flye; the Curfes he shall haue, the Tortures he fhall feele, will breake the back of Man, the heart of Monster. Clo. Thinke you so, Sir? Aut. Not hee alone fhall fuffer what Wit can make heauie, and Vengeance bitter;but thofe that are Iermaine to him (though remou'd fiftie times) shall all come vnder the Hang-man: which, though it be great pitty, yet it is neceffarie. An old Sheepe-whiftiing Rogue, a Ram-tender, to offer to haue his Daughter come into grace?Some say hee shall be fton'd: but that death is too foft for him (fay I:) Draw our Throne into a Sheep-Coat? all deaths are too few, the sharpest too easie. Clo. Ha's the old-man ere a Sonne Sir (doe you heare) and't like you, Sir? Aut. Hee ha's a Sonne : who shall be flayd aliue, then 'noynted ouer with Honey, set on the head of a Waspes Neft, then stand till he be three quarters and a dram dead: then recouer'd againe with Aquavite, or fome other hot Infusion: then, raw as he is(and in the hotest day Prognoftication proclaymes) shall he be set against a Brick-wall, (the Sunne looking with a South-ward eye vpon him; where hee is to behold him, with Flyes blown to death.) But what talke we of these Traitorly-Rascals, whose miseries are to be fmil'd at, their offences being so capitall Tell me(for you seeme to be honest plaine men)what you haue to the King: being fomething gently confider'd, Ile 861. Termaine] F2 Jermain FF4 Germain Rowe. german Theob. 864. whifting] F 867. Sheep-Coat] sheep-cote Han. 857 860 865 870 875 880 882 873. then stand] there stand Cap. Coll. MS, Walker, Dyce ii, iii. 874. Aquavite] Aquavitæ F. Aqua-vita F,F writ of mainprize nothing is now known in practice. The distinction between mainpernors and bail was technical and well defined in the time of Shakespeare. 875. Prognostication] JOHNSON: That is, in the hottest day foretold in the almanack.-MALONE: Almanacks were published in Shakespeare's time under this title: An Almanack and Prognostication made for the year of our Lord God 1595.' 879. Traitorly] See ABBOTT (§ 447) for other examples of adjectives formed with -ly, which represents like, and is a corruption of it. 882. being something gently consider'd] STEEVENS: This means, 'I having a gentlemanlike consideration given me,' i. e. a bribe. So in The Three Ladies of London, 1584: Sure sir, I'll consider it hereafter if I can. Dissimulation. What, consider me? does thou think that I am a bribe-taker?'[p. 279, ed. Hazlitt-Dodsley.] bring you where he is aboord, tender your persons to his presence, whisper him in your behalfes; and if it be in man, besides the King, to effect your Suites, here is man shall doe it. Clow. He feemes to be of great authoritie: close with him, giue him Gold; and though Authoritie be a stubborne Beare, yet hee is oft led by the Nose with Gold: shew the in-side of your Purse to the out-fide of his hand, and no more adoe. Remember fton'd, and flay'd aliue. 883 885 890 Shep. And't please you(Sir)to vndertake the Businesse for VS, here is that Gold I haue: Ile make it as much more, and leaue this young man in pawne, till I bring it you. 895 Aut. After I haue done what I promised? Shep. I Sir. Aut. Well, giue me the Moitie : Are you a partie in this Bufineffe? 900 Clow. In fome fort, Sir: but though my case be a pittifull one, I hope I shall not be flayd out of it. Aut. Oh, that's the case of the Shepheards Sonne : hang him, hee'le be made an example. Clow. Comfort, good comfort: We must to the King, and shew our strange sights: he must know 'tis none of your Daughter, nor my Sifter: wee are gone else. Sir, I will give you as much as this old man do's, when the Bufineffe is performed, and remaine(as he fayes)your pawne till it be brought you. 884. behalfes] behalf F, Rowe+. 885. Suites] Suit F. is man] is a man FF, Rowe+, Var. '73, '85. the man Ktly. 887-892. [Aside. Cap. 888. and though] for though Daniel. 905 910 888, 889. Mnemonic lines, Warb. 888. and though] WALKER (Crit. ii, 157) says that and has nothing to do here,— it is 'an though.'