P. 43. The several and unhidden passages

Of his true titles to some certain dukedoms, &c.—The old text has severals, which is sometimes explained details or particulars. But the context seems fairly to require several, which is Pope's reading. Here, as in divers other places, and, I take it, is simply redundant. So that the meaning is "The several open and apparent derivations," &c.

ACT I., SCENE 2.

P. 47. To fine his title with some show of truth. So the quartos. The folio reads "To find his title." Neither fine nor find yields a very appropriate sense. Johnson at one time conjectured line, but afterwards withdrew the conjecture. As the Poet repeatedly uses to line for to strengthen, I should make no scruple of adopting that word but that line occurs in a very different sense just before. Perhaps bind is the right word. To fix, to confirm, to secure are among the ordinary senses of to bind; so that the word would fit the context very well. And in my experience the letters b and ƒ are apt to be confounded. Collier's second folio substitutes found. See foot-note 9.

P. 48. And rather choose to hide them in a net

-So the Cam

Than amply to imbar their crooked titles, &c.. bridge Editors. The first two quartos have imbace, the third embrace, and the folio imbarre. Warburton proposed imbare, and most of the recent editors have adopted that reading. Of course to imbare must mean to lay bare, to expose. But I think imbar, in the sense of bar, that is, exclude or set aside, accords quite as well with the context, and with less of departure from authority.

P. 48. For in the Book of Numbers it is writ, When the man dies, let the inheritance Descend unto the daughter. So the folio. The quartos read "When the sonne dyes." In our common version of the Bible, the passage referred to stands thus: "If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause the inheritance to pass unto his daughter." For the same as given by Holinshed, see foot-note 13. As Dyce observes, "There is not a word in Scripture about the contingency of the son dying; and the law was declared in consequence of the claim put in

by the daughters of Zelophehad,' who had no sons."" So I think there can be no doubt that we ought to read with the folio; where the having no son is fairly implied.

P. 49. Your brother kings and monarchs of the Earth

Do all expect that you should rouse yourself,

As did the former lions of your blood:

They know your Grace hath cause and means and might.

West. So hath your Highness, &c.—So Walker, and with evident propriety. The old text sets the prefix "West." before the last line of the preceding speech.

P. 50. The King of Scots; whom she did send to France,

To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner kings,

And make her chronicle as rich with praise, &c.—The quartos read "your chronicle," the folio "their chronicle." The correction is fully justified by the context. It was proposed by Johnson. In the second line, Collier's second folio substitutes train for fame. Not an improvement, I think.

P. 51. Playing the mouse in absence of the cat,

To tear and havoc more than she can eat. - Instead of tear, the quartos have spoil, the folio tame; the latter being no doubt a misprint for tear, which is Rowe's correction.

P. 51. Yet that is but a crush'd necessity,

Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries,

And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves. - So the folio. Instead of crush'd, the quartos have curst. Several changes have been made or proposed, the best of which, I think, is Mason's, "that is not a curst necessity." Of recent editors, Collier, White, and Dyce read curst; Singer, Staunton, and the Cambridge Editors, crush'd. On the whole, I find it not easy to choose between the two readings. The sense which the context seems to require is that of a forced or strained necessity; that is, the necessity is apparent only: it is not really necessary that the cat should stay at home, since we have other means of security against the mousing weasel. Cån this sense be fairly got out of crush'd, by taking the word to be used proleptically? a necessity

that will or may be crushed or overcome by the use of locks and traps? The Poet has many like instances of prolepsis. With curst, the meaning seems to be, that it is but a perverse or untoward necessity, one that may vex and annoy; yet it is by no means invincible, since the cat's presence can be made up by something else. — In the third line, Steevens proposed petty instead of pretty. But Shakespeare repeatedly uses pretty with the sense of fit, apt, or suitable.

P. 52. Creatures that, by a rule in Nature, teach

The art of order to a peopled kingdom.—So Pope and Collier's second folio. The old text reads "The Act of Order." To teach an act is rather odd English.

