"now Margaret

Must strike her sail, and learn awhile to serve

Where kings command"?

276. For that, etc. Johnson explains: "To qualify myself for this undertaking, I have descended from my station, and studied the arts of life in a lower character." The quartos have "For this," etc. Collier's Ms. Corrector substitutes "For here," etc. W. N. Lettsom says "that' seems to be a misprint for yet,' that is, as yet."

306, 307.

That may with reasonable swiftness add
More feathers to our wings.

Collier's Ms. Corrector and Singer's Ms. Corrector read "That may with seasonable swiftness," etc.; but compare Troilus and Cressida, ii. 2. 42–44,

"Who marvels then, when Helenus beholds

A Grecian and his sword, if he do set
The very wings of reason to his heels,” etc.

ACT II.

PROLOGUE.-3. Now thrive. Collier's Ms. Corrector reads "Now strive."

31, 32. Linger your patience on, and we 'll digest The abuse of distance; force a play.

The folio reading. Pope and Dyce read, in the first line, "well digest;" and in the second, "while we force a play." Dyce says: "These two lines seem strangely out of place; and perhaps Knight is right in supposing that

they were intended to be erased from the author's copy.' The Prologue is not in the quartos. W. N. Lettsom says: "These two lines are corrupt and unintelligible; but they appear to have formed a portion of the close of this Chorus, and to have been replaced by the eight lines beginning with The sum is paid.""

41. But, till the king come forth, and not till then. Hanmer printed " But when the king comes forth, and not till then." Malone proposes "Not till the king come forth, and but till then." W. N. Lettsom says: "This line as it stands involves a contradiction; but probably the scribbler who wrote it gave it as it is given by Hanmer. It seems to me (with the next line) to be an awkward attempt (certainly not by Shakespeare) to account for the very next scene being laid in Eastcheap instead of Southampton. This Chorus, in fact, should be placed immediately after what is now the first scene of the second act, as Pope saw; and I do not see why Theobald's opinion should have been preferred.”

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SCENE I. 5. there shall be smiles. The folio reading. Steevens says: "Dr. Farmer, with great probability, would read there shall be smites,' that is, blows, a word used in the midland counties." Collier's Ms. Corrector makes the same alteration; "and," says Dyce (who reads "smites"), "that it is absolutely necessary we have proof in the strange attempts of the commentators to explain 'smiles.'"

11. sworn brothers to France. So the folio. This is not in the quartos. Dyce reads "in France.”

15. do as I may. The old reading. Mason, Walker, and Dyce read "die as I may."

26. Enter Pistol and Hostess (stage-direction). Here

the quartos have "Enter Pistol and Hostes Quickly, his wife;" the folio has " Quickly." Of course, “Host

ess

...

" is now the only proper appellation for " the quondam Quickly."

35, 36. O well-a-day, Lady, if he be not drawn now! we shall see wilful adultery and murder committed. The folio has " if he be not hewne now, we," etc. Dyce arranges the passage thus: “O well-a-day, Lady, if he be not drawn ! Now we shall see,' etc., and says: "When, in my Remarks on Mr. Collier's and Mr. Knight's editions of Shakespeare, p. 117, I substituted 'drawn' for 'hewne,' I was not aware that Theboald had anticipated me." Compare Romeo and Juliet, i. 1. 64, “What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?" and Beaumont and Fletcher's Valentinian, iv. 4,

"He's drawn;

By heaven, I dare not do it !”

The quartos have “O Lord heeres Corporall Nims [and 'Nim'], now shall we haue," etc.

37, 38. Bard. Good lieutenant! good corporal! offer nothing here. Malone made this a portion of the preceding speech, printing “Good lieutenant Bardolph, — good corporal, offer nothing here ;" and I have now to regret that in my Remarks on Mr. Collier's and Mr. Knight's editions of Shakespeare, p. 117, I found fault with Collier for adhering to the old text, the inconsistency of which may perhaps, after all, be attributed to the author himself, for he has other passages which exhibit the like inconsistency. Here, of course, the difficulty lies in the word "lieutenant," for which Capell substituted "ancient;" but it seems to have escaped the notice of

all the editors that a similar impropriety occurs in 2 Henry IV., towards the close of which (v. 5. 89, 90) Falstaff says, "come, Lieutenant Pistol," though earlier in that play Pistol is "ancient" (ii. 4. 65, 78, 105). Again, in the present play Bardolph's military title is unaccountably varied; at the commencement of this scene Nym calls him "Lieutenant," but in iii. 2. 2 he addresses him as " corporal" (which "corporal" is certainly not to be explained away on the supposition of Knight, or rather of Zachary Jackson, that "Nym, in his fright, forgets his own rank and Bardolph's also"). Since, therefore, there is a probability that these inconsistencies may have arisen from some inattention on the part of Shakespeare himself, I doubt if an editor be justified in doing more than pointing them out to the reader. 79, 80. Boy. Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, and you, hostess. The folio has " your Hostesse." The quartos have " Boy. Hostes you must come straight to my maister, and you Host Pistoll."

and

114. Host. As ever you came of women, come in quickly. The folio has “ ..come of women," etc., which is corrected in the second folio. The quartos have "Hostes. As euer you came of men come in," etc. I should not have noticed this, had not Knight and Collier replaced in the text the reading of the folio.

124, 125. for, lambkins, we will live. That is, says Malone (reading, like Dyce, with the quartos, “for lambkins we will live," omitting commas), "we will live as quietly and peaceably together as lambkins." The folio has: "for (Lambekins) we will liue."

SCENE II. 26. I think. Omitted by Pope.

35. According to the weight. So the folio. The quartos

have " According to their cause." Dyce reads “ their weight."

43. And on his more advice. The old reading. W. N. Lettsom (whom Dyce follows) says: "Read, with Collier's Ms. Corrector, our more advice.' The error proceeded from him' and his ' occurring in the neighbourhood. Compare The Two Gentlemen of Verona, ii. 4. 203, 204,

How shall I dote on her with more advice,

That thus without advice begin to love her!'

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and Measure for Measure, v. 1. 462, Yet did repent me, after more advice.' In both these passages more advice' means further consideration; that is, further consideration in the mind of the speaker. Singer, therefore, should not have quoted the latter of these passages in defence of 'his' in the present passage."

is

61. Who are the late commissioners? Here "late' explained as " lately appointed." Collier's Ms. Corrector substitutes “state."

64, 65. Scroop. So did you me, my liege.

So the folio. The quarto has, in the second line, « Gray. And me my Lord." Dyce adopts the quarto's "me," and says: "The reading of the folio (which Knight and Collier have restored) is a very improbable one, and hardly to be defended, either on the plea that there is an ellipsis, And I [am one,] my royal sovereign,' — or that 'I' was formerly sometimes used inaccurately for 'me.' When Shakespeare had once made Scroop say, 'So did you me,' etc., it was altogether unlikely that he