-ABBOTT (§ 105) says that 'and' is used here emphatically for even. 889. hee is] WALKER (Crit. ii, 246): I think the English of Shakespeare's time requires is he [which is possibly the reason why the Clown uses 'he is.'—ED.] 901. my case] It has been thought necessary by some editors to explain this evident pun. Aut. I will truft you. Walke before toward the Seafide, goe on the right hand, I will but looke vpon the Hedge, and follow you. Clow. We are bless'd, in this man: as I may say, euen blefs'd. Shep. Let's before, as he bids vs : he was prouided to doe vs good. Aut. If I had a mind to be honeft, I fee Fortune would not suffer mee: fhee drops Booties in my mouth. I am courted now with a double occasion:(Gold, and a means to doe the Prince my Master good; which, who knowes how that may turne backe to my aduancement?) I will bring these two Moales, thefe blind-ones, aboord him. if he thinke it fit to shoare them againe, and that the Complaint they haue to the King, concernes him nothing, let him call me Rogue, for being fo farre officious, for I am proofe against that Title, and what shame elfe belongs to't To him will I present them, there may be matter in it. Exeunt. 911. you.] you, F3F4 Rowe+. you; Han. 912. looke] leake Theob. conj. 914-917. [Aside. Dyce ii, iii. 917. [Exeunt. Ff. Exeunt Shep. and Clown. Rowe. 911 915 920 925 929 922. how that may turne backe] both may turn belike Bailey (ii, 241). backe] luck Coll. ii, iii (MS). 923. Moales] Moals F ̧ moles Pope. 929. Exeunt.] Exit. Rowe. 922. that may turne backe] COLLIER (ed. ii): All editors have been in the habit of repeating and reprinting nonsense here. To turn luck is a very common and intelligible expression, and Autolycus uses it, according to the MS. There is no meaning in turning back to my advancement,' whatever efforts may be made to extract one, and back for 'luck' was a very likely misprint.-LETTSOM (Preface to Walker's Crit. p. xliii): I agree with Collier that this is nonsense, though formerly he as well as all other editors, thought it so clear as to need no explanation. I do not, however, see how the matter is much mended by merely turning 'back' into luck. . . . I should say that [to turn luck] is rather ambiguous than intelligible. Possibly Shakespeare may have written who knows but luck may turn to my advancement.' At any rate, it is better English to say that fortune turns an opportunity, than that an opportunity turns fortune, to a man's advancement. [Hudson adopted Lettsom's emendation. I cannot see that any is needed. Autolycus has two ventures on hand: Gold from the Shepherd, and an experiment on the Prince. Of the issue of the former he is certain; but as to the shape for good or for ill, in which the result of the experiment on the Prince will come back to him, he is doubtful. If he had said: 'as to which, who knows how that may recoil to my advancement,' it could not, I think, be termed 'nonsense,' although it might be said 'recoil' is used in an unusual connection.-ED.] Actus Quintus. Scena Prima. Enter Leontes, Cleomines, Dion, Paulina, Seruants: Florizel, Perdita. Cleo. Sir, you haue done enough, and haue perform'd A Saint-like Sorrow: No fault could you make, Which you haue not redeem'd ; indeed pay'd downe 5 More penitence, then done trespas : At the last Doe, as the Heauens haue done; forget your euill, Leo. Whileft I remember Her, and her Vertues, I cannot forget My blemishes in them, and so still thinke of 1. Scena] Scæna F,F,. A Room in Leontes' Palace. Cap. 2. Seruants:] Servants FF. Servants, F. 3. Florizel, Perdita.] Om. Rowe et seq. 10. Whileft] Whilft F, et seq. 10 15 17 16, 17. of, true. Paul. Too true] Ff, Rowe, Pope. of: true. Paul. Too true Coll. i, ii. of. Paul. True, too true Theob. et cet. 12. in them] See ABBOTT (§ 162) for other examples of the use of 'in' with the sense of as regards, about, etc.; as 'our fears in Banquo stick deep.'-Macb. III, i, 49. sense. 