accounted when he suggests, "that, in their eyes, autographs, transcripts to the third and fourth generation, and printed books, were all much on a level, if they were only used and sanctioned by their company."11-As to the original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays, it is altogether improbable that any of them (especially when we recollect that the Globe Theatre was burned down in 1613) should have existed in 1623:—we know, on the testimony of Sir Henry Herbert, Master of the Revels, that the original manuscript of The Winter's Tale,-one of our poct's latest compositions,―was "missing" in August 1623.12 The editor of the second folio, which appeared in 1632, was alike ignorant of Shakespeare's phraseology and versification: hence he vitiated the text in numerous instances by capriciously altering what he did not understand, and by interpolating words in lines where he thought the metre halted. All he did in the way of real correction was to set right some of the more obvious mistakes of the first folio, while he left others as he found them, and not unfrequently substituted new errors for the old. Since whatever changes he made were merely arbitrary, for he certainly never consulted manuscript copies of the plays, the second folio cannot be considered as an independent authority. After what has been said, it is almost unnecessary to add that the text of this edition is eclectic. Mr. Collier justly remarks of Hamlet, that "any editor who should content himself with reprinting the folio, without large additions from the quartos, would present but an imperfect notion of the drama as it came from the hand of the poet. The text of 'Hamlet' is, in fact, only to be obtained from a comparison of the editions in quarto and folio:"13 and the remark is applicable to nearly all the other plays which were first printed in quarto; for even when the quartos do not supply 11 Preface to Walker's Shakespeare's Versification, &c., p. xvii. 12 See p. clxix. 13 Introd. to Hamlet. absolute deficiencies, and though in various passages they may be themselves defective or corrupt, they frequently enable us to restore the language of Shakespeare where it has suffered from the tampering of the players. 14 Of the modern editions of Shakespeare, from Rowe's to the most recent, I need make no mention here. But on the Emendations of Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector, which are still the subject of acrimonious dispute, I feel myself compelled to give an opinion: and, waving the question, for how much of that immense farrago the Corrector is really answerable, I am bound to say, that, with all his ignorance and rashness,— 14 That Horne Tooke knew little or nothing of the quartos is manifest: if he had ever examined them even with ordinary attention, it is impossible that a man of his acuteness could have written about the folio in these extravagant terms: "The first Folio, in my opinion, is the only edition worth regarding. And it is much to be wished, that an edition of Shakespeare were given literatim according to the first Folio: which is now become so scarce and dear, that few persons can obtain it. For, by the presumptuous license of the dwarfish commentators, who are for ever cutting him down to their own size, we risque the loss of Shakespeare's genuine text; which that Folio assuredly contains; notwithstanding some few slight errors of the press, which might be noted, without altering." "Ereа Птерóеνта, &c., vol. ii. 54, ed. 1829. Nor is Mr. Knight's encomium on the folio less extravagant: “Perhaps," he says, "all things considered, there never was a book so correctly printed as the first folio of Shakspere" (see vol. iv. p. 647 of the present edition): yet throughout his editions Mr. Knight has very great obligations to the quartos. The latest champion of the folio, and one determined to go all lengths in its defence, is Mr. Keightley; who (Notes and Queries, Sec. Series, vol. iv. 263) "does not despair" of seeing some future editor print, with the folio, in As you like it, act ii. sc. 3, "From SEVENTY years till now almost fourscore Here livèd I, but now live here no more. At seventeen years many their fortunes seek; But at fourscore it is too late a week," &c. (Poor Rowe! when he altered "From seventy years" to "From seventeen years," he fancied that he had made an emendation which was fully confirmed by the third line of the passage.) Mr. Hunter gives the true character of the folio: "Perhaps in the whole annals of English typography there is no record of any book of any extent and any reputation having been dismissed from the press with less care and attention than the first folio." Preface to New Illust, of Shakespeare, p. iv. the far greater proportion of his nova lectiones being either grossly erroneous or merely impertinent,-he yet deserves our thanks for having successfully removed some corruptions, and must be allowed the honour of having anticipated several happy conjectures of Theobald and others.