I conjectured nimble, in which I had been preceded, as usual, by Theobald. "You have a nimble wit." (As You Like It, iii. 2.) The error, however, may be, and I think is, in 'not,' for which I read but, as these words are so constantly confounded. Collier's folio makes the same correction.

For 'And' I incline to read Then. (See on M. N. D. ii. 1.)

Coleridge read 'stray,' which seems better.

This is the reading of Hanmer generally received. That of the folio is 'than these are our respects,' where, if we read 'than these our respects are,' we get perhaps as good a sense. 'Devout' seems to mean devoted, or serious, or in earnest; 'respects' sc. of you, behaviour respecting you.

This passage should certainly be omitted as a repetition. See on iv. 3.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

Act I.

Sc. 1.

In the folio the first of these speeches is given to the Countess; but Tieck saw rightly that it could only belong to Helena. I have transposed the next two speeches; for Lafeu must reply immediately; metrically also his reply is the complement of the speech of Helena, in which 'living' and 'grief' should perhaps change places.

For 'his' I read this, i.e. that of Bertram, whose departure has caused her tears to flow. There is an evident aposiopesis of graced his, arising from the perturbation of her mind, as is proved by the falling of the metric ictus on 'him,' and which also proves that 'his' could not have been the poet's word.

Bertram is always a dissyllable. We might also read 'but only,' but with less force.

This is sheer nonsense; 'virgin,' suggested by the following 'virginity,' should be self-murderer, as I have given it in my Edition, or rather perhaps the legal term felo de se; for what Parolles means is that as suicides were 'buried in highways,' Virginity being such should be treated in the same manner.

For 'two' Hanmer read ten, and Steevens for 'ten' two. The best reading seems to be that of Singer's folio, months for 'years,' which I have given in my Edition.

This is complementary to the preceding speech, of which it completes the metre. The emphasis is to be on 'my,' as her meaning is that her virginity is not yet old and withered. She stops there, and enters on a new subject, and it is evident that at least the first line is lost. It may have been like this, "Monsieur Parolles, you are for the Court," which I have ventured to insert in my Edition; it seems so essential to the sense.

None of the editors seem to have perceived that in this and the six following lines Helena is enumerating the titles, mostly Euphuistic, that lovers at that time used to give their mistresses (comp. L.L.L. iii. 1 ad fin.), "Christendoms," i.e. baptismal names, as she styles them, to which Cupid stood gossip. As 'mother' could hardly have been one of these, I feel almost certain that the original word was lover, which being damaged and only er remaining (see on ii. 1), the printer made 'mother' of it. There is, however, it seems a term mauther or mother still in use in the Eastern counties, and signifying young girl. In Fletcher's Maid in the Mill (iii. 2), the miller says of his daughter,

In the Alchemist (iv. 4) Kastrill says to his sister, "You talk like a foolish mauther." Tusser has in his Husbandry,

And again,

But surely such a term could not be used of the ladies of the Court of France. The context shows that it is not mother-in-law that is meant. 'Captain' in the next line may appear suspicious; but lovers were in the habit of regarding their mistresses as commanders, whose orders they were bound to obey. "She that I spake of our great captain's captain," Othel. ii. 1. Steevens states that guerrière is a favourite term for a mistress in Ronsard.

Sc. 2.

I doubt if the editors have perfectly understood this passage. I cannot, for example, see that they have been aware that the 'tongue' and the 'hand' both belong to the metaphorical 'clock'—the former being the bell which sounds, when the latter gives the signal by arriving at the point of twelve, that is, when 'Exception,' i.e. contradiction, 'bids it speak.'

I would read whose for 'their,' evidently suggested by 'them' in the preceding line; and as the verb 'humble' rarely, if ever, occurs without its object, we should perhaps read, as I have done, 'humbled him.'

I incline to suspect that 'fathers' should be children—not an unusual error. (See Introd. p. 66.) "A parcel of conceited feather-caps, whose fathers were their garments."—Old Play quoted by Steevens. "Whose mother was her painting."—Cymb. iii. 4.

Jonson, Staple of News, i. 1.

