§ 1. IN the Quarto here facsimiled (Q2) Romeo and Juliet was printed for the first time in a complete form. It has been conjectured that the play was thus put forth by its proprietors, the actors who formed the Lord Chamberlain's company, as a corrective to the imperfect version (Q1), printed by John Danter in 1597. There is, however, no tangible evidence for this conjecture, or indeed anything to show that the publication was other than a private venture of the publisher. Of the MS., however obtained, from which he printed, nothing more can be affirmed with confidence, than that it was a fairly correct copy with certain alterations and amendments written upon its margins. For the history of these revisions, and for the whole question of the relationship of this Quarto to its defective predecessor, I must refer the student to the Introduction to Q1; it will be enough for our present purpose if, following Mr Daniel, I draw attention to two passages, which will prove that these marginal corrections existed. II. iii. 1-4. It will be observed in the Facsimile that these four lines, slightly altered, have got into the middle of Romeo's speech at the end of the previous scene. "Some blunders (checking, burning, etc.) had been made by the copyist in the first four lines of the Friar's speech [iii. 1-4], and these lines were therefore re-written, either in the margin or on a paper attached to it; by an oversight the original lines were not struck through, and by a blunder the revision of them 95960 was misplaced by the printer in Romeo's speech [ii. 187-190], and thus both versions got into the text."1 III. iii. 37-43: "1. And steale immortall bleffing from her lips, 2. Who euen in pure and vestall modestie 3. Still blush, as thinking their owne kisses fin. 6. Flies may do this, but I from this must flie: The above are the lines as they stand in the text, the numbers denoting the order in which they should have been printed, but line 6 should probably have been altogether omitted. "It seems quite certain that in the greater part of this scene Q1 gives a fairly accurate representation of the original play. . . . The following restoration of the 'copy' [on which the printer of Q2 worked] will, I think, make all clear. The original play (Q1) is here printed in Roman type, the revisions and additions in italics. 1. And steale immortall [kisses] from her lips; blessing 2. Who euen in pure and vestall modestie 4. But Romeo may not, he is banished. 3. Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin. 6. Flies may doo this, but I from this 5. This may flyes do, when I from this must flye. 7. They are freemen, but I am banished. must flie, 8. And sayest thou yet, that exile is not death? In the first line there could be no mistake as to the substitution of blessing . . . for kisses. The two added lines, 2 and 3, which are purely parenthetical, should next have followed; but the printer took all the four added lines (2, 3, 5, 8) which he found in the margin, and inserted them together, leaving in the text line 6, for which 5 was a substitute . . . . Line 7 probably got inserted in the right place from its having been written on the opposite margin."2 § 2. The next edition (Q3) was printed (for John Smethwick) 1 Mr P. A. Daniel, Romeo and Juliet, Revised version, 1875, p. 114. in 1609. "It was printed from Q2, from which it differs by a few corrections, and more frequently by additional errors" (Cambridge Editors). It is this edition that was used for the Folio of 1623 (F1). "The text of FI is taken from that of Q3. As usual there are a number of changes, some accidental, some deliberate, but all generally for the worse, excepting the changes in punctuation and in the stagedirections. The punctuation, as a rule, is more correct, and the stage-directions are more complete, in the Folio" (Camb. Ed.). § 3. This facsimile has been compared with the Folio.1 Lines differing from it have been marked †, lines absent from it *, and the absence of stage-directions found in the Folios is denoted by < As usual the Acts and scene divisions and line-numbers are from the Globe Shakespeare. With one exception we know nothing of the original cast of Romeo and Juliet, but in Act IV. sc. v. 1. 