So I punctuate. Many editors follow Tyrwhitt in reading 'if the' for 'of the' in the first line. Theobald read lest for 'of.'
Sc. 2.
For 'doubt' Pope read daunt; Rowe, followed by Dyce and Cambridge editors, dout. As the 'superfluous courage' seems to be the blood spun out, the word may be daub.
A most happy emendation was that made by Dr. Thackeray, and by an Anon. ap. Rann: "I stay but for my guidon.—To the field!" This is amply confirmed by the following line, and by this passage of Holinshed, "The Duke of Brabant, when his standard was not come, caused a banner to be taken from a trumpet and fastened to a spear, the which he commanded to be borne before him instead of a standard." Guidon is a term still in use in the cavalry service.
Sc. 3.
Pope, who has been usually followed, transposed 'see' and 'live.' I rather think to was omitted, and see no necessity for transposition.
The 4to and folio both, which all the editors follow, read 'or they'; my own and Hanmer's conjecture is 'for they,' which alone gives sense, by explaining how they would be 'in fresher robes.' How easily might the f have been lost or omitted!
Sc. 4.
I have ventured to change the 'Qualtitie' of the folio to Calitay, the English mode of pronouncing qualité, with the accent on the last syllable; which suggests Callino, etc., for which see Index s. v. The French qualité would never suggest quality to an illiterate Englishman.
Sc. 5.
By this punctuation the reading of the folio becomes clear. Knight, whom late editors follow, reads 'in honour,' which occurs in the 4to.
Sc. 7.
Collier's folio reads look, which might seem preferable.
Sc. 8.
It might be better to read 'the dead on both sides.'
Act V.
Sc. 1.
I read, with Johnson, 'eke' for the second 'eat,' as more Pistolian.
Sc. 2.
I retain this reading of the folio; for I cannot see what should make the printer change England to Ireland, while the Queen may have done so to vary the title.
The folio reads 'withal' for 'all.'
The folio has 'all our,' which the context rejects. 'As' is the reading of Capell.
Sense and metre seem to demand the negative.
I think we should read untempting, with Warburton.
KING HENRY VI.—PART I.
Act I.
Sc. 1.
Johnson proposed Berenice; and, though it was her hair and not herself that was stellified, he may have been right. The punctuation here given, however, removes all difficulty.
A little lower we have, "Is Paris lost? is Roän yielded up?"
The 2nd folio reads 'A third man thinks.'
Most certainly 'vaward' should be 'rearward'. Introd. p. 66.
Sc. 2.
Collier's folio reads 'The whiles.'
Sc. 3.
The folio has 'answer you so.'
Sc. 5.
For 'treacherous,' which must be wrong, Pope read timorous, Collier's folio tremulous.
Sc. 6.
The 2nd folio reads 'English wolves.'
The 2nd folio reads bright Astræa's.
Act II.
Sc. 3.
Sc. 4.
It should apparently be right, not 'error'; as it is a few lines lower.
Sc. 5.
Act III.
Sc. 1.
The folio reads "Rome shall remedy this."
The 2nd folio added should.
Sc. 3.
For 'lowly' Collier's folio reads lovely.
Act IV.
Sc. 1.
The folio reads Poictiers; Steevens made the correction. The error must have been the printer's.
I adopt the correction of worst for 'most.'
The folio reads "How say you, my lord?"
The end had certainly been effaced. Introd. p. 57.
So Steevens corrected the wish of the folio.
For 'that' we should read sees, or some other verb.
Sc. 4.
For 'host' Hanmer read horse, which the next speech would seem to prove to be right.
Sc. 5.
For 'bow' I read do.
Sc. 7.
So Lucy must have pronounced it, in a slow measured tone. See on Rich. II. i. 3.
For ''em' the folio reads him here, and five lines lower down.
Act V.
Sc. 3.
I approve of this transposition made by Malone.
The 2nd folio, which all follow, adds thy prisoner; alone might be better.
Various attempts have been made to amend 'rough,' but with little success. We might perhaps read dull; but 'rough' may have been used in the sense of rugged, insensible.