See, however, the character of Piso in Marston's Scourge of Villainy, Sat. xi.

Sc. 3.

Fletch. and Rowl. Maid in Mill, ii. 2.

The words in Italics, absolutely necessary for the sense, were supplied by Theobald.

I can only make sense here by reading 'I'd care e'en more for it.' The damp had probably effaced the d, e'e, it, or t, and be. For a similar omission of 'd, see on King John iv. 2. The 'no,' however, may have been a casual insertion of the printer's. In my Edition of these plays, unaware of the rime, I placed be at the end of the line; but I corrected it.

So Theobald properly corrected the loveliness of the folio, the n, as was so frequent, having been turned upside down.

The folio has 'ton tooth to th' other. The 2nd folio made the necessary correction by rejecting tooth—a mere reduplication of 'to th'. Knight, it would appear, was the first to correct 'ton.

For 'captious' we should certainly read, with Farmer, capacious. It was, in fact, only the omission of a letter. (See on M. for M. iv. 2.) T and c were often used indifferently before e and i. Reck might be better than 'lack.'

With Collier's folio I read manifold; "an epithet," says Mr. Dyce, "which, I apprehend, can hardly be applied to 'experience.'" Why not?

One 'help' has evidently been suggested by the other; for the first I would read cure. (See Introd. p. 65.)

The best correction of the passage is to supply tells me after 'in it.' This had evidently been effaced, as in Hen. VIII. i. 2.

I arrange the passage thus:

In the first line I inserted in my Edition all; but it was needless; for 'doctrine' was no doubt pronounced as a trisyllable. 'Off' was evidently added by the printer to complete the metre. (See Introd. p. 67.) For 'in't' of the folio Hanmer read hints.

Unto or upon would seem more correct; but no change is needed.

Act II.

Sc. 1.

This passage has never been understood, yet it is perhaps plain enough. By 'higher Italy' is meant the part more distant from France. "Will you travel higher [i.e. go further south], or return again to France," iv. 3. In this place it is Tuscany that is termed 'higher Italy.' "But then up farther, and as far as Rome," Tam. of Shrew, iv. 2, where the speaker is at Padua. By 'bated' is meant abated, subdued, as we abate a nuisance; 'inherit' is, as usual, possess; and 'the fall of the last monarchy' is the fallen final state of the Roman Empire, the last monarchy according to the current interpretation of the Book of Daniel. "The antique ruins of the Roman Fall."—F. Q. i. 549. "The underseated deities that circle Saturn's fall."—Chap. II. xv. 208. "Redeem'd him from his fall and made him mine."—Fletch. Kt. of Burn. Pest. iv. 3. But perhaps we should read pall, as being still more contemptuous, indicating that the symbol only and not the real power had been inherited. By 'Those,' etc., I think are meant the Ghibelines or Imperial party, to which Siena belonged, while Florence was usually Guelf, the side which was always taken by France, out of opposition to the German Emperor. There is, however, no mention of Guelfs or Ghibelines either in the story in the Decamerone or in the Palace of Pleasure; so that Shakespeare must have gotten his knowledge elsewhere, which is to me one proof, among many, of the extent of his reading. I regard this as the only explanation that gives sense to the passage.

The folio reads 'his cicatrice with.' As usual, Theobald made the correction.

This is the arrangement of the folio, which Malone altered needlessly. For 'see' Theobald read fee, and in the next line bought for 'brought.' These corrections most editors have adopted, but I see no great gain in them. I confess I do not clearly discern the meaning here of either 'see' or fee; and Mr. Staunton's sue is not much better, and I suspect that the poet's word may have been a different one, which I think I can fix on with something like certainty. He wrote then 'I beseech thee,' but ch being either blotted or rubbed out, the transcriber or printer read I be 'Ile,' the usual form of I'll. In Ham. iii. 4, and Tim. i. 2, we have a similar effacement of two letters. "Pardon, my lord.—I pray you all, stand up" (M. N. D. iv. 1), is exactly parallel. See also Hen. VIII. v. 1.

We should, I apprehend, read it for 'you.' There had been no allusion yet to the king.

