As 'cased' is skinned, it can hardly be right. I read, as Mitford, I find, had done, caged.
3 Hen. VI. i. 3.
As Shakespeare had re-made this play not long before, the image may have remained in his mind. We might also read raged, i.e. enraged—
or, with Theobald, chafed—
(Hen. VIII. iii. 2).
I rather think that the second 'swear'st' should be swor'st. Possibly to or by was lost at the end of the line; but we have, "Thou swear'st thy gods in vain." Lear, i. 1.
Warburton proposed fiery, needlessly.
Never was a more happy and a more certain correction than S. Walker's transposition of 'imprison'd angels' and 'Set at liberty,' which restores the metre of two lines.
As Shakespeare had read, in the Faerie Queen, of Night "To run her timely race" (i. 5. 45), the attempted corrections of 'race' are all superfluous. So also is Warburton's reading of one for 'on'; for 'Sound on' is keep sounding.
As 'brooded' is brooding, no just objection can be made. Pope proposed broad-eyed, Mitford broad and.
For 'convicted' I read conflicted, i.e. dashed, or dashing together. We have "conflicting wind and rain" (Lear, iii. 1), "conflicting elements" (Tim. iv. 3). It seems more probable than any of the various corrections proposed.
I adopt Pope's reading, 'scape.
So 2nd folio properly reads; the 1st has 'strange actions.'
The reply proves that we should read so.
The context shows that 'this' should be his.
I read 'in my fear.' We have Is for In also in Jul. Cæs. i. 3; the same confusion of these words occurs more than once in Chaucer. I have often met with it in books printed in the last century; and I myself, in writing these Notes, have frequently confounded these words.
As it is plain, from what went before, that they should not have that effect, editors have made a transposition of 'then' and 'should.' It seems to me, however, that here, as in so many other places, the printer omitted the negative after 'should.' I do not perfectly understand 'rest' in the preceding line, but it may be tranquillity, tranquil, undisturbed possession, a sense it bears in Scripture. See Ps. xcv. 11, cxvi. 7.
So also Capell and Collier's folio have transposed in the last line.
For 'As' Pope read Or, Malone And.
For 'not,' which makes no sense, we should read you or but. I prefer the latter.
For 'orders' Collier's folio reads offers, which I have adopted.
For 'Were' the folio has Was, produced by 'isle.'
'Grapple' is Pope's correction; the folio has cripple.
Capell read 'coals of war.'
As there is mention of cards in the next line, I think that in 'bank'd' there may be an allusion to card-playing. The same is the opinion of Mr. Staunton. In Ant. and Cleop. (ii. 2) we have "she pursed up his heart."
For 'unheard' Theobald read unhaired; and we have in Venus and Adonis 'hairless face.' I, however, prefer unbeard, i.e. unbearded, beardless. We have already had in this play 'heat' for heated.
For 'crow' I read cock; Collier's folio reads cock, and crowing for 'crying.' In the next line I read, with Rowe, his for 'this.'
Theobald reads untread and way. A little further on we have, "We will untread the steps of damned flight;" but no change is needed here.
Here 'He' can only refer to John, while it is evidently the Dolphin that is meant. I have therefore, as I find Mr. Lloyd also has done, read Prince for 'French,' and of course lord for 'lords.' But as in this play Prince alone is never used of the Dolphin, it may be that a line is lost. It might have been something of this sort: "And Fortune smile upon the Dolphin's arms."
For 'endless' Theobald read eyeless; but there is no need of change.
We might read any, perhaps, for 'other'; Collier's folio has wrath or.
Collier's folio reads clear; and d and cl might be confounded.
This is the merest prose. Ritson for ask repeats 'demand of'; but it seems to me that the simplest way is to read 'ask of,' making 'Marshal' a trisyllable, as the King of course speaks in a solemn, majestic tone. In 1 Hen. VI. iv. 7, an envoy says: "Great märshal to Henery the Sixth." In Hen. VIII. v. 4, the herald speaks in the same manner.
From what follows, in which she is said to "fright fair Peace," we might suspect that for 'Peace' the poet had written Strife, or some such word.
Pope read fly, and he has been generally followed. I have little doubt that the poet wrote slide (i. q. glide) slow.
Chauc. Tr. and Cress.
In Albumazar we have, "How slow the day slides on!" The d was not sounded in slide-slow. Introd. p. 52.
Theobald proposed 'become passionate'; Singer 'be so passionate.' No change seems to be needed, though the expression is singular.
It might be better to read compass for 'complot,' as the preceding 'plot' may have been in the printer's mind; or plan for 'plot.'
There is here, I think, an aposiopesis, which removes all difficulty; far is usually read for 'fare,' the reading of the 4tos and folio.
By reading 'where' a dissyllable, and thus throwing a metric accent on 'he,' we have the expression of the proud unfeeling character of Richard in the early part of the play. Propriety—to say nothing of metre—demands my lord.
So this place is pointed in the original and subsequent editions, making little or no sense. I punctuate—'As the last taste of sweets is sweetest—last'; in which I find I had been anticipated by Mason. The passage is one of the poet's obscurest. His meaning is that the concluding part of any impression on the senses is the most permanent in its effect on the mind; but how strangely expressed!