For 'Mad,' which makes no sense, Capell read And.
Sc. 4.
I think we should read truce or peace for 'league.'
Sc. 5.
I incline to read Propels for 'Provokes.'
The 2nd folio reads 'bringeth forth.'
KING HENRY VI.—PART II.
Act I.
Sc. 1.
Capell also added Been.
Sc. 3.
For 'mistress' Malone very properly read master. (See on Tam. of Shr. i. 2.) In the Contention the only word used here is master.
One of these 'realms' must be wrong. (Introd. p. 60.) Johnson proposed helm for the first; I make that change in the second. "And you yourself shall steer the happy helm" (i. 3).
The 2nd folio reads 'can need'; 'fast' is Pope's correction for far of the folio.
Act II.
Sc. 1.
In 'The Contention,' etc., 4to, it is dote for 'do it'; the folio reads 'can you.'
The folio reads "it cunning to be great."
Sc. 2.
Sc. 3.
Act III.
Sc. 1.
The proper place of this line is at the end of the speech, where I have placed it in my Edition. It then, it will be seen, refers to the fox, and the preceding line to the brook.
Capell and Collier's folio read suspect.
Sc. 2.
So the name was written evidently by the poet, and Elianor in a following speech of the Queen's. As Margaret had only occurred in the beginning of the play, and she is always simply Queen, Shakespeare, when making the additions, had probably forgotten her real name. Editors are therefore not justified in making alterations.
There is evidently a line lost between these.
So it is given in The Contention.
For 'no' Collier's folio reads to, which seems to be right.
Act IV.
Sc. 1.
This line, so essential to the sense, is not in the folio; to obtain it recourse has been had to The Contention.
For 'are,' Rowe's correction, the folio has and.
For 'our' we should read a or an; for the Captain does not seem to have had any connexion with the House of York. See on Hen. V. ii. Chor.
The folio reads 'True nobility is exempt.' We might also, with a loss of force however, read 'For true,' etc. Still the choice is difficult.
Sc. 2.
Sc. 4.
The 2nd folio supplied be.
Sc. 7.
For 'help' Farmer read pap. "Pap of hatchet" was a common phrase. In the preceding line there is in the folio a misprint of candle for 'caudle.'
Sc. 8.
Both Collier's and Singer's folio properly read rebel.
Sc. 9.
Sc. 10.
Act V.
Sc. 1.
We should perhaps read lurching.
For 'being' it might be better to read having.
Sc. 2.
Sc. 3.
I have followed Collier's folio in reading Old for 'Of'.
For 'brush' and 'brow' Collier's folio reads bruise and bloom.
KING HENRY VI.—PART III.
Act I.
Sc. 1.
This use of 'granted' is unusual; we might read assented.
I do not understand 'cost' here. Singer reads coast.
Sc. 2.
The folio reads 'Witty, courteous.'
We might incline to read 'Intends'; but see Jul. Cæs. iv. 3, and Hen. VIII. i. 3.
Act II.
Sc. 2.
For 'courage' M. Mason gave from the original play carriage, which perhaps is right.
Sc. 5.
The printer evidently omitted weeks.
For 'Men,' which makes no sense, I read Son; Rowe has Lad, Collier Man, Dyce E'en. It is possible also that a prep., as 'fore or to, may have been effaced before 'Men.'
Act III.
Sc. 1.
I read, with Pope, adversities.
Sc. 2.
We should probably read lay or ladle.
Sc. 3.
Act IV.
Sc. 1.
The folio has the for 'thy.'
Sc. 3.
Sc. 6.
Sc. 7.
Act V.
Sc. 5.
For 'the' I incline to read 'thou.'
Sc. 6.
In the first line the 2nd folio adds fate, as it does And in the second line. For fate we might perhaps better read, as I have done, mourning.
KING RICHARD III.
Act I.
Sc. 1.
Here we must read 'Woodeville' as a trisyllable, like Catesby sometimes in this play, and Colleville in 2 Hen. IV. iv. 3.