It would be better to read, with Hanmer, as I have done, 'To write.'

We thus get some appearance of sense; but I still am suspicious of 'blame.' Task might seem better. "I dare not task my weakness with any more."—Othel. ii. 3. We meet, however, in the Faerie Queen with

where blame seems to signify blemish, or expose to blame.

We might suspect 'cause'; but it is right.

Cor. iii. 1.

This would seem to mean that, notwithstanding her boldness, he would still continue to think her modest. It would be derogatory to Helena to read sum for 'one.'

Johnson saw rightly that a line had been lost after this.

For 'shifts' Pope read sits, Theobald fits, which I think is right; fits occurs in the sense of suits in

Son. cxx.

She means, be racked to death. Malone read, as I do, Nay, worst of worse. 'Nay' was sometimes spelt ne. "Is't true? Ne, let him run into the war."—Chapman, All Fools, i.

Warburton also supplied virtue, but after 'wisdom.' In the next scene but one, the King speaks again of her virtue.

This is the correction of Thirlby; the folio has help for 'heaven,' regardless of rime.

The proper word would seem to be 'demand'; but see on As You Like It, ii. 5.

For 'image' Warburton, whom Singer follows, read impage, while Steevens says (and, I believe, truly) there is no such word. By 'image' may be meant child, offspring, which is its signification in

In the original tale she expressly excepts the children and relatives of the King.

Sc. 2.

For 'An end' I feel almost certain we should read Attend, or possibly And now. I have, however, made no change in the text of my Edition. Some point 'An end, sir: to your business.'

Sc. 3.

For 'writ' we should, I think, read wore or with. Mr. Dyce, however, says it was "the phraseology of Shakespeare's time." He should, then, have given us examples of it; for write man and such like are not such. Perhaps this and the following speeches of Lafeu should be Asides.

The folio reads, "Do all they."

So the folio reads and punctuates. The context shows that we should read when, with Thirlby. Two lines further on we have 'additions swell's,' which, reading 'swells,' is grammatically right; but the 2nd folio read 'addition,' and Malone, who is usually followed, swell.

For 'damn'd' we might feel inclined to read dim, damp, or dank. "And in a dark and dankish vault," Com. of Err. v. 1; or (as in Tr. and Cr. iii. 2) blind. The text, however, is probably right, for 'damn'd' often merely meant what is odious, or hateful, was to be condemned or simply was reprehensible. "Surfeits, impostumes, grief, and damn'd despair."—Ven. and Adon. (See on Othel. i. 1.)

I have read, with Theobald, defend. Farmer's explanation of 'defeat' is untenable.

By 'brief' I would understand the marriage-contract; for brief is used with great latitude. So in v. 3 we have "a sweet verbal brief," i.e. commission or address. The 'now borne' of the folio is, I think, now-born, i.e. which has just come into being, been made. Possibly we might read new-born, like "things new-born" (W. T. iii. 3), "new-born gauds" (Tr. and Cr. iii. 3). We have now for new (M. N. D. i. 1). I read come for 'seem.' (See on Macb. i. 2.)

Hanmer transposed 'commission' and 'heraldry'; and most editors have followed him. They seem to be right, and I agree with them.

The folio reads detected; the correction is Rowe's.

Sc. 5.

For 'And' Mr. Collier found End in MS. in a copy of the folio.

So the 2nd folio reads; the 1st has 'to deserve'; and perhaps a noun may have been omitted after 'have.'

Some would transfer 'not' to the former speech, but I think it more likely that not was omitted.

The folio gives all this to Helena; while Theobald, followed by the Cambridge editors, reads "Ber. Where are my other men, monsieur? Farewell."

Act III.

Sc. 1.

Rowe's reading of nation for 'nature' seems certain.

Sc. 2.

Both the sense and the metre require this addition. 'Sold' is the correction of 3rd folio for hold of the 1st.

We should, I think, read 'new ling,' as 'old ling' had just been mentioned.

No doubt are gives sense, but I should prefer as. I have, however, made no change.

The folio reads "of his hand haply."

