Chapter CXXXVI: Act III

SC. 1. "Let your Highness'
Command _be_ upon me, to the which my duties," etc.

This insertion removes all difficulty very simply. _Be_ is omitted constantly.

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"Till supper-time alone; while then God be with you."

This line cannot be as the poet wrote it, for the metric accents fall on 'be' and 'you.' We might read _good bye_, but it would be somewhat too familiar. On the whole, I think that _mean_ has been omitted before 'while.' By supplying it, the language becomes dignified and king-like. See Index _s. v._ While.

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"To make them kings, the seed[s] of Banquo kings!
Rather than so come Fate into the lists."

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"Now, if you have a station in the file,
Not in the _most_ worst rank of manhood, say it."

A syllable is wanting; we have "_most_ worst" in Winter's Tale, iii. 2, and double comparatives and superlatives are common.

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SC. 2. "Whom we to gain our peace have sent to peace."

The first 'peace' was probably suggested, in the usual manner, by the second. We might read _seat_, or some such word (see Introd. p. 64). The 2nd folio has _place_.

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"Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond."

We should read _band_, riming with 'hand.'

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"Light thickness and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood. * * *"

We might add, _on earth below_. We have, "In all designs begun _on earth below_" (Tr. and Cr. i. 3).

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"Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill."

It might be better to read 'themselves strong.'

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SC. 4. "'Tis better thee without than he within."

The 'he' had better probably be _him_.

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"We'll hear _thee_ ourselves again."

* * * * *

"If trembling I inhabit, then protest me
The baby of a girl."

Neither 'inhabit' nor Pope's 'inhibit' makes sense. I would read _evitate it_. "Since therein she doth _evitate_ and shun" (Mer. Wives, v. 5; Introd. p. 67). The printer might easily make _inhab_ of _evitate_ badly written. We might also read _evade_ or _avoid it_. 'Baby' is doll.

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"I hear it by the way; but I will send."

We should of course read 'hear_d_.'

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SC. 6. "Who cannot want the thought how monsterous," etc.

This is evident nonsense; "yet," says Mr. Dyce, "I believe the text is not corrupt. Shakespeare was sometimes incorrect in these _minutiæ_." Shakespeare, however, never wrote nonsense; and if we read _We_ for 'Who,' we have the very word he wrote, and most excellent sense.

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"Is gone to pray the holy king [up]on his aid."

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"Hath so exasperate their king that he."

For 'their' we must of course read _the_.