. — AC cofttplet. — Qq ivory ; Del. ivy. — 2~. C 0/ the oak; D oxd for oak. — 28. C burning of the sun. — 31. Aside only in A; il is the same in 11. 37, 43, 49, 56. — 33. Qq larks, thrushes; the trans- position has been suggested to us by Professor Elzc. — 35. A distiiru from the fountains ; I IM distilling from the fountains. — 40. AC pleasure. — 41. H I'll by. — 45. Qq asleep; cp. Mitlsummer Night's Dream IV, i: Half 'sleep, half waking, but as yet J swear. — HM music. — 48. 1I.\I while. — HM mine Amadine. 62 MUCEDORUS. [IV, 3. Arfia. You may, for who but you? [Aside. 50 Bremo. When thou art up, the wood-lanes shall be strew'd With violets, cowslips, and sweet marigolds. For thee to trample and to tread upon; And I will teach thee how to kill the deer, To chase the hart, and how to rouse the roe, 55 If thou wilt live to love and honour me. Ama. You may, for who but you ? [Aside. , Unfer Mucedorus. Bremo. Welcome, sir ! An hour ago I look'd for such a guest. Be merr}', wench, we'll have a frolic feast, 60 Here's flesh enough for to suffice us both. Say, sirrah, wilt thou fight, or dost thou yield to die ? Muce. I want a weapon, why, how can I fight? Bremo. Thou want'st a weapon, then thou yield'st to die. Muce. I say not so, I do not yield to die. 65 Bremo. Thou shalt not choose, I long to see thee dead. Ama. Yet spare him, Bremo, spare him. Bremo. Away, I say, I will not spare him. Muce. Yet give me leave to speak. Bremo. Thou shalt not speak. Ama. Yet give him leave to speak for my sake. 70 Bremo. Speak on, but be not over-long. Muce. In time of yore, when men like brutish beasts Did lead their lives in loathsome cells and woods, And wholly gave themselves to witless will, A rude, unruly rout, then man to man 75 Became a present prey, then might prevailed, 50. A st rawed; CM strewed; H strowed. — 5^- -^^ mucigolds. — 52, A to trace upon. — 57 — 58. printed as one line in Qq. — 61. CHM mean to die. — 62 — 63. Qq read : Muce. I want a weapon, how can I fight? | Bremo. Thou want'st a weapon, why, then thou yield'st to die. \ Wag. proposes to transfer then from 1. 63 to 1. 62. The correction of the text, as given above, is owing to Professor Elze. — 67. omitted in C. — 69. According to a suggestion of Professor Elze a regular blank verse would be restored by the addition of Bremo at the end of the line. IV, 3-] ISIUCEDORUS. 63 The weakest went to wall. Right was unknown, for wrong was all in all. As men thus lived in their great outrage, Behold, one Orpheus came, as poets tell. And them from rudeness unto reason brought, 80 Who led by reason, soon forsook the woods ; Instead of caves, they built them castles strong; Cities and towns were founded b}- them then. Glad were they, that they found such ease, And in the end they grew to perfect amity. 85 Weighing their former wickedness, They term'd the time wherein they lived then A golden age, a goodly golden age. Now, Bremo, for so do I hear thee called. If men which lived tofore, as thou dost now, go Wild ill the woods, addicted all to spoil. Returned were by worthy Orpheus' means. Let me, like Orpheus, cause thee to return From murder, bloodshed, and like cruelty. What, should we fight before we have a cause? 95 No, let us live, and love together faithfull}-, I'll fight for thee — Bremo. Or fight for me, or die: or fight or else thou diest! Ama. Hold, Bremo, hold ! Bremo. Away, I say, thou troublest me. lOO Ama. You promised me to make me your queen. 76. HM walls. Cp. Romeo and Juliet I, l : / -will fake the wall of atjy 7nan or maid of Montagues ; cp. also the title of the old comedy: The Weakest goeth to the Wall. — 78. A m his great ; Haz. conj. in this great. — 81. A some forsook. — 84. ACHM were they they found ; D were they that they found. — 86. El. suggests Laying for Weighing, spelled Waying in H ; we might also think of Waving. Cp. however Whetstone, Promos and Cassandra (Dedication) in Shakespeare's Library, ed. Hazlilt VI, 204: Attd that (which is worst) their grottnd is not so imperfect , as their working indiscreete : not waying, so the people laugh. — 88. HM good. — 89. HM heard ; El. do J hear. — 91. A Wily in wood ; CDH wild in wood; M wild in woods ; El. wild in the woods ; Haz. wildly in wood. — 94. M and such like cruelties. — 96. CHM lefs. — 98. Qq Fight for me. — lOI. AC You profnised me to make me your queen ; H You promised me to make me queen ; M You promised to make me queen. 64 MUCEDORUS. [rv, 3. Bremo. I did, I mean no less. Ania. You promised that I should have my will. Bremo. I did, I mean no less. 105 Ama. Then save this hermit's life, for he may save us both. Bremo. At thy request I'll spare him, But never any after him. Say, hermit, What canst thou do ? Muce. I'll wait on thee, sometime upon thy queen. 1 1 o [Aside.] Such service shalt thou shortly have, as Bremo never had. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Enter Segasto, the Cloivn, and RuMBELO. Seg. Come, sirs; what, shall I never have you find out Amadine and the shepherd? Mouse. I have been through the woods and through the - woods, and could see nothing but an emmet. 5 Rumb. Why, I see a thousand emmets. Mouse. Thou meanest a little one ; nay, that emmet that I saw \\as bigger than thou art. Rtmih. Bigger than I? (To Segasto) What a fool have you to your man! I pray you, master, turn him away. 10 Seg. But dost thou hear, was he not a man? Mouse. I think he was, for he said he did lead a salt- seller's life about the woods. Seg. Thou wouldst say, a solitary life about the woods? Mouse. I think it was so, indeed. 15 Rwnh. I thought what a fool thou art. Motise. Thou art a wise man ! [To Segasto] Wh}", he did nothing but sleep since he went. 105. HM the hermit'' s. — 106. HM F II save him. — 1 10. Aside omitted in Qq. Scene iv. (Stage-direction) : C Rombolo. — 3- A And I have been. — 5 seq. Qq Rumb. Why, I see a tiiousand emmets ; thou meanest a little one} I Mouse. Nay, that emmet &-V. We have followed in our arrangement a suggestion of Mr. F. Fritsche. — 11. / omitted in C. — 12. M life round about. — 13. HM wood. — 14. H / think so it was, indeed; M / think it was indeed. — 16. The stage-direction is omitted in Qq. IV, 5-] MUCEDORUS. 65 Seg. But tell me, INIousc, how clid he go ? Mouse. In a white gown, and a white hat on his head, and a staff in his hand. 20 Stg. I thought so; it was a hennit that walked a solitary life in the woods. Well, get you to dinner; and after never leave seeking, till you bring some news of them, or I'll hang you both. [Exit. Mouse. How now, Rumbelo, what shall we do now? 25 Rumh. Faith, I'll home to dinner, and afterward to sleep. Mouse. Why, then thou wilt be hanged. Rumb. Faith, I care not, for I know I shall never find them. Well, I'll once more abroad, and if I cannot-find tlu^m, I'll never come home again. 30 Mouse. I tell thee what , Rumbelo ; thou shalt go in at one end of the wood, and I at the other , and we will meet both together in the midst. Rumh. Content, let's away to dinner. [Exetmt. SCENE V. Elder IMucedorus solus. Muce. Unknown to any here within these woods, With blood}- Bremo do I lead my life. The monster! he doth murther all he meets; He spareth none, and none doth him escape. Who would continue — who, but only I — 5 In such a cruel cut-throat's company? Yet Amadine is there, how can I choose? Ah, silly soul! how oftentimes she sits And sighs, and calls, Co7ne, shepherd, cojiie, Sweet Mucedorus, come and set me free, lO 21. H he li'as a hermit; M he ivas an hermit. — Wap. justly lakes offence at the strange expression: to iva/k a solitary life; perliaps we should read: that walked solitary-like in the ivoods , simihir combinations repeatedly occurring in our play; cp. caitiff-like I, 4, 5 ; Juno-like I, 4, 31; coward- like II, 4, 44; hermit-like IV, 2, 8. — 26. All afterward; CM afterwards. — 32. M both meet. SCKNK V. 3. AIIM the monster he: (' the monster, he. — 6. M such cruel. — 8. C rt silly soul. — M oftentime. — 10. HM come set me. 5 6(3 MUCEDORUS. pV, 5. When IVIucedorus present stands her by! But here she comes. E7iter Amadine. What news, fair lady, as you walk these woods? Ama. Ah, hermit! none but bad and such thou know'st. 15 Muce. How do you like your Bremo and his woods? Ama. Oh, not my Bremo, nor my Bremo's woods. Muce. And why not yours? methinks he loves you well. Ama. 1 like him not, his love to me is nothing worth. Muce. Lady, in this, methinks, you offer wrong, 20 To hate the man that ever loves you best. Avia. Hermit, I take no pleasure in his love, Neither doth Bremo love me best. Muce. Pardon my boldness, lad}', sith we both May safely talk now out of Bremo's sight, 25 Unfold to me, if so you please, the full discourse, How, when, and why you came into these woods, And fell into this bloody butcher's hands, Afiia. Hermit, I will; Of late a worthy shepherd I did love — 30 Muce. A shepherd, lady? Sure, a man unfit To match with you ! A7na. Ay, hermit, this is true, And when we had — Muce. Stay there, the wild man comes; Defer the rest until another time. Ente7- Bremo. Bremo. What secret tale is this? what whispering have we here? 35 Villain, I charge thee tell thy tale again. Muce. If needs I must, lo ! here it is again : II. CHM Mucedoriis (peasant). — 13- C walk in these woods. — I4. Qq and such as thou knowest ; Mr. F. Fritsche proposes to omit and. — 16. Qq Not 77iy Bremo, nor his Bremo woods ; Haz. Not my Breitto, \ Nor Bretno's woods. We have given the line after the correction of El. — 18. QHM Tiot Mtu. — 21. Qq Ah hertnit ; Haz. Her /nit. — 22. ACM like Tue best; H love 7ne best. — 23. Q(\ fair lady; Haz. lady. — 25. C so if you please. — 31. Qq Her/nit, this is true; Haz. in one line: Hermit, 'tis true a7id when we had. — 33. Qq Refer; Wag. Defer. TY, 5-] MUCEDORUS. 57 Whenas we both had lost the sight of thee, It griev'd us both, but specially thy queen. Who in thy absence ever fears the worst, Lest some mischance befall your royal grace. 40 Shall my sweet Bremo wander through the woods, Toil to and fro for to redress my wants. Hazard his life and all to cherish me? I like not this, quoth she. And thereupon she crav'd to know of me, 45 If I could teach her handle weapons well. My answer was, I had small skill therein, But glad, most mighty king, to learn of thee. And this was all. Bremo. Was 't so? None can disHke of this. I'll teach 50 You both to fight ; but first, my queen, begin : Here, take this weapon; see how thou canst use it. Ama. This is too big, I cannot wield it in my arm. Bremo. Is't so? We'll have a knotty crabtree-staff For thee. [To Mucc] But, sirrah, tell me, what say'st thou? 55 Muce. With all my heart I willing am to learn. Bremo. Then take my staff, and sec how thou canst wield it. Muce. First teach me how to hold it in my hand. [Taking the staff. Bremo. Thou holdst it well. [To Ainadine] Look how lie doth, thou mayst the sooner learn. 60 Muce. Next tell me how and when 'tis best to strike. Bre7iio. [Aside] 'Tis best to strike when time doth serve, 'Tis best to lose no time. Muce. Then now or never is my time to strike. Bremo. And when thou strikest, be sure to hit tlie head. 65 Muce. The head? Bremo. The very head? Muce. Then have at thine. [He strikes fmn down dead. 38. A the queen. — 41. IIM wood. — 42. CHM want. — 45. site, omitted in ACHM, taken from D. — 48. CHM gladsome, mighty Icing. — 50. HM mislitie. — 53. HM 7nine arm. — 55. thou om. IIM. — 58. M in mine hand. — The staKe-dircction has been taken from C. — 60. The stage- direction is omitted in CHM. — 61. me om. HM. — 64. AC never is my time ; HM never it is time. — 66. C lie strilies Bremo dead. 5* 68 MUCEDORUS. pV, 5. So! lie thou there and die; A death, no doubt, according to desert, Or else a worse, as thou deservest a worse. 70 Ama. It glads my heart, this tyrant's death to see. Muce. Now, lady, it remains in )'ou To end the tale you lately had begun, Being interrupted by this wicked wight — You said you loved a shepherd? 75 Ama. Ay, so I do, and none but only him; And will do still, as long as life shall last. Muce. But tell me, lady, sith I set you free. What course of life do you intend to take? Atna. I will disguised wander through the world, 80 Till I have found him out. Muce. How, if you find your shepherd in these woods? Ama. Ah, none so happy then as Amadine. Muce. In tract of time a man may alter much: Say, lady, do you know your shepherd well? [He discloseth himself. 85 Ama. My Mucedorus, hath he set me free? Muce. He hath set thee free. Aina. And lived so long unknown to Amadine? Muce. Ay, that's a question whereof you mayn't be resolved. You know that I am banish'd from the court, 90 I know likewise each passage is beset. So that we cannot long escape unkno\\-n. Therefore my will is this, that we return, Right through the thickets, to the wild man's cave, And there a while live on's provision, 95 Until the search and narrow watch be past: This is my counsel, and I think it best, Ama. I think the very same. Muce. Come, let's be gone. 67. Qq So, lie there and die. Wag. proposes to read in one line : Then, have at thine. So lie there and die. — 69. HM deservest 7vorse. — 76. M doth last. — 81. M yoti should Jind. — 84. ACD He disguiseth himself; HM He discloseth himself ; Haz. He discovers himself — 88. Qq may not. — 94. Qq 071 his provision ; El. we live on his provision. We owe the reading given above to a private suggestion of Professor Elze. — 96. HM / like it best. — 97. C The Clown enters and falls over the wild man. IV, 5-] MUCEDORUS. 69 Enter the Clown, who searches, and falls over the wild Man, and so carries him away. Mouse. Nay, soft, sir, are you here ? a bots on }ou ! I was like to be hanged for not finding you; we would borrow a certain stray king's-daughter of }-ou ; a wench, a wench, sir, lOO we would have. Miicc. A wench of me? I'll make th'ee eat my sword. Mouse. O Lord , nay , an you are so lusty , I'll call a cooling card for you: ho, master, master, come away quickly! Enter Segasto. Seg. What's the matter? 105 Mouse. Look, master, Amadine and the shepherd! O brave! Seg. What, minion, have I found you out? Mouse. Nay, that's a lie, I found her out m}'self. Seg. Thou gadding huswife, What cause hadst thou to gad abroad, 1 10 Whenas thou knowcst our wedding-day so nigh? Ama. Not so, Segasto ; no such thing in hand. Show your assurance, then I'll answer )"ou. Seg. Thy father's promise my assurance is. Ama. But what he promised, he hath not perform'd. 115 Seg. It rests in thee for to perform the same. A7na. Not I. •9^^. And why? A}}ia. So is my will, and therefore even so. Mouse. Master, with a nonny, nonny, no! 120 .9^^. Ah, wicked villain! art thou here? Muce. What needs these words? we weigh them not. 99. ILM not /htdiiiif of you. 104. cooling- card. Cp. Nares and Dyce s. v., where the expression is said to have been lakcn fioni primero and to have orifjinally signified a decisive card that cools the courage of the ad- versary ; we prefer, however, the explanation given liy Delius i K. Henry VI., V, 3 (note 22): card (from Cakdci.s Bknkuici is, J/mc-A Ado III, 4;, a plant used to cool the heat of the fever , hence anything calming and assuaging. — CO master, come; II M master, master, come. — 106. master om. MM. — 1 09. C liousewife. — III. C uy and great felicity, Each Christian heart do say Amen with me. [E.xeunt. 78 MUCEDORUS. [Epilogue. Envy. This 'scrambling raven with his needy beard, Will I whet on to write a comedy; 40 Wherein shall be compos'd dark sentences, Pleasing to factious brains: And every otherwhere place me a jest. Whose high abuse shall more torment than blows. Then I myself, quicker than lightning, 45 Will fly me to a puissant magistrate. And waiting with a trencher at his back. In midst of jollity rehearse those galls. With some additions, so lately vented in your theatre: He upon this cannot but make complaint, 50 To your great danger, or at least restraint. Com. Ha, ha, ha! I laugh to hear thy folly; This is a trap for boys, not men, nor such. Especially desertful in their doings, Whose staid discretion rules their purposes. 55 I and my faction do eschew those vices. But see, O see, the weary sun for rest Hath lain his golden compass in the west, Where he perpetual bide and ever shine, As David's offspring in this happy clime. 60 Stoop, Envy, stoop, bow to the earth with me, Let's beg our pardon on our bended knee. [They kneel. Envy. My power has lost her might, and Envy's date's expired. Yon splendent majesty has 'fell'd my sting, And I amazed am, [Fall doivn and quake. 65 Com. Glorious and wise Arch-C^sar on this earth, 38. needy beard. Cp. The Taming of the Shrew III, 2, 177 seq. : his heard grew thin and hungcrly \ And seetn'd to ask him sops as he was drinking. — 44. lightning, pronounce light (e)ning ; see Abbott s. 477. Cp. Lear IV, 7. — 47. Qq gaules ; Haz. galls. — 48. 'The words so lately are a manifest ifiterpolation — perhaps put in by the printer to make the readers of 1610 [1609] think that the lines alluded to a quite recent event.' R. Simpson, The Academy, April 29, 1876, p. 401. — 49. D upon; CHM on. — 50. CD your ; HM our. — 53. M deceitful. — 57. C in the west ; DHM to the west. — 59. C this; DHM his. — 61. CHM. pardon ; D pardons. — 62. ajid om. Qq. — 63. Om. HM. — 'felled i. e. refelled, used in the sense of repelled as in Measure for Measure V, \ : How I persuaded, how I pray'd and kneel'd ; J How he refell'd me, atid how 1 replied.' Coll. Epilogue.] MUCEDORUS. 79 At whose appearance Envy's stricken dumb, And all bad things cease operation, Vouchsafe to pardon our unwilling error. So late presented to your gracious view, And we'll endeavour with excess of pain, 70 To please your senses in a choicer strain. Thus we commit you to the arras of night, \Miose spangled darkness would, for your delight, Strive to excel the day: be blessed then. Who other wishes, let him never speak — 75 Envy. Amen ! To Fame and Honour we commend your rest. Live still more happy, every hour more blest. 66. C stricken ; D strol'en ; HM striicken. — 69. H our gracious. — 73. C carcass; D carcase ; happily corrected by Coll. E. Karras, Printer, Halle. NOTES ON" ELIZABETHAN DRAMATISTS. NOTES ON ELIZABETHAN DRAMATISTS WITH CONJECTURAL EMENDATIONS OF THE TEXT BV KARL ELZE. HALLE: Max Niemeyer. 1880. PREFACE. Part ot the following Notes and Emendations have al- ready appeared in various Periodicals, both German and English, and they ha^•e shared the fate incident to all ephem- eral publications — they have been little heeded and soon forgotten. I have therefore yielded to the temptation of attempting to preserve in a more permanent shape, these disiecti membra criiici, and of adding to them fresh matter hitherto unpublished. It is well known , that conjectural emendations are not unfrequently written on the spur of the moment instead of being as fully matured as other literary productions. At the present day when scholars almost all over the world are busy in translating, explaining, and revising the works of Shake- speare and his contemporaries, critics are naturally apprehen- sive lest they be anticipated in their emendations and tlnue- fore hasten to avail themselves of some one or other of the numerous opportunities offered to them for publication. Sober second thoughts and better wisdom are wont to come after the fait accompli, when the critic awakes to the knowledge that Goethe's beautiful line, — Es irrl dcr Mensch, so lang er slrebi, is no less true of verbal criticism than of morals. Numerous conjectures, therefore, have to be withdrawn, a penalty which VI PREFACE, all verbal critics, more or less, have had to pa)-, and always will have; for verbal criticism neither can, nor will, be stop- ped: it is essential to the advancement of learning. The eminent philologist Gottfried Hermann, who stands in the frontrank of verbal critics, in one of his lectures, delivered it as his conviction that a verbal critic of the true stamp should be willing like Saturn to devour his own offspring. As one of his disciples, therefore, I cannot be blamed if, following his precept and example, I hereby eat those conject- ural emendations of Elizabethan dramatists which I have hither- to published and which are not contained in my editions of Elizabethan plays, in Messrs Warnke's and Proescholdt's Edition of ' Mucedorus ', and in the present collection; at the same time let me breathe the hope that the emendations published in those editions and in this collection may not need, at some future day, to be subjected to the same Satur- nian process. My conjectural emendations in the text of 'Mucedorus', which appeared originally in the Shakespeare- Jahrbuch XUI, 45 seqq., have been excluded from the present collection merely on the ground that almost all of them — and some fresh ones to boot — have been embodied in the edition of that play by Messrs Warnke and Proescholdt. The emendations of * Mucedorus ' contained in the present volume have not been published before. Halle, November 1879. K. E. Arden of Feveisham, I , CONTENTS. Anonymous Plays. The Birth of Meiliu, n — VI , Edward III, VII— XI Fair Em, XH— XXX . Histrio-Mastix, XXXI ->0 The London Prodigal. XXXII XXXV 20 Mucedorus, XXXVI — XL 22 No -body and Some -body, XLI 26 The Play of Stucley, XLII .26 Chapman. Alphonsus, XLIII 26 Greene. Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, XLIV 27 Marlowe. Tamburlaine, XLV — XLVII 2« Edward II, XLVIII — XLIX 30 Shakespeare and Fletcher. The Two Noble Kinsmen, L ji Shakespeare. The Tempest, LI — LVI 33 The Two Gentlemen of Verona, LVII 40 VIII CONTENTS. Page A Midsummer - Night's Dream, LVIII — LXI . . . -41 The Merchant of Venice, LXH— LXVI 44 As You Like It, LXVII 49 The Taming of the Shrew, LXVIH- LXXIIl .... 50 Twelfth Night, LXXIV 55 King John, LXXV—LXXXTT 36 Romeo and Juliet, LXXXIII 66 Timon of Athens, LXXXIV— LXXXV 76 Julius Ca;sar, LXXXVI — LXXXVII 79 Hamlet, LXXXVIII — XCIX 81 Othello, C 123 Addenda. Fair Em, XX. XXIV. XXVI. XXX 125 ANONYMOUS PLAYS. I. Then is there Michael, and the painter too, Chief actors to Arclen's overthrow. ArDEX of FHVEK.SHAM, III, 5 (KD. DELIUS 45). Is Chief to be taken as a so-called monosyllabic foot — followed by a tro(;hee! — or are we to read: — Chief actors (5tf/// to Arden's overthrow? TocUo. ?^Ie, Madam! 's foot! I'd be loath that an)- man should make a holy -day for me yet: In brief, 'tis tlius: There's here arriv'd at court, Sent by the Earl of Chester to the king, A man of rare esteem for holiness, A reverend hermit, that b}' miracle Not onely sav'd our army, But without aid of man o'erthrew The pagan host, and with such wonder, sir, As might confirm a kingdom to his faith. TiU'; Birth ok Merlin, I, i (eu. Delus 5).* * Both here, and in the passages taken from I'ldwanl III and The London Trodifjal, 1 have not (|uoied the Tauchnil/- Kdilion of the Donblfid ]^lays, since its text, as far as I have compared it, does not differ from lliat of Delius. 2 THE BIRTH OF MERLIN. These lines should be thus regulated: — :i;Hj!,- Joclio. Me, madam! 'S foot! I'd be loth that any man Should make a holiday for me yet. In brief, 'tis thus: there's here arriv'd at court, Sent by the Earl of Chester to the king, A man of rare esteem for holiness, A reverend hermit, that by miracle Not only sav'd our army, but without The aid of man o'erthrew the pagan host, ^•>ji;,, And with such wonder, sir, as might confirm A kingdom to his faith. The monosyllabic pronunciation of madam (in the first line) is too frequent to call for any furtlier remark. In the second line a syllable is. .wanting; the regular blank verse might be restored, if we were to read: — Should make a holiday for my sake yet. III. Prince. Nay, noble Edol, let us here take counsel. It cannot hurt. It is the surest garrison to safety. The Birth of Merlin, IV, 2 (Del. 71). Arrange and transpose: — Prince. Nay, noble Edol, Let us lake counsel here, it cannot hurt. It is the surest garrison to safety. Some twenty lines lower down we meet with a striking paral- lel, as far as versification is concerned: — ^ixnA .'^^printe: ■ Hold, noble Edol, Let's hear what articles he can enforce. THE BIRTH OF MERLIX. 3 IV. Pritice. Look, Edol : Still this fiery exhalation shoots His frightful horrors on th' amazed world. The Birth of Merlin, IV', 5 (Del. 74). Arrange: — Prince. Look, Kdol: Still this fiery exhalation shoots &c. Still to be considered as a so-called monosyllabic foot {cf. Abbott, Shakespearian Grammar, 482), or if this should be deemed insufficient to meet the requirements of the metre, the imperative look to be repeated: — Prince. Look, Edol: Look, still this fiery exhalation shoots His frightful horrors on th' amazed world. V. Nor shall his conquering foot be forc'd to stand. Till Rome's imperial wreatli hath crown'd his fame With monarch of the west, from whose seven hills With conquest, and contributar}' kings, He back returns — The Birth of Merlin, IV, 5 (Del. 78). Qy. read: — With tJi (or Willi) monarchy of IK west, &c. ? VL Tenebrarura ])recis, divitiarum et inferorum dcus, hunc Incubum in ignis x-terni abyssum accipitc — The JiiKiii 1(1 Merlin, \', 1 (Ukl. 82). I* EDWARD III. Qy. read, — Tenebrarum prtiiteps, divitiarum et inferorum deus, &c.? Nash's Pierce Pennilesse is iiiscribed 'To the High and IMightie Prince of Darknesse,' &c. vn. Edw. Whose lives, my lady? Coun. My thrice loving liege, Your queen, and Salisbury, my wedded husband. Edward III, II, 2 (Del. 34 seq.). The Countess of Salisbury has no occasion to lay stress on the king's love for her ; on the contrary she thinks it incumbent on her to assure him of her own love, which is indeed no guilty, adulterous love, but that true and- noble affection which every vassal and subject owes his liege. It seems, therefore, that the poet wrote : — - AIy> thrice lovM liege, (Shake- speare-Jahrbuch XIII, 78 seq.) VIII. Next, — insomuch thou hast infring'd th}' faith, Broke league and solemn covenant made with nie, — I hold thee for a false pernitious wretch. _ Edward III, III, 3 (Del. 48). This, I presume, is the reading of the quartos. Capell, how- ever, (Prolusions ; or. Select Pieces of Antient Poetry, London, 1760) reads, a, viosi pe7-7iilioii^ voretch, and, in fact, it does seem that the two adjectives false and perniiious do not well agree with one another, although th'ey give an unexceptionable sense. Qy. — a false perfidious wrelchl (Shakespeare -Jahr- buch XIII, 80.) EDWARD III. 5 IX. ■' '{(fju And with a strumpet's artificial line To paint thy vitious and deformed cause. Edward III, III, 3 (Del. 49). Read: — artificial lime. (Shakespeare -Jahrbuch XIII, 81.) X. Upon my soul, had Edward prince of Wales, Engag'd his word, writ down his noble hand. For all your knights to pass his father's land. The royal king, to grace his warlike son, Would not alone safe -conduct give to them, But with all bounty feasted them and theirs. Edward III, IV, 5 (Del. 75). Grammar, 1 think, requires either: — Had not alone safe -conduct giveii to them, or: — But with all bounty feast both them and theirs. As, however, these alterations might be justly thought too bold, a contraction may be suggested:, .tt- But with all bounty d feasted thein and theirs, i. e. of course, botmty had. XI. Sec. Cil. The sun, dread lord, that in the western fall Beholds us now low brought through misery. Did in the orient purple of the morn Salute our coming forth, when we were known; Or may our portion be with damned fiends. EuwAKu III, V, I (Del. 82). 