The folio reads "of that too much." As yet no one has made sense of the second line. Perhaps for 'holds' we should read hurts, foils, or soils. I have adopted the first. 'To have' is, the having. (See Introd. p. 70.)

No sense in which peer is used will answer here. I once thought that 'still' might be taken in the sense of quiet, tranquil; but I have been unable to find an instance of its being so used in composition. It seems, however, to have found favour in the eyes of Mr. Dyce. The reading generally adopted is that of Steevens, piecing; and though the usual meaning of this verb is, to eke, to add, it is also used in the sense of closing, filling. Mr. Dyce doubts if "a poet with a delicate ear would have written piecing ... piercing," not recollecting that the latter was pronounced percing. I should, however, prefer fleeting, which I have given in my Edition. In the Third Part of The Seven Champions (ch. xiii.), the author of which was more than once indebted to Shakespeare, or vice versâ, we read, "Whose feathery arrows outrun the piercing eye, and cut a passage through the fleetiag air." Spenser, too, has (F. Q. ii. 8. 2) "the flitting sky (i.e. air)." Elsewhere he says (vii. 7 22) that the air is felt "to flit still," and in The Tempest (iii. 3) we meet with the "still-closing waters." At the same time, as 'peering' may have been suggested by 'piercing' in the next line, the poet's word may not have resembled it.

As 'ravin' only occurs as a verb, the poet probably used here the part. ravening. "As a ravening and a roaring lion" (Ps. xxii. 13) was evidently in his mind.

Sc. 5.

This is the original stage-direction, in which Violenta—an evident mistake for Violante—might appear to be the name of the daughter, though she is always called Diana. Helen, however, at the end of the scene, mentions a 'gentle maid' along with Mariana, whom she invites to supper.

Here, as in ii. 3, the verb 'write' makes no sense. The 2nd folio has 'I (ay) right,' which, from the punctuation, would seem to have been a mere makeshift; the ordinary reading is that of Malone, 'A right good creature,' which we may be very sure is not what the poet wrote. As in Hamlet (ii. 1) the 4to, 1604, has "a fetch of wit" for "a fetch of warrant" of the folio, my first impulse was to read I warrant—also that of the editors of the Globe Shakespeare; but I then fixed on "I wis," and so it stands in my Edition. I am now convinced that the reading of the 2nd folio, when properly pointed, is the true one. I point it thus: "Ay, right.—Good creature! wheresoe'er she is." The 'Ay, right,' expresses the widow's assent to the truth of her daughter's observation; she then proceeds to speak of Helena. To my great surprise and gratification, I found, after I had made this natural and certain correction, that I had been completely anticipated in it by Capell. How it does provoke one to think of the wilful blindness or obtuseness of editors! For nearly an entire century they have had the true reading before their eyes, and never could see it! Singer has "Ay, right; good creature" etc.; but the punctuation shows he did not understand the passage.

Sc. 6.

'Ore' is Theobald's correction of ours in the folio.

For 'honour' I, with others, have adopted Theobald's correction humour; which, however, is not absolutely certain.

Sc. 7.

As this is the only place in the play where 'county' occurs, and as we have had 'the count he' twice already in this scene, I think we ought to read so here also. (See on Twelfth Night, i. 5.)

The 2nd folio added this, which had evidently been effaced.

If we were not aware of the abjectness of printer-worship, we might wonder at Warburton's most certain correction wicked for the last 'lawful' not having been adopted by every editor.

Act IV.

Sc. 1.

Warburton read mute for 'mule,' and I think he was right. We have "Turkish mute" (Hen. V. i. 2).

In the first line Rowe read 'em for 'on.'

Sc. 2.

Collier's folio reads as stone for 'and stern,' which is very plausible.

I read to for 'by,' in which I had been anticipated by Johnson, who was followed by Malone. 'Swear' naturally suggested 'by' to the printer's mind. (See on Macb. i. 5, R. and J. i. 1.)

Jonson, New Inn, iii. 2.

The same sentiment is expressed in "Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him" (Meas. for Meas. ii. 3). In this speech of Diana's, Mr. Staunton would give 'Then pray you ... love you ill' to Bertram; but without any great advantage.