Arrange, with all the other modern editors; "But must be,-will his free hours languish for Assured bondage." Had Mr. Collier any particular objection here to "for" at the end of the line? We have afterwards in this play (act ii. sc. 3); "I will make One of her women lawyer to me; for I yet not understand the case myself." "For p. 173. The contract you pretend with that base wretch," &c. SCENE 7.-C. p. 165. p. 174. ''tis plate of rare device, and jewels Of rich and exquisite form. Their values great, And I am something curious, being strange, To have them in safe stowage." The other modern editors point; "'tis plate, of rare device, and jewels, Of rich and exquisite form; their values great ; with which punctuation "values" is right enough. But when Mr. Collier (in opposition to all the old copies) made "Their” the commencement of a new sentence, it became absolutely necessary to read ' value 's." ACT II. SCENE 2.-C. p. 170. Swift, swift, you dragons of the night, that dawning "Mr. Barron Field thinks that this expression has been hitherto understood too literally, as meaning that the 'raven's eye' is 'bared,' or opened, by the dawning': he apprehends that night is here poetically described as 'the raven.' This may certainly be so, and the suggestion deserves attention, though we are not acquainted with any SCENE 5.-C. p. 154; K. p. 214. "Iach. You are a friend, and therein the wiser. If you buy ladies' flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preserve it from tainting. But I see, you have some religion in you, that you fear.” Both Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight pass by this speech without any remark. After carefully comparing it with the context, I feel perfectly satisfied that Warburton's correction, "You are afraid, and therein the wiser," is the genuine reading. In the attempts of the commentators to explain, “You are a friend, and therein the wiser," there is nothing but weakness. SCENE 6.-C. p. 158; K. p. 218. "the agent for his master, And the remembrancer of her, to hold The hand fast to her lord." So too Mr. Knight; and most erroneously.-Read i. e. The contract.-Compare Beaumont and Fletcher; 66 Should leave the handfast that he had of grace.' The Woman-Hater, act iii. sc. 1. "I knit this holy handfast." Wit at Several Weapons, act v. sc. 1. (where the modern editors give wrongly, with the old eds., "hand fast.") "I have given him that, Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her Of leigers for her sweet." "Possibly sweet,' as the Rev. Mr. Barry proposes, ought to be suite." COLLIER. Surely, though such a villanous conjecture as this might be sent to Mr. Collier, he was not bound to record it. SCENE 7.-C. p. 161. 'What woman is, yea, what she cannot choose But must be,-will his free hours languish For assur'd bondage?' Arrange, with all the other modern editors; "But must be,—will his free hours languish for Assured bondage." Had Mr. Collier any particular objection here to “for” at the end of the line? We have afterwards in this play (act ii. sc. 3); "I will make One of her women lawyer to me; for I yet not understand the case myself." "For p. 173. The contract you pretend with that base wretch," &c. SCENE 7.-C. p. 165. p. 174. "'tis plate of rare device, and jewels Of rich and exquisite form. Their values great, And I am something curious, being strange, The other modern editors point; "'tis plate, of rare device, and jewels, Of rich and exquisite form; their values great ; with which punctuation "values" is right enough. But when Mr. Collier (in opposition to all the old copies) made “ Their” the commencement of a new sentence, it became absolutely necessary to read ' value 's." ACT II. SCENE 2.-C. p. 170. Swift, swift, you dragons of the night, that dawning poe Mr. Barron Field thinks that this expression has been hitherto understood too literally, as meaning that the raven's eye' is 'bared,' or opened, by the dawning': he apprehends that night is here tically described as 'the raven.' This may certainly be so, and the suggestion deserves attention, though we are not acquainted with any other instance where night is so personified, admitting that the 'raven' and its plumage are often mentioned as accompaniments of, or similes for night; as in the well-known words of Milton :— ' smoothing the raven down Of darkness till it smiled."" COLLIER. That "you dragons of the night" mean 'you dragons that draw the chariot of the Night,' neither Mr. Field nor Mr. Collier will, I presume, dispute: here, therefore, Night is spoken of as A GODDESS; and is it to be supposed for a moment that in the very next line Shakespeare would turn her into A RAVEN? Besides, how could the "dawning" be said to open the eye of Night? do not poets invariably describe Night as betaking herself to repose at the dawn of Day? "Darknesse is fled: looke, infant Morn hath drawne Marston's Antonios Reuenge, 1602, sig. в 2. "" SCENE 3.-C. p. 171; K. p. 233. 'If this penetrate, I will consider your music the better: if it do not, it is a vice in her ears, which horse-hairs, and calves'-guts, nor the voice of unpaved eunuch to boot, can never amend.” "Vice' is misprinted voice in all the old folios." COLLIER. Mr. Knight retains "voice in her ears," observing, "It has been changed to vice. But why?" The answer is, because common sense shews the absolute necessity of the change. Be pale: I beg but leave to air this jewel; see!— Here Mr. Collier has no note. [Producing the Bracelet." Mr. Knight points; "Iach. Then, if you can [Pulling out the bracelet. Be pale, I beg but leave to air this jewel: see!"— with the following note; "The passage is usually pointed thus Then, if you can Be pale: I beg but leave to air this jewel.' Johnson interprets this reading, 'if you can forbear to flush your cheek with rage.' Boswell says, 'if you can restrain yourself within bounds. To pale is commonly used to confine or surround.' We follow the punctuation of the original, which gives a clear meaningThen, if you can Be pale, I beg but leave to air this jewel.' Iachimo has produced no effect upon Posthumus up to this moment; but he now says, if you can be pale, I will see what this jewel will do to make you change countenance." I have no doubt that the punctuation given by Mr. Collier is right; and that the passage means, Then, if you can (i. e. if any thing has power to make you change colour), be pale (become pale at the sight of this): I beg,' &c. SCENE 4.-C. p. 180. 66 It may be probable she lost it; or, Who knows, if one, her women, being corrupted, Hath stolen it from her?" The Editor of the folio, 1632, inserted of before 'her women,' but unnecessarily, the expression being elliptical- if one, her women,' is the same as if one of her women.'" COLLIER. Mr. Collier here adopts from the first folio an error, in defence of which no body ever dreamed of saying a word. Such an ellipsis is impossible. We have had before in the present play; I will make Act ii. sc. 3, p. 173. One of her women lawyer to me." ACT 111. SCENE 2.-C. p. 186. “Pis. How! of adultery? Wherefore write you not What monsters her accuse ?-Leonatus! O, master! what a strange infection Is fallen into thy ear! What false Italian |