P. 53. France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe,

Or break it all to pieces: there we'll sit,

Ruling in large and ample empery, &c. -The old text reads "Or there wee'l sit"; or having no doubt been repeated by mistake. Corrected by Pope.

Or else our grave,

So

P. 53. Like Turkish mutes, shall have a tongueless mouth. Walker. The folio has "Like Turkish mute." The corresponding passage in the quartos has "like toonglesse mutes."

P. 54. Did claim some certain dukedoms, in the right

Of your great predecessor, Edward Third.-So Collier's second folio. The old text has "King Edward the Third." Pope left out King, and Walker would omit the.

P. 56. We never valued this poor seat of England;

And therefore, living here, did give ourself

To barbarous license.

The old text reads "living hence."

The correction is Hanmer's. Mason justly says of the old reading, that it "cannot be reconciled to sense."

P. 56. But tell the Dauphin, I will keep my state,
Be like a king, and show my soul of greatness,
When I do rouse me in my throne of France:

For here I have laid by my majesty,

And plodded like a man for working days;

But I will rise there with so full a glory, &c.—So Collier's second folio. The old copies have, in the second line, sail instead of soul, and, in the fourth, that and this instead of here. The words sail and throne, it seems to me, do not pull very well together; while the strained attempts which have been made, to explain that or this, are enough, I think, to put the old text out of court.

ACT I., SCENE 3.

- In the folio the first Act of this

P. 58. SCENE III.- London, &c.· play has no marking of the scenes at all, and extends down to the end of what modern editions give as the end of the second Act. And the matter of the present scene is there placed after the second Chorus. Various editors, from Pope downwards, have judged, and rightly, no doubt, that the scene ought to come in before the Chorus, and thus close the first Act, instead of opening the second Act, as it does in modern editions generally. The propriety of the transposition is so evident, that I have ventured to make it.

P. 58. But, when the time comes, there shall be smites. - The old text has smiles instead of smites. The correction was proposed by Farmer, and is made in Collier's second folio.

P. 58. And we'll be all sworn brothers in France. - The old text has "brothers to France," to having probably crept in out of place from the line above. The correction is Johnson's.

P. 58. And, when I cannot live any longer, I will die as I may. So Mason and Walker. The old copies have do and doe instead of die.

P. 59. O well-a-day, Lady, if he be not drawn! - The old text reads "if he be not hewne." Corrected by Theobald.

P. 61. Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master,—and you, hostess. -The old text has "and your hostess."

ACT II., CHORUS.

P. 63. Now thrive the armourers. - Collier's second folio substitutes strive for thrive. I suspect strive is right; but it may be that, in such cases, the armourers were wont to receive a fee from those whom they served.

P. 65. And by their hands this grace of kings must die,

If Hell and treason hold their promises,

Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton.
The sum is paid; the traitors are agreed;

-

Between the third and

The King is set from London; &c. fourth of these lines, the folio has the following:

Linger your patience on, and wee'l digest
Th' abuse of distance; force a play.

Pope tinkered this into "and well digest th' abuse of distance, while we force a play." Collier's second folio reads "and so force a play." No one, so far as I know, has explained the meaning of force a play; and it seems to me stark nonsense. I cannot but regard the two lines

as an interpolation: besides being unintelligible, they have no sort of fitness to the context, and are simply a nuisance. Knight thinks they "" 'were intended to be erased from the author's copy"; and Lettsom says "they appear to have formed a portion of the close of this Chorus, and to have been replaced by the lines beginning with 'The sum is paid.'"

P. 65. We'll not offend one stomach with our play. — Here, again, the folio has two lines added, thus:

But till the King come forth, and not till then,
Unto Southampton do we shift our Scene.

This flatly contradicts what the Chorus has just said, "The scene is now transported, gentles, to Southampton." Moreover, the first line flatly contradicts itself, and cannot be reduced to consistency without changing "Till the King come forth" to "When the King comes forth," which is indeed Hanmer's reading. As I have already noted, the folio