through confused or omitted punctuation; although the Old Pointing, as a whole, is wonderfully minute and intelligent. It is our purpose to take up, in a future Introduction, the subject of the Punctuation of the First Folio, and we have no doubt whatever, that, on giving, side by side, passages as pointed in the First Folio and in the Modern Editions, we shall succeed in dispelling the notion apt to be created through the exceptional misty sentences, and get our readers to acknowledge the immense superiority of what we believe to be Shakspere's own wellweighed Pointing, as fastidiously set down in the Manuscripts used by Heminge and Condell. It is also our intention to give Remarks on the Regulation of Lines in the Original Folio; through departure from which much injury has been sustained by many of the Plays. There are not a few passages in the present Tragedy, which have been seriously damaged by lengthening or shortening the original lines. One of these is where Volumnia and Menenius meet Coriolanus on his victorious return from Battle. The Twenty-nine short lines beginning with "I know not where to turn" (p. 31) and ending with "Will cast upon thee,” and which are so expressive of gasping and excited delight and love, are, in one of the best editions of our day, compressed into eleven commonplace, phlegmatic lines: a kind of transformation which we cannot comprehend, except by believing that it has been attained more through regard to the Shape of the printed matter, than its Meaning. When we see such squaring and smoothing, and sacrificing to outline, we think on George Puttenham, where, in his "Arte of English Poesie (1589),” he treats of "Proportion in figure," and says: "The Piller is a figure among all the rest of the Geometricall most beawtifull, in respect that he is tall and upright and of one bigness from the bottom to the top. Your dittie then being reduced into the forme of the Piller," &c.

Similar to those which we included in our Introduction to Hamlet, there is in the Coriolanus of the First Folio a goodly number of passages, rendered meaningless through the Emphasis-Capital having misled the Printers. Such are not the nebulous passages we have just referred to as occasionally "giving us pause," for the sense in their case is generally so obvious and irresistible that it overrides the obstacle, and in Modern Editions these are, almost without exception, set down in their right mind. But the portions mispointed or misprinted are reduced to quite a few, when we set apart, and regard by themselves, those into

which there has been "Ruins wasteful entrance," through the unlooked for and arbitrary manner in which Shakspere employed his EmphasisCapital. The large number of these in the present Tragedy, so far from being regretted by us, is rather welcome, as it goes to build up still higher the proof, that these Letters were so unregulated by trades rules, that they must have been the very "Black Dog" of the Original Compositors. In the most of cases their being encountered led to the passages being mispointed, and divided into contradictory fragments, and now and then it resulted in the insertion of a wrong word. The following are a few examples of the former class :

We'll break our Walls (Page 14.)

Rather than they shall pound us up our Gates,

Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with Rushes,
They'll open of themselves.

The Capital Letter to "Gates" was the ignis fatuus here.

See here these movers that do prize their hours (Page 16.)
At a crack'd Drachme: Cushions, Leaden Spoons,

Irons of a Doit, Doublets that Hangmen would

Bury with those that wore them.

Ere yet the fight be done, pack up,

These base slaves,

Here the Capital to "These" misled. It should be :

Bury with those that wore them, These base slaves, &c. The fires i' th' lowest hell. Fold in the people: (Page 65.) The Capital here given to the verb caused the mischief. It ought, of course, to be :

The fires i' th' lowest hell Fold in the people.

deliver you (Page 67.)

As most abated Captives, to some Nation
That won you without blows, despising
For you the City. Thus I turn my back;
There is a world elsewhere.

This should be :

That won you without blows; despising
For you the City Thus I turn my back.

The Thus being most suggestive of contemptuous action.

You were us'd (Page 68.)

To say Extremities was the trier of spirits,

That common chances. Common men could bear,

That when the Sea was calm, all Boats alike

Shew'd Mastership in floating.

Here the Emphasis-Capital to "Common" misled. It should be :

That common chances Common men could bear.

An instance of the cases where alteration of Words has sprung from the same source, we have here:

The breasts of Hecuba

When she did suckle Hector, look'd not lovelier

Than Hector's forehead, when it spit forth blood
At Grecian sword. Contenning, tell Valeria

We are fit to bid her welcome.

In the Three After Folios we have "Swords Contending," and the Capital Letter given to "Contending" puzzled the Printers, and led them to suppose it was a Proper Name, which they, with a little difference, made it. Perhaps a similar reason led to the other strange Proper Name in the stage direction, "Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, with Cumaliis.'

The following List includes, we believe, all deviations from the original text of this Tragedy, which are to be found in the Three After Folios:

· Over he comes, and up again: catcht it again: (Page 12.)

The Fourth Folio has "and caught it again.”

No, I'll nor sell, nor give him : Lend you him I will. (Page 14.)

The Fourth Folio has "Lend him you.”

As they us to our Trenches follows. (Page 15.)

The Second and Third Folios have "followed."

Flower of Warriors, how ist with Titus Lartius? (Page 18.)

The Fourth Folio has "Titus Lucius.”

If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd. (Page 23.)

The Third Folio has "against."

(Tis South the City Mills.) (Page 25.)

The Third Folio has " Mill."

Especially in Pride. (Page 26.)

The Fourth Folio has "Especially Pride."

That say you are reverend grave men. (Page 27.)

"Men" is left out by the Third Folio.

Do press among the popular Throngs. (Page 32.)

The Fourth Folio has "'mong."

And dispropertied their Freedoms." (Page 33.)

The Fourth Folio has "disproportioned."

And his assent is not by such easy degrees as those, (Page 34.)

The Second Folio has "ascent."

And to send for Titus Lartius: (Page 35.)

The Fourth Folio has "Lucius."

We do request your kindest ears (Page 35.)

The Second Folio has "ear."

When with his Amazonian Shin (Page 36.)

The Third and Fourth Folios have "Chin."

Was Brown-bound with the Oak. (Page 37.)

The Fourth Folio "with Oak."

Man enter'd thus, he waxed like a Sea (Page 37.)

The Second Folio has "uated," the Third and Fourth "waited."

as Weeds before (Page 37.)

A vessel under sail,

The Three After-Folios have "Waves before."

Ay but mine own desire (Page 41.)

b

The Second has "Ay, no," and the Third and Fourth "Ay, not."

Would think upon you, for your Voices, (Page 44.)

And translate his Malice towards you

The Second has:

Translate, &c.,

your Voices, and

More than you doubt the change on't: That prefer (Page 52.)

The Third has:

the change of't: that prefer

Help ye Citizens. (Page 52.)

The Fourth Folio has "Help me Citizens."

Ay, as an Hostler, that fourth poorest price (Page 64.)

The Second Folio has "for th' poorest."

Supplied with worthy men, plant love amongs (Page 64.)

The Fourth Folio has "amongst you.'

دو

To'th'Rock, to'th'Rock with him (Page 65.)

The Three After-Folios have only "To the Rock with him."

To say, Extremities was the trier of spirits (Page 68.)

The Second Folio has "Extremity."

Aufidius well appear well. (Page 72.)

The Fourth Folio has "will appear well."

who Twin (as twere) in Love, (Page 73.)

Unseparable,

The Second Folio has "Turine."

My Birthplace have I, and my loves upon (Page 73.)
This Enemy Town.

The Fourth has "and my lover."

The Feast smells well. (Page 74.)

The Second and Third Folios omit "well."

How more unfortunate than all living women (Page 96.)