6 EDWARD III. FAIR EJSI. One or two verses seem to !)c -wanting between the fourth and fifth h'ne. The kmg thhiks himself cheated, as he has required the foremost citizens of the town to be delivered to him , whereas , he says, only servile grooms or felonious robbers of the sea are forthcoming; consequently he declares his promise null and void. The second citizen, however, denies this charge and solemnly assures the king that up to that very morning he and his fellow hostages had been in- deed the chiefest citizens of their town. The missing verses, thcrefbre, maj^ have been to the following effect: — when we were known To be the chiefest men of all our town; Of this, my sovereign lord, be well assurd. Or may our portion be Avith damned fiends. (Shakespeare -Jahrbuch XIII, 83.) XII. Wm. Conq. Ah, Marques Lubeck, in thy power it lies To rid my bosom of these thralled dumps. i*'AiR Em ED. Delius, 2. — Simpson, The School of Shakspere, II, 408. William confesses to Marquess Lubeck that 'the strength of private cares subdues him more than all the world' and that he, 'a conqueror at arms', is now 'thrall'd to unarmed thoughts'. We may, " therefore, well fepl tempted to identify William's dumps with these unarmed thoughts and to read these thralling dunips i.e. these " dumps ' that are enthralling nie. BuV twelve lilies (i«/^ the^' Coil quero'r says that he turns his conquering eyes to ' coward looks and beaten fantasies ', whence it woulcl' seem' Evident that beaten fantasies and thralled dumps are intended to denote one and the same 1/ FAIR EM. 7 thing; William's fantasies and dumps have been beaten and enthralled by the power of beauty, or, as the author quaintly expresses it, by the ilames of beauty blazing pn Lubeck'a shield. Compare Shakespeare, Somiet CXXIV ; , 77^^, It suifers not iu smiling pomp, nor. falls Under the blow of thralled discontent, ^ ^^, n, Whereto the inviting time our fasliion calls. The Taming of the Shrew I, 1, 224: — -,. , And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd.my wounded eye. Instead of rid Delius erroneously reads aid. XIII. Marq. That same is Blanch, daughter to the king, The substance of the shadow that you saw. Fair Em, 8. — Simpson, II, 416. §.\yalker', Versification, 206 seqq., has endeavoured to show that daughter is sometime^ used as a trisyllable , although in 5ome„pa^es b'e is doubtful, whether the passage ought not rather to be amended. In the present line the trisyllabic pro- nuncialion of the , word would imply the admission of a trochee in the third foot, which would produce a hailing and inharmonious, verse. Simpson has added the article M.? before daughter. I should prcfe,r solf. daughter,)^ sole daughter, sole, son, sole child, and sole heir being, ^ as it were, proverbial j^^irases of almost d^ily occurrence. Lower down (Delius, 39. — Simpson, II, 451) we an-, in fact, told that Blanch is the king's 'oi^ly .(;ij*..ughtcr', •The, only stay and comfort of his life.' (yproparp No. XXX. 8 E AIR, EM ,i.jf> }'• XIV. . . m fee^d, \v,QTS|e-fca,tvir!d, uncomely, nothing courtly, Swart and ill-favour'd, a collier's sanguine skin. Fair Km, 8. — Simpson, II, 416. What docs /// head mean? We do not want a substahtive here, but ;an adjective that will serve, as it were, ds a positive to the comparative warse- featured. \^ a "iv-brd', I think we' ought to reaid lU^shapcd. That the shape Gf the lady cannot be passed over with silence -becomes evident from William the Conqueror's eulogy on the beauty of Mariana twenty lines below. There he says: — A modest countenance; no heavy sullen look; Not very fair, but richly deck'd with favour; A sweet face; an exceeding dainty hand; A body, were it framed all of wax By all the cunning artists of the world, It could not better be proportioned. ' By the way, 'it' may be remarked that instead oi framed all 0/''^!^ Delius erroneously reads formed &=€. The passage from The Comedy of Errors, IV, 2, ig seqq. very aptly' quoted" by Simpsori" speaks strongly in favour of my suggestion. It is to the following effect:' —^ He is" 'deformed, 'cfooic^d, old and sere, 111 -faced, \\'orse-'bodie(^, shapeTess everywhere; - Viciousy ungentle, foolish,' blunt, 'unkind, Stigmatical in making, worse' "in mind. .ya« 511 .nf ^^rif » . ,.X?i??l.^>'nf?f^tn?^^nl?tiCountQrfei1( indeed. For ther? .is^fhe .sut).^.t^nce,,t^?^t ^t^^s^. contents. -jipe^r Fair Em, 9. — Simpson, II, 417. FAIR EM. 9 Simpson proposes to read, either: — For there is the substance that doth best content me, or: — For there is the substance best contenteth me. I should pref(.'r: — For there the substance is that best coiitents me, or (what would 'best content me'): — For there s the substance that contents me best. ■ - --■ XVI. Full ill this life becomes thy heavenly look, Wherein sweet love and virtue sits enthroned. Bad world, where riches is esteem'd above them both, In whose base eyes nought else is bountiful ! Fair Em, io. ^- Simpson, II, 418 seq. Is the third line perhaps to be classed with those Alexandrines of which Abbott in his Shakespearian Grammar 499 gives such curious instances? Or are we to admit an emendation and read: — _ Ba.d world, where riches is esteem'd 'bove both? letwood, according to Simpson, reads; 1 — Bad world! whei;e riches 'l;>oyp both ar^ esteemj^d jmost. This would be getting out of the frying-pan into the tire. According to Delius XI, however, the line, as altered by Chetwood, seems to run thus : — Bad world! where riches is esteemed most. xvn. '^''^^Mdtint Nature unjust, In utterance nj ihy an, '\'i) grace a peasarit with a princess' fame! Fair Em, 11. — Simpson, II, 419 sEy. \0 FAIR EM. For /a?«i? Chetwood writes frame; -neither can be right. Per- haps \vc should read face which would agree much better with Mountney's subsequent praise of 'her beauty's worthiness'. Twelve Hnes below Simpson needlessly adds ojti — And she thou seekest [out] in foreign regions. Read sa-k'si (with Delius) and proh'ounce re-gt'-ons. XVIII. Va/. Love, my lord? of whom? Motihi. Em, the miller's daughter of Manchester. Fair Em, 12. — Simpson, II, 421. Em may be considered as a monosyllabic foot; by the repetition of oj, however, a regular blank verse might be obtained : — Of Em, the miller's daughter of Manchester. Man. Ah, Em! were he the man that causeth this mistrust, 1 I.should estem of thee , as at the first. ,, !--U hji. ,.,;,;„, / • .niJoi4 Fair Em, 15. — biMPSON,...!!, 424. If - yerses of six feet are not to be admitted, the words Ah, Ev}!^ may be easily placed in what is called an interjectional line. Thirty eight lines below, however, the case is more difficult; there we read: — ■ ^ ^^ .-.■ i - '■"^''''f' 'AH;' Em r' faithful love k full of jealotiSy. ■ .^ff^i brrr. Simpson's proposal to expunge Em, ' in ' brdci- to" i'estbre the metre, can hardly find favour, ,a.^, it js ,cu?tom^ry, with, oi^r poet to add the name of the person addressed, especially FAIR EM. n 1 after an interjection which begins the verse; Thus, e. g. Deiius, 15. — Simpson, 11^ !y^4: — - ! < -r Believe me, Em, it is not time to jest. DeHiis, 16. — Simpson, II, 425: — This, Em, is noted and too much talk'd on.* Deiius, 16. — vSimpson, 11, 425: — Ah, jNIanvile, little wettest thou. Deiius, 17. — Simpson, II, 426: — Nay, stJiy, fair V.m. Deiius, 18. — Simpson, II, 427: — Ah, Era, fair Em, if art can maki- thee whole. It would, therefore, be in unison with this custom, if the poet had written: — Ah, Em! AI/ faithful love is full of jealousy. The original reading might be defended on the usual pica that the first syllable of faithful is to be considered as a so-called monosyllabic foot. XX. Two gentlemen attending on Duke William, Mountney and Valingford, as I heard' theni hamed, Ofttimes resort to see and to be seen. '"""'» Fair Em, I'j. — 'Snn>soN, -II, 424.I Those critics who require regular I)lank verse to' In- 'r(\stOT'ed * I hus the line stands in Delius's c«lilioii. . Simiison ■\>\\v\\%^ tu.lkM and rcpe.nls is l)cforc,^pA'; he evidently reads /^

eet Emv^'hith'^ 1 (t^me to parley of -love; hopiilg t haw. FAIR EM. 15 found thee in thy wonted prosperity. And have the gods so uninercifull)- thwarted my expectation, b} deahng so sinisterly with thee, sweet Em? . ,■ . , . t Fair E^f, 22. — Simpson, II, 433. These passages I take to be two more instances of metrical composition that have; degenerated into prose by tlie negU- gence or ignorance of transcribers and compositors. With the aid of a few alterations the first passage may be thus restored: — Infortunate Valingford, to be thus cross'd Jn love! — Fair Km, I'm not a little sorry To see this thy hard hap, yet ne'ertheless I am acquainted with a learn'd physfcian That will do any thing for thee ■ ' ■ ' .til!'' At my request; to him will I resort And will inquire his judgment as concerning Th' recovery of so excellent a sense. After the third line a verse seems to be wanting. The fifth line may be easily extended to a regular blank verse by the addition of he can after mzj thing. The second passage may have come from the poet's pen in the following shape : — No? Not the thing will do thee so much good? Swdet Em, T hither came to parlfe of love ITopmg t' have found thee in thvAvontcd sll^te; And have the Gods thwart'd so unmcrc'fully IMy hope, by dealing so sinisterly With thee? Em. 'Good sir, no more. It fits not me To have respect to !5uch vain phantasies &c. Tlie words Siveet Em in the sixth line (after ihce) are an un- questioioable interpoktion. Proiperily ajid expeclatwn, on the otlier handy I cannot bet remoYCfl without iiomc vlohinot-; but 16 FAIR EM. most of the so-called pseudo- Shakespearean plays have been handed down to us in a state of such rank corruption, that a critic who attempts to amend them, must be allowed to walk 'with a larger tether' than is granted elsewhere. XXV. VaL Yet, sweet Em, accept this jewel at ni}' hand, Which I bestow on thee in token of my love. Fair Em, 23. — Simpson, II, 432. The words of address should form an interjectional line and the verses be regulated thus: — Va/. Yet, sweet Em, Accept this jewel at my hand, which I Bestow on thee in token of my love. Chetwood, who wants the words U/?i and on thee to be ex- punged, is evidently wrong. A similar instance occurs a few pages farther on (Delius, }^2. — Simpson, II, 443): — Em. Trotter, lend me thy hand; and as thou lovest me, keep my counsel, and justify whatsoever I say, and I'll largely requite thee. By a few slight alterations the following verses may be restored: — Em. Trotter, Lend me thy hand, and as thou lovest' me Pray keep my counsel, and justify whalever I say, and largely Fll requite thee. Let me add a third passage (Delius, 33. — Simpson, IT, 444): — Eiu. Good father, let me not stand as an open gazing- stock to every one, but in a place alone, as fits a creature so miserable. FAIR EM. 17 Arrange and read: — Evi. Good father, Let me not stand an open gazing- stock To every one, but in a place alone That fits a creature that's so miserable. XX\1. Wm. Hence, villains, hence! How dare you lay your hands Upon your sovereign ! Sol. Well, sir; will deal for that. But here comes one will remedy all this. Fair E^f, 35 seq. — Simpsox, II, 447. In the first Jine Simpson reads Dare you [to] lay, and in the third line we will deal for Ikit. The reading of the quartos is nowhere given. The second and third line, in my opinion, should be 'join(>d and corrected thus: — Upon )our sovereign ! ^"^^f- Well, \ve'll deal for that. XXVII. Soldier. My lord, watching tiiis night in the camp U'e took this man, and know not what he is. , Fair Ew, 36. — Simpson, n, 447. Is the first lint- to b. .^idnned as a verse of four feet: — Aly loi;d, watching tljis night in th' camp? A troc^iee i;i. tin; second place would be unusual, Itj say the least. Pf , j.s lord to be pronounced as a diss}llable ? Cf. Madow's Tragedy of Jduanl 11 .-.l. by the Rev. F. G. Fleay, 2 18 FAIR EM. London, 1877, p. 117. Or are we to call in the aid of an emendation aud read: — My lord, m watching this night in the camp? Compare sixteen lines lower down: — In knowing this, I know thou art a traitor. XXVIII. Wm. Co7tq. In knowing this, 1 know thou art a traitor; A rebel and mutinous conspirator. Why, Demarch; know'st thou who I am? Fair Em, 36. — Simpson, II, 448. Simpson adds the indefinite article before mutinous and thus produces a verse of six feet. The line is quite right as it stands, since rebel is to be pronounced as a monosyllable. In the third line' Simpson reads knowest^ a trochee that restores the metre of the verse. Why is, of course, to be considered as a so-called monosyllal)ic foot. XXIX. Wm. Conq. Where's Lord Dirot? Dem. In arras, my gracious lord, . Not past two miles from hence, As credibly I am ascertained. Fair Em, 37. — Simpson, II, 449, Arrange and read: — ' M ' Deni.^ In arms, my gracious lord, not past two miles From hfenae,"as ' cnsdilily I'm ' asGertaiii'd. In the first line Simpson reads Wftere ts-^ against the metre. FAIR EM. 19 XXX. Ami. Marr}' thus: tlie king of Denmark and my Sov'reign Doth send to know of thee, what is the cause, That, injuriously, against the law of amis Thou hast stol'n away his only daughter Blanch, The only stay and comfort of his life? Therefore, by me He willeth thee to send his daughter Blanch Or else forthwith he will lev}- such an host. As soon shall fetch her in despite of thee. Fair Em, 39. — Simpson, II, 451. Arrange; and read : — AmL Marry thus: The king of Denmark and my sovereign Doth send to know of ihec, what is the cause, That thou hast stol'n, against the law of arms, Injuriously away his daughter Blanch, The only stay and comfort of his life? Therefore by me he willeth thee to send her, Or else forthwith he'll levy such an host. As soon shall fetch her in despite of thee. The reiterations of on/)' in the fourth and tilth, anfi of /i/s daughter Blanch in the fourth an<^l seventh lines are evident 'diplographies', if this technical term ofClemian critics may be introduced into JMiglish; it might, I think', 'conveniently supersede the somewhat heavy and vague (:ircumlocutif)n of S. Walker, C'rit. Kxam., I, 276. A similar iniiilancd of diplo- graphy has occurred already in No. XXIL Critics' of such thorough -going cons<.'rvatism as to hIuoUI »:ven gluring rliplo- graplu<;s, may perhaps preOjr to read llie third and loiitth lines thus: — 2* 20 mSTRIO-MASTIX. THE LONDON PRODIGAL. That, 'gainst the law of arms, injuriously Thou 'st stol'n away his only daughter Blanch. The sixth and seventh lines have been contracted by Chet- wood into the following : — Therefore by me he wills thee send her back. Needlessly bold and needlessly harsh. XXXI. Are not you Merchants, that from East to West, From the Antarcticke to the Arctick Poles, Bringing all treasure that the earth can yeeld? HiSxftio'-MAsTix, APUD Simpson, The School of SHAKSPKRE, II, 44 SEQ.' Read: — Bring in all treasure. — Qy. PoW^ XXXIl. Flow. Sen. I' faith, sir, according to the old proverb: The child was born, and cried. Became a man, after fell sick, and (hed. The London Prodigal, I, i . — Malone, Supplement, n, 455^ e-,iHAZLi.XTv The;. Supplementary Works of ,, -f, ,, "^mj Shakspeare, 209. After, in the last line, looks like an interpolation and should be expunged. By the way, it may be remarked that in Mr Caxew; Hazlitt's English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases this 'old proverb' is not to be found. THE LONDON PRODIGAL. 21 XXXIU. Sir Lane. Whero is this inn? We are past it, Daffodil. D(f/. The good sign is here, sir, but the back gate is before. The London Prodigal, 1, 2. — Mal., H, 462. — Haz., 212. Qy. read, — T/ie gale sign instead of T/ie good sign. — According to Malone, the folios as well as the modern editions read ihe black gate; instead of which INIalonc has restored Ihe hack gate from the quarto. XXXIV. Alii. Why, there 'lis now: our year's wages and our vails will scarce pay for broken swords and bucklers that w-e use in our quarrels. But I'll jiot fight if Daffodil be o' t' other side, that's flat. The London X^rodigal, II, 4. — Mal., II, 480. — Haz., 222. Read, — in jour <]uai rcis. The servants do not use their swords and bucklers in their own quarrels , but in those of their masters. 'Sir', says Artichoke to Sir Lancelot, his master, towards the: close of the scene, 'we have been .scouring of our swords and bucklf^.rs for your defence.' XXXV. M. Flow. Now, (iod thank you, swe(;t lady. If you have any friend, or garden-house where you may employ a poor gentleman as your friend , T am yours to command in all secret service. The London PjkIUCEDORUS. 23 Seg. Thou wouldsl say, a solitary life about the woods. MucEDORUs, Del., 42. — W. and Pr., 64. — H's D., VII, 245. Read: — a xo/i/ary's life about the woods. XXXIX. God grant her grace amongst us long may reign, And those that would iiot have it so, Would that by Envy soon their hearts they might forego. Cof/i. The council, and this realm, Lord, guide it still with thy most holy hand ! The commons and the subjects, grant them grace, Their prince to serve, her to obey, and treason to deface : Long "may she reign in joy and great felicity. Each Christian heart do say Amen with mc! [Exeunt. MucEDORus, W. AND Pr., '77. — H's D., VII, 260. Tiiebc verses, which conclude the play in the quarto of 1598, have been transmitted to us in a state of such degeneracy as cannot be laid to the author's door, however poor a ver- sifier he may have been. The second line consists of four, the third of six feet; the words Would that, which begin the third line, have simply slipped down from the second to the third line, or rather they were written in the margin and inserted in the wrong place by the compositor. For realm in the fourth line, however unexceptionable it may be per sc, land should be substituted ^ i^s >ivith this single exception the concluding speech of Conaedy is in rhyme. This altera- tion is, moreover, supported by the concluding prayer in The Three Lords and Thre(^ Ladies of London (Dodsley cd. Ilazlitt, VI, 501 seq). There wc read: — Her council wise and jiobles oC this land Bless and preserve, O Lord I with tiiy right hand. M MUCRDORUS. Whethqfi.prf^r-not the line should be filled up, it is difficult to decide, as it-, would, at .the same time, involve the question, whether, instead ,ofrygm'deij'f in the following hne, we should not read guide J/tem,-,.' Both may be easily done, if the requisite boldness be conceded to the emendator. May not the author have written, e. g. : ■^^ The council and the nobles of this land Lord, guide them still with thy most holy hand? Of the two clauses T/icir prince to serve and her to. obey in the s(!vcnth line one -;— ;m,ost probably the second — is cer- tainly a gloss and must be expunged; and the last line but one niay be, easily reduced to five feet either by the omission oi joy and ox of great before felicity, in which latter case felicity h to be pronounced as a trisyllable (flicity).* The corresponding line in the concludmg prayer of The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London runs as follows: — Lord! grant her health, heart's -ease, [and'] joy and , ,.. . . ; r njirth. The whole passage, therefore, would seem to have come originally from the author's pen in about the following shape: — ; , , , .. -..God. grant |iiej:j-.^a9e ^niongst us long may reign, .\nd would, th^t those, that would not have , it so. By Enyy iSooji . t|ieir heart? they, might forego Coi}i. .The.qQuncil and the nobles of this land, Lord, guidq them still with thy most holy hand! * Felicity as a trisyllable occurs in Sir jTliQUias More's Utopia ed. Arber 167: — Wherfore not Utopie, but rather rightely My name is Eutopie : A place of felicity. See Abbott, Shakespearian Grammar, 468. MUCEDORTTS. 25 The commons and the sttbjects, grant them grace, Their prince to serve and treason to deface: Long may she reign in joy and felicity, Each Christian heart do say Amen with me ! XL. My power has lost her might, and Envy's date's expired, Yf)n splendent majesty has 'felled my sting, And I amazed am. MucEDORUs, Dei,., 55. — \V. and 1^., 78. — H's D.. Vll, 250. Afi(/ before Envy's has been added by the editors. The second line is wanting in the quartos of 1621 and 1668 and consequently in Delius's edition also. In ni\- ojiinion, the three lines should be thus arranged: — My power has lost her might, and Envy's date Expired is ; yon splendent majesty Has 'fell'd my sting, and I amazed am. r)r should we alter Eiivys to w/j'? A text so grossly cor- rupted as that of Mucedorus cannot be healed without bold- ness, although the less l)old an emendation is, the greater claim it possesses on our approval. Now, if we read my, not only the addition of and would be spari:d, but also the divi- sion of the lines would remain untouched: — My power has lost her might, ray date's expir'd. Yon splendent majesty has 'felled my sting, And I amazed am. ,26 NO-BODY AND SOME-BODY- ; THE PLAY OF STUCLEY. XU. I Ihankt him, and so came to see the Court, Where I am very much beholding to your kindness. NO'BoDY AND Some-body, apud Simpson, The School , OF Shakspere, I, 322. Dele vt'/y in the second line. Compare S. Walker, Crit. Exam. 1, 268 seqq. Sec also No. XXXVII, XLII. Ens. Lieutenant, he 's a gallant gentleman, We know it well, and he that is not willing To venture life with him, I would for my part He might end his ,days \yorser tlian the pestilence. , The Play of STqcLEy, apud Simpson, The School ' of"^hakspereV I, 185. Dele ffc in the last line and write iK pestilence. CHAPMAN. XLIU. Give me the master-key of all the doors. Alphonsus ED. Er.zE, 43 and 133. The old editions read : — Boy, give me the master-key of all the doors. Another instance to tlje same effect occurs oh p. 52 (cf. p. 135) where the' old 6;dition5 read: **V/^ jaoi INIadam, that we have suffer'd you to kneel so long. In both cases I ; have thought myself justified by the metre jn ^expunging the words of address ^(^ and Madam, as no ALPHONSUS. FRIAR BACON AND FRIAR BUNGAY. 27 doubt such words may frequently have been interpolated by the actors. In the edition of Chapman's Works (Inlays) by Richard Heme Shepherd (London, 1874) wliere my text of Alphoiisns has been followed remarkably closely, without the least acknowledgment, Bov lias been omitted, whilst Madam has been restored from the old .edition. There are,' however, two other ways of satisfying £>ir requirements of the metre; one is, to place the words Boy and Madam in interjec- tional lines: — Boy, Give me the master-key &c., the other, to restore the metre by contractions: — Boy, give | me th' raA | ster-key | of all { the doors, and: — Ma'am, that | we've suf | fer'd you | to kneel | so long. I now fee) convinced that this last way was the poet's own scansion. (Ans^lia, herausgegebtn von Wiilcker und Traut- , ' . '• . ,'■'■■ :->i. -'A^'. a mann, I, 344 seq.) GREENE. XLIV. K. Hen. He shall, my lord; this motion likes mc well. We'll progress straight to Oxford with our trains. And see what taen our academy brings. — And, wonder Vandermast, welcome to me: In Oxford shalt thou find a jolly friar, Call'd Friar Bacon, 1-^ngland's only flower. Fktar BAfiON AND Friar Bi'xgay, Sc.4. — Tnr. DuAMAfir AND Poetical Wf)RKs ok R. G^wkene and G. i-'iuii.K - : . „,,! ,1 ED. DycK, 159. D)-ce suggests wotidrous Vatidcrmast (he; might have compared woitdrous M&lin^ The Birlh of iMerliu ed. Delius, 75), whero^ 28 FRIAR BACON AND FRIAR BUNGAY. TAMBXJRLAINE. as Prof.i.Ward (Marlowe's Tragical Historj- of Doctor Faustus and Greene's Flonourable History of Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, Oxford, 1878, ,220) sees no reason to alter the text and compares such compounds as A.-S. ivundor-rverc , or wonder stone (in The Knight's Tale [line?]) and ivonder chance (in The Man of Lawes Tale 5465) to which he might have add-ed wonder tl^yng in The Towijieley Mysteries (Marriott, Col- lQ^tfo^,.pf^^,E^g^sl^. Miracle Plays 138). Hut is the present case, where we hayq to deal with a proper name, to be classed unhesitatingly with such compounds? Are we' not reminded involuntarily of Shakespeare's 'so rare a wonder'd father' (The Tempest, IV, i, 122) "alTd tempted to write loonder'd Vandermasil But our doubts are not even here at rest. Ferdinand when speaking of Iiis rare -wondered father has just witnessed Prospero's 'most Wiajestic and 'channing^ly har- monious vision '1 "King Henry, however, has not yet seen the slightest proof of Vandermasfs magic art; what reason has hS$ to address him as a \vorfder,: or a wondered artist? The Emperor, in presenting Vandermast to the king,- has indeed praised his accomplishments, but he has been stilF more elo- quent on the travels which the learned doctor has imd'ertaken. Would it not, therefore), jbeiiauch mone to the purpose to read ivanderd Veaidermastl Compa-te Henry VIII, I^ "J, 'i'^': — The reformation lof bur travell'd gallant^; ■'-'!* That filLi±LB:jcourt.with quarrels, talk, and tailbi-4. irr-^, MARLOWE. iifiijhjjcifltj. XLV. ' Myc. ' ■ We)I,i herfe"'!' '^\^ekr 'bf this i^f- roy^f seat/' ^ >^<^. •^¥b\jAiiiky"d'6"iwfyHto"fciss 'it then.' - .i '" '' TAMBURLAINE. ' 2S The second line, in my opinion, should be completed by the addition of Myceies: — You may do well to kiss it. then, Mycetes. XL\1. Tamb. Stay, Techclles; ask a parle first. I Tamburlaine, T, 2 (Works iia). The metre, I think, requires parley. The first foot of the Xirie [Sfay) h monosyllabic. Compare No. IV., -/,p'r ■. I i.