the case, the MS. corrections throughout it would be impregnable; for these end with one of the very happiest conjectural emendations that ever was proposed. Bertram, explaining how Diana obtained from him the ring, says, according to the received text,
"Her insuit coming, and her modern grace
Subdued me to her rate."
"Insuit coming" has baffled the world. The marginalia give us, "Her infinite cunning and her modern grace subdued me to her rate." It ought to be mentioned that this excellent emendation, which ought unquestionably to be admitted into the text, was also started some years ago by the late Mr Walker, author of the "original."
Twelfth Night, or What You Will.—Act II. Scene 1.—The following words in italics are probably corrupt; but the MS. correction of the place is certainly a very bad piece of tinkering. Sebastian is speaking of his reputed likeness to his sister Viola—"A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me, was of many accounted beautiful; but though I could not, with such estimable wonder, overfar believe that, yet thus far I will boldly publish her," &c. The margins give us—" But though I could not with self-estimation wander so far to believe that." But who can believe that, Shakespeare would wander so far in his speech as to write in such a roundabout feckless fashion as this? What he really wrote it may now be hopeless to inquire.
Act II. Scene V.—Malvolio congratulating himself on his ideal elevation says, "And then to have the humour of state," which the MS. corrector changes into the poverty of "the honour of state," overlooking the consideration that "the humour of state" means the high airs, the capricious insolence, of authority, which is precisely what Malvolio is glorying that he shall by and by have it in his power to exhibit.
Act III. Scene 4.—We never can consent to change "venerable" into "veritable," at the bidding of the venerable corrector, in these lines—
"And to his image which methought did promise
Most venerable worth, did I devotion."
"The word 'devotion,' " says Mr Singer, "at once determines that venerable was the poet's word."
Act V. Scene 1.—How much more Shakesperian is the line—"A contract of eternal bond of love," than the. corrector's
"A contract and eternal bond of love."
The word "bond" is here used not as a legal term, but in the more poetical sense of union.
Winter's Tale.— Act I. Scene 2.—We agree with Mr Collier in his remark, that "there is no doubt we ought to amend the words of the old copies, 'What lady she her lord' by reading, 'What lady should her lord,' " as given by the MS. corrector.
In the same scene, Leontes, expatiating on the falsehood of women, says—
"But were they false
As o'er dy'd blacks, as winds, as waters."
That is, as false as "blacks" that have been dyed again and again until they have become quite rotten. This seems sufficiently intelligible; but it does not satisfy our anonymous friend, who proposes "as our dead blacks;" that is, as our mourning clothes, which, says Mr Collier, being "worn at the death of persons whose loss was not at all lamented," may therefore be termed false or hypocritical. But surely all persons who wear mourning are not hypocrites; and therefore this new reading falls ineffectual to the ground.
Act IV. Scene 3.—We perceive nothing worthy of adoption or animadversion till we come to the following. Florizel is making himself very agreeable to Perdita, whereupon Camillo, noticing their intimacy, remarks, as the old copies give it—
"He tells her something
That makes her blood look on't."
There is something obviously wrong here. Theobald proposed—
"He tells her something
That makes her blood look out."
Something that calls up her blushes. This is the received reading, and an excellent emendation it is. But on the whole we prefer the MS. corrector's, which, though perhaps not quite