The two earliest 4tos read: "As praises, of whose taste the wise are found;" and by reading, as we should, fond, this also gives us very good sense.
Pope read happy, which is doubtless more grammatical, according to the language of later times; but the text is probably as the poet wrote it. See on As You Like it, i. 2.
There seems hardly to be any doubt that 'rag'd,' to which it is impossible to give any tolerable meaning, was suggested by 'rage.' We might read curb'd or, with Ritson, rein'd, as in Cor. iii. 3.
So I read, omitting 'in him,' introduced by the printer, at the end of the second line.
Collier's folio needlessly reads Our for 'Thy.'
From Malone's note it would seem quite plain that a line has been lost after the first; yet the poet may have fallen into error. The person who escaped was Thomas Arundel, the nephew, not the brother, of the 'late archbishop.' I transpose here in agreement with the text of Holinshed and the laws of metre.
The 4tos and folio read 'Thus disorderly thrust.'
The 4tos and folio read "Will the hateful," etc.
It means probably of the time of absence; but it is very awkwardly expressed. Perhaps for 'time' we should read king, which Theobald also proposed. We have "the absent King" (i.e. Rich. II.) in 1 Hen. IV. iv. 3.
I can see no sense in 'despised' here; Singer reads disposed. I prefer displayed, which he also had conjectured.
So also Theobald completed sense and metre.
With Theobald, I am dubious of the last line. The scene would end better with the couplet, and Glendower is not mentioned anywhere else in the play. A little higher up in the scene, however, a line intervenes between two rimes.
For 'Yea,' we should read Even so. Introd. p. 68.
As 4to 1597 reads bouldy for 'bloody', the reading of the other 4tos and the folio, the right reading would seem to be boldly.
Pope reads clasp and Collier's folio feeble, which seem to be better.
We should read off for 'so' suggested by that in the preceding line.
The folios of both Collier and Singer read storm for 'harm.'
We should either read weep for 'sing' or singing for 'weeping.' Pope, who is generally followed, read weep. I prefer singing; so also does Staunton.
She had already called her 'girl' twice.
In the first line something is wanting at the end in both 4tos and folio; in the second the 4tos read 'Do wound,' and those who follow them read 'We at time of year.' I prefer the reading of the folio, adding we cut. If we follow the 4tos, we should read perhaps 'year we still.' The expression 'time of year,' i.e. spring (?) occurs in one of the Sonnets of Thomas Watson (1581?): "And time of year reviveth everything."
So also S. Walker; 2nd folio reads All.
This is nonsense, and the last line is unmetrical. A verb is evidently lost; if we read 'Than to see,' or 'Than see proud,' all becomes clear.
Some reject, as a needless repetition, which destroys the metre, the 'Here cousin' in the second line; but it serves to mark the impatience of the King.
As, on account of the rime, we must read 'day,' it is evident that 'of' is a superfluous addition made by the printers. We have just the same in Meas. for Meas. iv. 4, and elsewhere.
What follows might lead us to read 'the bad.'
This natural—I might almost say inevitable—transposition did not escape Pope; yet many subsequent editors have clung faithfully to the old printers!
This addition of Collier's folio is better than Theobald's of too, which makes an unpleasant jingle.
It might be better to read will for 'I'll.'
The 'and' is most probably a printer's addition.
As this is nonsense, and 'watches' was evidently suggested by 'watch,' I read motions for 'watches on.' "To a minute, to a second; thou shalt set thy watch, and the bridegroom shall observe its motions" (Congreve, Love for Love, iii. 9).
We might incline to read lead; but the text is right. Gifford quotes "Scipio before he levied his forces to the walls of Carthage," from Gosson's School of Abuse, and other passages in its defence.
The explanations given of 'Balk'd' do not satisfy me. Steevens has given some good authority for Bak'd, the conjecture of Grey; but on the whole I incline to Heath's Bath'd. Still I have made no alteration.
Pope also read, as I do, 'cry stand.'
I read 'have found me so. Accordingly.' In Com. of Err. i. 1. and elsewhere we have so for for.
What is the difference between 'myself' and 'my condition,' i.e. natural disposition? I read 'my condition past.'
So Edwards and Johnson properly transposed these lines.
It is so printed in both 4tos and folio; but we surely should read 'is dead.'
Perhaps the poet used the more forceable term, torrent.
Perhaps 'Tying' was not the poet's word. It may have been Turning, or some other.
Such is the proper punctuation, also proposed by Thirlby.
There is evidently a line lost after this.
To all appearance, gentility would be more correct; but he may be playing on the ignorance of the Chamberlain, to whom the word was unknown. He then says 'great-onyers' for great-ones.
So also Capell.
I suspect we should read hot room.
So I read, with the two earliest 4tos; the others and the folio have sun for 'son's'; and, with Malone, I see a reference to the Tale of Phaethon. Of the double genitive there are many instances. Theobald, who is followed by Singer, read butter for 'Titan,' thinking there was an incongruity. But the Prince, in the exuberance of his spirits, spoke rather at random, heedless of the unconnectedness of his discourse.
It may be that never has been omitted before 'didst.'
Hanmer and Warburton were right, I think, in reading eel for 'elf.'
The poet probably wrote 'him keep with thee.'