-iv . ... ^-,4 Aft''. '< XLVll. And made a voyage into J'lurupi-. . . ,,, jj ,,,■ ,1,;;^ .-.:,; , , ,2 'i\(^MBURi^^E, I,,3 •{WoKJ^;49a). 'A -.vord', says Dyue/-^dropt out frorri this^line;' '!' think not, but am persuaded, that Marlowe wrote En^yypa. ' Cf. R. Cliester's Loves Martyr ed. (Irosart (for the New Shakspere Society) 24: — ' i Weleomt! immortal Bewtia, wewill ridt^ Ouer the Semi -circle (!)f ■Euro^)a;" And beild 6ur course where vfc will see the* Tide, That partem the Continent of Adrica, Where the gteat ohajn gouerne.si Tartaria: And when the starry Curtaine vales the nighl, In Paphos sacred He wc meane to light. The sli<>rh'iiing of the {Vjuult iiV Kihofhi will n'■- The king and th' nobles from the parliament. ..,,,JL'iJ stand tiside., ;,',;;._,, .i. •.,,.:■ ■•:'. • .. 1 In my ppi4\io!i,^Lthi;s.L i^s; f^ffljfr.or.m/UeiBg an improvement. Dyce's reading is no doubt vtfec imost' acceptable, and would meet all , >visiie3, Jfj,jiti5i(.f|i<^ Gpf^pletg.,,|^e.-,H^rs^e,jj:iwhich might be ^%^te4 ^J ^ ra^t^U JPPj .osf ySc singly, imoWJSyl'abi*! : ir-- '.! - - 1 u p^^FP <%^V^^ 1 piy, f ilor4 , |he king' -^w^. utl\ th& , -^icp-bl es -7 ^w^^^'i*^, ;tJi; ,P§i|i9Went. , a'||,^sit3i> ' 51' ifrJ! i Lf1*rm?riA.t.E',' '^2 ' ■ ANl>i*44i?(8Q.'.iiri Mr 'Harold Littfcdalc, the latest' t^ditbi^' of"thi,s play, extends his note on th<^ abf/vie' 'linc^' tii* a'n WpTanhtlft^n hf th'e tfill(*h" discusserl phras(*' r*)!''-j'rt* Frei^te; 'i^/v-fSi^'lie think^' to He'cVjui- valent with Frieshvid • B^er ^\\A lifi^sce 'fb 1*rtf^it ■^ni\ik:'fidf/sc\is- ovkr. I : Tlhi.^ y-*!Cpiltinatioh , however ,''^h As ' long ' h'^»'"'ii 'ifti'i^i'-'rsfi'd'e'd'.' After what has been said by_Nares s. v. and myself in my 32 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. edition of Chapman's Alphonsus 138 seq. I should not revert to the subject, if I were not able to bring forward some fresh passages that go far to show that Cpsee Freeze or Upsee Dutch means 'in the Frisian or Dutch manner.' The first of these passages occurs in A Pleasant Comedie of Pasquil and Katherine, A. II (Simpson, The School of Shakspere, II, 165): — Pour wine, sound music, let our bloods not freeze. Drink Dutch, like gallants, let's drink upsey freeze. That is to say, the English gallants of the time used to drink in the Dutch or Frisian fashion, i. e. with the German drinking ceremonies , for Dutch , here as elsewhere , means German, and it is a wellknown fact that the German drinking ceremonies at that time had spread over Holland and even reached England. John Taylor, the Waterpoet, in his account of his journey to Hamburgh (Three Weeks, Three Daies &c.. Works, 1872, ,3) says: 'and having upse-freez'd four pots ot boon beer as yellow as gold' &c., which words I take to mean, having drunk four pots of beer after the Frisian manner. That 'Upsee Frieze cross' means to drink with interlaced arms {B?-uderschaff. trinkcii), as I have conjectured, is confinned by Nash, Summer's Last Will and Testament (apud Dodsley, 1825, IX, 49): 'A vous, monsieur Winter, a frolick upsy freese: «;ross, ho! super nagulum.' That is, let us cross or interlace our anns, as the (Germans do when drinking Bril- (krschafl, and let us 'drench' our glasses 'to the bottom' so that what is left may stand on the thumb-nail. This, in German, is called to this day die Xagclprohe nuuhetu, and still tonps part of the ceremony of drinking Brudersc/iafi. -4^> A iouF^'r«Uusion to 'Upsy Freeze' is contained in a work of much later time, viz. in Johann Georg Forster's Briefwechsel herausgegelxm van Th[erese] H[uber], geb. H[eyne] (Leipzig, 182CJ) U, 671; it is iu an luiglish letter datcid Ovcrberg's THE TEMPEST. .S3 Contrays, August 27, 1775, and addressed to George Forster by the distinguished Swedish naturalist Andreas Sparrmann. 'Dear Sir', he writes, .'I'll have the iilaasiire by means of this letter to shake hands with yon 'op mn goede Africanse Boers' ; for, as I -have now for some time been in quarters by the Owerbergse peasants, you must give me leave to follow the customs of these good folks ^\ho, without any other rounda- bout compliments, present their sharp hands, as the New Zoalanders their airved noses, when a cordial salute is meant.' — There can be no doubt that op mngoede Africmise Boers means, 'in the true manner of the African Bot^rs.' (Anglia, herausgegeben von \\'iilcker und Trautmann 1, 347 seq.) SHAKESPEARE. LI. This widi.'-chapp'd rascal — would thou mightst lie drowning The washing of ten tides! The Tkmpkst,. I, i, 60 seq. 1 ;do not recollect whetlier or not :diWy editor has already nanarke/l tliat the^e- words- contfiin an alhision to the sii\gular mode of «;XJecution to which pirates were condemned in }''ng- laiKl. 'I'irats and robbers by sea', .says Hanison (Description of England ed. Furni vail, London, 1877, 229) 'are condemned in the court of adaaeraltie, and hanged on the shrrre at lowe water marke, wh«>re thoy are left till threo tides liaue oiier-' wawlifid lliem.' According to Holins^KKl 111, 1271, seven pirates w6re hanged on ihi- riverside below London, on March 9, i 34 THE TEMPEST. 1577 — 8. (Anglia, herausgegebew von Wxilcker und Traut- mann I, 33S). "■ Pfeif. John W. Hales (in The Academy of Sept. i, 1877, 2i(>)'" has corroborated the abdve remark by two passage*^ from Greene's Tii Quoque and from Stow, apud Dodsley ed. Hazlitt XI, 188. He also refers to the description of the Execution Dock at Wapping, in Murray's Handbook for Kent, 'Ten tides', he justly adds, 'are of course a comic exaggera- tt^^f^fcVfe'e''^tides"'bMtig"no sufficiently seVere'^puhishment for "tlirs^ wide- chapp'd rascal", the boatsman'. niwaj. f/fgrr^j^g - eyed' ' W^^'^as ' hit!ieV-Hi^§tit^Wiai^bTi?fe '^^"^'^ '^"^^^d'^K^r^'S^aslef^ by sailors. ' ' '^ "'' J^aai-on^ > ■^iri/i' £ rti ^^■^n^^lzq nno the TEMP^s't,%%''J2Yo i^d. ^ao'i m .hall b^jnaJai. 'jcLjri-imJi I'.ii' // mra, -i^oa iu,jl'-:)isiA Staunton and Mr P. A. Danifel (Notes and LonjecturaT Lm( men- dations g) ingeniously propose blear-eyed. In favour of this suggestion it may be added that Reginald Scot, iii liis Dis- coverie of 't^^itcticraft, B. I, Cliap. 3 (apud^Dralce, Slmlcspeare and his Times 11, 478), writes indeed that witches 'are women which be commonly old, lame, oleare-eiea, pale, lowle, aiid full of wrinkles.' Mr Wright, on the other hand, "in his annotated edition of this play, sustains the reading 01 the folio; 'bhie-eyed\ he says, 'does not describe the coloiar of the pupil of the eye, but the livid colour 01 the eye -lid, and a blue eye m this sense was a sign pi pregnancy ;, m, proof 01 which Mr Wright quotes a passage from Webster'^s Duchess r T»T w- XT , ■• i^.'i'J, -•£-.a> iyii ,i\A v'-Jill J. of Malh. Nowhere indeed, if^pt m the passage under dis- ^, , .•iinii lo bJi.'v '•J.i\UL':.y 1)!!/.., , cussion, does Shakespeare mean the colour of the pupil, when speaking or blue eyes , but the , livid circles round the eyes or the bluish eyelids; thus, e. g.,. itt As You Like it. 111, THE TEMPEST. B5 2, 393 •■ 'a blue eye and sunken'. This, 1 tliink, admits of no doubt, and i.s corroborated b) a passage in Spenser's Faerie Queene I, 2, 45, where the poet ascribes 'bhie eye- lids' to Duessa when she has swooned and lies seemingly dead: — Her eylids blew And dimmed sight with pale and deadly h(^w At last she gan up lift. Here too the adjective 'blue' is to be taken in its old, .sense, viz. 'livid'; see Mr Skeat's Etymological Dictionary s, y. Blue. Il would be of no common interest to know exactly what Shakespeare meant by 'grey eyes' and what colour of the eyes stood highest in favour with Elizabethan England. Until some ,such information , be exhumed a douht may remain concerning the 'blue-eyed hag', as a very difiefent explana- tion seems to be suggested by some passages in a living AmeriYaii poet, froi^ which it, might be, inf^rrt^d that, in pop- ular JDelief, blue, eyes may possibly have been thought char- acteristic of witches. .Mr J. O. Whittier,. who is evidently conversant wil;h |the particulars qf tho^e perseputions for witchcraft that , so darkly fill the pages, of leariy Amjerican history, ,sa>^s (The Vision of Echard and Other Poems, po^tou, 1878, 22):' — ' ' i. ' :.n,[. ,, ., A blue -eyed witch sits on the bank I .. And weaves her net for thee; '.fiMf. ■.[•'■!- • ■; - Wf5--,\\\«\' ;nil.)i and again on p. 26: — , , ,. -> ,• Her spectre walks the parsonage. And haunts both hall and stair; They know her by the great blue eyes , ^ ,, And floating gold of hair. I merely throw tliis out as a hint,, but, as it seems to, me, tlje subject is deserving of further investigation. 3 .* 36 THE TEMPEST. LIII. Pro. Goe make thy selfe like a Nymph o' th' Sea, Be subiect to no sight but thine, arid mine': inuisible To eiiery eye -ball else: goe take this shape And hither come in't: goe: hence With diligence. [Fxit. Pro. Awake, deere hart awake, thou hast slept well, Avfrake. The Tempest, I, 2, 301 seqq. The above reading of the folio has been handled by the editors in a somewhat strange and violent manner. In the first line. Pope and almost all his followers have added to before a Nymph; this preposition is indeed taken from the later folios and, as will be shown, cannot be omitted, on ac- count of the metre. Those editors who do not agree to its insertion transpose the words Be subject from the begin- ning of the second to the end of the first line. In the second line most editors have struck out thine and, partly in order to reduce the line to six feet, partly because they thought the word 'an interpolation of ignorance', as Steevens terms it. Dyce goes so far as to stigmatise the poor words, although contained in all the folios,, , as, 'most ridiculous'. Such high words, I regret to say, are no arguments; this kind of criticism amounts to correcting the poet^ himself, if correcting it be, instead of his copyists and prinfei;s, In the fourth line Ritson and others have omitted poe before >^^^,^.f, .aijid, 411 .qgnspquence, h^v^,,beeA,.oblige(l. tp/w^jLtp .,?■;)«,, ^'Z instead of in't. After all these /alterations Jtj /-is jm,:^oncler that modern texts read very differently from what has been transmitted in the folio ; in Dyce's third edition the passage stands thus: — "~ ~ THE TEMPEST. 37 Go make thyself like to a nymph o' th' sea, Be subject to no sight but mine ; invisible To every eyeball else. Go take this shape, And hither come in't: hence with diligence. The last line is not exempt from the faults of weakness and lameness and it speaks greatly in favour of the old text that, the less it is alterc-d, tlu' better verses are obtahied; there is inde<^d no occasion whatever to depart from it, except in the addition of the preposition tv in the first lint; and ni the arrangement of the lines, which would appear originally to have been this: — - Go, make thyself like to a nymph o' th' sea: Be subject to no sight but thine and mine, Invisible to every eyeball else. Go, take this shape and hither come in't : go hence With diligence. [Exit Ariel. Awake, dear heart, awake ! thou hast slept well ; Awake ! I do not know whether this arrangement has been already given in some one or other of the innumerable editions of the' pidet of not; all 1 can say is that 1 have never met with it. Whether or not the second go, in the fourth lint', is to be divided from the following words liy a colon'' may* bo left to the fcacitti'r's own judgment;' it does ilot affect the arrah- gffemidlit pr6p(^sed. With the words Go, idkc this shape Prospero, Of coiiVs^ , '^iv^s ArieT the garnu-nt which is to render him invisible to " (i^blybody's eyes except his' (viz. Ariel's) own and th8s6' of his tnastei^. (Robinson's Epitome of t.iteraturc, PhiVddelphi'a, 'iSlarch 15^ 1879; Vol. lU, 48.) 38 THE TEMPEST. LIV. My primt; request, Which I do la^t pronounge, is, O you wonder! If you be maid or no? The Tempest, I, 2, 426 seqq. Made in. the, fourth folio is an evident gloss; the sense is, 'If you be an (unmarried) mortal woman or a goddess?' Compare The Birth of Merlin, II, 2 (ed. Delius ^;^) : — Aur. It is Artesia, the royal Saxon princess. Prince. A woman and no deity? no feign'd shape, To mock the reason of admiring sense, 1 1,. On whom a hope as low as mine may live, Love, and enjoy, dear brother, may it not? Compare also Odyss. VI, 149 where Ulysses addresses Nausicaa in the following words : — yovvox(iai Ob araOOa " d-iog vv rig ij ^qotoc tOOi x. x.X. jfiT .fi LV. Be of comfort; My father's oi- a ' better- Mature, sii^, ■mi /o Than he appears by spefech-: this is unwonted Which now came from him. . ..... ., The Tempest, I, 2, 495 seqq. Th'is 'w^'tild"' iffipiy,^' th1a?t^Prospero generally made a less favour- able impression by his speeches than by his actions, which, of course,' i^ libt what jMiranda meanS to say. It is, oh the contr^fy,' only this one sjieech just uttei'ed that shows him to disadvantage, and this speecH as Miranda assures Ferdinand, is unwonted. Read therefore:— Than he appears bys speech : &c. THE TEMPEST. 39 In order to 'make assurance double sure', it may be added that by's occurs in John Taylor the Waterpoet's pamphlet entitled The Water- Cormorant his Complaint &c. (Londop, .1622) at the end of the 'Satire on A Figure flinger, or a couzning cunning man': — And though tlu; marke of truth he neuer hits, Yet still this Cormorant doth liue by's wits &c. (Shakespeare -Jahrbuch VIII, 376). LVL Gon. All three of them are desperate: their great guilt, Tike jioison given to work a great ihne after. Now 'gins to liite the spirits. The Tempest, III, 3, 104 seqq. Mr P. A. Daniel corrd'ci^^' tfkir sphitsi' cotnpare however A Warning for Fair Womeu A- 11, 1. 138 1 (Simpson, The School of Shakspere II, o--)'- — The little babies in the mothers' arms Have wept for those poor babies, seeing me, That 1 l)y my murtJier have left fatherless,*; \r In my humble opinion, this u.se of the article instead of the possessive pronoun is no conuption of the text, l)ut a loose- ness of speech on the part of the author, which it is not the ofGce of the critic to correct; a) 1 critics, however, know from their own experience how e,\treniely difQcult,,if is ,vHys to ,^ep clear ; from errors and mist^es i^ dis;;inguishing be- .L>vv,c^ the peguiiaritii:s. and ina.cgujficies of a writer and the lapseii of his Iranscriberiii and pjintqis. 40 THE TWO CiENTLEMP:N of VERONA. LVII. Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up, For 'tis 'thy rivals O thou senseless form. Thou shalt he[,worshipp'd, kiss'd, loved and adored! And were there si-nse in his idolatry, My substance should be statu,e in thy stead. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, IV, 4, 202 seqq. The word jVa/?/^.j cajinot Joe _ right, and the attempts that have been made fco , amend it , (lianmer conjectured sainted, and Warburton, siqlued) are still less satisfactory. I think we should re^d shfldomy on which wprd Julia is evidently playing. Shadoiv, in .Shakespcarq, is usually, opppsed rto substancet so that also in the above liiie it seems to be almost neces- sitated by the preceding suhsiancc. This conviction is still strengthened when we recall the verses in A. IV, Sc. 2, where Proteus asks for Silvia's picture and Silvia promises to send it: — Proj • ]\Iadam, if your heart be so obdurate Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love. The picture that is hanging in your chamber; To that I'll speak, to that I'll sigh and weep: For since the substance of' your perfect self Is ds(^'devotM, I am but a[ shadow; Andi to. your shadow will 1 make true love. till JuIy [^if|a'i?],oif/! 'twere a substance, you would, surd; j(. mi/' H|r;n on xciintno-i ■ ■ '. — : ;•■.<,:., jieG^ve it, ; v> -..And.iiaaJkQ-fiit :fertViiaIsha.dowvi'as,' L)am.!t' ' 'limri . 6"?/. .fir anai'Pery- loath to be, your idoV sir;ii d But sii3c«iii-yoiUfl I [falsehood sliall becomefyowi iweU 1 To worship! shad,o\«& aftfiriidcste^ false shapea^n oYi Send to me in the morning and ITl send- itj: 'jd t And so, goodrresit- A IVnOSUMlMER- NIGHT'S DREAM. 41 Compare also: — Love like a shadow flies, when substance love pursues. The Merry Wives of Windsor, II, 2. He takes false shadows for tnic substances. Titus Andronicus, III, 2. That same is Blanch, [sole] daughter to the: king The substance of the shadow that you saw. Fair Em ed. Delius, 8.'— Simpson, The School OF ShakSpere, II, 416. It need scarcely i)c remarked that shadow, in the last-quoted passage, stands for the picture of Lady Blanch. (Robinson's Epitome of Literature, IMarch 15, 1879; Vol. Ill, 48.) Lvm. And the quaint mazes in the wanton green For lack of tread are undistinguishable : The human mortals want their winter cheer; No night is now with hymn or carol blest: Therefore the moon, &c. A MiDsuMMF-R. Night's Dke.\m, II, i, 99 seqq. There is not much less confusion in the ordt'r of thr-se lines than in the altered seasons lliemselvt^s. Tht- arrangement, proposed by Dr Johnson, however, contains no improv(>mcnt commensurate with its violence. I think an -feasicr way of healing the corniption may be found. Th« lilies: ^:— The human mortals want their wint<'r cheery ""' No night is now with hjiun or carol blest; should be placed after: — ' "' ' ' " Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose. 42 A MIDSUMMER -NIGHT'S DREAM. Thcoliald's ingenious suggestion chedr instead of here, although withdrawn by its author, has been rightly taken up by Dyce; indeed, we cannot do :withQmt it. The sense is, 'we see the seasons alter';:iwe;h9ye''*'snowrin the lap of June" and sum- mer in winter, so that we can enjoy neither summer nor winter; the mortals are deprived of their usual winter enjoy- ments, and no night is blessed with Christmas hymns or carols.' (The Athenaeum, Oct. 26, 1867, 537.) LIX. Can you not hate me, as I know you do. But you must join in souls to mock me too? A MrusuMMER - Night's Dream, III, 2, 149 seq. The second'lme, although Dyce is silent about it, 'is'certairily corrupt. Hanmer conjectured in flouts \ Mason, in soul; Tyrwhitt, /// souls; Warburton, bni must join i?tsolents. Accor- ding to my conviction Shakespeare wrote: — But you must join in taunts to mock me too? The usual abbreviation 'tatits', if the stroke wfere obliterated, or altogether left but, could be easily misread for 'fouls'. (The Atheuceum, Oct. 26, 1867, 537.) LX. Merry and tragical ! tedious and brief ! That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow. Hanmer Tpropdsed^Unffzvdndyous's'cofrking smnv; Warburton, a tvoruirous strange shew; Upton, and Capell, and wondrous .strange blacit snow; jNlason, and wondcrms strong jwtJzf, Collier, A MIDSUMMER -NIGHT'S DREAM. 43 and Grant White (Shakespeare's Scholar 220), and wondrous seething suoiv; Staunton, and wondrous swarthy s^iow\ Nicholson, and wondrous staining snotv. The Editors of the Globe Edi- tion have prefixed their well-known obelus to the line. There can be no doubt that the epithet must refer to the colour, and not to the temperature, of the snow; for as ice is the symbol and quintessence of coldness, so is snow of whiteness and purity. Compare, e. g., Psalm 51, 7: Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Ilamlct, III, l, 140: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow. Hamlet, 111, 3, 46: — Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? The incongruity, with the ice, therefore, lies in the tempera- ture; with the snow, in the colour. In so far, Staunton's conjecture swarthy highly recommends itself; it is, indeed, the only one that is acceptable among those that have been published hitherto. I imagine, however, that Shakespeare wrote: — That is, hot ice and wondrous sable snow. To a transcriber or compositor of Shakespeare's works, the words wondrous strange, from their frequent occurrence, were likely to present themselves even when uncalled for. (The Athenoeum, Oct. 26, 1867, 537.) LXI. Tongue, lose thy light; Moon, lake thy flight; Now die, die, die, die, die. [Exit Moonshine. A Mn)SUi\iMjBK-NiGHT'}i Drbaji. V, I, 309. This nonsense can never have come from Shakespeare's pen. The word tongue is entirely out of place here and 44 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. has evidently crept in from Thisbe's next speech (the anti- strophe): -— '. jVa i- ; Tongue, not a word: Gome, trusty sword ; Come, blade, my breast imbrue. Mr Halliwell-Phillipps has conjectured suti for iongtce; but Pyramus has nothing to do with the sun, and such an ad- dress to sun and moon would be too truly pathetic in his mouth. Besides, Pyramus does not address the moon, but rather Moonshine and his Dog, and h>?igue, in my opinion, is nothing but a mistake for dog. This granted, 'we have only to transpose^ the words, Dog and Moon, and the natural flow of thoughts and words seems fully restored: — ui ij-jjjM,i'j -Dii Moon, \OBe thy light, ■'"'JA -•jiifif '.-1^: 'M-^^b-f^^Jci^, take thy flight, Now die, die, die, die, die. [Exit Moonshine. (The Athenaeum, Oct. 26, 1867, 537). Lxn. idiitJ Id jioiJib-.* buiUoiMy wind cooling my broth Would bloAK^fti^ to an' agu€i, when I thought ,j , .^yfejtjharm an wind too great at sea might do. .-f^nr fiiiirn -yv)!/ j(i3fa,;TH?;JMp.RCM-'VXT of Venice, -li/Jty iZ'SEQQif lator» J to tntiativ > bi^fefefH 'i ' ' The 'i-f^ikititi'on of' ffie iiW panst?',''^Sffi<54' Wd/'f)Aft f^iMt^Wded i' 'It kkM\ naturkU'^to')taki"tH6 We/Mf^K'b'cythl pl^te^'l'A the''SdteWiii^i' Besides,.; nobbdy is- a«^'-fo"bWW'"liirii^intb' an ague by h^^ own ■ prbper 'breath 5' ^ oir-th^' ' ddfltt-ar/,' 'that ' ^hich produces ' 'a'ri ' THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. 45 ague must come from somewhere else, it must be a wind, in the ordinary sense of the word, and not a breath. The pronoun 'my' does not subvert this explanation; it is used colloquially and redundantly in the same . manner as 'uk;' or 'your'. Thns, v.. g., King jxj)hn,I, I, 189 seqq.: — Now your travellervi 1 1 r 1 He and his tciothpick at. my wojjship^s mess; ■ And when ray knightly istomach is sufiic'd, m Why then I suck iny teeth, and catechizei)i-.:)M iMy picked man of countries. :•- • :;'fl;>r>'-.i' Or Ben Jonson, Volpone, IV, i,;,!^^ Read , Contar^it;,, took inena 'ihou.se, Dealt with, ^ny Jews to furnish it with moveables :&a/(5 1 ^ Abbott, ."Shakespearian (irammar 220 soq., has omitted to mention this redundant use of 'm) '. (Shakespeare - Jahr- ijuch XI, 275.) LXIH.- How like a fawning publican he looks. The Mkrchant of Venice, I, 3, 42. Messrs Clark and Wright in their ailnotated edition of this 1 !ay take exception to the above line. 't'A.i*i'fa\vtiing''pill-{lican", they .say,. ,^KeQmS(,anroddr combination. The PublicAni' or far- mers of taxes under' the Romain^^goveirnment were much more likely to treat, the Jqws,, with , linsplence tl>an ..servilibjr. ^ Shakd-i speare, perhaps, (^\y rcmemb£^?rcd< that in : the Gospels " public cans aud, sinners" arc mentioned; togqthefa^ objects of the h^.t^ed i^nd oonteipp.t of thv .Fharf^ees.' ttt; The Jt-ar nodi editors havp oY^rJopkecl l^iat the poet' t^yidjm,\tly c^Hudpfe to iSt. Luko 1 9, IQ — -,14,, wh^re . tfee publican fawns,- -rr -JHot*, indeed on men, but — in Shylock's ..opinion — on God. Such a 46 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. prostration before God, proceeding from a humility which is a characteristic of Christianity rather than of Judaism does not enter inito.. Shylodc's ; soul. •! Shy lock lends a deaf ear to Portia's glorious panegyric of mercy; he will neither .show, nor accept mercy. He 'stays on his bond' not only in his relations to his fellow-men^ but also in his relations to his Creator. 'What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?' and 'My deeds upon my head!' he exclaims, in the true spirit of Judaism. Marlowe's Barabas (A. 1) speaks in the very same key : — The man that dealeth righteously shall live; And which of you, can charge me otherwise? T'.ut Shylock is not only incapable of sympathizing with the publican that prostrates himself in the dust and cries for mercy, he is even averse to what he deems an abject behaviour; he hates such a man and brands his humility as fawning. (Shakespeare-Jahrbuch XI, 276.) y..)i[U()ii(jTi, uii ,k:n' f.6o.b . . . >■ , '■''■ -_■'■ :UlO \-. ■ - ^ '-'-tv - ■LXIVl^- -' - Shy. ^i^rii&i- Antonio, many^'^a'^l^the" and dift In the tiialto you have rated me About my moneys and my usances. The Mekchatst of 'Ytait'k', ly 3;"i^f seqq. Roger Wilbraham (An Attempt at a Glossary" of 'Some Words used in Cheshire, London, 1836, under 'Many a time and oft') says: 'A comrc^on expression and. means, frequently. — — With which colloquial expression, though common through air England, Mr. Keaii, the actor in the part of Shylock, being unacquainted, always spoke the passage, by making a pause in the middle of it, thus: "Maiiy a time — and oft on the THE MERTHANT OF VENICE. 47 Rialto", without having any authority frora the text of Shake- speare for so doing.' C'orapare also Fbrby,' Vocabulary of East Anglia s. v. I\J;im--a-time-iand-ofteh3i *a ipdeonasni or rather tautology, sufficiently ridiculous, but in verV familiar use.' t:xv; The young gentleman, is indeed deceased, or, as you would sa}' in plain terms, gone to heaven. ' ' '^" The Merchant of Venice, lEf^'a^'fei seqq. rr Vn-(i ■< 'jri'/ \r\ ff'j'fffv.' .';(fA Launcelot Gobbo delights in saying things by CDntraries ; h«^. advises his father tp 'turn down indirectly to the Je.w's house' and assures Bassanio thai the suit is 'impertinent' to himself. JV|ay he not be speaking here in the same style^ so much the niqre so as the 'plain term' in question is io ^o to hell rather than to go iu heaven t He does hot, however, pronounce the ominous word, but after suiae__^hesitation corrects himself. The actor therefore should make a significant pause before 'heaven', and we should write,, (^f, as you ivoidd say in plain terms, g^ne /yji~,,/ff<'z^5«';,,^^ siixiil^r ■ hun>r9us in|iueado is contained in the well -'^v^(^l^J>.pem^^^^f^Bl^r^,5;^J^u^^n, Gray ', St. 3: — ^.^. SJmll^ 1,_ likc.u ,fopl, (iVi9,th, hr, For a, haughty hij^zie die? • n '.f(r 1^ Tm° fv;, .1, 1 . .,; I, irn :;]./. 1 1 r ,. She may gae to — ^ Francd, for me! , Ha, ha, the woomg o't. . l\\(VM\\\''-\\ .>iffO'i((: TiK.. ifof;-. >\ii7- ffOfrif!"