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(fays that gentleman,) is not without value; for though it be in fome places more incorrectly printed than the preceding one, it has likewife the advantage of various readings, which are not merely fuch as re-iteration of copies will naturally produce."

What Dr. Johnfon has ftated, is not quite accurate. The fecond folio does indeed very frequently differ from the firft by negligence or chance; but much more frequently by the editor's profound ignorance of our poet's phrafeology and metre, in confequence of which there is scarce a page of the book which is not disfigured by the capricious alterations introduced by the perfon to whom the care of that impreffion was entrusted. This perfon in fact, whoever he was, and Mr. Pope, were the two great corrupters of our poet's text; and I have no doubt that if the arbitrary alterations introduced by these two editors were numbered, in the plays of which no quarto copies are extant, they would greatly exceed all the corruptions and errors of the prefs in the original and only authentick copy of thofe plays. Though my judgment on this fubject has been formed after a very careful examination, I cannot expect that it should be received on my mere affertion and therefore it is neceffary to fubftantiate it by proof. This cannot be affected but by a long, minute, and what I am afraid will appear to many, an uninteresting difquifition but let it ftill be remembered that to afcertain the genuine text of these plays is an object of great importance.

:

On a revifion of the fecond folio printed in 1632, it will be found, that the editor of that book was entirely ignorant of our poet's phrafeology and metre, and that various alterations were made by

him, in confequence of that ignorance, which render his edition of no value whatsoever.

I. His ignorance of Shakspeare's phrafeology is proved by the following among many other inftances.

He did not know that the double negative was the customary and authorized language of the age of Queen Elizabeth, and therefore, inftead of―

"Nor to her bed no homage do I owe."

he printed

Comedy of Errors, A& III. fc. ii.

"Nor to her bed a homage do I owe."

So, in As you like it, Act II. fc. iv. instead of"I can not go no further," he printed-" I can go no further.'

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In Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. fc. i. Hero, fpeaking of Beatrice, fays,

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Again, in The Winter's Tale, Act I. fc. ii:

"Thou doft make poffible, things not fo held."

The plain meaning is, thou doft make those things poffible, which are held to be impoffible. But the editor of the fecond folio, not underftanding the line, reads

"Thou doft make poffible things not to be fo held;"

i. e. thou doft make thofe things to be efteemed impoffible, which are poffible: the very reverfe of what the poet meant.

In the fame play is this line:

"I am appointed him to murder you."

Here the editor of the fecond folio, not being converfant with Shakspeare's irregular language, reads

"I appointed him to murder you."

Again, in Macbeth:

"This diamond he greets your wife withal,

"By the name of moft kind hoftefs; and fhut up
"In measureless content."

Not knowing that shut up meant concluded, the editor of the fecond folio reads

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In the fame play the word lated, ("Now fpurs the 'lated traveller-") not being understood, is changed to lateft, and Colmes-Inch to Colmes

hill.

Again, ibidem: when Macbeth fays, "Hang thofe that talk of fear," it is evident that these words are not a wifh or imprecation, but an injunction to hang all the cowards in Scotland. The editor of the fecond folio, however, confidering the paffage in the former light, reads:

"Hang them that ftand in fear."

From the fame ignorance,

"And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
"The way to dusty death."

is changed to

"And all our yefterdays have lighted fools
"The way to study death."

In King Richard II. Bolingbroke fays,

"And I must find that title in your tongue," &c.

i. e. you must address me by that title. But this not being understood, town is in the fecond folio fubftituted for tongue.

The double comparative is common in the plays of Shakspeare. Yet, instead of

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I'll give my reafons

"More worthier than their voices."

Coriolanus, A&t III. fc. i. Firft Folio.

we have in the second copy,

"More worthy than their voices."

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So, in Othello, Act I. fc. v.-" opinion, a fovereign mistress of effects, throws a more fafer voice on you," is changed in the fecond folio, to"opinion, &c. throws a more fafe voice on you."

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Again, in Hamlet, Act III. fc. ii. inftead of your wisdom fhould fhow itself more richer, to fignify this to the doctor;" we find in the copy of your wifdom fhould fhow itself more

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1632,
rich," &c.

In The Winter's Tale, the word vaft not being understood,

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they shook hands as over a vast." First Folio.

we find in the fecond copy, 66 as over a vast fea."

In King John, Act V. fc. v. firft folio, are these lines:

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The English lords

By his perfuafion are again fallen off."

The editor of the fecond folio, thinking, I fuppose, that as these lords had not before deferted the French king, it was improper to say that they had again fallen off, fubftituted "—are at last fallen off;" not perceiving that the meaning is, that these lords had gone back again to their own countrymen, whom they had before deserted.

In King Henry VIII. Act II. fc. ii. Norfolk, fpeaking of Wolfey, fays, "I'll venture one have at him." This being misunderstood, is changed in the second copy to-" I'll venture one heave at him."

Julius Cæfar likewife furnishes various fpecimens of his ignorance of Shakspeare's language. The phrafe, to bear hard, not being understood, instead of

"Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæfar hard." Firft Folio.

we find in the fecond copy,

"Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæfar hatred."

and from the fame caufe the words dank, bleft, and hurtled, are difmiffed from the text, and more familiar words fubftituted in their room.1

I

"To walk unbraced, and fuck up the humours
"Of the dank morning." First Folio.
"Of the dark morning." Second Folio.
"We are bleft that Rome is rid of him."
"We are glad that Rome is rid of him."
"The noife of battle hurtled in the air."
"The noife of battle hurried in the air."

Firft Folio.
Second Folio.

Firft Folio.
Second Folia.

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