16, 17. true. Too true] THEOBALD: A very slight examination will convince every intelligent reader that true [at the end of Leontes' speech] has jumped out of its place in all the editions. What the king would say is absolutely complete without it; and the placing it where the printed copies have done is an embarrassment to the These two reasons, I hope, will be sufficient to justify my transposition [of it to the beginning of Paulina's speech].—COLLIER: We restore here the reading of the old editions. Leontes, in grief and remorse, states a fact and adds mournfully 'true'; to which Paulina naturally subjoins that it is 'too true.' . . . The word 'true,' printed, as it is, without a capital in F,, could hardly have found its way into the preceding line by a mere error of the press.-R. G. WHITE (ed. i): As to the effect of the two arrangements, it appears that if Paulina, on the close of the king's selfaccusation, answers in the ordinary phrase, True, too true,' she is far less bitter than if, after he had paused and added 'true,' she begins her reply, ' too true,' thus intensi 18 If one by one, you wedded all the World, She I kill'd? I did fo: but thou ftrik'ft me Sorely, to say I did: it is as bitter 20 24 23. She I kill'd?] Kill'd? she I kill'd Theob. Warb. Johns. Walker, Dyce ii, iii, Huds. fying his self-reproach by her first word, instead of softening it. But this consideration is of less consequence than the entire unfitness of 'true' at the end of the king's speech; what was strong before, it makes weak and commonplace.-DYCE (Strictures, p. 86): It is almost inconceivable that any person reading these speeches with moderate attention should fail to see that the word 'true' at the end of the speech of Leontes has been shuffled out of its place, and that it should be restored to Paulina. [WALKER (Crit. ii, 179) also approves of restoring 'true' to Paulina, whereof the propriety is, to me, clear.-ED.] 19. from the All that are, etc.] JOHNSON: This is a favourite thought; it was bestowed on Miranda and Rosalind. [See, 'But you, O you, So perfect, and so peerlesse, are created Of euerie Creatures best.'-—Temp. III, i, 57 (of this ed.); also, 'Thus Rosalinde of manie parts, by Heauenly Synode was deuis'd, Of manie faces, eyes, and hearts, to haue the touches deerest pris'd.'—As You Like It, III, ii, 148, of this ed.] 22. Kill'd?] MRS JAMESON (ii, 28): We see in Paulina what we so often see in real life, that it is not those who are most susceptible in their own temper and feelings who are most delicate and forbearing toward the feelings of others. She does not comprehend, or will not allow for the sensitive weakness, of a mind less firmly tempered than her own. This reply of Leontes to her cutting speech is full of feeling, and a lesson to those who with the best intentions in the world, force the painful truth, like a knife, into the already lacerated heart. We can only excuse Paulina by recollecting that it is a part of her purpose to keep alive in the heart of Leontes the remembrance of his queen's perfections, and of his own cruel injustice. [For once Mrs Jameson seems to have failed fully to grasp the dramatic situation. Paulina had to contend, single-handed, against the influence of the whole court, and, peradventure, for aught she knew, against the king's own secret inclinations. Not only must Leontes be hindered from marrying again, but his repentance must be kept free from the influence of 'time's strong hours,' and the past be kept ever-present to him,-to effect this, no speech can be too cutting, and no stab go too deep. We are not yet reconciled to Leontes. We must see him quivering under the lash. Nothing that Paulina can possibly say to him should be as lacerating as his own memory. We can only then begin to forgive him when we find that he cannot forgive himself.-Ed.] 23. She I kill'd] Note Theobald's fine reading, made in the interest of rhythm and of pathos. Walker (Crit. ii, 141) proposed the same, not knowing that he had been anticipated.-ED. 24. to say] See II, i, 122. |