!' J, Quote from Allan Cunningham's edition (London* 1842, m I vol., 450). . In the second line, I thmk, we .should wriU' dee lor die. . (Shakespeare -Jahrbuch XL 27 7 seu.). up ' It) 'tll»[)in7 -xlt /li 48 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. LXVI. How doth thai royal merchant, good Antonio? The Merchant of Venjce, IH, 2, 242. The distmguishing title here given to Antonio is repeated in IV, I, 29: — Enow to press a royal merchant down. It is by no means to be considered as a mere epitheton ornans, b}' which the poet wishes to define the social position and princely magnanimity oi Antonio , but it is also a genuine terminus technicus for a wholesale merchant or rather for what was formerly called a merchant adventurer. This is shown by a passage in Thomas Powell's pamphlet Tom of all Trades; or, The plaine Pathway to Preferment (163 i), which is reprin- ted in Mr Furnivall's edition of Tell-TrotheS New-Yeares Gift (Publications of the New Shakspere Society, Ser. VI, No. 2, 164 seq.). 'I admit', says Thomas Powell, 'the Merchant Royall that comes to his Profession by travaile and Factory, fiill fraught, and free adventure, to bt; a profession worthy the seeking. But not the hedge -creeper, that goes to seeke custome from shop to shop with a Cryll under his arme, That Icapes from his Shop-boord to the Exchange, and after he is fame-falne and credit crackt in two or three other professions, shall wrigle into this arid that when he cotnes upon the Elxchange , instead of enquiring after such a good ship, spends the whole houre in disputing, whether is the more profitable house-keeping, either with powder Beefe, and brewes, or with fresh Beefe and Porridge; though (God wot) the blacke Pot at home be guilty of neyther : And so he departs when thi' Dell rings, an-d his guts rumble, both to one tune and the same purpose. The Merchant Royall might grow prosperous, were it not for such' poore pa'tching inter- loping Lapwings that have an adventure of two Chaldron of Cules at New -castle; .\s much oyle in the Greeneland fishing AS YOU LIKE IT. 49 as will serve two Coblers for the whole yearc ensuing. And an other at Rowsie [i. e. Russia], for as many Fox-skins as wU furre his Long-lane gowne, when he is called to the Livorie.' (Anglia, herausgcgeben von \\'ulcker und Traiit- mann I, 340.) LXVII. Bear your body more seeming, Audrey. As You Like It, V, 4, 72. In support of I\Ir P. A. Daniel's admirable emendation 7nore swimming, the following passages may be added to those that have been quoted by ]\Ir Daniel liimself. Chapman, The Ball, A. II (The Works of Geo. Chapman: Plays ed. R. 11. Shepherd, 4.94) : Carry your body in the swimming fashion. — Ben Joiison, Epigrams No. LXXXII (Works, in i vol., London 1853, ^z^)- — Surly's old whore in her new silks doth swim: He cast, yet keeps her well! No; she keeps him. From among modern writers the distinguished American poet William CulUni Bryant may be cited as giving proof of the seuse in which the phrase is understood. In his poem 'Spring in Town' he says: — No swimming Juno gait, of languor born. Is theirs, but a light step of freest grace, Light as Camilla's o'er the unbent corn. These quotations I think, are sufficient to. remove all doubts and to clear tjie way for th^e admittances of Mr Daniel's in- genious, corrcctiqn, ;p^to; the tex.t, so much the more a.s the phra^ ' to bear oiuvself , or , one's ; bpdy, sccmi,ug,' . can 1 iar< 11} be supported by a single parallel pas^sagc. (Shakespean'-Jalir- Ni^ ,: o , ,ij,. . , f. . fji ; .lo- ad loc, is to this day popularly, pronounced Wincolj.. With these I do not hesitate to couple old, John Nap^s oj' Greece; Greece being a palpable corruption, which is. neither remedied by Blackstone and Hanmer's old John Naps o\jK Gi'een, nor by Mr Halliwell-Phillipps's old John Naps of Grej/s ox of Greete, which latter, Mr HalliwQll-PhiUipps says, \yas a place situated between Stratford and Gloucester. On the map of Warwickshire ^ !■■!■.' , .;')IJ <■<: I find a place called Clceve Prior3\ on the Avon, a, few miles below Stratford. Shakespeareaijs whq dixp .acquainted from personal knowledge with the topography of Warwickshire, which I am sorry to say I am not, can decide whether this be a place likely to have been the residence of old John Naps ; if so, I should propose to read : — As Stephen Sly and old John Naps of Cleeve. This conjecture, I think, is strengthened by our poet's allusion in Romeo and Juliet, II, 4, 83 seq.i'tb ' bitter- sweetings ', a kind of apple which was, and is 'fe' this da,^, "* grown especially at Cleeve and Littleton' and is still used as a sauce, in complete accordance with Merciitio's woi^S ■ in the passage cited. See John R. Wise, Shakspere : His Birth- THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. 51 place and its Neighbourhood (London, 1861) 97. (The Athe- naeum, Jan. 18, 1868, 95. Reply by l\lr Halliwell-Phillipps ih. Jan. 25, 1868, 133. — Shakespeare's dramatische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Schlegel mid 'i'ie'ck, herausgege- ben von der Deutschen Shakespeare -Geselischaft VII, 120.) LXIX. To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy. The TAMiNfi of thf Shrf.w, I, ^, 28. S. Walker (Crit. Exam. I, 289) has rightly classed this line among that species of corruption which he calls 'substitution of words', \\here a particular word is substituted for another 'which .stands near it iu the context, more especially if there happens to be some resemblance between the two'; in fact, it is what in Germany is called a cliplograph}-, i. e. a faulty repetition of the same or a similar word (see Nos. XXII and XXX). Walker, however, has left the verse without cor- rection, whilst an anonymous conjecturer, according to the Cambridge Edition, proposes /a/r philosophy. The context, I think, clearly shows the true reading to be: — To suck the sweets of Greek philosophy. (The Athenx-um, Jan. 18, iSOS p. ()5). LXX. O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face. Such as the daughter of Agenor had. Thk Taming of thk Shrew, I, i, 172 seq. In order to restore the rhyme Mr Collier's so-called uianuscript- corrector has substituted of Agenor s race for of Agenor had. 4* 52 T^t "fi^MINCT OF THE SIIREAV. Dyce, however, both in his Strictures on Mr CoHier's New Edition of Shakespeare, 72, and in his second edition of Shakespeare's Works, has shown that by this alteration the meaning is destroyed and the grammar violated. Should the line have rhymed originally, — and I am inclined to this belief, — another, though still bolder, conjecture might serve the purpose: — O yes, I saw her in sweet beauty clad, Such as the daughter of Agenor had. LXXI. Luc. Fiddler, forbear; you grow too forward, sir: Have you so soon forgot the entertainment Her sister Katharine welcomed you withal? Hor. But, wrangling pedant, this' is The patroness of heavenly harmony: eStc. The Taming of the Shrew, III, i, i seqq. To complete the fourth line is ho very difficult task, and it has been performed by almost all editors; their conjectures, however, are mere guesses and do not give us the least explanation as to how the mutilation may have originated. Not to speak of Theobald's and Hanraer's conjectures, nothing less can be said of Mr Collier's / avouch this is or of W. N. Lettsom's This is a Cecilia. The poorest expedient seems to me S. Walker's arrangement (Versification, 85), which proves that in criticism, as well as in poetry, even Homer may some- times take a nap. ' A'iy 'atteinpt t6 heal 'tWs gap which should lay claim to sottiethihg blotter than an 'airy nothing' ought of itself to indicate the Avay in which the beginning of the line became lost; for, in my opinion, the loss took place at the THE ta:*iing of the shrew. 53 beginning, and not in the body, or at the end, of the line. I imagine that Shakespeare wrote: — Her sister — tut! But, wrangling pedant, this is &c. The copyist or compositor omitted the first two words because hei had just written them or set them up in the same place in the preceding line, and the third was overlooked through its similarity to the following hui. The copyist or compositor catching this bid, fancied that he had already written or set up the three preceding words. (The Athenreum, Jan. i8, 1868, P- 95)- Pd. Come, where be these gallants? Who's at home? Bap, You 're welcome, sir. Pet. And yet I come not well. Bap. And yet you hall; not. Tra. Not so, well apparell'd As 1 wish you were. Pet. Were it better, I should rush in thus. , , , , B,ut whei;e is K,ate ? , \yhere, is my lovely bride ? Mow does my father^ ^- Gentles, methinks you frown. The Taming of the Shrew, HI, 2, 89 seqq. The arrangement and disposition of this passage is, no doubt, corrupt. It is an unlit remark in Fetnichio's own mouth that hedoeii not come well j nor does it harmonize with liis subsequent (juestipn, ,— ^,.'.i^yi^ ,,WJi?XirQf9re gaz(? l^iis goodly company?' On the contrary he would have the company believe that he coBies quite well as, he comes, and that he gives no occasion for staring at him. This difficulty is, indeed, r-emoved by i the ingeniou.'j conjecture of C^pell; there are, however, other.s still remaining. \ do not thipk it likely that 54 TELE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Tranio should join in the conversation at its very beginning; moreover, it is not his business to express a wish about Petruchio's apparel. The words 'Not so well apparell'd as I wish you were' evidently belong to Baptista; and in the old piece, the corresponding words ('But say, why art thou thus basely attired?') are in fact spoken by the father of the bride. In so far I agree with W. N. Lettsom's arrangement, apud Walker, Crit. Exam. Ill, 68. For the emendation of the following verse, 'Were it better, I should rush in thus', a number of conjectures have been offered. Its supposed cor- ruption, however, merely arises from a misunderstanding, or rather misconstruction. All the editors, whom I have been able to collate, refer these words to the preceding lines; their meaning, according to Dyce, being, 'Were my apparel better than it is, I should yet rush in thus.' But the pointing of the folio which has a colon after 'thus' shows that the line is to be connected with the following verses; and the position of 'thus' at the end of the line confirms this construction. Petruchio, in answer to Baptista's feproaches, here imitates an amorous coxcomb and asks if it were better to have come in after fhis manner, and with these questions. With the words, 'Gentles, methinks you frown', he resumes his own manner and tone. Only on the stage can the truth of this interpretation be made fully apparent. The passage should accordingly be printed: — Pei. Come, where be these gallants? Who 's at home? Bap. You 're welcome, sir ; and yet you come not well. Pei. And yet I halt not. Bap. Not so apparell'd as I wish you were. Pei. Were it better I should rush in thus? — [Imitaiing a coxcomb. But where is Kate? Where is my lovely bride? THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. 55 ,, How docs my father? [Resuming his oivn maimer again.) Gentles, methinks you frown. In the lirst.iipe, S.Walker (Crit. Exam. II, 144) proposes to read Come,; cpvui\ it may, however, as well begin with what is called a monosyllabic foot. In the correction of the fourth line W. N. Lettfipm , has led th(j way by expunging well before apparell'd; hp also substitutes A^rr for Not, whereas in my arrangement the original reading is retained. (The Athenceum, Jan. 18, 1868, 95). LXXHI. Welcome; one mess is like to be your cheer. Come, sir; we will better it in Pisa. The TAT^nNG of thk Shrkw, IV, 4, 70 seq. Capeil's ' alteration has been' conclusively refuted by Dyce. T^he inetre of the second Tine might be thus restored: — Come, sir; we soon will better it in Pisa. Or, if a verse of four feet should be thought admissible, we zfv// may b*e contracted: — Come, sir; 7vell better it in i'isa. (The Athenivum, Jan. t8, 1868, 95). LXXIV. .1 frown tht while, and perchance wind up my watch, or play with ray some rich jewel. Tavelfth Night, II, 5, 65 seq. I regret ,lh«it , I ci^jinot, agree with Mr P. A. Daniel's inter- pretation , of .this p^iisage- (Not^ij ajid Conjectural Emen- dations, 43). Epr, if, in fact persons of rank, apart from collars of knighthood, and si^uilar budgets of honour, wore jewels 56 TWELFTH NIGHT. KING JOHN. suspended from the neck (of which I am not certain), yet these jewels could hardly serve as playthings. In ray opinion the poet rather has in view a jewel hanging I'rom the watch, or, worn in a ring. Compare, e.g.. The Womanhater IV, 2 (Dodsley ed. Hazlitt IV, 358): — i, ,Be full of bounty; velvets to furnish a gown, silks For petticoats and foreparts, shag for lining; Forget not some pretty jewel to fasten, after Some little compliment. Or Jeronimo, (Dodsley ed. Hazlitt IV, 358): — Let his protestations be Fashioned with rich jewels. I should prefer therefore to read with some rich jezvel, al- though the ingenious emendation proposed by Mr Daniel might just' as well be understood in the sense indicated by me. The' pointing by which the Cambridge Editors endeavour to uphold the reading of the folio is too artificial to be taken for Shakespeare's own punctuation. LXXV. ,, Here's a stay That shakes the rotten, xarcass of old Death Out of his rags. rr King John II, i, 455 seq. This is the reading, .of j^^thq.foJjq, of iwhich W.. N. Lettsom has justly remarked,^.|J^a^,;^/0/,i,^ perhaps, the last word that could have, co^^ frpm S^ake^p^^re.' Johnson has conjectured^aa:/ which S. Walker (Crit. Exam. II,, 294) thinks 'is .indisputably right'; it bears, however, too little resemblance to the old reading, and, besides, the idea of a gust of wind seems to be KING JOHN. 57 foreign to the context. The same objections lie against ]\Ir Spedding's conjectures of stovjn and slory. Beckett and Singer propose say which is far too weak in the mouth of the Bastard. I tliink we should read, — Here's a bray. Thi- Heralds both of the besiegers and the besieged play a con- spicuous part in this scene and have just opened thi; parley with the blowing of their trumpets; King Philip says (11, i, 204 seq.): — You loving men of Augiers, Arthur's subjects, Our trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle. Under such circumstances the citizen of Anglers may be said not inappropriately to 'bray out' his defiance to the kings like a 'harsh -resounding' trumpet (sec K. Richard II, I, 3, 135: With harsh -resounding trumpets' dreadful bray) and, in the Bastard's language, by such a clang to shake 'the rotten carcass of old Death out of liis rags.' Compare Hamlet, I, 4, 11 sccj. : — The kettledrum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge — and Edward 111, I, 2 (ed. Delius, 9) : — How much they will deride us in the North; And in their vile, uncivil, skipping jigs, Bray forth their conquest and our overthrow, Even in the barren, bleak, and fruitless air. See also jNIil ton's English Poems, ed. K. C. Browne (London, 1873) I, 228 and 367. (The Ath6meiim, June Z2, 1867, 821. — Shakespeare's dramatische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Schlegel und Tieck, herausgegeben von dor Dcutschen Shakespeare -f'i.'-;rll<;r}iafl T, 235.) ' 58 KING JOHN. LXXVI. The grappling vigour and rough frown of war '■^■is' cold in amity and painted peace. ■ ■ KmG John, III, i, 104 seq. Haiimer reads coo/^/; Ca^bll;'7:/^(-/; Staunton 'pfoposes coi'l'd, and I\Ir Collier's cbrrected folio has /ami in peace. Mr Collier's manuscript corrector, ' whoever lie'may have befen, has rightly felt the want of symmetrical agreement between the two cla:uses of the second line, but the remedy by which he has meant to restciris'' it, seems to be wrong. 1 rather incline to the behef that Shakespeare wrote: — Is scolding amity and painted peace. Constance reproaches King Philip with perjury, and denounces his warlike preparations is'^'feham; they ai'e, ''^h© saysi "n!6t more direadful than amity that' scolds a friignd or pSac6 whi(ih is painted to look like war. The required harmony' of the sentence is thus very naturally recovered; and I need not dwell on the easy misapprehension by which the words Is scolding, particularly when spoken, cari^'Be transmuted into Is cold in. (The Athenaeum, June 22, 1867, 821. Shakespeare's draraatische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Schlegel und Tieick, herausge'gebeh Vbh def'Deutschen ShakeSpea:re-Gesell- schaft I, 238). LXXVII. First Exec. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed. Hub. Uncleanly scrupled I" fear not you; look to 't. King J"hx, IV, x, 6 seq. According to Schmidt, Shakesp£areTLe)^Jc»0)ftMS.,A('i, uncleanly is used by Shakespeare not only in its literal, but also in a mor- al sense =^ indecent, utabecoming; This moral sense Schmidt KING JOHN. 59 ascribes to the word in the following three passages, viz. -As You Like Jt, 111, 2, 49; Othello, 111, 3, 138 seqq.; and the present line from King John. In the first-named passage Corin and Touchstone are talking of 'good manners at the court' as opposed to country manners. 'You told me', says Corui, 'you salute not at the court, but you kiss your hands: that courtesy would be uncleanly, if courtiers were shepherds.' Being asked for his reason, he adds, 'We are still handling our ewes, and their fells, \()u know, are greasy'. From the context it is evidi^nt that uncleanly is here used in its literal, not in its figurative, meaning; which latter is to be found only in the other two j»assages. But this does not remove the doubts that cling to tliose Uncleanly scruples, with which Hubert reproaches the executioner, for the executioner's scruples are cleanly and decent rather than otherwise; he endeavours to keep clean from responsibility. (irey con- jectured unmanly, Init I have little doubt that we should read: — Unseemly scruples! fear not you! look to 't. These scruples, says Hubert, do not beseem a man ol so low a station as you are. (The Athenieum, June 21, 1867, 821. — Shakespeare's dramatische Werke nach der Ueber- setzung von Schlegel und Tieck, herausgegeben von der Dcut- schen Shakespeare -Gesellschaft I, 242). Lxxvm. When your head did but ache, I knit my handkcrcher about your brows. The best I had, a princess wrought it me, And 1 did never ask it you again; 60 • KING JOHN. And with my hand at midnight held your head, And like the watchful minutes to the hour, •' ' Stin and anon cheer d up the heavy time, Saying, 'What lack you?' and 'Where lies your grief?' Or 'What good love may 1 perform for you?' King John, IV, i, 41 seqq. Arthur clearly means to say, 'Just as the watchful minutes cheer uj/'the' long, slow hour, so did I cheer up the heavy time by my repeated, sympathizing questions,' It seems, there- fbrci' that we should read: — And, like the watchful minutes do the hour, Still and anon cheered uj!) the heavy time. That like ^v;a^ not unfrequentiy' used in the sense 'of aj, has been shown by S. Walker, Crit. Exam. Il, 115 seqq. ' 'Tn provincial English', says Mr Earle (The Philology of the English Tongue, 214) ^Me is still now used as a conjunction: he behaved like a scoundrel would.' Compare Forster's Life of Dickens {I, 263, Tauchnitz Ed.): 'Nobody shall miss her like I shall.' Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar is silent about this use of the word,' althiough instances in point occur in The Tempest, III, 3, 65 seq. : — n^y fellpw-rninisters Are like invulnerable — and in A Midsummer -Night's Dr^am, IV, i, 170 seq. r — Rut, like" (in- ■ sickness, dM L loathe this food; But, as in health, conidnto Imy natural taste, i&c. Thb old"editior\t?i'''it is \x^^ ■'^^ih^.d^'liW^ ^■•^KHtkness , but this ' e^'dfeht ' 'inistkk'e ''■^M^'cm^di^Q. %y ' 'Fkrmet* ' felndi Ml siibs^equeliit {Editors ha^^e' ddbpteaf-hi^'"'Cofr^(Btitfej; - Gora|xai*e'' also the pas- sage frOrti tlugh'tlolland quoted "farthiei" on (Nd.XCII): — KING JOHN. . 61 though ui)' / braines Apollo waxmes; Where, like in Jove's, Minerva keeps a coile. (Notes and Queries, Feb. 7, 1874, 116. — Shakt^speare-Jahr- buch XI, 284 seq.). LXXIX. If what in rest }OU have, in right you hold &c. King John, IV, 2, 55. Steevens conjectured in ivrest; lackson, mfrest\ an anoaymous scholar, in rent; Staunton, If what iji 7'est you have, 7iot right you hold. King John has nothing in rest, but, on the contrary, every thing in unrc;st; he is full of fears and has to contend with enemies both abroad and at home. Pandulph very just!} says (III, 4, 131 seqq.): — It cannot be That, whiles warm life plays in that infant's veins, The misplaced John should entertain an hour, I One minute, nay, one quiet breath of rest. To tell the king, that he has the kingdom in ivrest would ill become the speaker, even if such an abbreviation for in your 'wrest or in your grasp, were Shakespearean, of which I do not feel sure. These difliculties, I think, might be avoided by reading: — If what in trust you have, by right you hold. Government is entrusted US the king; he holds it ifor the benefit of his conntr>- and subjects. This is by no means a modrrn sentiment or foreign to Shake^pcaro'.s tinv". IJulinshed puts almost the very saniie, words into , the mouth of the Archbi.shop of Canterbury at th^ coronation, of l>fing John; 'a man', he makew him s^y of,,the! Mng,,:*tl doubt not 62 • KING JOHK. that for his owne part will apply his whole indevour, studie and thought vnto that onelie end, which he shall perceiue to be most profitable for the commonwealth, as knowing himself to be borne not to serue his owne turne, but for to profit his countrie and to seeke for the generall benefit of us that are his subjects.' In Richard II, IV, i, 126, the king is characterized by the Bishop of Carlisle as God's 'captain, steward, deputy- elect' and in III, 3, 78, Richard himself says: — If we be not, show us the hand of God That hath dismiss'd us from our stewardship. (Shakespeare's dramatische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Schlegel und Tieck, hcrausgegeben von der Deutschen Shake- speare -Gesellschaft I, 243 seq. — Shakespeare -Jahrbuch XI, 285 seq.). LXXX. For I do see the cruel pangs of death Right in thine e)'e. King Johx, V, 4, 59 seq. Right in thine eye certainly gives a sense, but so weak and poor a sense that it is beneath Shakespeare. It can neither be supported b}' Coriolanus, EI, 3, 70: — Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths, nor by Byron, The Island, I, 4: — Full in thine eyes is waved the glittering blade. Right, in our passage, is merel}- an expletive. Hanmer and Warburtoh therefore conjectured Pight in thine eye {eyes); Capell, Fight in //«>/(? ^^5 "'Mr Collier's 1. so -called manuscript corrector, Bright in thine eye; Brae, Rio/ m thine eye., This last suggestion,! has.. been, cited by Dr Ingleby (Shakespeare KIKG JOHN. . 63 Hermeneutics , or The Stiii Lion, London, 1875, 116) with 'unqualified satisfaction'. Mr Collier's conjectiu'e , although approved by Singer and Knight, has been incontrovertibly refuted by Dyce ad loc. I think the compositor ai^iticipated right from tlu' following line {'that intends old right') and am convinced that the true reading is: — For I do see the cruel pangs of death Writhing thine eye. (The Athenx'um, June 22, 1867, 821. — Shakespeare's dra- matische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Schlegel und Tieck, herausgegeben von der Deutschen Shakespeare-Gesell- schaft, 2. AuiL, I, 247. The first edition I, 247, has the misprint Whilhin for Writhing.) LXXXl. Ejiier Bastard and Hubert, seiierally. Hub. Whose there? Spcake boa, speake quickely, or I shoote. Bast. A Friend. A\'hat art thou? Hub. Of tilt.' part of Lngland. liiisl. Whether doest -thou go? Hub. What's that toitheo? Why luay not I demaud pf thine aliaires, As well as thou uf mini-? Bast. IJubort, L thinke. Unk- Tliou,|hasi,,j^ ptyif^t^t thought. , :., v> A A ;...,,,..,, .King JvW^^iY, (i,,,^,,SE;99., TWiB is the? reading of tht; folio l^nd it need not ' be ' pointpd out that, as far as the distribution of^ the speeches is con- cerned, it I is a perfedt itdngle. ■ Attempts 1 at etnendatiou have 64 KING JOHN. been made by W.W.Lloyd, Dyce (3d Ed. V, 98), and Mr H. H. Vaughan (New Readings and New Renderings of Shakespeare's Tragedies, London, 1878, 1, 84 seq.). Dyce differs from the folio only in the following lines: — Huh. What's theit to thee? Bast. Why may not I demand Of thine affairs, as well as thou of mine? Hubert I think. He adopts, he says, as absolutely .ne;cessary, this portion of the new distribution of the speeches at the commencement of this scene which was recommended to him by W. W. Lloytl. Mr Vaughan proposes the following arrangement: — Huh. Who's there? S})eak ho! speak quickly, or I shoot. Bast. A friend: what art thou? Huh. Of the part of England. Whither dost thou go? Bast. Wliat is that to thee? Hfub. , '\yhat's that to thee {'l.jjprj,,, Why may not ,1 demand .Of thine affairs — ,.as well as thou of mine? Bast. Hubert, I think. Huh. Thou hast a perfect thought. Thus, Mr Vaughan says, the metre becomes perfect, whereas, according to him, the meMeaL''jdtefect is not remedied by Dyce's arrangement;.,,, Iiij.fl^^y ,opinioji both .Dyce's and Mr Vaughan's al,tp-r^tioi:\^ ai^j insuffici(f^nt aufili,|dOi,, not improve the text; of Mr Lloy4'?[(,ari;augemeBt,j, jasnitjiis iuot contained iu,;,j^i§ Qriticai' Esisays/^n, the Plays of Shakespeare (London KING JOTIN. 65 Hubert is of a sedate temperament and generally stands on his defence, it will seem quite natural that it is not the latter, l)ut the former, who oj)ons the dialogue with the impetuous question: Who's there? Speak, ho!, to which ho immediately adds a threat. It speaks greatly in favour of this supposition that in the stage-direction the name of the Bastard is i)laced tirst. I feel therefore convinced that the verses should be distributed as follows : — Basf. Who's there? Speak, hoi speak quickly, or I Hid). A friend. [shoot. Bus/. What art thou? Hub. Of the part of England. — Wliither dost thou go? Bas/. \Miat's that to thee? Htili. Why may not I demand Of thine affairs as well as thou of mine? Basi. Hubert, I think. Hu/>. Tliou hast a perfect thought. (Shak(\speare's dramatische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Sclilegel und Tieck, hcrausgegeben durch die Deutsche Shake- speare-Geseiischaft, 1, 247. — The Athenx-um, June 22, 1867.) LXXXII. Let it bo .so: and you, ray noble prince, With other princes that may best be spared, Shall wait upon your father's funeral. King John, V, 7, 96 seqq. S. Walker (Crit. Exam. I, 293) believes \hfi'^'6rd princes id be a corruption, the transcrilier's or compositor's (>ye having be(»n caught by the word prince in the preceding line. Dyce and 5 66 ROMEO AND JULIET. the Cambridge I'ditors concur irilhi^'C^pinion, without, however, making any attempt iat restoring the passage. -The compositor, in my opinibri',' 'fey mistake repeated a wrong woi'd from the preceding'' vefsie;!' instead' oi' princes \iQ oug-ht to have repeated ?