102, where Qos. 4 and 5 and the Folios have Enter Peter,2 Q2 has Enter Will Kemp; and we know on similar evidence that this actor played the part of Dogberry in Much Ado about Nothing.3 The name of Cuthbert Burby, the publisher of the present Qo., does not occur on the title-page of any other of Shakspere's plays, except the 1598 Qo. of Loves Labors Lost, and the only other with which the name of John Danter, the printer of Q1, is connected is Titus Andronicus.5 No publisher's name appears on the 1 In the Folio Romeo and Juliet fills pp. 53-79 of the Tragedies. There is no division into acts or scenes, and no list of Dramatis Persona. 2 Were I to edit this play again I should be very much inclined to change this Peter to Sampson, and give that prefix also to the Clowne of Act I. sc. ii., to the 2nd Servant of Act I. sc. v., and to the 2nd Servant of Act IV. sc. ii. See my note, p. 136, Revised edition. When I wrote that note I wasn't aware, or had forgotten, that Pope had made the same remark as to Shakespeare's dramatic power. See p. 4, vol. i., Var. 1821.-P. A. D. 3 Collier, Hist. of Dramatic Poetry, ed. 1879, vol. iii. p. 330. 4 Burby, however, sold (? published) the 1st ed. of the "Taming of a Shrew," printed by P. Short, 1594.-P. A. D. He also published "Edward III.," 1596 and 1599. 5 1593-4.vj.to die Februarij.—John Danter.-Entred for his copye, vnder thandes of bothe the wardens, a booke intituled a Noble Roman Historye of Tytus Andronicus. Stationers' Registers.-No copy of this edition is now known to exist. title-page of QI, and although there is absolutely nothing to show that Burby had anything to do with this venture, it is worthy of remark that about this period he had business relations with Danter. This is proved by the following entries in the Stationers' Registers : Whether there were any other transactions between them, and whether any such had anything to do with Romeo and Juliet must remain an open question. HERBERT A. EVANS. CORRECTIONS. SOME words are left indistinct in the text. Pages 34, 39, 42, 43, and 47 (very bad) should have been canceld, fresh transfers made, and new leaves printed, as has been done with several other pages. 1 Quoted by Dyce, Kemp's Nine Daies Wonder, Camden Society, 1840, p. 35. p. 41, 1. 14, p. 42, 1. 54, Gentlemē că; 1. 139, that is; l. 144, hores and; 1. 166, faw; 1. 169, fide; 1. 170, proteft; 1. 203, 205, Mistresse read swift; 1. 45, ferue -99 182 forrie; 1. 55, tell; 1. 59, vertuous; 1. 60, wher; 1. 61, replieft; 1. 65, Is this; 1. 68, fhrift (not thrift); 1. 73, any, scarlet; 1. 76, darke; 1. 78, burthen p. 43, 1. 10, read their; 1. 27, tongue; 1. 29, either; 1. 30, matter; 1. 33, true. (The 4 lines at the top have been rewritten by hand.) p. 44, 1. 7, read me; 1. 9, indeed there; 1. 12, thy; 1. 19, lesse; 1. 33, wilt tuter; 1. 36, fimple. . life; 1. 40, them p. 45, 1. 47, p. 46, 1. 77, read uing Alla ftucatho; 1. 81, vse mee; 1. 82, drie beate; 1. 89, Benuolio; 1. 90, fhame; l. 100, well, . . . wide P. 47, 1. III, read your; 1. 122 (crumpled in Qo.), That gallant spirit hath afpir'd; 1. 133, Staying; 1. 140, thou art taken p. 48, 1. 159, P. 49, III. ii. read vrgd before.. feftiuall; 1. 29, child that; 1. 32, newes craues; 1. 24, rude Iuliet p. 50, 1. 28, p. 54, 1. 5, carrion; 1. 38, euen studie yet neare; 1. 10, Mountaine tops; 1. 14, Torch; 1. 15, to; l. 18, thou... fo p. 64, l. 156, read thither Take; 1. 97, furcease flower p. 66, 1. 210, p. 69, 1. 80, p. 70, 1. 93, p. 75, 1. 29, comfort Put not; 1. 66, Stay.. liue; 1. 74, faith; 1. 76, betoffed ingroffing; l. 120, kiffe. (The Catchword, of which the lower part is cut off, is Enter.) 'Frier' is due to the lithografer's fancy. The signature, almost cut off, is L 3. |