-Mr. Collier complains of the reception which the Emendations have met with in certain quarters: 15 but, even granting that they have not always been fairly criticised, he has himself, in a measure, to blame. He went far to create a prejudice against, if not to provoke a spirit of opposition to, the Corrector's labours en 15 In his Preface to Seven Lectures on Shakespeare and Milton by Coleridge, &c., Mr. Collier writes at great length about those who have assailed the Emendations,—about their animosity to the Corrector and to himself; and, p. lxvi., speaking of what he conceives to be unfair dealing on the part of Mr. Singer, he says, "I dislike using hard words: all who are acquainted with me know that it has never been my practice; but if I acquit Mr. Singer of intentional misrepresentation, the assertio falsi, how is he to answer the accusation of suppressio veri? Of this minor offence proofs present themselves to me," &c. Further on, after attempting to support the Corrector's foolish alteration in King Henry the Eighth, act i. sc. 2, "I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham Is one in your displeasure,”— Mr. Collier notices certain mistakes in early books which have arisen from "the inability of some people to sound the letter r," and then observes, p. lxxxv., that “the most remarkable proof to the same effect occurs in Webster's Appius and Virginia' (Edit. Dyce, ii. 160), where this passage is met with as it is printed in the old copy: 'Let not Virginia wate her contemplation So high, to call this visit an intrusion.' It is clear that 'wate' must be wrong, and the editor suggests waie (i.e. weigh) as the fit emendation; when he did not see that it is only a blunder of w for r, because the person who delivered the line could not pronounce the letter r: read rate for 'wate,' and the whole difficulty vanishes." Now, in my edition of Webster the passage stands verbatim thus, "Let not Virginia rate her contemplation So high, to call this visit an intrusion:" and with the following note, "rate] So the editor of 1816. The old copy, 'wate.' Qy. if a misprint for 'waie,' i. e. weigh." Yet Mr. Collier,-who charges Mr. Singer with want of candour,-most carefully conceals the fact that "rate" is the reading in my text of Webster. masse, when, in the commentary with which he encumbered. them, he advocated hundreds of the most unnecessary changes ever devised by perverse ingenuity; and when, moreover, from his limited knowledge of what conjecture had attempted on the poet's text during the eighteenth century, he paraded as novelties a number of alterations already to be found in the editions of Pope, of Hanmer, and elsewhere.-It would seem that Mr. Collier's judgment, nay, his recollection of the phraseology of our old writers, was at times affected by his blind admiration of the Corrector. E. g. In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, act iv. sc. 2, the first folio has, "Her eyes are grey as glass," &c.; on which line Theobald aptly cites from Chaucer, "hire eyen grey as glas." But the second folio, by a misprint, has, "Her eyes are grey as grass," &c. The Corrector,-who used the second folio,-not perceiving that the error lay in the word "grass,” altered the unoffending epithet "grey” to “green,” "Her eyes are green as grass,” &c.; "and such," says Mr. Collier, "we have good reason to suppose was the true reading;" though a little before he admits that the first folio "may be right." In The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth, act iv. sc. 1, the old copies have, "and your tongue divine To a loud trumpet and a point of war." The Corrector substitutes, "and your tongue divine To a loud trumpet and report of war;" which Mr. Collier declares "ought to be printed in future," for "here 'point of war' can have no meaning :" yet Mr. Collier formerly edited an early drama which contains the following passage; VOL. I. b "Matrevers, thou Sound proudly here a perfect point of war Peele's Edward I.,-Dodsley's Old Plays, But enough of the Ms. Corrector's Emendations, with their particles of golden ore and their abundant dross. When, at the desire of Mr. Moxon, I undertook this edition of Shakespeare,-with a reluctance arising from the conviction that, even if it proved not wholly unacceptable to others, it must fail to satisfy myself,-the arrangement was, that I should merely revise the text, without adding notes of any kind. But it soon became evident that, though notes explanatory of words, manners, customs, &c. might not be essentially necessary (for with such matters the reader is often as conversant as the editor), yet notes regarding the formation of the text were indispensable. Hence it is, that an edition originally meant to be entirely free from annotation comprises a considerable quantity of notes:-in disjoining which from the text, and placing them at the end of each play respectively, I have consulted the taste of those who have little relish for the minutiae of verbal criticism. It was also originally understood between the publisher and myself, that I should not be required to supply the memoir of Shakespeare intended to accompany the present edition: circumstances, however, which it is needless to explain, eventually imposed on me that ungrateful task. Owing to the scantiness of materials for his history, and to our ignorance of what we most wish to know concerning him, a Life of Shakespeare, in spite of its subject, is generally among the least readable efforts of the biographer: and I cannot but feel that, if my own memoir of the poet has any claim to another character, it is solely on account of its comparative shortness. |