/eW^5',i'for Sbakespetire' in all probability wrote: — ;iir t With '-'other nobles t\\^X irLa.y best be spared. .(¥'hlg 'MienEeum, Jtirie'-'iis',' i86'7, "821. -^ j Shakespeare's dra- mal'ischie Werke Wach der Uebersetzung von Schlegd und Tie'Ck,^"ihe!riaUsgegtiba'r'- vbn der Deutschen S^hiaketipeare-Gesell- schbft?i''I, V^Sl)^;'! •: -;(' ' ')iU io ^q(i Mifi lo rit oiijojii. am t). '• ' EflierAWi^biQ^7jjp. ••• ■ .,.ri- - Mff^iiiv- .'L. , .. . V, Rosf EG, Aiiip Jyi,iET,;JV, 5 (QB). The account 'i(if Will sKenip's'^ life' and -df&ings aissi^'g iven ■ by Dyee in the Introduction to 'Kemp's Nine Daies' Wonder' (printed for the Camden Society , 1 840) , singular though it be, has yet been far surpassed b\- the wild hypotheses con- cerning it advanced by the late R. Simpson (The School of Shakspere,'lI^-373 seq.). Simpson is the only 'critic, as i far as"! 'am aware, who pretends' to a knoNi^ledge 6fj Kemp's ^'Horeabouts before 1587. This knowledge he-derivos from the pseudb- Shakespearean " Comedy of 'Fair Em'^' td which he imparts a symbolical meaning and which: h6 imagines to refer to events ''in' the history of the .^jtage.' William the Conqueror, the hero of that oomedy; according to Simpson, is no othci-' than William Kemp^ vvhb; 'he.'^ fandes, went: to Ij)iftnriiarib ill 1586', iat' (the head of ; a company of actors^ i 'in order' t-b'matrj- the lipriiniC'ess"fI5lancli;'iithat 'i^ii/iiii order Ho ttiake himself thie,' master ''Of the Danish sta{^e.' 'But on his ROMEO AND JUUET. fi7 arrival there', continues Simpson, *he was mOTe stciiok with the chances of another career, and very soon t eloped /to.- S^jfOny? to turn his histrionic talents to morfi' account-, there.' This fact, Simpson fancies, was shadowed forth by the chang;^ that takes place in the sentiments of William, thi0,>Cortqueror, 'Mounteney and Valingford', our critic goes-opt. toijsaty, 'are two of his company whom he would -.h^Ve rt^ken' \f'ith him, but who preferred to stay behind, and toojktendifot tlae pr4-gurenlt generall to tiieOhost of Dick<; ;'l'arlton '; and in. Heywood's 'Apulogie for Actors' (43) w-n, are Jikewise- told .tlijit Kemp succc-edi^J Tarlton, who diml 'in September, i5{iy,;'a(^ wel in thie favour of her majesty, , .as lin itWn opinion , and good 5* 68 iiQMKP AND JULIET. s thougilats.ofi4ie .generall audieiicjt^^'.v The question, therefore, arisesiwhetheriitnis-ilikely tl^at Kemp, if he had really pro- ceeded in i586,.J.o -Penmark and thence . to^^^axony, could have been back again in England as eaf,ly ^s ,t^e,j,end pf 1588 or. the,, beginning of 1,589, nay, if, he .really were the author of the 'Dutiful Inuective' which app^aiji^d in ,1587,. his stay! I in foreign parts must dwindle dowi\(|,^<^ less than a twelvemonth. ; But; travelling in those days wa? no such easy pastime /fasrriita'4^i>ni©lwhaj-:d,^ys> and certainly; .wfj,, must allow Jvjemp- some time both in Demnark and Germany for the exercise, of his professioii., Besides, Kemp in 1588, in all probability, ri.wasr .a very , young man, for he himself tells us thatiin ir^igg-when! performing his famous morris-dance from London to Norwich, he 'judged his heart: qork a^d his heels feathers, so that he thought he could fly to Rome p,r a^ least hop to. Rome, as the old .proverb is, >yith a mortar ,qn, his head.' ,. We cannot /possibly believe him, to have bi^eii. a, W^n advaaced linc.years.iin 1599, else he wp^lj4, ,certa,inly npt have teen ). able I (t<));> undergo the .fatigues Mi^fifeft^.rSQiiUuhieard of and never- surpassed. .(Supposing, then -that h^,,r/Yfft?( ^^PW* thirty- five years old);\ybeni dancing tp-i Norwich, he would in .1586 havi© viumbered ; (little , more , than twenty ye^T§? ■^}^r,^^^ atilwhidh iwe^ can, hardly .believe , hiijJii,, to have gone , abroad afcithe.'head of a company of players.,, ;;MQreover it is highly probable that from 1589 to 1593 Kemp belonged ;tc>Kd,\vai,-d AlLe>yi's company.^,, for-; i his ■'Applauded J^IeijUppnteS; of-f,l)}2 Ment i of ; (Qutcham' -■ ara < contaiiiedi , . in J^^^ ytmosft ,• pie^s^i^);,^ ,^ merry GonaeA Knacke j;p;,rk09V{P ami^nm^'f^r-y^U^^cV''^^ published;.in: ,115194 and acted, iij^.jt 5x53., ^,ff^Ueyw's//i€ , bqqu;^.,-^^? hiiBself ^ w&jqned .a ; part. ;iUo l4^/AppJflrB4fr"4 1 ^il^|Vim,en|^e^, .-,11 hus ROMEO AND JULIET. 69 far every otic will be glad to side with so distinguished a critic as Dyce; but when directly afterwards he- ridicules Ritson for having inserted in the catalogue of Kemp's 'Works'^ the 'Applauded Merrimentes ', nobody, it is true, T\>ill bei rea4y to raise that fragment nf hufFooner}'v*-'— ^^ifeveil supposing it to have been amphfied by improvisatiotlj-'-^' ^ •&(!)!' the dignity of a 'Work', but nobody, on the other hand, I think, will be justified' in denying, with Dyce, that Kemp was its author. On the cbntrar}', this fact is suj)ported by a testimony quoted by' Dyce "himself (XXV) , irlij.^^ii passage in; Nash's 'Strange New^s, Of' the intercepting' certaifle'^liettears'i^^ 592)1- where Nash ' advises' ' Gabrifel Harvey > ttiJ ' 'be oit his -guard ' J^st * Will Kemp shoulti' ' choose Mtu ion e: of 'thdse'j days' foritihe subject of one of his ^MerrimenteS'*.**^ toVl o] nobxroJ Beside ^"ftie- '-^Applauded Merrijtieiites'' -JSHjee- jigsiijare yfitered 'iri-'ttie' Stationers'' Rcgiisters' (1^59-^ anid 1595) -as 'Kteip's Jf^' o^' 'Kemp's N^w Jigt-'r< "According '/to .Eh'ee these jigs wefe ""ascribed 'to Kemp on. ho other;ground'than be- cause, 'by his consummate skit), ■ he had succeeded in rendering thehl populate -Wis reasons -for M 'this asserti'oni- arc /twofold. Firfit,"h6 aMeges' that Kemp hiffik'lf speaks' of his Nivie-Daies' Wond^ (r60o) a>5' th(!' first jjam^jhlet "pubHshedliy him, wiiieh, aCto'rding- to Dyce, wouM' be- aiv untruthiiifube had published nbl-'bniy 'tne^'A'pjfrlaud^d Merrimorvtesi' but also ;;three' jigs bfd^e ' that ' tim^j'-forift'^vl-oliW ' bet a"^pdidri' argument, '^Dyep adds'; ' t()^^Kdne "Daic/s' Wond^t'.'^tyrt i the? "g^otiWd tha!t thte^Jfermef^Avcpefitiidtojiamphldli^. I''do''ilHt"se<.V'W^(y>ltHis atgument is' tn"We ^c^jedtcdn'as^ a pocxr oliH'jiyFgs wet^d a^f^pecics Of playsy 'and v^Titteniinivan^o,' asiD)icD Mms'elf" "admitii, '\^^ a larger measure of the 'faculty diviiie^,. thaji his namesake the actor? And living at Plymouth, as he did, what reason had he to inscribe his trptise to the Lord, Mayor of London? A London actor ^i?^,t;,^V|9!l,t{€;,., induced to Hatter His, , Lordship by the de- dicatioA of so;pje. document of dutiful loyalty and well -spent literary latiour,, a^. jthe grim City -potentate did not usually look ;A'ith a benign eye. on theatres and theatrical amusements, ^?nPi\ Sff^)^^: fJ^o^ ^^^ clowns., Besides it sliould be remembered %^fil'^!^^!l^ir??i^^i^^^ .y^W^M^fte^^^ Kemp danced his morris to ^9f,^(^J!^ ' 1^^ , y^S^}^ i<:\^t)esfore the Lord ^layor's . house. And ^r,J^^,.'^f^W^ :v?M^^^ ,%^n^^afti',o^t,^^,fPlymouth .school- ^^^Wf^^Wj ^ilf t^4' > '•'^Mn *^q I'^^We , 1 enthusiastic loyalty . : for the Quee^i, as'^id that qf , thp London, acjpr? That William Kemp, the a,ct^Qr,;;ca^e.,be£oie, the public more than once i -in t*,^^ft^.lj^ M^ly^ %, bf,i Wferred from, the wellkn,<3wn .words which, tht^ student Philomusus, addresses tOr ijim. ,in. The Return fropV.l'^F^^ssus ,(ipp6): 'Iijidee^.M-, Kqmpe', he says, 'you, are very^,famo,u^^,,^bi^tj|;jhat,is,^,s,j^v4^^ foif,.workes :in .prjnj^,;as your P^ff/;riR -M"^.'' •T,M|f>Y^ k%ve,f?e^em«)l?y^^e not. only ridicules ^?, r^m-'^^^^}} !'i^^or/K98^j}v|iic]a-,iW}^^: indeed be ,. comically e.^^ao-gerate^ , :l?^fj£|ie,,i«5i^l^]:gf^,j%e ,>\[hql^ s^^nient Ho ,b,e> in- cc^rr^ct anc|j|ip.t,^es,ei|ying,o|-;h^ nnders^fUid^, ,hp,says,.,nhe ^''^,'}!pV.i9,'^"^BW^|?lr^§ij9" al|l^3ipf;^.,j;p }hs -,(yi^. „Kemp's) Nine ^m ^M^fin4?^y|-il% ili.^?4i.assure4.,that all the, other Pie,(?ef, ^y^^,,b,^^n,,,,9rro}ieoj^Ly. attri^^(,€;d,tto ,lais i i)gBi^jn;This assf;r/vi,m,, .ifl my, opiniQn,„ji§,.fe;>n^ jja^ans^.fj^osijie; )o«t .foy. ;the fac|s,aji^d.^i^. VYii9llyi3gr,^^iitp^,,., ^ ^,, ^^jiogqH-, ^hi in ob bu -■MiM rtBi5^*r:f P?"*- , '9^ . oyerstrained c?:itici.sm. Pyee discusses '\9viH"5Bfiy%ri'^-^^fii^?!Si#i^hould have done so before his eoruntryman.'jfi h@i mayirveyj') likely i on' hi-. exaggerationso and , railleries with which his friends and contemporaries, bantered him, — a supposition which mutatis vnttandis may likewise- hold in regard to Kemp's so- calkd .0* '(Dbrf^feM¥f^ft-i Kemp's journey to Italy is greatly streng- thened by two additional testimonies. In the above-mentioned dedication 'Of- the pamphlet 'An Almond for a Parrot' Nash tells us that a:bout the year 1588 he was in Italy and that at Bergamo' fthe Italian ^arlechini' inquired about' the i celebrated Ml Kethp of wycf' himsdf , viz. a' passagfi iai John Day'rf ' Travaites of' the thfiee Kng^iish Brother '^ i&ea,ok«- A/'s/ortca/ (l) play which was published in 1607, but, according to Dyce, written before' that tijiafe', as it Hs Hot yet divided into acts and scenes. H6re Will fKcirip is introduced, iu propria persona, \\\ a sct-ne laid at Venice.' In this scone an Englishman desires to be presented 'to Sir- Anthony ShirU-y who is staying at Venice as' amibassador; from the .Sophy. *An Englishman?' Sir Anthony ateks "his servant, 'what's his name? '5i?/^i*." 'He' calls himselfe Kempe. Sir Mth. Kemp! bid him comr^ in. [Exit Serraiit. Enta- Ke?npe.'\ Welcome, honest Will; and how dotli all th} fellow^is in England?' &c. Then an Italian clown and his. wife . jiiakiS : their appearance and ask })enmssioii , to perform before, Sir Anthony , whc) prevails upon Kemp to join in this performance of the two Italians. Kemp, however, takes great oflfeiice at a woman exhibiting before sjiectators, and therefore makes her and her husband the butt of his jokes and satirical remarks. Now this scene in my opinion would have been ;meaningless, and insipid, and hardly tolerable on a London stage, if Kemp bad not been really at Venice and had notibeen a partaker there in some siich^exliibition- For this same reasonUve!iJigili$t conclude that 'ThelTTavailcs of the three - English Brothers/lrpas acted during Kemp's lifetime. ' rnoJ^rr 7VJ/ (The date of Kemp's death is quite ;uncej:taih>.i the' fespeotive coDJtJctures of JMalone and Chalmi:rs not being supported by po*.itivo twidencf;; according to .Malone he died before 1609, according to Chalnoers as early as 16031 That fee. was dead in i6ii2, liH'gcnerally inferrtxl from tliepassargo- in Hey wood's Apologie quoted above, although Hey wood's words are by no means explicit itfiiough to remove all doubts. If we follow 76 TTMON OF ATHENS. Miilone, who is generally a safe guide, Kemp may very well have witnestied. the. performance of the 'Travailes' and it is evident, /provided he did not perform the part himself, that ^^^q(5'rfS:j9fiiA9:/JQ^*^ Xof the audience must have been in !^^,9f^S,- Ae rec^^ ..I^eiup sitting- amongst them opposite his G^unttp-(eit Qfti/th^ .^boards. viinabiva gi ^-^vw^ bi boniiifqfno'i tpr.r? •o.ntv.rirf ittf •.$« > f LXXXIV. ^ Jtm. rhy bacKC, I prythee. Ape. Liue, and loue thy misery. , Tm. Long liue so, and so dye. ,'1 am quit. , Ape. Mo things like men, Jbate Timon, and abhorre then. \Exii Apemanlus. riMON OF Athens, IV, 3, 396 seqq. This is the arrangement of 'the folio. The, last two, lines have rightly been given to fimon by the editors and in order to complete the metre Hanmer and Capell have added, so before the words / cwi quit. In my opinion, however, this is. not sufficient to restore the passage; the woirds Lotig I'/ve^\^o'!^]md so die do not belong to Timon, but to Apemantus and the true arrangement, therefore, seems to be the following: — Tim. Thy back, I prythee. ' .- -ul i ,/l)odj(i Ap&rA iJO'{ , Off! Ion v/oiiEiivie' and love thy i misery -y II ,nj<'i Longiliy^'iSG)Li.^H-tiung:von Schlegel undjTieckyiherausgegejbeni durch die Deutsche: 'Sha;ke- sp^areAGese&chaftir.iX,'-i439i .tfftij^otes andi Queries, Juwei 25^ TJMON OF ATHE^Na 7-7 LXXX\. /iJKi')ny>> ^r ndv/ ,'»itoliilA Vour greatest want is, you want much of meatli " ^"vud TiNfON OM AxHESSjiitV, 3, i^iiq. Various conjectures have been proposed to'fcure thiS''c6'rrupt^d verse,' ' none of which, however, proves satisfactbi^. Dyce, and the Cambridge Editors, therefore, Mi^fe-'left^^hfe ri^atJitig 6f the folio untouched as above. The word ?nj(rh is evidently owing to a diplograj)hy: the Banditti having just complained that they ?mic/i do xvanf. Steevens conjectures much of in,-, which would be most bald and trivial prose; he should have altered one more letter, for there seems to be little doubt that Shakespeare wrote vou want much of me, viz. gold, in which seii.se this' word is frequently used. Compaii- tlie Ballad of Cieniutus, the Jew of Venice, -St. 6 (Percy's Re- liques): "— - His heart doth thinke on man}' a wile, I low to deceive the poore ; Ilis mouth is almost ful of mucke, Yet still \\v. gapes fur more. Coriolanus II, 2, 128 seqq. : — Our spoils he kick,',d; at, AiuJ lopk'd upon things precious a,"? t thoy, .were Tlie common muck of tl^e world. Thomas Ileywood, If you know not me, you know nobody, Pt. II (ed. CoUitpr for the Shakespeare -Socit;ty, 149): ' Hul, madam, you are rich, and by my troth, I am very poor, and I have been, as a man should say, stark naught; — -^ and, though 1 have nbl the muck of the world, I have la great deai i of good ' love , and L pTitliee!jacoef)ti of it' — Nash, Summer's Last Will and Testament (Dodslev,, 1825, IX, 23): 'If then the best husband has been so liberal of hi.-, b»f6t W TIMON OF ATHENS. handy -work, to what end slioiild we make much of a glittering excrement, or doubt to spend at a banquet as many pounds, asiji^,,spends iiii,en, at, a battle?' — Ibid. IX, 25: ^Onmia mca 7neciwL,poriQ^, q^ioth Bias, ..when he had nothing but bread aiwli cheese in .a leathern 'bag, and two or three books in his bosoru. Saint Frajicis, a holy saint, and never had any monjey. , It is, madness, to doat upon mucke.' , — Tell-Trothesi New-yeares Gift (ed. Furnivall for the New Shakspere Society, 6q\: *.<^any look^ sQ^.Jong ^c>r aboundance of mucke, as J;hey ^all^ into, a quagmire of miseries, hauing .siluer , to^ looke pn^ though _ wanting. ipony^,^^^^ppl)|,m^iiy^,,^^ T^i^,?^^^' 75 1 'Indeede, what cannot money doo, that wUl ;buye any thing? and yet honestie will pur;9has;e that which all the muck in the -world cannot compasse, namely, a good report for euer.' — Forby, Vocabulary , of East-Anglia s. v. Muckgrubber, *a hunks; a sordid saver of money, who delves for it,., as ..it were, in the mine.', 'Muckgrubbing, adj. sordidly avaricipus.' , . To reyeri, to the passage in Timoji. To the pretence of the bandits that they are no thieves, 'hut men that mucji do want',,, T]iiapn,.rejp\ie8. they could not, possibly., be in want, sinp^e nature , the bounteous housewife, on each bush laid her fuir mess ibef pre thein; . tjfieir-. pply wa^^t was for muck, i. e. gold , : and tliat was no real want. The same re- ■tfir-;j, " "i-'.l! /. ,:,■■!-.'- ■,' ■.' ';'_ -' ■ .!U Ji. ,:.,, ,,;7/ JITLRTS (:MS,AK. 79 LXXXVIi bno iB&f/ oJ ,>ho7/ - vbrr fir i Cces. Ha! who calls? J-^-'^'-'^l^ ^^^ ^^"^'^ ^<^ .^w'^i^-^ATi -^ C'/i-ra. Bid every noise' '-T'>ip''' still ':•■ liea'fefe ^j^r-''i^a{h! ' Ca's. Who is it in the press that calls on^'^i^e^?""^"*^^^ ' ijULreitiJ€/EsAR, 'I, ■^»'->¥^' s^t^'/ According to the Cambridge Edition aa ' ^oc. Stauntoii sieems to "have been the only editor who takes exception to these lines as transmitted by the folio, 'iii his bpihion eitHer tlie whole of the second line o'ugtit fo be added to Caesar^ previous question Who ca//s? or the last ' wofci '6f 'it shoulcl be connected with the following speech of ' Ca?sar/ thus r — Cas. Ha! who calls.-' Casca. Bid every noise be still: — peace yetl Cces. ' Again ! '' ■"wiio is 'it ill the pfess'thaf calls iiii^'^iife^^' This IS evien "^wbrse than the arrangement' of* tV^' folio, "ancl yet the true reading lies so near^^t hand^ that it will seem aimosfAniracuious if 1 have nof ' liefen lorestaHeci In finding li'W*S^.^^^^ead;- of course: ^^ '^''^ ^"'^ '^'^'^''^'^ ^'^' ''' *"^^ '^''"'^CM: 'l>cace"yet-^agaiivr"'- ''^' " '^"^'fBe still! Jhuu io|^.^ ^,j^^ -i,.^ j,^.^|^^ j^^^i. tH^t'-cAll^'-M rtiliV "^' Once 't'6foro'; at th'i^' beginiiing*"or'tl'ie 'f<^kJ.i\'ivheti''\AJbkar: addresfies 'Csipurhi^;' lc:ai^(ia' xi'itfi '^Mk(^i ()ffi^iaT'iiii^^s!^ ' <^i\W8^'d the crowd : — ' ^ 'C^:'-Ca^piii-^i&f'^^ ''-'' ^^;^ ' 'tecc5^'i%t' ote^r^p^^s. ■"^■'^'■•'^^ Notliing, 'tkoMi^c; (iail''bfe'iri(ire siliVi:,fe''kir(^'naturi^^^^ ^x^sar'"(l»n^;(i" hiHre •siWlmoli/-tiro ' as^sistaft^e'A'f'cfe "ana" that ^aktU 4aln p.'oclaiiiik''^{li;l\ye.' ''(Aii^lia,''^ti^l^ausge^.^n von Wulcker UMd Trautmailh,' I,"34l-V"' ''"' ' " "" '""■ '"' 80 JULIUS C.^SAR. LXXXVII. Casst. Am I not stay'd for? tell me: Cinna. Yes, }'()U are. O Cassius, If you could but winne the Noble Brutus To our party — Julius C.ksar, I, 3, 139 seqq. The arrangement of these lines as given in the folio cannot possibly have proceeded from the poet's pen, and thi- editors, tlierefouevi bate taade A'arious attempts to heal the evident corruption. Capell, 'ecg-jyiTfeadsi: — Yes, You are. O Cassius, if you could but wii\ The noble Brutus to our party. The words Yes, you are, however, should not he severed, and must no doubt be connected with the preceding speech of Cassius in a line of verse. S.Walker (Versificationj 2qo). Craik (The English' of Stialce'spearet'''' 5*^*^ 'KaT, iVo)',' and "Staunton arrange 'as fSlIows : — Cassi. Am I liot staid for? Tell me! ,, Cinng.* Yes, you are. O Cassius, if you could But wifi'^e 'iiofele Brii^ put'p^yr'' -•'^': ^ ^^ But the mcomplete line ,,0, Cassms ,,1'/'.. you could, does not harmonize with, the ntetrical character of this play, whi^fe, it is well known, is of great regularity. Knight, ^afld Collier introduce an alexandrite:,-— ,, .. .. ,.;/ ; 1^, . . Yes, you are. .. ,„ O Cassms, if you eould bul^wii^t^ .i^.|r^|^ ,^^^ To our party. „„ , ' ,, ' ., * Instead of Cinna Walker bj''ktf '^^S^iif' ^is'f'kke M's^'&a. HAMLET. 81 In my opinion the difficulty might easily be removed, if we were to add Cuius before Cassius, — he is elsewhere addressed by both his names, just as we find Caius Ligarius (in Julius Caisar), Caius Marcius (in Coriolanus) and Caius Lucius (in Cymbeline). The lines then might be regulated thus : — Cas. Am 1 not staid for? Tell me! Citi. Yes, you are. O Caius Cassius, if you could but win The noble Brutus to our part}'. Whether or not, we suppose the sentence to be broken oft' here, does not matter, at least it does not afl'ect the alteration proposed. (Anglia , hcrausgegeben von Wiilcker unci Traut- mann, I, 341 folg.) LXXXVIII. And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad; Tlie nights are wliolesomo; then no planets strike. No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm. So hallow d and so gracious is the tune. Hamlet, 1, i, 161 seqq. I hope I ma}' be allowed to rtipe^t,i a ,cpi;jectural (?mendation which, allljough inserted in the text of my edition of Hamlet, has been left unnoticed by all subsequent editors — even ", • ,.J- •• ,■ - T;' I,"' : "•• ■ •;.':'. .II'-:'. by Dr Furness. Tlie plural 'planets', which is the uniform reading of (^B scqcj. and all the Folios, docs not harmonize well with the singulars 'fairy' and 'witch. Moreover, in all parallel j)assages we meet with thf singular, thus, The Winter's 't'a'le, I,' 2,' 201 : It is a bawdy jjlanet, that will strike Wheri^, 't^ is,jj|jredyjmin^nt. o-» 82 HAMLET. Ibid, n, I, 105: — .'jv!')?/} V x^bcf ' There's some ill planet reigns. Titus Andronicus, II, 4, 14: — If I do wake, some planet strike me down; Ben Jonsoni^ EveryrMan in his Humour, IV, 5: Sure I was struck with a ; planet thencei,; for I had no power to touch W,>^' 'x( fe.um Ir-Auli" irR-rjRoaaE ariJ tfjvsn lo , Hor. Lideed? 1 heard it not; it then draws near .■,oJib:^r .>.{j )u\^ J "^^^m^ Wherein the spirit held his ,wont to walk. . a^ \ Seymour (apud Furness) remarks. Qji this yerse-i ^J'h^,,||;^ip ^ oyqvloaded.,, "I li^^fd i% p,0|t",k implied '^ '*,ijideg^",.. , Kea<^ Indeed? wb|y then it doeis dra>y ntjar, , the . hour !.' ,.-7-^, ^t need- hardly be ^d^ed,, that a., conjecture, (;i.f,i>uch;,4iii,warfjajited-.,y^c^T lenc^ is^not.iix'; aqcprjCiajaiCf; with the, mles,,9^ipip^em crit^p^io and cannot but be rejected. Nevertheless Seymour sc^gn^^^t^ havj been on the right scent, for a verse of six feet looks suspicious and out of place here. This was evidently felt also by Rowe, who (according to the Cambridge Edition) expunged Indeed. In my opiiiit»n, the word Lideed does not belong to Horatio,; but.. ^oul^j be given to Hamlet, so that the passage wpul^.xiui^fhus; ^j:^^.^, ,...^.0.1 on; ii^ iiioa Ha?}i. The air bites shre\ytil3:f^it'::J^v'.i¥erjhP•'• i'M\\\V\ 'irrion /rXn-a ob 1 8£w : Hor. I heard it not; it then draws' iibarliie'sfcasiaiili dnr;r) I Wherein the spirit held lus wont towaflk^s i!ti// A-Mnx?. Only on the stage the import of this an-angein^riti ' '&k\. 'lS(i fully ^hoSvn. Hamlet has evidently •fdIId\vM^"H6rc(tio' and Marcellii^'^^to<^the''' jil^tfdiln ^lii " d'^^stit^^'W ''idVednlities^;'- 'l^B question What hour noiv? is uttered rathei^'^listless'iy' dnk'Hti'tlh no deeper motive than to break the silence. On hearing, however, from Marcellus that it has just struck midnight, he is at once roused to the , most anxious expectation as now or never the appearance of the Ghost must be at hand. To this expectation he gives expression oy the exclamation Indeed? ''— By the way, it may be added that the Editors of the Globe" Edition, "anci 'Mr Kloberiy'ln^'meif'walce, give the words I\o, it is struck, in opposition to the Quartos as well fe Pdlidsi'to H^ml6tj='ti^ Si'h^'^ilhd§;''it'd5e^'Htit'aiiii'eki-'^ ^H^ eveht^'thby 6tightf'iky''ht\-e' 'befei^ ^riiof^ i:elatiW^:'"^W^t Hkeiy \i is only=^'ttiist^ke,'tH^Canittid^clEaitibiv^)din^ in'tietid^^ -danced' 4*itfi' th(^'bM"fcbpIbsV"'(Th^ Athen^ni', 'jkft. f '< , 'ifS^^i '4b' se^.' ^ 'R(ifein^oiT^^-T.p'rf(Mn4-^'j-'j'-'i.'''i '-''-' J'J'i Mii/d. \:'^. ^.AihA SrA /.iK \o :jjtiU\ Uj iuo h/ie ^i/obil /d oi^li; 3on K3ob \i'»M>K\ bio// 'ifiJ ,/rX«i«|u vni r;: iBiii o2 ,)-jlin£H oj «3/i^ '^'J'rti^ *^r^''bf eite"^^* ^" jjiiujjti Doth all the noble substanC^^'Bf 'ttJ"kicrtflbt'^ y-^P-^ifiq ^iiU •liii i:*^j iit- bii£ goiqqhr «'.ibyeyer , , so remote from the reading of the old editions that, if it was what Shakespeare wrote, we can hardlji ; >coiiqeixj3, hp>y §uch a corruption could have crept into the text. I think we might obtain a very near approach to the text, together with ,a.Ji,, jLuiexceptionable sense, by reading: — ,- , , The dram of evil. ,- Doth all the noble subs{;anqc, ^^;? rt'affiJf ,., . t -To J ihis ; 9 wn . scandal,.j ■ ,^^ ■ , ; Compare Rompo and Juliet, 111, 2,^55 ^ec^.,;^^ — Pale, pale as ashes, all bedaub' d in , blood. All in gore -blood; I swounded at the sight. icneH B. Jonson, E}k{e,ry:Man out of his Humour (Induction),;;;!— 5^^,^ . .niglit„of the Burning Pestle, Y<; 3'' i"~^M7/ob bBsI 3jiir ')>IfTi« 5":ijiijj3ii: ^ jib Hold open, whilst au,otl:j[,er,-,p«mp^„both leg^^,.o^,5 ^^ Nor daub a sattin gown >vith rotten, tegg^., rrn?)^ A,,i^^ning;for,, Fair. Women, A. II, ^11., 1^448, seqq. (Simpson, ';rihie.S,ch9o^,0f,5halv l^avq.T \vallQ>yed iif. thy loath^9m^,-fjl;;hp|,,,^,^, j i,,(j,rtKE)r|i}jak,,a©d |3esmear'd, with ,a|l ,thjfi ;bestial['|Six^,f-,j^j ., ,-. S^tims.,.;,3eytjj5?Sf5ph Iiaj),,,,,ai"^er^^as^tei%hffg,,j9£, g^tgj: j^^ Norwich .&c. (C^iswick, ,,ii$24),_,J^i^. I>f©i§a,t,;:t?P,.78i;, --7,r-,.v HAMLET. 85 The dose adultress, where her name is red, Comes crawling from her husband's lulceAvartii bed, Her carrion skin bcdanb'd with odours sweet Groping the postern with her bared feet; — — She ■ seeks her third roost on her silent toes. Besmeared all with loathsome smoke of fost, ■ Like Acheron's steams, or smouldering sulphur dust.' Milton^ Coraus, 916 seqq. : — Next this marble venomed seat. Smeared with gums of glutinous heat, I touch with chaste palms moist and cold. In regard to the sentiment expressed in Hamlet'.'!^ 'words compare Nash, Pierce Pennilesse (ed. Coilier for the Shake- speare Society, 53), a passage,' ' which, as far as IlmoW, has never yet been brought into comparison with the' lihes in Hamlet : ' Lr't him b6e iridutid with helieh^ sO' feaMe Vertues, and haiilj' as"^tich ' goodly pfopbrtion and' faVdur', a^ Nature can bestow vpon a man, 'yet if hee be thirstie after his owne destruction, and hath no ioy nor comfort, but when he is drowning his soule in a gallon pot, that one beastly ' imper- fecfiOh ^Vir vtterly ' obscute' all that is commendable in him', and all his goode qualities sinke like lead downe to the bottorae of his Ci'rrowsiiig fe'iips', where they will lye, like lees and dreggesv" dea'd aftd'H'TiTe^air'dfed bf"khyni'aii."'-L^ 'Pierce Pennilesse, to add' this as a matter worthy of further con- sideration, ^va^ published M ^59^ ,"H\'K{lst"t1ie aboMfe'Shzikd- spearean passage does not appea'i' ifTi't\ie/^t\iiart6'df"i6o% bWt i^'dViiy"fWuti(^"ih'' tWat'Of i6b4:' ^ Eleven' ' ybar^"^t(^t'''tiie' 'fest ' publication of ' this (Conjectural cmendatiori (TI16 Athenxum,''Mgl'i't,"l866, 'tm) Mt Samuel Neil, in Yiii e'ditiott' 'tjf H'cirnlet,' a^i^paT-'enyy Avithmit'iny ktldxV- ledge of my siiggfegtiort,' pMpised the fdll6^i%^ : ^ "-" " ""^' 86^ HA]\iLET. fu-. n-jfTor^.RT R. This dram of laic Bil'jflqyQ^l^ij^ll ^j^g ^Q^jjg substance overdauie, f??/fl 'iiv^HiclH,' Mr Neil say's, '\vas d wonderful cosmetic and pre'servatiVe" 'of 'the complexion, much 'iil lise'in Shakespeare's fii&!ife^?''