Chapter XIX: Act V: SC. 1. "Witty without affection."

The 2nd folio reads, and, I think, most properly, 'affec_ta_tion.' It is much more likely that a syllable should have been omitted by the printer, than that Nathaniel, who in general speaks correctly, should blunder. We have the very same error in v. 2, where the rime leaves no doubt on the subject.

* * * * *

"_Laus Deo, bone intelligo--Bone! bone_ for _bene_;
Priscian a little scratch'd. 'Twill serve." [_Aside._

This is Theobald's correction of _bene intelligo_.'--_Boone, boon for boon prescian_, &c.; which has been universally received. The Cambridge editors, however, partly anticipated by Capell, read '_Bon, bon fort bon._ Priscian! a little scratcht, twill serve.' Ingenious as this is, I still adhere to Theobald; for, as I have just observed, French does not occur in this play; and when those critics say that "Sir Nathaniel is not represented as an ignoramus who would be likely to say _bone_ for _bene_," I may remind them that he adds, 'Videsne _quis_ venit,' which is nearly as bad. The printer, in fact, had spoiled the humour by his _bene_, and Theobald restored it, as I think, most happily.

* * * * *

"I do beseech thee, remember thy courtesy. I beseech thee, apparel
thy head."

Malone read 'remember _not_' (see Ham. v. 2, M. N. D. iv. 1). Dyce quotes "Pray you remember your courtesy.... Nay, pray, be covered."--Every Man in his Humour, i. 1. But the negative may been omitted here also.

* * * * *

"Shall pass _for_ Pompey the Great, the page for Hercules."

These additions, I find, were made by Capell also.

* * * * *

SC. 2. _Allons!_ we will employ thee.

Here, again, the original reading is 'Alone!'

* * * * *

"Great reason; for past cure is still past care."

The old editions transpose 'cure' and 'care.' The correction was by Thirlby. The old reading is retained, I know not how, in my Edition.

* * * * *

"And shape his service wholly to my device."

The rime proves 'device' to be wrong. See Introd. p. 63. The 2nd folio read '_all_ to my _behests_.' I read, as S. Walker also had read, 'to my _hests_.'

* * * * *

"So portent-like would I o'ersway his state."

'Portent' is a correction of _pertaunt_.

* * * * *

"As Gravity's revolt to wantonness."

So the 2nd folio for 'wanton _be_.'

* * * * *

"Oh! I am stabb'd with laughter."

Perhaps it should be _stuff'd_, not 'stabb'd.' We have, however, "_stabs_ the centre."--W. T. i. 2.

* * * * *

"They do, they do, and are apparell'd thus."

A line has evidently been lost here.

* * * * *

"And every one his love-feat will advance."

For 'feat' Collier's folio, and S. Walker, followed by Singer and Dyce, read _suit_, which I also have adopted.

* * * * *

"But while 'tis spoke each turn away her face."

Both 4to and folio read _his_ for 'her.'

* * * * *

"_Bero._ Beauties no richer than rich taffeta."

It should evidently be _Boyet_, as in my Edition.

* * * * *

"Yet still she is the moon and I the man."

The line riming with this is lost, as Malone also saw.

* * * * *

"_Oh!_ They were all in lamentable cases."

So also 2nd folio.

* * * * *

"Till this madman show'd thee? and what art thou now?"

The editors omit 'mad,' as it is what they deem a superfluous syllable. We should perhaps omit 'thou' and retain 'mad.'

* * * * *

"This jest is dry to me. _Fair_, gentle, sweet."

_Fair_ is an addition of 2nd folio.

* * * * *

"Which of the visors was it that you wore?--
Where? When? What visor? Why demand you this?"

As the whole scene is in rime, there should be a couplet here. We might then for 'this' read _more_.

* * * * *

"As precious eye-sight and did value me."

A line riming with this, before, or after, seems lost.

* * * * *

"Nay, my good lord, let me o'er-rule you now;
That sport best pleases, that does least know how,
Where zeal strives to content, and the contents
Dies in the zeal of that which it presents."

The whole difficulty of this place lies in the word 'dies,' which has two senses, now distinguished by the orthography, namely, _die_ and _dye_, but which in Shakespeare's time were spelt indifferently. In this place editors have invariably taken it in the former sense; and as they regard 'contents dies' as a false concord--which, by the way, it is not--they print 'Die,' and then change 'that' to _them_, and alter the punctuation. The result, however, is anything but satisfactory. I, on the contrary--and I believe I have been the first to do so--take 'Dies' in its second sense of tinging, colouring, imbruing, making 'zeal' the subject and 'contents' the object, and regarding this last as being by metonymy--a figure Shakespeare uses so frequently--the persons contented, or to be contented, just as in Ant. and Cleop. i. 4. "The Discontents" are the discontented. All then becomes plain, and the passage is parallel to one in the speech of Theseus in M. N. D. v. 1. As to using 'Dyes' of mind, we may justify it by the employment of _tinge_ and _tincture_ in the same way in our ordinary language; and the following passages are very apposite:--

"When my new mind had no infusion known,
Thou gav'st so deep a tincture of thine own,
That ever since I vainly try
To wash away the inherent dye."
Cowley, The Complaint, 122.

"For _dye_ a husband that has wit with an opinion that thou art honest, and see who dares wash the colour out." (Killigrew, Parson's Wedding, ii. 3.) "Ma ben di rado avviene che le parole affermative e sicure d'una persona autorevole in qualsivoglia genere _non tingano dal loro colore la mente di chi le ascolta_." (Manzoni, Prom. Sposi, ch. xx.) The 'zeal' in the last line may have been produced in the usual way by that in the preceding line, and the poet's word have been _hue_; but a change is not absolutely necessary.

* * * * *

"Keep some state in thy exit, and _so_ vanish."

* * * * *

"Speak _on_, brave Hector; we are much delighted."

* * * * *

"A heavy heart bears not a humble tongue."

I conjectured _nimble_, in which I had been preceded, as usual, by Theobald. "You have a _nimble_ wit." (As You Like It, iii. 2.) The error, however, may be, and I think is, in 'not,' for which I read _but_, as these words are so constantly confounded. Collier's folio makes the same correction.

* * * * *

"And though the mourning brow of progeny."

For 'And' I incline to read _Then_. (See on M. N. D. ii. 1.)

* * * * *

"Full of straying shapes, of habits, and of forms."

Coleridge read 'stray,' which seems better.

* * * * *

"Suggested us to make _'em_. Therefore, ladies."

* * * * *

"But more devout than this in our respects
Have we not been."

This is the reading of Hanmer generally received. That of the folio is 'than _these are_ our respects,' where, if we read 'than these our respects are,' we get perhaps as good a sense. 'Devout' seems to mean devoted, or serious, or in earnest; 'respects' _sc._ of you, behaviour respecting you.

* * * * *

"And what to me, my love?... of people sick."

This passage should certainly be omitted as a repetition. See on iv. 3.

* * * * *

"Call them forth quickly; _and_ we will do so."

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.