^\i^oUltf^1J^''5tfst'*thfe'lfever^ bF'whkt Is required by the^ co-HMV; ^'fe6inB' Elizabethan authority for-the verb overdmib wbuld havebe^'ri welcottie. Youi/'kiiow, (Sometimes- he walks four hours together, i.oloisOHffliieain itiie lobby. rjfig Hamlet, II, 2, 160 seq. Dr Jacob Heussi iu'^his edition of this tragedy (Parchira, 1868) has iiiieifed''jManmer's conjecture 'for' into the text and justifies 'tl4is-'^rt?adinig' by the following note: 'AUe alten Drueke lesen freilich four statt for, und die Erkliirer behaupten, four w6rde haufig als unbestimmte Zeit gebraucht, wieyr^MS nir- g^eiidis Mdet' sich aber diese Behauptung durch ein wirkliches Beispiel constatirt; dass _/(?«;- heut zu Tage nicht in dieseit Wi^scr I gebi'aucht wirdj ist bekannt, ob es fyiihcT der Fall war^ iSt'noch abztiwarten. Ich setz© hiesr die ilPrapositonybr Statt de^'yCT^'dey-'Ausgaben, da diese Praposition idie^ Zeitdauer beiiieichneti' *-^fiBe6toio^''j'Tschischwitz (Shakspere'S' Hamtet T(§aci IfAn'e,-*'i8'6i9) 'reads-/j 'irMlt -luoV i'j(Janj/[ od; i\o i.op-jf-, iis .T=;mijrijT-^jj[K the Rev. Henry N.Hudson, also reads 'for , and does not even fninfe HAMLET. 87 Prinz, der ganzlich ohne die noblen Passioncn eines Laertes ist, mil Lcctiiri' uud Mt'dit3.tiouen ausfullte. Auch Ophelia wird spater aufgefordert 'to walk' und dabei iu eiiiem Buche zu lescn, es .nvig die9 also ^vohl eii:^er iZeitsitte entsprechen.' Ml; Collier's; ^correctpd, FQlia,,cxljibit^,j,f|ie cqrrection,^^??; ,^i;id even MaI,oiie pj;efQrr|e4 ,this qft-r^peaj^d conjectural epienda- tion. tQ th^ readiBg of the qld , editi^ppsj although he adduces the following passage from Web(s,t^r'^ , .Di^^hess, .jO|" j I\^a|ii (IV, I, lo seq.), which is so much to the point that it ought to have removed every doubt: — She will muse four hours together; and her silence, iNIethinks, expresseth more than if she spake. Mal<5n(i' (Supplement I, 352) goes sO' far as to suppose the same mistake to have taken place here ias well as in Hamlet and Mr Collier iri hi^ Supplemental Notes I, 276 expresses the same conviction; 'the same probable misprint', he says, 'ofybwr far I yb>: is contained in Webster's Duchess of ]Malfi A. IV (ed. DVce T^ 260), where Bosola as giving to Ferdinand a description of the demcan<)ur of the heroine' &c. "II The fact ' is i that yew;-, aJs well ,, las- /bri^' . ftud /orly ihou- saiid'k' 'is most frequently used to denote an ; indefinite num- ber and this use,, dating from a very, romott? period, ip by no ihcdns confmed to the English language,; but is also to be found in other laiiguagos. Ais aft indehnite number g«5TiCTally supposes la large quantity it will not appear strange that i_/bKr( ioccurs, much less frequi?iatly, in : this sense than forty \ the instances', however, are numerous enough to con- vii\ce I ci/en.1 rDr Heussi . T ifj 'After the remarks made by J. Grimm (Deutsche Rechts- alterthiimer, 211 seqq.) on the number 'four' there can be little doutrt 'ik io jfts early' connection with' the four Cardinal points and their influence on the construcUo^j^^cfj r^o^ds^,^thg BS HAMIvEm distribution of ly^cl a^d other matters of eu«tom.* But in Germpt^^iap vfeW-^rm i^nglish^ t all, local .anid legal -as^cxdations coIUlected^^:ithf,;t^is;l7u^^(be^ havta Jong ago vanSshed, ^ihd when in the f:^ayr,y3f^,^^evNibelungen .(Lachmann^ 2014; Zarncke, !jf\ '^tinsenti 'imdd ii\fiet-«y ildieJ !k6nieri i idar'^n,' ' tCmixt' 'itl^Wfy ifat^lis- 'iih'1Wdef!n5te 'quantity Uhd ^VMe^^^i'^Mr^ pltt'^f;iike^is^' ki^mnVteJ -'W^KyiW^ dramas '(ed. itellcr, IV, • ''^•''EfiwtfM^^l viei-'itli(hl vmb-^ebratht, ' ' ' ' '"^^' fer-6Tli'' Jii^I' ■ drotl'^thef^e/waclien, ' ' and: — Ach Ancilla, ich"f't)itl'''dftWh' Gyft " Verlass miiiH ilicHt'in liieser Noth! Vier Cronen geb' ich yTt"zu'"Loliii/-" The earliest instance in English 1 have met with ' fs iri 'Kbbert ' INIannyng's translati^dil' fef ^^ MW'tangtoft's Chronicle 7apud V\ ulcker, Altenglisches Ldsebuch I, 04 and 153): — . - . ~y .-nil n l-"-^) m3 iiB'l Sone in for vers perchance a werre shall rise. , , .t^Ko! ncU rr> ?./r:\: Tfjo! /.t.':: rrr.'ii wyy 'f -i 'I'/nfl 1 ''^.y4"W ,f\^/&¥j]?„>yffh>fheir faq:|j^^rs,,fftpr.9^.l^ur,?^Hb3f,*Q., the Elizabethan dramatists, Shakespeare^ amongst the nvix^he^.,,, ot 7ff;if'9?P>--!f^4^.(^ ^ittJ^>gPFl^er^,i#5t, yrfi lo noiJiJDibni/ blO 9flT m°®2B^*'vhE0 hA .noiiBiabianoD oJni na^lBJ sd oels simaldIZahloi!ethxDfcle,'tolle, f«4l7^ S.-7*4'-^6q.) fo'iit-' i^ flie fSfJr^ary'iianil^'f '' ^"^ti&'tPe^^Jyliafeei^c^Komiilli^ fpiir/extreOTjitieS of the human body. HAytE'T*; 89 S. Ro\vl(>yr When ybU'-Bee' 'Mej-yc^u ktt'owJ'rtite (^d. Elz^, ^2)t 'The lords has attended h\»nv:th1Si!fciti^ d'aV*.''^' EilV5''i?''Eil-' diminn, IV, la ^((Dramatic Wotks; ''fed."tF.'i'W/^F4iA'6lt, 'I; '^3)': 'Snm. But how wilt thou live?' J^/V"6y 'toglfegj'-O 'tis a stately occupation to stand foure houreii' iit"a ■-(:61'de''mdriling, and to have his nosei.i bitten! i>vStbH frost 'ibefckTei his' baite be raumbletl with a, fish.|',r7^|,Lord,,(4lj;p;f>T|w;f;l;l,^,|J,,;?< (Mal/)'^/lj. "1 kfnow you ar6 nt!Vw,-^i5H^ g<^ntlemart bOfrr; C/ottm. Ay, and nave been so"kny''tim^"thes6''feuf hotift.' 2i-'fcfefy'#^H"i; P's^c^'^' Tsav,' I \vill ma"ke Wm ^a't so^e^'j^att 'df •'iiiy'leekj' or I wiU peat his pate fonf daj's. 1 ' ^ These- pdss^^es,'^IIthinl<, ai^e 'Mj^\^ 'siifl^&/''"for "llie" vindication of the rciding'^dJii/^ /w/i>''>, ' bVr¥' iii' ordfer^ to illustrate' tB6' ^Stibjfeift "the' 'liifrati^f^' J'o/W and '/or/v thousand must also be taken into consideration. As early as^m tne Old Testament ^ forty ' j^ , usqdi in 3);\| wd,efini;;(^.,,Si^tt^e;,,the;, J)eluge las^t^ijjfppty.fC^y^ ^^d; fofty nights y- Moses vvith the Jews -lives forty yearsiiin the wilderness' (Acts, XIII, 18) and stiiys fotty" 90; HAMLET.f days and forty nights on Mcmnt Sinai (Exodus, XXIV, 1 8), Accordj»gf; to (the Book:of Judges (III, ri'; , V, 31 yWlU, 28) the land had repeatedly !resti for i forty - years and the children of Israel were delivered irvto ^Ijhe, han|d5 of the (Philistines, for forty years (Judge?,, XJJI, ,l\T .,aTief^ip^,(^te4^,foflty i4&y&,,and forty nights in t)ier wilderness (Mattl?^IV,,.-^),;-; The same r use pre- vails, in the. popular: poetry both of Germany and England. Thus in tiie, ballad^ Das Sehloss in Oesterreic^. (apud; Scherer, Tungbirunnen, 3d Ed., ,67) we read: — , riou8 '(iiol B^"P^^^ ^^^^^ P^^ junger Knab r Wo\ vierzig Klafter tief unter der Erd' „,, r- rr ,81 OOSKJ 8tn f-rjnnJ- P"^ '^ Ti. : <; .- I. ,Jil .bidl J?F/o!]r.fW hC%'^^T*?i|?.r'^Xpf?f^/ ^^'i J^eJler, y, ^213) s^ys:.-^ Moin>f ■..{TS^.tW^^^l.Sf^^^ ^iess Goliat,^ _ _^ Der deiner sterckh wol firtzigk ha.t.. tjt ., j, -. In the English romance of Richard Coeur -de -Lion Richard winds forty Jf'^t'jd^s of silk clqth .round his arm befpre putting it into the lion's mouth and tearing out his heartj compare Percy's Reliques, Essay oji the Ancient Metrical Romances. ,. Instances of the^use of 'fprtt' in Elizabethan dramatists are' exceedingly frequent. "Webster, The White Devil, or Vittoria Corombona (Works, ed. Dyce 26b): — •-f - ^\ „ :!: ./ .^it ; '.>;:: './v-, M,; /- ,; juq \l'[ Wilt sell me forty ounces of her blood — ^ , 1 -, .aciJoniin viioi ■ 10 water a mandrake r fif^vi^a,^ If 4^011 ^kndw' not nie, m'4now"n6b6c(j^ (ed. (Collier, 71 •■ W."'ib{(J'''f'i'^V^'"^~^'?^"°^ ^^ >food im bad i ^sgruiiifla {j-ioi ■ p.S ,1 ,VI ,8ion3 }o vbomoO sfiT * Also tl^^. jj^mb©rs:/t7firin'^'^9^:i(*^^^^^fc^f f'^'^Jiini^'!^';^ ^'^<' thousand, forty tho^sa,vd,AXl^ lour ^ hunzted, thoy'San(i..s&^'^;^ have been used in an indefinite sense in the Old Testament as well as in thP''Eli2Jifcetfiah''tdi-^iftatiytsV'cf/JiiHfei/^Xivi4tt: SOXf 2;'iV',I^.^6CMF§ii XV, 20. XVI, 31. V, 8. "/XXji 2.- XX9ii7/6ib gTJiTOori^jninJ (nol HAMLET. 9^' ^ ,s»;l>ozvi) laiM^ .. Bid him by that token .>nE z\bL> Sort thee "Out 'forty |[i^unds' worth of isudiwauesbioDoA As thou shalt think most, benefldal. /lb le-^citJi hfiri bnci Ben Jonson, The Devil is an 'i«iss, 1fI,'^8V t-i'^'''^^b ^vyu 1^;^: T O, sir! and dresses himself the tet!^^l!^'o^^''l} Forty o' your ladies! Did yOu lid'er '^e'e' hitii?^' «Jrip,in B. Jonson, Epiccene, IV, i : I have no? kissed my Tury these forty weeks. — Ibid.: A most vile face! 'Aiid "yet she spehitis me forty pound a year m mercury alid hogsbones. — Bar- tholomew Fair, II, i: Like enough, sir; 'sfie^llao forty such things in an hour (an you listen to lier) for her' recreation. — Ibid. Ill, i: Put him a -top '6' 'the tabic, where kis place is, and he'll do you forty fine things. -^ Marlowe, The Jew of ]\Ialta, IV, 4 (ed. Dyce, i68bj: Within forty foot of ffie gailows, conning his neckverse. — Beaumont and Fletcner, The Knight ''■ '■ ■ -I r , ■ . : ii, I ,rri'.|-. V)! ! of Malta, III, 4: — , T ^-r . T Oh, 't was royal music" -' ^ , \)'\ rti-i! - ;;' 1 I'cr.;, i'-^ ^ -,'- ^r, .(vu;,'- vtiol ?.bniv/ And to procure a sound sleep lor a soldier, Worth forty of your fiddles. Twelfth Night,, V„ 1.1,80 seq.: I had rather than forty pound I were at home. —.-. A Midsummer -Nights Dream, 11, i, 175 seq.: — ,., j , ^ ; I'll put a girdle' round about the earth In forty minutes. Thp JNtcrry \y,iv,(??„,Qf„W^n4fiQr,,J,, ^, ,^q5^;, J,,^^d,fa|^9i;^;^af[^ forty shillings, I had ray book of songs and-5cpn|(^f^ hqre.-pr The Comedy of Errors, IV, 3, 84 : — A ring he hath of luine worth forty ducats — fd'i ' forty ducats is' t6o ' tnudh ' ' to ' \cii6. Hen?}'-/Vyi,/y,,4jrft5 sr,!spme forty truncheoners draw tocher sucDOurr .< 92B HAML.'ETt.^ (KimEven nG!\St-^i-yort]fj^„ f^ tjiicit.f^fe^l h?tep^o9l8t7^Qf ^these T^URib^nSjiiroia v/ilwjpii jiUp»5ard$v"'p69"seqYi^''#.(j)i^aud duic;ats,T nil' l^Q-bqdy aud Some -body 1. 127^ seqq-,(Simps:oi>v'irh©,Sjpho6;li of Shakspere I, 327): — .-grjni! ?,aiv/r)I[ol Two thousand Souldiers have 1 .brought frioix^ I .j^Y'f^lcs, To wait upon the princely Periclure. , yj-,^-,'^ Malg. As many of m}' bold confederates Have 1 drawn froju thg , South, to sweare allegiance To young Vigenius. The ^e of ^♦|tw^nty', as is ,to l^t^ expeqt^4,^ar, expt^^ds that of 'two' in frequency. The Merchant of Venice, 11, 6, ,66.; ^^ I have sent twenty out to seek for |ypu..,„,^,, ,,,, Ibid. Ill, 4, 74: , ^rr T.I ■ .1 And twenty oi lliese puny lies I'll fell. , ^, . , ,,, xr.bJo i)-vi:ii// Diuiiiijon) yItoI fiBd) - Ibid. Ill, 4, 84: — ^ ■^a\U\A, ol J.'/i'.J--. Yi !' ..iiJl ^ ■> ; L Jif.ii J,;-'-'! -'--ll ror we must measure twenty miles to-day, wh^rcV lidwfcV^fr ''tVeni?t^ 'iii^' p'osslblj^ 'ha'v'^' 'been ^us6cl ' ni' its literal "sdft^e;'"^e"iiij' 'Ab'hiWdluh^en' ziTSkake.sp^fe, '^04l — The'Temtit4f7lI,'T, 278 s^(^q:t '— -|. iiiii) ,i(.ii K io bhlli;«l -i^'i '' twenty c6nsciences 'I'"l^thaf^Mfj'--nbfrit(( Tv//ii...jt' •tivA ■.m c^c tO- ,nofxui5,r>T nl ■.;^',fb*8. WftiKci^^CWd E |']|jr,^^lli twenty admirable lies 9|" his , h^)Y;^, rj— , ^]Did. (Hawldps, JII, ^5^9) : — ■dn97/P!s, hfingry/sir^^^will, §cr^p^ lyou. ..l^w^nty l^_g^nimiiT sxlT From one good Christmias weajl.pn Christmas T-day^^jj^g^^j S.Rowley, WhmiyyeiJ ^§§-njQii,yiftUJjkn9;Wj ^e]i(^:ij:iz$, 36): King Harry loves a man and I , p|er(j:eive t^r^'-? sqni^ jm^Jtie in thee, there's^^jyei^^^j a^eI^^.^/^1^^* r-T-i^Jn/g^^^^^ Alphonsus (ed. Elze, 49)" a ppj^©^^^..,f5^1e4^,fy^9a}»^/*^ — it is twenty hours before it wqy}^ r m ,iji(il whilst is^,rM^Iifl'^Ke}fi(JJgW/JQf3vMaMi lHi,j(ed[r®jfi2e,rf-3i6-^ it is said of another poison that even forty^^Jioursjjpii^gl^i^^l^P^ before its^ffgq^^ b^.^pejrp.^ivedf.,^ j., .:o/o' onidJ rririJiV/ It is a precious powder that I bought . vr 1 I H Of an Italian, in.Aiipona, pnce, , ^ . ■ .a> Whose operation is to bind, infebt, iJiv/ teom -rti. .1 , /i .if-.tniai'iT uiij to aoilfiioJiB a^nobyiCl xil Ana poison deeply, yet not appear ^ T r _^ u . .^ . ^ , — ;'byibnml vJflav/J* In forty hours after it is taen. ^ ,118 jom iiuJ ioiuiBO liol * A iWmi PA''^^ ]^lfar^i^¥f'o'ri^W tffi''p«Pcf^r^ 'forty angels', to- ^'-dtita^-'lM' Itin^JHari-y's Wifl'ft';-'^ 'JTJ^i' i' 'f'^'^^^^ h iln HAMLET. 95 A Warning for Fair Women, A. II, 1. 820 seq. (Simpson, The School of Shakspere, II, 300): -^.1 > .,1,;^: j -jiuv/; j . Roger, canst thou get but twenty pound, yj ]t nni-nyi. Of all the plate that, thou hadst from usjj^pt^. i Ibid. A. II, 1. 1062 seqq. (Simpson, II, 310): — r^ tt I have heard it told, that digging up a grave -^ Wherein a m^n had twenty years been buried, &c. 'Twenty -thousand' occurs hardly les^ frequently than 'twenty'. The Two Gentleman of Verona, 11, 6, i6: — With twenty thousand soul -confirming oatI\s. The 'IVIeriy Wives' of'^Windsori'lX^ 4, 96:—" ' ' ' ' "■^ ^'Thbd^h' t*d-fkirs. -idiiiimbfi The Tamir.^^ th6' SW-eV.';'in"ff7^t2'i''4rid'V;^^i,"4'i j^{Hwcnty thoil^.rd^roxWr^'fe! >lRic^fefa 11[',''t'^^,"V,-5§'^ ^'' ^""'"'''^ '<^l ^Tid''larikfwer'Wv©Wtf 'tthusand' stich feis'ydUi^ '-^ cdlv/ojl .?. • ^'F^Ni'6uldr-^I>'''fe-'8l^afe'Wp4^fTi{)s^'^''^^^ .aorflm - MtH^'lS^4n^^'te'tfs;fAd"M^^8s.^ (Q^ '^^^3 .b9) gOgfioriqlA Ibid III 2 id©^'"— '^i*^'^^"' ^tuoil yJnov/J gi ii Tiic'iigh Sutfol-ll' dairy Mili'^lii^vdnty'tljousaiKti'tl&efiSJ i^'iiiv/ Coriolanti^,'lII,^:^,"VoV"'^ "®^^ ^^'^^ ""''^^''•l I'-'^^f^"' Within thine eyes sat twenty tHblisknd' dd^ifhfe.'^-^' ■''^'"' ., , ^ ITT- /I uiauod I iadi lybv/oq euoiojici £ ^i Jl Hamlet, IV, 4, 60:^— / . \ Ihe imminent death of twenty thousana men. .Jj'jiili .bnid •'! ^.i iIoijJjTHit^ ■ly.ndlJ In Dryden's alteration of the Tempesi. IV, i, sve meet with ■' JGOiji^j; Itm ):){^ ,T\K\'y.Ay iiOc;ioij 77;i7-. •twenty hundred': — .»..•«-» 4 ^ ♦ , t You cannot tell me, sir, (I mean if there so- wfti^j' ^Aiii^lt^ni)NPJ5l#in4i^CvJ .'ils^az 96 HAMLET. The very acme of indefinite numbers is reached, curiousl}- enough, by a rather sedate and cool-headed character, viz. Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, III, 3, 153: — and call thee back With twenty hundred thousand times more jc) Then thou went'st forth in lamentation. Also 'four and twenty' and 'two and twenty' may be mentioned as indefinite numl^ers; the former occurs in • The Winter's Tale, IV, 3,43: She hath made me four and twenty nosegays for the shearers; and in i K. Henry IV, III,- '3-, 85: and money lent you, four and twenty pouild/ 'Two and twenty' is found in i K. Henry IV, I, i, 58 scqq.: — Ten thousatid bold Scots, two and twenty knights, Balk'd in their own blood did Sir Walter see On Holmedon's plain. Iliid. II, 2, 16 seq. : I have forsworn his -oomijany hourly any time this two and twenty years, and yet 1 am bewitched with the rogue's company. — Ibid. Ill, 3, 211: O for a fine thief, of the age of two' and twenty or thereabouts: iv- Even 'eighty' (^i= twice forty) occurs in an indefinite sense; "See Hawkins, The Origin of the English Drama' (Ox- ford^ 1773) III, 2;^;^: Hark thou sir; you sHiill hftve-eighly thanks. I am^ofeouTsb far'froM 'assiartitig that iiVo 'dther numbers but those^'"h*i-e 'discussed dfe used tief'^^ndcnbte art' indefinite quantity; 'on .thfe contrary several others ■ such as 'three', 'sev-en', 'three and 'twen-ty^ (TroilufS andGressidaj I,- 12, 255), f.three rand twenty 'thousand^' (i K. Henry VIv ly-lr'i ^S')' 'five •a'^dftwenty^^ ■' five and twenty thowsawd ' < (3 K. 'Henry VI, II, 'i,'ii'8i)y'iare used more or < less frequently in the same manner. (Shakespeare -Jahrbuch XI- 288 folgg.) . '.oV~^^i HAMLET. 97 xcn. ^\^len we have shuffJed off this mortal coil. Hamlet, in, i, 67. A lion -English critic may well j^ause before questioning- an expression which for a couple of centuries has been, as it were, a household word with all English -spealdng people. 1 am, however, unable to silence the critical doubts to which the expression 'mortal coil' has given rise in me and which are greatl) increased b) the disagreement that prevails even among English editors about it. Warburton takes 'coil' in the sens«?.,of,i turmoil, bustle', and Al. Schmidt (Shakespeare- Lexicon^:. sy, v.) likewise deiines it by 'this turmoil of mortality, of life'; Heath thinks 'mortal coil' means the 'incumbrance of this mortal body'; and Caldecott does not ht'sitate to claim twp (orn three) iflaeanings at one and the same time for the word, viz. Uiat of 'turmoil' and that of 'ringlet' or 'slough'. fJti ia here usedj', hp safSj.Sin: each ©f, its, senses: turmoil, or bustle, ai^d that which (jntwuies, or wraps round. .Snakes gunemliy lift.likiQ the coils of. 1 ropes; and it is •conceived that an alluiiwii i« here: haid) to tjie, struggle wli^ch that animal is obliged, .to: make in » casting ihi$ slough.' — This explanation, tlunigh backed by no less an authority than Dr Furness,. in. my opiniiin cam hardly iJ^e mainlaiijcd, .^ince th©. meanioag" of the word , '(toil 1'; with) -lilizabethaw writers can be shown to have been) quite 1 definite,. lond .unequivocal- Other tcriticsi think 'coil' iui pur .passage). t(;XHi>ei; eqvHiValeut wto what Eletcher (Bonduc^i 1 IVf// 1 )i (fi^Us ^e 1 , f cabei , .of ..flesh ?«'. . 'rtlt whas been :(ionle4)xied,'i'isjiys iDr,.i«,giljeljiy,,(Shakjet)tpcare Hermevwutiq:s, SS) tiijat iiiiiUamletf,H i^pt-yjch, the "riKwrtal coiA'' i«i;lhdclrei*ti(W.finaan-s.JQOirJlal. state: ..but the analogies arc too stroiighi favour of l\u' "mortal coil" 7 98 HAMLET. being what Fletcher calls the, "case of flesh".' — It is greatly to be regretted that Dr Ingleby has not favoured his readers with some oiie or; other , of / these strong analogies. In the sarae, pr,at le^st, Jip ^similar, sense the wor4 seems to have beeiiv, taken b^ R^ , Chambers 4p .his Traditions of ]|idinburgh, 1,^8 J se^.: 'Or does, the "mortal coil" in which the light of mind is enveloped, become thinner,, -,pr ,mp^^, transparent by lhe..\y^earJBg,9f c^c^dly sick^)<^ssi^ ' , The. .-explaiiation of the pass- age given by James Henry Hackett (Notes and Comments up- on C|>rtainij[^l^ijs. and Acitors ,p,i[;^liake;sj>^are,; I^ York, 1864, 21 and 25) comes nearly^jtp );^e.,^ai]^p;,, This supposed ^igni- fication^9|& l^^,,\^pr(;i,,rho,\y^yer,^j^) iHQl; &uppp,rtpd, bjj tes^jnony ; it..is,r3;|;her a signiiicatipn 'for, the . jioncf!\',i a petitio principii. Still. J6§^ acceptable seems that which a late English friend of mine imagined to be the paeaning of ' coil ' in the present passage; he unde^rstopd it to denote a s^loiigh.^i .jgy^t/t,'* coil ' nowl^^re. occurs. ii>|thjs se.nse, and. i,f,4t -did, this ,seniSe|-VPOuld not fit the present passage, inasmuch as the poet does by no means speak of pui;; mortal, ppil ?^oi soojething which like a slough has already,, be^p^;^aas|;j.j9|[; jjp]^, a^,pf.^{Pf thing which we are still wearing,, .,,_+..,,.,,. .'..[(.-.jA R?>-)hcfiroa Apart from the line ui^dpr,dj^9U3^o^,,f the,. '5v,9r4r)' coil' occurs eleven times in Shakespe^i^^ - aj;i^ ;JP/;aU the^e passages has thip sigjaificatiqi^ p|,^*|;u;i;ij(ipjil., jl^,ij§tl^,i,n(f^isep] dif^turbance '. To^ ^j^an^injef^^^s^ ijfi6.t^T.ce?,j,w;hip^ j^e ei3LWiera,t^!4ifbpth in Mrs Cowden Clarke's Concordance and in Al. Schrajdt^'f. Shakespeare -Lexicpi).,, would ,^1^^,^^ labour thrown away, espe- cially since all editpr^-^.agJC^e, iwith,, rjea|)jectt,tp ^t^ir /.inter- pretation. As may be^^ex,pe,cted„.jJt'iefWQr4tis, upr,les^ ,frPfluent with otlipr cijriyn^tists,.^^:^d .wriljer^j.^f, the,,J]llij^be^^^ and in ordei^.^tp^.^^t, fi^n^.. g^o^,iai:,^,p,Yr „^urtl^^r.| ii^gjiiry^^^^ may, perhaps, be as [f^il^j^gj^t^jl,^^^ig^j^J^t^9|ijglJ^tli9S5,^^rious HAMLET. 99 passages which in the course of many 'j'ears' reading 1 have been able to collect. - ' - " ■ ''- -" 1. Marlowe, 2 Tamburlaine, iV, i "(h'± Dyce,'"6ib): — Ca/y. I would my father would let me be put in the front of such a battle once, to try my valour ! [.4/an//s wMin.] What a coil they keep! I believe there will be some hurt done anon amongst them. 2. Marlowe, Faustus, V, r (ed. Dyce, 129a; ed. WV Wag- ner, 94): — Duke. What rude disturbers have wo at the'^-ate? ■Gb,' pacify their fury, set it ope, And then demand of them what they would have. [T/iey block agaiti, a?id call out to talk with Faustus. Serv. Why, how now, masters! what a coil is there! What is the reason )ou disturb the Duke? ' '^. Marlowe, The Tragedy of Dido; A;' IV init. (ed. Dyce, 265 a): - I think it was the devil's revelling night, 'There was such hudy-buriy in the heavens: Doubtless Apollo's axle-tree is craclc'd, '"-' ' Or'ag:ed Atlas' shoulder' but' of joint, ' ' '-'Jl^hfe motion was so over -violent. """ ' lar. In all this coil, Where have ye left^'t^ic queen? "L-j. Marlowe, Heto arid Leander , Sixth Sestiad /ed. Dyce, 307ayi — ' '"' ■"' '■•" ■'■■ ' '• ■'^'"' ' '■''^' As when yOu dekcry '^J" A 'Ship, tvith all her sail contends to fly Out of the narrHw Thames with winds unapt, Now crosSeth here, then there, then thi.^"^^*y ta'l^t, And thert hath one ^omtreach'd, then alters all, And to another 'ctookM reach doth fall ,.'i,.., 7* 100 HAMLET. Of half a bird -bolt's shoot, keepmg more coil Than if she danc'd upon the ocean's toil. 5. Ben Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, IV, i|i'^i— f Heart of my body, here's a coil, indeed, with your jealous humours. 6. Ben Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, I, i:i:—Arv Do you hear! Jack Littlewit, what business does thy pretty head think this fellow may have, that he keeps such a coil with? 7. Ibid., 1, i: — .,nuu: And then he, is such a ravener after fruit ! — ^ you, will not believe what a qoil I had t' other day to compound a busi- ness between Cather'ne pear woman and him, about snatch- ing: 't is intolerable, gentlemen! 8. Ben Jonson, Volpone, II, i (Nano sings) : — You that would last long, list to my song, i\Iake no more coil, but buy of, tjiis oil. ^ r^.r^H 9. Edward III, IV, 6 (ed. Delius, 76)^ — .^_'^ ''^''" What need we fight, and sweat, ,and keep, ^a ^coil, ,When railing crows outscold our adversaries. .... JO.' The Spanish Tragedy, A. lU (Qu. 1618, '32a): — How now, what noise? What coyleMs that 'you' keepe? [A nqys'e witHik'J^ ' '_ IT. Lord Cromwell, I, i (Malone's Supplement,' 11,' '3 ^4)'!' — He keeps such a coil in his study, wth th6 'fetin, and the moon, and the seven stars, 'Ml^''l do 'i^ferily think he'H'l*¥a'd out his wits. ' ■' '"'' '■ ^"Ji^^ 'rts^^^ ''^^'f'l ''''12. Middleton, The Mayor of Quinboroiigh, n'I,r'3c|Dodsley, 1780, XI, 127):" — i--Cf '0\fii (ilgiuamixi ,c;^.ui,iTfi5-iQ riaiirTcf ' ' ■ - ■' ^Here's tib ^'^^W'^olXi^^ 1 ^xtp ^lad'^ey^ ^tePsb yeasofaa[bft . '(SbW^ ^^EriiBS' *a«/^ '^We ' haveiJ^ithe , ■stage^dir^etiaa:! oi^i'Vwflo? wifhdut.)^''^'^'- ^b':>dTorflBol '.'lom .^Idso 'riom ' > ;>ooTa-nofrnB-j HAMLET. 101 13. S. Rowley, When you see me, you know mc (ed. Elze, 11): — ; fi iij;ili Dost thou hear, Harry, what a coil they keep? 1 ■' , 14. P'.astM'ard Ho! IV, i (The Works of George Chapman: Plays. Ed. R. H. Shepherd, 470a): — ■ • "-I 'S light! I think the devil be abroad, in likeness of a storm, to rob me of my horns! Havk, how he roars! Lord! what a coil the Thames keeps! 15. Arden of Feversham, V, 6 (ed. Delius, 49): — 'Zounds! here's a coil; ion 'l^oti' A^'ere beSt' swear me on the interrogatories, ' HoW'ftikny pistols you have took in hand, Or'whetheir 1 love the sinell of gunpowder, Or dare abide the noise the dag will make, Or will not wink at flashing of the fire? ' 1 6. Rob. Chester's Loves Martyr ed. (jrosaf t, 94 (for ihe New Shakspere Society): — Then Rage and Danger doth their senses 'naiilit, And like mad Aiax they a coile do keepe, Till leane-fac'd Death into their heart ' doth creepe. 17. Histri9-j\IastiXp,^A. Uh,]- 92 (Simpson, The School of Shaksp.^l^e,. U, .47)^ — What q,,cojyle,keep^s those fellqys there? ,(i,i^,,,A ?leasari|; C^flaedie, of Pasquil and Kath,eririq^,^ A,,,ll ,(3,iwpgoo, Thq^^'^P'^ippl of ^h^lfspert?, ,U, 162): ^yr ,,„,. ,f.,^,,,, What harsh, vnciuill tongue keeps such a cqy|e?,,| ,,,, /-ilfe0jcjOiIarst(Dh, Anloaio aad iMcllidai,' A,i II init.. (li(?|tic, The British Dramatists, Edinburgh, 1870, 352): — • |/ ■S.ilid..(cdjc>d Siginiov,iBulurdo)r,Pifo!T Dop. Basilisco's ajiipour in thc.Mkror for'Kmghthood; what coil's here? O for, ^n arroo»U' cannon-proof; () more cable, more featherbeds, more feather- 102 HAMLET. beds, more cable, till he had as much as my cable hatl^and, to fence him. 20. Hugh Holland, quoted in Malone's Shakespeare by Boswell (1821), II, 221 {according to S.Walker, Crit. Exam,, II, 116): — Here no need is of my sorry charmes To boast it, though my braines Apollo warmes; . Where, like in Jove's, Minerva keeps a coile. ' 21. Nash, Summer's Last Will and Testament (Dodsley, 1825, IX, 26): — Heigh ho ! Here is a coil indeed to bring beggars to stocks. 11^-22. Ibid. (Dodsley, 1825, IX, 40): — .: iifoami Here is a coil about dogs without wit. 2^. Nash, Pierce Pennilesse, ed. Collier, 48 (for the Shake- speare Society) : — Lord! what a coyle have we, this course and that course, removing this dish higher, setting another lower, and -taldng away the third. A generall might in lesse space remove his camp, than they stand disposing of their gluttony. 24. Nash, A Private Epistle of the Author to the Printer &c. before the second edition of Pierce Pennilesse (ed. Collier, XIV): — -^7 And, lastly, to the ghost of Robert Greene, telling him what a coyle there is with pampheting [sic, read paniphlcimg\ on him after his death. 25. Rob. Armin's Nest of Ninnies, ed; Collier, 28 (for lihe Shakespeare Society): — 'i fun Well, they fall out, they go together 'byj.the eares and such a hurly-burly is in the roome that passes; At; last the stobles they liy about, the pots they walke, the glasses 'they; go to- gether; nay, the prayerbookes they flie into the fire, that such a noise there was that the whole house wondered at HAMLET. 108 this folly. Persuasions wer to no purpose; dores he would open none, till they violent!}- brake them open, though they were of gold ; and so they did and entered the parlour, found all this leuell [Collier conjectures lewd or wicked'\ coyle, and his pate broken, his face scratcht, and leg out of joynt. 26. Gascoigne's Princely Pleasures with the Masque intended to have been presented before Qu. Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle 1575. With an Introductory Memoir and Notes. London, What stir, what coil is here? come back, hold, whither now? '.-. ....-Not one so stout to stir, what harrying have we here? 27. Beaumont and Fletcher, The Humorous Lieutenant, V, 4: — - i.^i.fiV, And such a coil there is Such fending and such proving. To these instances of the substantive ' coil ' 1 join three 4)assages in which the verb ' to coil ' occurs, once in the signi- fication -'to wiiid, to form ringlets', twice in the signification 'to beat, to drub'. : They are: — .r/.2f&.:) Beaumont and Fletcher, The Knight of Malta, II, i: — '.Third Sol. We haVe seen the fight, sir. Xoi-. Yes; coil'd up in a cable, like salt eels, ■ iiQi buried loww'bh' ballast: do you call that lighting? 29-. 'A- Comedy of K. Cambiscs (Hawkins, Origin of the Knglish Drama, 1, 266) : — Hleretdraw and fight. Hero'isfee raust'lay on and coyle them both, the Vice must run his way for feare tSic. 30., The Wife Lapped in Morel's Skin (The Old Taming of ^a^'PhFewi; ed. Th. Amy oti for, itlieif Shakespeare Society, 79): — tixcdpt shei-turoc and change -hor raindu, .Vnd cake her 'Conditions oucrichone, I , . ;?ho shali . fylnde me to hex so vnkindo. 104 HAMLET. That I shall her coyle both backe and bone, And make her blew and also blacke, That she shall grone agayne for woe. This is the whole number of instances of ' coil ' which I have come across in Elizabethan literature; there may, no doubt, be many more, but I have no knowledge of them. I hardly need assure the reader that I do not withhold a single instance, least of all one where 'coil' might be taken in a different sense. As to the modern use of the word the influence of the Hamlet -passage, in many cases, is distinctly discernible, even where we have not to deal with a mere quotation of, or an intentional aWusion to, it. I continue my list, beginning this, its second series with the er'a of the Restoration. -^'"i -' ' ^^T 4nuH rfigisJ -.tf. 31. Davenant, The Playhousdio be'fiet, 'A. V (Works, 1673, jt TTg\. 'rtJ iuods amiiiqe Siiiiddnd 10 Widow, be friends, make no more such a hot coyle;. We'll find out rich Husband to make the pot boyl. ; i ■■: 1 ,; i';.ut.-Ji ' -- -J-^ n'i.Li\,H -Jill. _i-ju v/Oli n)/" ^^^.^Butler, Hudibi^s,,,?^^;!, .^^Jt^p-^^, A^^m^hmb smii. v.hn^^ rag:d,,aud k^,^as.,I;i^^v)^^^a, C^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^, ^^^.^ Stout Hercule^^^r^ Lqsg^of Hyl^s;^^ .aonBJaie.s ■jdi pW>g tlje YalUes ^^ W^^mS'.qqB ii ban The Accents of his sad Regret. ., ..^ lioo x^Banw t\53- Scott, The, Lady of the LaJse, GantQi^,JJJj,7 24r;fiTDnA The signal roused to martial coil bciaor (.bd Xiie,:,§nlle^,j;^argin of Loch,,rVpr). noicil . 34. Ibid., Canto V, 16: — .^Q\ ,1 .'io-i Lilie adder darting from his QoilyirojL' 6&i- 'jybiiisra sriT 7qqi;Eike,i rwolf that dashes -through the til?vo! ov/ i6i) ^h}J ^^ijJi! Like- mountain -cat; "who guards her ybuTi^m has ,n£m Full at Fitz - James's throgit he sprungo J h JJ5ffw •^iiiinirii HAMLET. 105 35. Scott, Rokeby, Canto III, 6: — Thus circled in his coil, the snake When roving hunters beat the brake, Watches with red and glistening eye. Prepared, if heedless step draw nigh, With forked tongue and venom'd fang histant to dart the deadly pang; But if the intruders turn aside, Away his coils unfolded glide And through the deep Savannah wind, ,,.^,, i.Some. undisturb'd retreat to fincL 3,6. Scott,, The Lord of the Isles, Canto I, Jntrod.: — Where rest from mortal coil tlie mighty of, ithci Isles. Sy. Leigh Hunt, The Story of Rimini, init.: — .\nd when you listen you may hear a coil Of bubbling springs about the grassier soil. 38. R. Chambers, Traditions of Edinburgh (New Edition) p. r 1 1 : — She now became alarmed, screamed for help, and waved her arms distractedly; all of which signs brought a crowd to the shore she had just left, who were uniible, however, to render her any assistance, before she had landed on the other side — fairly cured, it appeared, of all desire of quitting the uneasy coil of mortal life. ^'^'' '"^'^ -' '■'"' Another passage in the same book' has already 1^'en mentioned on p. g8. 39. (arlyle. History of Ffiedrich II of Prussia (Tauchn. Ed.) I, 192: — The marriage was done 1 in tii* Church 1 of ilinnsj'iTuck,)/td Feb. 1342 (for we lovetto be particulate}* Kaiser T.ndwig, hapi)y man, and many Princes of 1 the itinpire,! looking' on; little thinking what a coil it' would proves; -/^fuiij -v\Ji I i^ wu 1 -106 HAMLET. The verb *to eoil' has only thrice occurred to me in modern writers, viz. :• sVs'i(>'i 40; Southey, The^Life of Nelson, Chap, I (London, Bell, 1876, p. 2i)tisitmji iHe started' up y and found one of the deadliest serpents of tfeiS "Country coiled Aip at his feet. (iM<;' ' Gal t^'^Thei' Life; of Lord Byron (Paris, Baudry, 1835) ■ I'lfelt'lftid' many-* foot and 'beetie' creep; - •iA'njd'on my breast the cold wonn coil and crawl, (u 4i2UiJ}iG^ Whittier, Complete Poetical Works (Boston, 1879) p,T3Sii y^lcttBH io Mfrii -y/ndp. '-*t ihw^nBioqLoaj' i-Aui (Thftt^^liiOonlight through the open bough'>fli9ai ' li;J-joiii Of'the gnart'd ibeech, whose naked root tioa. iBi"' Coil^ like a serpent at his foot, ■ j Falls, checkered on the Indian's brow. -/ifjaiJAfterdall these instances - tb^re can hardly remain a doubt ak' to» the-' signification of the substantive 'coil' and it' is evi- dSftt that' during the Elizabethan period it occurs exclusively in the nieaiiing of 'turmoil, bustle, tumult, noise'; its. -second m^eaning i (=t=t= ringlet-, ^ winding) ^^eing only to; be- met with in modern -aul/hfors.' > The fabt < tils' jA'that we have ^'-distinguish MtwieeWi^ot:fll>iU\kY, fight; 'Irish and (^afeii^'^^i?fe<7OTj"^rfi!ttfe,'yain ■■Ifattiifej; >^eh'jcmMti',>jei /stir, raove- ■mmit^t:n^isiiini^i>-Gm{iv,and!^ilTjiig0tV-,niiai-\:im^^ mgssJ> nAs: to ^Bbil'j Nb, armheref^iii-^ai'fyecfwjiriproef '(tihat .d\irihg the -Eiiaa- bfethafl) e'rfeilatrfwfaf; iimd ais*^^ substanSiv^yrj^'ith' thd^ wrirfjets-iof thi^ fperi'od^itJ oniy' (iui.U'hi^ firste Parte of-'Churehyardes Chippes, Tuondtm* 1575, f^b '32 ivi), without, ho\ycver>vprofiting of llic lopportuniiy for correcting 108 HAMLETl the Hamlet -passage, which to him seems to have presented no difficulty whatever. Churchyard's verses are these: — Yea, shaldng of this sinfull soyle aliJ£>oxfl boA Me thincke in cloudes I see ^^sO aoiluf Amon^^%hd' 'perfite chosen lambs, A place~prepkrde for mee. ^^^'^^ '' It is certainly not assuming' too "much that' Shakespeare had read Churchyard's Chippes, which were published when he was eleven jeaifs of age','' and that the'iiiies- may have flashed tiii'iiigh' ' iiis ' mein'ory ' whe'n ' We 'Was writiii^ His inost* celebrated monologue. At all events our passage does not offer the least difficulty if we substitute 'soil' for 'coil'. The expression 'mortal soil' would" bn t1ie'c6ntrary^perfectiy*agree"''not only with the 'poet's ^ own gentihietits , " but also' wim" those 'of his contemporaries ^vri'O love to" represent' ihe human' Body as a piece of earth or a heap of dirt or loam.^^ Wno'^does not remifeiiaDer'Hatnlei;^' words m'the"cfiurchyar»nfeVrSXLVI, which forms, as it were, a transitJQS ^{Siitiitht!>jiPj?]fiftt)l Dis- iJ@H^.ltqjii!yar.jpEiS6a|e ifri HftTOktel-te^// auiisdlA .'jmorilqBlO Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, (o^ JI cSOiBid HAMLET. 109 Compare also K. John, V, i, 57 seq.: — And then, all this thou seest is but a clod ..v.... And module of confounded royalty, ,...:,,!^ b^/ Julius Caisar, HI, i, 254: — :,,, ■ ^ .; ,,;.u .T/' pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth. ..r/ The Merchant of Venice, V, i, 63 seqq, : — Such harmony is in immortal souls; But whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we caimot hear it. Among Shakespeare's contemporaries only the following ,i;iay be quoted: Dekker, Old Fortunatus (Old English Plays, London, 1814, III, 112): — ■'■• i.-J'-i' 1 • ■ .^' ' 1 set an idiot's cap on virtue's head, ' '■'■ ~ ^U< . Turn learning out of doors, clothe wit m rags, And, paint ten thousand images of loam In, gaudy silken colours. Th. Heywood's Love's Mistress I, 5 (The Old English jDrama, London, i825,,'ll,ji% — ■/, bsJb / , ,A piece . of moving earth ■ — ^r , S. Rowley,, I^Vhen you, see me, you l^no\y me,^ .ed..Elz^, .j^- -- T- The, child is fair, the mother earth and clay. , The New Tragicall Comedie of Apius and Virgmia (Dodsley^ 1825, XII, 431 seq.) where Virginius exclaims: — O man, O mould, o mucke, oh clay, oh hell, oh hellish O false judge Appius, &c. [hounde, Whetstone's Remembraunce of the wel imployed Life, and godly End, of Georgci Gascoignd, Esquire (G. Ciascoigne, ed. Arber, 24): - ''''''" ' ^'^ '"'' iXArtdr^whAt'is ttsafli^' Du^,' ftlime,' a itrtif of wiiidt*, n if' Glapthorne, Albertus Wallerl!?te?rt i ' Hi, ■'3^ iiiicU': nn 10 ajirjj 'iii .m' " ' no HAML1ET. ui b-^infThey (viz. these desires) are all fleshly -rnutSordid, -iaS'-Jiy-- the day this frame's compos'd of. Sir Philip Sidney, -An' Apologie for Poctrie, ed.'Arber, 29: — The final- 6rtd 'is, to lead and draw vs to as high a perfection, as Our' degenerate soiales, made worse by theyr clayey lod- gings, ca'n be Capable '©!> ''-■i- • •• iJjv'ujju To these English- 'writ^l's'' 'a (rkvtiMi contemporary of Shakespieal-ef-inay' be 'joined', who passed a great part of his life in 'Londjoni'i Viz. thte' poet Rudolf Weckherlin. His poem 'iOlendi^de^^* mehsehl'ieheft'"lJebeHS''i (VV. Muiler'f^' Bibliothek deu{gt;herDichteF 'deg'Si^bzehntenJahrhunderts, iV, 8 !-)■ begins with the following lines: '-1^^^' i^^' JiwaniigDus'twfenig 'Koth, du wenig Staub, '■■■ -^hq 'Jc-.-JHochmuthig ' durch ein wenig Leberi,^'M.-*«<^'^ ^' Durch welches Leben, wife- ein- La'#B^i'" iD-jb ::Du kariii§t-' eiri'iWM' >allhie'>utiischwebe»ri.^' -»''-- ("■'-■■ -^ All these %fe{arites'b^ 6f too 'striking a -ch^i-ac^^r iio't to lend the strongest support to the emendation- 'mortal soil'. But also in respect to the //wir/wiy ///e'rtj-r////^ the alteration is most easy, for Quartos as W^ll' ay 'Folios-- Writfe' both 'foyle' aiid' 'foi!e',^«c6yle^iaftci 'edile' indiffereiitlyV^ahd' an' 'f,'''riegli- gently written, or damaged in printing, could"bfe--«dsily'' taken for a c. At all events, thus much seeMa«? certaiti^^fhat it' the old editions had read 'mortal soil''/ riObedf^^vOuM haVfe taken the least exception to this reading, ' and' the- Jtnost iptesunlptuous of emendators would never ha^^e 'Sd MnUch as dreattlt -of proposing 'mortal coil' for 'mortal soil'. (Shakesp'eare-Jahrt>uch'H, 362.) i>.\ivssi i'Dsiari ,syf:i9 o JJam. So long.'' Nay then, let tTie devil wear b(ack, for 1 11 have a suit of sables. rtag-rom SAAk'ir.-'iSt, ^^136 seq. HAMLET. Ill In the Shakespeare -Jahrbuch XI, 294 seq., I have tried to show that the contract between a suit of ,tiabies,*in.4 .a mourn- ing garnaeut does not so much Ue in the color- as in the costliness .and splendor of tlie material. In accordance iwith' the immemorial Biblical usage of mouraiiug in sackcloth and ashes, mourning garments to this day arismade of coarsi^j; and dull -coloured material, where?is ,'foj],fl,Suit o/,>'?able$ the most gorgeous and brilliant stulf was selected. .^Since J iW rote - that, note I have, however, come across some • . passago?i iui our Middle High -German poets, from Mhich it would appear, that usuall)' garments of brightest colour, especiall} scarlet, and green , were trimmed with sable , so that the contrast, between a suit of sables and a black mourning < garment would be complete even as to colour. I subjoin these pas- sages in their original wording. 1. Seyfried Helbliug, XIII, 179 (Haupt, Zeitschrift fiir deut- sches Alterthum, Leipzig, 1844, Vol. IV, p* i2.i.4) :-,/-7Ti3 liA Wirt mir niht scharlack undo st»(^/.)pnoij2 -Ai 1 ez wirl, mir cins gebOren hobel ,,,, I MWjeim guoten Polthiga;Te. ., .uj:bijv> k-'^ " -■' ' '-'- 2. Maier, Helmbrecht 1343— -1352 (Haupt,: Zeitschrift fiir deutsc^eflvJ^lterthum, Vol. IV, , p. 366): .— Der dritte sac der ist vol, ,, „..,,-,,<... Of UJid lU igeschoppet wol, : iioffi' I.I- .1 !^ fritsehal brOnat, vehe yeden .i ^.idJ . dar under zwo, der ietweder ..nhfi). mit sc^harldt ist bedeckPl, iBtiorr) und da fiir gestreckeL einez, heizet swarzer wbeL die han ,ich, in .einem tobel ^ hie nahen bt verborgen; die gij^e, \(^ ,^ raorgen. 112 HAMLET. 3. Parcival, herausgegeben von Lachmann, 63, 24: — Griiene samtt was der mandel sin : ein zobel dk vor gap swarzcn schm. It seems that our ancestors — as far as they belonged to the Upper Ten Thousand — delighted in these brilliant gar- ments, particularly in the contrast between bright -coloured materials and dark sable -trimmings. XCIV. For use almost can change the stamp of nature, And either the devil, or throw him out With wondrous potency. Hamlet, HI, 4, 168 seqq. This is the reading of the quarto of 1604. The later quar- tos read: — And master the devil, or throw him out, whilst in the tirst quarto, as well as in the folios, the passage is wanting. Whether we follow QB, or its successors, the se- cond Une is incomplete and the editors therefore have properly endeavoured to fill it up. Believing the copyist or compositor of the second quarto to ha\e been deceived by the similarity of the sound of two successive words 1 formerly suggested : — And either usher the devil, or throw him out. (The Athenaeum, Aug. 11, 1866, 180.) Although Messrs Clark and Wright, in their annotated edition of the play, are likewise of opinion ' that something is omitted which is contrasted with throiv out', vet I have now come to the conviction that most likely such an antithesis was not in the poet's mind, but that his thoughts turned exclusively on the fact that by constant habit the vicious stamp of nature may be reformed. The HAMLET. 113 reading most likely to have come from the poet's pen seems therefore to be: — And either master the devil or throw him out. It is true, there is some slight tautology in it, but a tautology which is by no means foreign to Shakespeare. The com- positor of the second quarto, I imagine, overlooked the second, those of the later queutos overlooked the first word of the two. As to the metre, I cannot agree with those critics who think it necessary that a monosyllable should be added after either, e. g. ctirb or ivean. S. Walker (Versification, 75) is quite right in scanning: — And either master th' devil [pronounce de'il], &c. xcv. They aim at it, And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts. Hamlet, IV, 5, 9 sf.q. 'The quartos', to use the words of Messrs Clark and Wright in their annotated edition, '■\\^\fi yawne, doubtless a misprint from ayme, as the word is spelt in the first and second folios. Aim means here to guess, as in Romeo and Juliet, I, i , 121: — I aim'd so near when I supposed you loved.' It may be questioned, however, whether we have the right word. May not yaivne in the quartos be a misprint from gape just as well as from ayme? Compare K. John, II, i, 375 seq.: — As in a theatre, whence they gape and point At your industrious scenes and acts of death. (The Athenx-um, Aug. 11, 1866, 186.) 114 HAMLET. XCVI. The rabble call him lord; And, as the world were now but to beghi, Antiquity forgot, custom not known, The ratifiers and props of ever)^ word, They cry, 'Choose we; Laertes shall be king!' Hamlet, IV, 5, 102 seqq. As no appropriate sense can be made out of 'the ratifiers and props of every word', though this is the uniform reading of the old editions, Warburton conjectured of every ivard, Johnson, of every iveal , and Tyrwhitt, of every work. None of these conjectures, however, is a real improvement on the text. I have no doubt that we should read of every ivorih, which would at once remove all difficulty. As far as worth is concerned, Laertes would be a proper person indeed to be elected king. But the king is not to be chosen , as in primeval times, for his worthiness alone; antiquity and custom come in for their share also ; they are ' the ratifiers and props of every worth'. — Compare Thomson's Seasons, III, 943 seq.: — At home the friend Of every worth and every splendid art, and IV, 468: — Thee, Forbes, too, whom every worth attends. (Shakespeare's Hamlet, herausgegeben von Elze, Leipzig, 1857, 230. — The Athenaeum, Aug. 11, 1866, 186. — Shakespeare's dramatische Werke nach der Uebersetzung von Schlegel und Tieck, herausgegeben von der Deutschen Shakespeare -Ge- sellschaft, VI, 177.) HAMLET. 115 XCVII. Who, dipping all his faults in their affection, Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone, Convert his gyves to graces. Hamlet, IV, 7, 19 seqq. The corruption of this passage does not lie in gyvi's , as Theobald and others have imagined, but in graces. How- can gyves, a very material object, be converted into abstract graces'? Not even the Knaresborough spring can effect such an illogical conversion. The context, in a word, will not bear an abstract noun in this place, which would entirely spoil the metaphor. Logical symmetry indeed might be restored, if gyves were replaced by an abstract noun, but the comparison then would be deprived of all force, of all sen- sible, not to say palpable, distinctness and Shakespeare would certainly never have introduced the Knaresborough spring in order to compare two abstract qualities. Gides which has been proposed instead of gjves is fairly insufferable. 1 feel con- vinced that we ought to correct graces to graves (according to modern orthography greaves), which, at the same time, would give the verse a regular flow. According to the Folio, graves occurs in another passage of the poet, that, in some respect, bears a surprising similarity to ours, viz. 2 Henry IV, IV, I, 50: — Turning your books to graves, your ink to blood.* In both passages something feeble or despicable is to be turned into graves, which not only form part of chivalric * In this line graves has an obelus in the Globe Edition. War- burton conjectured glaives which has been highly commended by Dr Ingleby in the Shakespeare- Jahrbuch, II, 220, whereas in his Shake- speare Hermeneutics, 61, he feels much less certain. Glaives is not a Shakespearean word and gravex, in my ojMnion, is the true reading. 8* 116 HAMLET. armour, but, at the same time, are emblems of knighthood. Who does ]iot recollect Homer's tvxvrjfiid^Q 'Axaiot and Chapman's /at'r greaves (Iliad XVIII, 415)? Gyves, in our passage, stands of course metonymically for those crimes and misdemeanours which ought to be punished by them, graves metonymically for those merits and signal deeds, which ought to be rewarded and distinguished by them, or, in a word, which ought to be knighted. The simile of the spring be- comes most appropriate if we remember that gyves were originally made of wood. It is true, that in order to render it perfect, graves should have been made of stone instead of steel; but so far it may be conceded that omne simile claudicat. Graces is, to all appearance, a so})histi cation of the com- positor who hesitated at the unusual word graves, provided it be not a simple mistake, which is still likelier. As to the orthography, gra-jcs instead of greaves is quite analogous to thraves (for iJu-eaves) and stale (for sieak or stele); compare JMr Hooper's note on Chapman's Iliad XI, 477; Chapman's Iliad IV, 173 and Nares s. Stele. On the other hand, ha?nes in South Warwickshire becomes eames according to ]\Ir Flalli- well-Phillipps, Diet. Arch, and Prov. Words, and Mrs Francis, South Warwickshire Provincialisms (in Original Glossaries &c. ed. by Walter \^'. Skeat for the English Dialect Society). (The Athenaeum, Feb. 20, i86g, 284. — Shakespeare -Jahrbuch, XI, 295 seq.) XCVIII. Where be his quiddities now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? Hamlet, V, i, 107 seqq. HAMLET. 1 1 7 Tenures undoubtedly stands in the wrong place; it is by no means synonymous with quiddities , cases and tricks , but belongs to the law-terms relative to the acquisition and transfer of property, and should accordingly be inserted four lines infra, between recognisances and fines. This suspicion is strongly confirmed by the Quarto of 1603, in however crude a state the passage may be given there. That this edition reads tenements instead of tenures is of no importance, inasmuch as our concern lies only with the position of the word, and in this respect it shows the right text. The pass- age there runs thus: 'Where is your quirks and quillets now, your vouchers and double vouchers, your leases and. freehold, and tenements?' (The Athenaeum, Feb. 20, i86g, 284.) XCK. Woul't drink up esile? eat a crocodile? Hami.rt, V, I, 209. It is a matter of surprise to me that after all that has been written on this line there should still be found so many de- fenders of the old reading (QB Esill , FA Esik — not to speak of vessels in QA). .Several critics have justly observed that it would not only be 'tame and spiritless', but 'incon- sistent and even ridiculous' (Nares s. v.) to make Hamlet dare T,aertes ls certainly very gratifying and adds to the forcr of an emendation if \se are able to show the origin of the corrupted reading, but there are many passages in Shake- speare and his contemporaries where such an endeavour is, 122 HAMLET. and ever will be, vain, whereas the emendation itself cannot be doubted. Let any one try to explain the printers' mistakes that are committed even at this day! Many of them may certainly be accounted for by a foul case and in other ways, but no less a number will still baffle all explanation. Or has a critic ever yet been able to explain how the famous Vllorxa found its way into the text ? Yet who will defend it ? There remain two points still to be mentioned. First the words drink up. Notwithstanding what has been said to the contrary by Dr Furness and others, I still believe that this phrase means something more than simply 'to drink'; the preposition up, in my opinion, 'conveys the sense of totality or completeness' to use Mr Grant White's words; tip, says Al. Schmidt, s. v., 'imparts to verbs the sense of com- pletion, by indicating that the action expressed by them is fully accomplished.' I feel convinced that 'to drink up', to say the least of it, is applied much more fitly to a river than to vinegar. The parallel passages cited above are eloquent on this head too ; I only refer to the lines in Edward III : — Whose soldiers drank up rivers in their thirst; and in The Jew of Malta, V, 4 (ed. Dyce, 178b): — As sooner shall they drink the ocean dry. 'To drink up Nilus' is, in my opinion, equivalent to 'to drink Nilus dry.' My second, — and last, — remark is on the crocodile. If drinking up Nilus (that 'disdaineth bounds') be conceded to be an hyperbole of the first water as it expresses a pure impossibility, it may be objected, that eating a crocodile would be a rather weak anticlimax and could not be placed on a level with the first -named feat of strength. I cannot admit such an objection to be just. Eating a crocodile is no less an impossibility on account of its impenetrable scales OTHELLO. 123 which our poet's contemporaries imagined to be not only spear -proof, but even cannon -proof.* In Locrine, A. Ill, init. Ate says: — - High on a bank, by Nilus' boisterous streams, Fearfully sat the Egyptian crocodile, Dreadfully grinding in her sharp long teeth The broken bowels of a silly fish : His back was arra'd against the dint of spear. With shields of brass that shone like burnish'd gold. Another passage brings us still nearer to Shakespeare, viz. 1 Tamburlaine, IV, i (ed. Dyce, 25a): — While you, faint-hearted, base Egyptians, Lie slumb'ring on the flow'ry banks of Nile, As crocodiles that unaffrighted rest. While thund'ring cannons rattle on their sldns. Now let Laertes try his teeth on such a skin ! In short, ray conviction, that Shakespeare wrote: — Woul't drink up AW«? eat a crocodile? is more confirmed than ever it was before. C. That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to m}' mother give; * The source of these hyperbolical descriptions may be found in the forty first chapter of Job, where we read: 'The sword of him that layeth at him [viz. leviathan] cannot hold : the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee : slingstones are turned with him into stubble. Darts arc counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.' — Compare also Job XL, 23: -Behold, he [viz. behemoth] drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he irusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth,' 1 24 OTHELLO. She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people : • — — 'T is true: there's magic in the web of it: A sibyl, that had number'd in the world 7"he sun to course two hundred compasses, In her prophetic fury sew'd the work; The worms were hallow'd that did breed the silk; And it was dyed in mummy which the skilful Conserved of maidens' hearts. Othello, III, 4, 55 seqq. A parallel passage which as far as I know has never been referred to occurs in Ben Jonson's Sad Shepherd, 11, i : — But, hear ye, Douce, because ye may meet me In mony shapes to-day, where'er you spy This browder'd belt with characters, 't is I. A Gypsan lady, and a right beldame. Wrought it by moonshine for me, and star-light, Upon your grannam's grave, that very night We earth'd her in the shades; when our dame Hecate Made it her gaing night over the kirk -yard, Witli all the barkand parish -tikes set at her, While I sat whyrland of my brazen spindle : At every twisted thrid my rock let fly Unto the sewster, who did sit me nigh. Under the town turnpike; which ran each spell She stitched in the work, and knit it well. See ye take tent to this, and ken your mother. Can it bo doubted that this is an imitation, by which Jonson intended, more or less, to ridicule Shakespeare? GifFord, of course, would never have acknowledged it. (Shakespeare-Jahr- buch, XI, 299 seq.) ADDENDA. XX. There is, perhaps, a third way of scanning the Hne: — ]Mountney and Valingford, as I heard them named, namely, by contracting 'Mountney and' and beginning the verse with two trochees : — Mountn' and | Valing | ford, as | 1 heard them nam'd. Lines beginning with two trochees are by no means unusual ; compare, e. g., ^Jarlowe, I Tamburlaine, 1, 2 (Works, ed. Dyce, oa): — Duke of Africa and Albania. Marlowe, The Massacre at Paris (Works, ed. Dyer, 2.1.5 b): — Tell me, surgeon, aiid Hatter not — ma) 1 live.-' Anion of Feversham, III, 5 (ed. Delius, 45): — How now, Alice? What, sad and jiassionate? Ibid. Ill, 5 ^t-d. Delius, 49): — Go in, IJradshaw, call for a cup of beer. Milton, Samson Agonistes, 443 : — ]Jy tlr idolatrous rout amidst their wine. As to the contraction 'Mountney and' it is much more allowable than some readers would readily believe. Sucli 'swallowing or eating vp one letter by another when two vowels meete, whereof th' ones sound goeth into other' is reckoned among the 'auricular figures' by Puttenham, The Arte of English Poesie, ed. Arber, 174. He gives two in- stances, viz. /' atlaiuc for lo ollaiiii , and sor am/ small lor 126 FAIR EM. sorrow and smart. Puttenham closely connects this figure with what he calls the 'figures of rabbate' (p. 173), of which he discerns three diflferent kinds, viz. 'from the beginning, as to say twixt for betwixt, gainsay for againesay , ill for euill; from the middle, as to say paraunter for parauenture, poorety for potiertie, souraigne for soueraigne, tane for taken ; from the end , as to say morne for mortiing , bet for better , and such like.' All this 'swallowing' and 'rabbating', however harsh it may sound in modern ears, is authorised as customary and legitimate by Puttenham; in fact, similar contractions most frequently occur in the works of Elizabethan dramatists and even in Milton; thus, e. g., Fair Em, ed. Delius, 8 (Simpson, II, 416): — Maria | na, I have | this day | receiv | ed let | ters. Ibid. Delius, 35 (Simpson, 11, 447) : — Yea and Wil | Ham's too, | if he J deny | her me, and: — My sor | rows afflict | my soul | with e | qual pas ' sion. Milton, Samson Agonistes, 362 : — Ordain'd | thy nur | ture ho | ly, as of | a plant- Ibid. 378: — The mys | tery | of God | given me un | der pledge, although a different scansion of this last line may be ad- missible, viz. : — The mys | fry of | God giv'n j me un | der pledge. With respect to the line: — But, Valingford, search the depth of this device, we may, perhaps, remove the difficulty by expunging But, so that there would be no occasion for supposing 'Valingford' to have been sometimes pronounced as a dissyllable. It is, of course, no very difficult task to find in 'Fair Em ' man}" other passages which have been corrupted from FAIR EM. 127 metre to prose. Let me notice only a few. First, the follow- ing lines in A. Ill, Sc. i (Delius, 26; Simpson, II, 436 seq.) : — Marq. Hard hap, to break us oft" our talk, so soon ! Sweet Mariana, do remember me! [Exit. Mar. Mariana* cannot choose but remember thee, y Enter Blanch. Blanch. Mariana, Well met. You 're very forward in your love. Mar. jNIadam, Be it in secret spoken to yourself: If you'll but follow th' complot I 've in\ ented, ike. The lines that follow I do not know how to set right and therefore resume, some eight or nine lines lower down : — The next time that Sir Robert shall come here** In's wonted sort to solicit me with love I'll seem t' agree and like of anything That th' knight shall demand, so far forth as it be No impeachment to my chastity; t' conclude, I will appoint*** some place for t' meet the man, For my conveyance from the Denmark court. Another passage of the same kind occurs soon after (Delius, 27; Simpson, II, 437), viz. the speech of William the Conqueror beginning: 'Lady, this is well and happily met.' Simpson most felicitously adds for before Forttinc and justly remarks that sinister is to be pronounced as a dissyllable (sinster). Thus metre is restored throughout, except in the first line, and even here it may be easily recovered by the addition oi sweet before lady. Compare Fair l-"m, ed. Delius, 19 * Both Delius and Simpson read 'Thy Mariana', in accordance, I have no doubt, with the old editions. ** For ihe word hfie I am answerable. *** Delius reads: 'and to conclude, appoint some place,' &c.; Simpson: 'And, to conclude, point some place,' &c. 128 FAIR EM. (Simpson, II, 428): Sweet lady, for thy sake. Ibid., ed. Delius, 25 (Simpson, II, 435) : Sweet lady, cease, &c. The passage, there- fore, should be printed: — Sweet lady, this is well and happily met; For Fortune hitherto hath been my foe. And though I 've often sought to speak with you. Yet still I have been cross'd with sinister haps. I cannot, madam, &c. The most conspicuous instance, however, of verse turned to prose, is A. II, Sc. 2 (according to Delius, 19 seqq. , or A. II, Sc. 6 according to Simpson, II, 428 seqq.). I transcribe the whole scene in metre, in which shape, in my conviction, it came from the author's pen: — Mar. Trust me, my Lord, I 'm sorry for your hurt. Lub. Gramercy, madam; but it is not g^eat, Only a thrust, prick'd with a rapier's point. Mar. Flow grew the quarrel, my Lord? Lub. Sweet,* for thy sake. There Avas last night** two maskers*** in our com- pany,**** Myself the foremost; the others strangers were 'Mongst which,! when tli' music 'ganff to sound the measures, Each masker made choice of his lady; and one. More forward than the rest, stept f ff towards thee ; * Both Delius and Simpson: 'Sweet lady'; according to the latter, Chetwood proposed the omission of ' lady '. ** Simpson : ' this last night'. *** Delius: 'masques'; Simpson: 'masks'. According to Delius, XI, the correction 'maskers' is due to Chetwood. **** Delius and Simpson : 'in one company'; the correction was made by Simpson in a note. 'Company' is, of course, to be pronounced as a dissyllable, t Delius and Simpson: 'amongst the which'. ff Delius and Simpson: 'began'. fff Delius: 'steps'. FAIR EM. 129 Which I perceiving Thrust him aside and took thee out* myself. But this was taken in so ill a** part Tliat at my coming out of*** the court -gate, \\'ith justling together, it was my chance to be Thrust into th' arm. The doer thereof, because He was th' original cause of the disorder, At th'**** inconvenient time, was presently Committ'd, and is this morning sent for hither f To answer th' matter; and here, I think, ff he comes. Enter William the Conqueror ivith a Jailor. What, Sir Robert of Windsor? How now! Wm Cong. V faith, j-ff a prisoner; but what ails your Lub. Hurt by mischance last night.ffff [arm? Wm Conq. What? Not in the mask at the court-gate? Lub. Yes, trust me, there. Wm Conq. Why then, ray Lord, 1 tliank you for my Ltib. And I you for my hurl, if it were so. [lodging." Keeper, away! I hereto discharge you of your prisoner. \Exit Keeper. Wm Conq. Lord Marquess! You offer'd me disgrace to shoulder me. Lub. Sir ! I knew you not, and therefore pardon me, ^''•' * For 'out' I am responsible. ** 'A' was first added by Chet- wood. *** Delius: 'out at'. *** Delius and Simpson: 'At that inconvenient.' f For 'hither' I am responsible. ff Delius and Simpson : ' I thinlc here '. f f f Delius and Simpson : ' I' faith , my Lord'; the latter, however, remarks in a foot-note: 'Dele my Lord'. ffff Delius : 'Hurl last nij^'ht, by mischance'; Simpson: 'Hurl the last night, by mischance.' " Delius and Simpson: 'my night's lodging.' ^ 'Here' added by the present writer. ww Delius and Simpson : 'you must pardon me.' 9 130 FAIR EM. And th' rather* as** it might be alleged to me Of mere simplicity, to see another Dance with my mistress, disguis'd, myself*** in presence. But seeing it was our haps**** to damnify Each other unwillingly, let's be content With bothy our harms and lay the fault where 't was, x\nd so be ft friends. Wm Cong. V faith, I am content with my night's lodging. If you beftt with your hurt. Lud. Not tttt that I have 't, But I 'm content to forget how I came by 't. W/n Coiiq. My Lord, Here comes the^^o lady Blanch, let us away. Enter Blanch. Lub. With right good will.ooo [To Martatia] Lady, [will you stay? Mar. Madam — \Exeu7it William the Conqueror and Ltibeck. Blajich. Mariana, as I'm grieved with thy presence, So am I not offended for thy absence, And, were it not a breach to modesty. Thou shouldest know before I left thee. [madness! Mar. [Asidel How near this humour is akint'ooo ^q * Perhaps it may be thought preferable to expunge 'And' and to write: 'The rather'. ** 'As', inserted by the present writer. *** Delius and Simpson : ' and I myself.' **** Qy. read , ' hap ' ? + 'Both' added by the present writer. ff Delius and Simpson: 'be- come', t+t Delius and Simpson: 'if you be content.' +tft Delius and Simpson, 'Not content.' " 'I'm' added by the present writer. ^^ 'The' added by the present writer. "''o Delius and Simpson: 'With good will.' Compare, Fair Em, ed. Delius, 30, 1. 9; Simpson, II, 441, 1. 7. "•'^x' Delius and Simpson: 'Is this humour to madness.' 'Akin' has been added by the present writer. FAIR EM. 131 If you hold on to talk* as you begin, You 're in a pretty way to scolding. Blanch. To scolding, huswife? Mar. Madam, here comes one. Enter a Messenger ivith a Letter. Blanch. There does indeed. Fellow, wouldst thou Have anything with anybody here? Mess. I have a letter to deliver to the Lady Mariana.** Blanch. Give it me. Mess. There must none but she have it. \Blanch snatcheth the Letter from him. Blanch. Go to, foolish fellow. \E.xit Messenger. And, therefore, to ease the anger 1 sustain, I'll be so bold to open it. What's here? ' Sir Robert greets you well ! ' You, mistress, his love, his life? Oh, amorous*** man. How**** he his new mistress entertains. And on his old friend Lubeck doth bestow f A horned ft nightcaj) to kee]) in his wit. Mar. Madam, Though you discourteously havefft read my letter, Yet, pray you,tttt give it me. Blanch. Then thake it, there, and there, and there. \_She tears it. Exit Blanch. * For 'to talk' I am responsible. ** The Messenger speaks in prose. *** 'Amorous ' to be pronounced as a dissyllable. **** 'How' is to be considered a monosyllabic foot. Or arc wc to read: 'How his new mist(c)ress he entertains'? Or: 'How he his wfTWj/ mistress enter- tains'? Delius and Simpson: 'entertains his new mistress.' + Delius and Simpson: 'and bestows on Lubeck, his old friend.' t+ Delius and Simpson: 'A horn nightcap.' ttt Delius and Simpson: 'have discourteously.' +tt+ Delius and Simpson: 'I pray you'. 9* 182 FAIR EM. Mar. How far doth this difter from modesty! Yet I will gather up the pieces, which, Haply, ma}- show to me th' intent thereof, Though not the meaning. \_She. gathers tfp the pieces and Joins them. \I^cads^ 'Your servant and love, Sir Robert of Windsor, alias William the Conqueror, wisheth long health and happiness.' Is this then* William the Conqueror Shrouded"*'* under th' name of Sir Robert of Windsor? Were he the monarch of the world, he should Not dispossess my*** Lubeck of his love. Therefore I'll to the court, there,**** if I can. Close to be friends with Lady Blanch, thereby! To keep my love, my Lubeck, ff for myself. And further the Lady Blanch in her ownfff suit, As much as e'erffff I may. XXIV. After the third line of the passage beginning: — Infortunate Valingford, &c. there is no doubt a gap which should be stopped by some such line as the following: — yet ne'ertheless I fairly hope, all will be well again; I am acquainted &c. * 'Then' added by the present writer. ** 'Shrouded' is to be pronounced as a monosyllable; compare Abbott, Shakespearian Gram- mar, 472. *** For 'my' the present writer is responsible. **** Delius and Simpson: 'and there.' + Delius and Simpson: 'and thereby.' +t Delius and Simpson: 'keep Lubeck, my love.' +++ 'Own' added by the present writer. \\\\ For 'e'er' I am responsible. FAIR EM. 133 In the next passage the \\'ords prosperity, expectation, and Siveet Em, may be retained by the aid of contractions, and by the introduction of a short line: — Sweet Em, I hither came to parle of love, Hoping- t' have found thee in thy wont'd prosper't}-; And have the Gods Thwart'd so unmerc'fuUy m} expectation. By dealing so sinisterly with thee, Sweet Em? Et)i. Good sir, no more; 6cc. These are certainly harsh verses and 'vile' contractions (to borrow this epithet from Polonius), but we must take them as we find them. Perhaps , however , these and all similar lines should not be scanned in the ordinary way; and it may be doubted whether they are not rather constructed after the model of Early English verse, where only the accented syl- lables are counted, whereas the number of the unaccented ones is more or less indefinite. XXVI. There is another, and perhaps preferable, way of arranging the lines in question, viz. thus: — W7n Conq. Hence, villains, hence ! How dare you lay your hands upon your sovereign!* Sol. Well, sir, we'll deal for that! But here comes one will remedy all this. * Or, according lo Simpson: — Dare you to lay your hands upon your sovereign ! 134 FAIR EM. XXX. I cannot dismiss the Comedy of 'Fair Em' without adding a few more corrections. In the third scene (Delius, 8; Simp- son, 11, 416) we read as follows: — King Den. Mariana, I have this day received letters From Swethia, that lets me miderstand Your ransom is collecting there with speed, And shortlv hither shall be sent to us. Mar. Not that I find occasion to mislike My entertainment in your Grace's court, But that I long to see mv native home. Evidently there is something wanting here; Mariana's speech should begin with a line somewhat to the following effect: — // glads my heart to hear these joyful tidings ; Not that 1 find occasion to mislike, &c. histcad of 'to mislike', which is an emendation by Simp- son, the quarto of 1631 reads 'of mislike'; Delius, 'to mis- liking '. Farther on, (Delius, 36; Simpson, U, 448) we meet with this passage: — Dem. Pardon, my dread lord, the error of my sense, And misdemeanour to your princely excellency. Wtn Cong. Why, Demarch, what is the cause my sub- jects are in arms? Dem. Free are my thoughts, my dread and gra- cious lord. From treason to your state and common weal. There are no differences in the readings, except that Delius puts a semicolon after 'Demarch' and a comma after 'cause'. The substitution of 'excellence' (pronounced as a dissyllable) for 'excellency' in the second line seems to be indispensable FAIR EM. 135 to the restoration of the metre. The words 'Why, Demarch' form an interjectional line; and in the last line \ve should insert the definite article before 'common weal.' The whole passage, therefore, ought to be printed: — Dem. Pardon, my dread lord, th' error of ui} sense, And misdemeanour to your princely excellence. Win Conq. Why, Demarch, What is the cause my subjects are in anus? De7n. Free are my thoughts, my dread and gra- cious lord. From treason to your state and th' common weal. Another difficulty is raised by the line in A. V, Sc. 2 (De- lius, 45; or A. Ill, Sc. 17 according to Simpson, 11,457): — And think you I convey'd away your daughter Blanch? which ma\- be reduced to a blankverse in three difierent wa)s. The iirst expedient is to omit Aiid and to contract you I: — Think }ou l' j convey'd | away | your daiigh [ ter Blanch ? Compare Addenda No. XX and No. XXIV. Secondly, away might be expunged: — And think you I convey'd your daughter Blanch? In support of this alteration the following line from l''air \\\\\ (ed. Delius, 39; Simj)son, II, 451) may be ipoted: — Saying, I conveyed her from the Danish court, whilst, at the same time, it would correspond to the expres- sion 'to steal' or 'to steal away' which is ust-d rej)eatedly in this scene in respect to the elopement of Lady Blanch. The third way is the omission of Blanch: — And think you I conveyed away your daughter? Your daughter Blanch occurs five lines lower down, and also at the end of a verse; it seems, therefore, not unlikely that 136 FAIR EM. these words have been inserted in the line under discussion through faulty anticipation. The last passage on which I wish to make a remark occurs lin page 46 of Delius's edition (Simpson, II, 459): — Dem. May it please your highness : Here is the lady you sent me for. The metre evidently requires the addition of whom: — Here is tlu; lady whom you sent me for. THE END. E. Karras, Printer, Halle. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIi AT 1877-8. NOTICES OF MEETINGS. THIRTY-THIRD MEETING, FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1877. Professor Karl Elze of Halle, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society, on taking thecliau-, said : — 'Ladies and Gentlemen : — Before entering on the business of the evening, I cannot but express my sense of the flattering compliment that has been paid to me by the invitation to take the chair on the present occasion ; for, to preside over a meeting of an English Shakspere Society in Shakspcre's own comitry is an honour of which a foreigner may well be proud. I do not, however, presume to attribute this honour to myself and my own slight merit, I rather attribute it to the German sister society, and to German Shaksperc-learning, and German literature at large. I need not dwell on the well-knowix fact, which has no parallel in the whole history of literature, tliat Shakspere has found a second home in Germany, and that he is admired and cherished by lis as much as any of our own great poets. A German critic has said, that Shakspere cradled our infant drama ; and there can bo no doubt whatever that within ten years after his death German alterations of some of his plays wore being acted in the principal courts and towns of Germany, however rudo and repulsive those alterations may appear to the more refined tasto of the present ago. Since that time Shakspere has shared all tho vicissitudes, all the ups and downs of our litera- X PROFESSOR ELZES ADDRESS. ture, just like our own classic poets. All the foremost poets, critics, and scliolars of Germany have done their test to bring him nearer, not only to our understanding, but also to our hearts and sympathies. It is hardly too much to say that the works and names of Lessing, Goethe, Schlegel, Tieck, Gervinus, and numerous others will be entwined for ever with the work and name of Shakspere. The present generation follows in the wake of these great leaders ; and in some ill-advised quarters it is even a matter of complaint, that there is now no end in Germany of translations, of editions, of criticisms and essays on Shakspere. The simple fact that in a few days the tweKth volume of the German Shakspere Annual will be ready for delivery, seems to me a sufficient proof, not only of the earnestness and energy with which these studies are pursued, but also of the immeasurable compass and the inexhaustible depth of the subject. * But it is by no means as an inexhaustible source of textual and aesthetic criticism, of literary research and antiquarian lore, that we pri2e Shakspere most. He would never have taken that prominent and lasting hold of our stage, where he is a successful competitor with Goethe and Schiller, if we did not take him for one of the greatest dramatic poets — if not tlie greatest dramatic poet — that ever lived ; for a poet of the liveliest and sweetest imagination, and of an unparalleled creative power ; for a poet of the widest intellectual grasp ; for a heart-searcher who never had his like ; and last, not least, for a teacher of mankind who inculcates the noblest and most elevated moral lessons, who fills our hearts with the love of wisdom, truth, and vu'tue, with noble aspirations, with loving-kindness and charity. He is indeed a Jacob's ladder to everything that is right, and honest, and true, and beautiful all over the world ; and I am happy to say, that the conviction of his moral purity and elevation, in spite of some outward appearance to the contrary, is daily gaining ground with all civilized nations, and is uniting them in bonds of sympathy. Thus then Shakspere does not only prove a teacher of mankind, but also a golden link of human brotherhood. In this respect, as in many others, he is like nature, whose touch " makes the whole world kin." And it is in this sense that I may be allowed MR BAYNES PAPER ON THE CHARACTER OF BRUTUS. XI to feel myself kin to you and to all Shakspere's countrymen ; and I should be mucli afraid of wronging you, if I did not feel convinced that you reciprocate this feeling.' The new ]\Iemhers announced were ; Signor Pagliardini, Prof. J. J. Lias, Prof. E. H. Smith, E. S. Cox, INIrs W. E. Bullock, Brad- ford Literary Club, and J. Mackenzie Miall. The Papers read were : — I. On the Character of Brutus in the play of Julius Ccesar, by Peter Bayne, Esq. IL On the Division of the Acts in Lear, Much Ado, and Twelft]( Niglit, by James Spedding, Esq., M.A., Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. I. Setting out with the remark that the impartial dramatic sym- pathy of Shakspere (which enabled him to enter the heart and speak from the mouth alike of Cordelia and of lago) made it difficult to dis- cern his personal sentiments, Mr Bayne suggested one or two criteria by which his views as a man might be discovered in his works as an artist. One of these was the general impression left on the mind by a particular drama : we might generally be sure that what we felt strongly was what Shakspere intended us to feel. Another was his choice of subjects, and his mode of deciding between issues pre- sented on the stage. "When, for example, Shakspere chose for treat- ment " perhaps the most momentous issue ever fought out in this world, that between Cajsar and Brutus," we may believe that his adhesion to the cause of popular right, as opposed to unlimited per- sonal sovereignty, was indicated by his decision that the action of Brutus was heroic. Quoting, as applicable to the early Pomans as well as to the Greek, these words of Grote — " The hatred of kings .... was a pre-eminent virtue, flowing directly from the noblest and wisest part of their nature," — Mr Bayne argued that Shakspere, though no classical scholar, evinced a more accurate conception of the moral and patriotic ideal of the ancients in making Brutus the hero of his play, tlian those clerical scholars " who, influenced by modern ideas, aifirmed that those who slew Cicsar were guilty of a great crime." Even in his weaknesses, the Brutus of Shakspere was represented as noble. He expected to find others as good as him- self, a fatal mistake in practical affairs, and trusted for inlhience upon masses of men to reason and logic rather than to rhetorical art. Antony, therefore, who, as compared with him, was a political char- latan, got the better of him. Mr Bayne illustrated at some length the position that Shakspere always represented the multitude as foolish and childish, but, at the same time, recognized the soundness of their instincts, and the readiness with whicli they responded to any appeal to theu" gratitude and courtesy. That Shakspere had an exceptional and superlative regard for the character of Brutus, j\Ir XU MR SPEDDINGS PAPER. PROPOSAL OP THANKS TO PROF. ELZE. Bayno argued, from the careful elaboration of the scenes with Portia and with the boy Lucius, — scenes to which there is nothing parallel in Shakspere's treatment oi men, — and from the estimate of Brutus pnt into the mouth of Antony, his enemy : — "His life was gentle; and the elements So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up. And say to all the world. This teas a man!" II. jMr Furnivall then read : 1, some notes by Prof. Dowden on the opening bridal song in the Two Nolle Kinsmen, showing that the flowers in it were emblems of wedded life ; 2, a paper, by Mr James Spedding, " On the Division of the Acts in Lear, Much Ado, and Twelfth Night." Mr Spedding insisted that in Lear time must be given for the great battle in Act V. so. ii. to be fought, and that, therefore, the end of Act IV. must be moved forward to the exit Edgar in the present V. ii., while Act V. must begin with Edgar's re-entrance. In Much Ado, Mr Spedding would end Act I. with its first scene ; start Act II. with the present I. ii., and end it with II. ii. ; open Act III. with Benedick in the garden, the present II. iii. ; and begin Act IV. in Hero's dressing-room, the present III. iv. In Twelfth Night, IMr Spedding proposed to end Act I. with the present I. iv.; Act II. with the present II. ii. ; and Act III. with the present III. i., the fourth and fifth Acts ending where they do now. In Richard the Second, the first Act should end with its tliird scene instead of its fourth. By these changes the present incongruities would be removed. The thanks of the Meeting were voted to the writers for their Papers. In the discussion on the first Paper Messrs Furnivall, Wedmore, Matthew, Hetherington, and PickersgiU took part. After the other lousiness of the evening was ended, Mr Furnivall rose and said : ' Altho' it is not customary to return a vote of thanks to our Chairman when one of ourselves is in the Chair, yet on an occasion like to-night's, when we are honoiird with the presence of one of the most distinguisht Shakspere scholars of Germany, the editor of their Shakspere Society's Year-book, the friend of our friend Professor Delius — who has been twice among us and thrice sent us Papers for our Transactions, — I feel that you will aU wish to return to Professor Elze your thanks for presiding over us to-night, and speaking to lis those generous words in praise of our great Poet with which he opend our Meeting. It is a heart-felt pleasure to every English Shakspere-student, to know that in Germany, the poet he loves and honours has been made the nation's own, and that every German scholar who visits our shores, brings with him reverence and love for Shakspere. Our own Society owes Germany no common debt. When we started, Germany had for eight years had her Shakspere Society, which is now in its 12th year, v/hile we are in MR FURNIVALL's PROPOSAL OP THANKS TO PROF. ELZB. xiii our 4th. It was from German ground that our Society mainly started : — the insisting that Shakspere be graspt and treated as a whole, the workings of his mind followd from its rise to its fall, and that, — as our member Miss Hickey puts it, — each Play be studied, not only as one of Shakspere's works, but as part of his work. Our Prospectus from the first has contained the paragraph — ' " The profound and generous ' Commentaries ' of Gervinus — an honour to a German to have ^viitten, a pleasure to an Englishman to read — is still the only book known to me that comes near the true treatment and the dignity of its subject, or can be put into the hands of the student who wants to know the mind of Shakspere." 'And though now we have works that can stand beside Ger- vinus's, yet none the less do we still give him the post of honour among us. Prof. Delius's text of our poet has also just been re- printed in London. Our Chairman's Essays on Shakspere have been englisht. And I am sure he knows that no insular narrowness mixes with the feeKng with which we return thanks to him, the first German scholar who has presidetl over us, the representative to u.s of that nation, great in learning and great in Avar, our own kith and kin, which has in our own time so splendidly asserted its love for its fatherland, as well in the battle-field, as in the realms of literature and science, the conquests of peace.' The vote of thanks was carried with applause, and Professor Elze bowd his acknowledgment. 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