Flav.I have retired me to a wasteful cock,
And set mine eyes at flow.
Timon of Athens, II. 2.
"Sir Thomas Hanmer interpreted 'wasteful cock' 'a cockloft or garret!' and Bishop Warburton agreed with him. Pope had the effrontery to change 'wasteful cock' to lonely room. These be thy editors, O Shakespeare!" It must be owned that Mr. White has reason on his side, too, in some of his onslaughts against "Perkins." Valuable we believe many of the MS. emendations to be; many, too bad, and some too good, to be true.[1] The celebrated substitution of "who smothers her with
- ↑ Let us here indicate a few passages in which the supposed Perkins introduces new matter into the textus receptus, by a whole line or lines at a time. Some of these one can neither believe, without a struggle, to be either veri or ben trovati. But what shall be said of the emendator's audacity, if he really emendated without authority?
In each of the subjoined extracts the italicised lines are the MS. additions of Mr. Collier's nescio quis:
Says Sir Eglamour to Silvia,
This is at least plausible, and by those who believe in the authority will be readily accepted."Madam, I pity much your grievances,
And the most pure affections that you bear;
Which since I know they virtuously are placed,
I give consent to go along with you."
Two Gentlemen of Verona, IV. 3.A hitch in the assumed system of rhymes is thus "made right" in Dromio's speech:
Leontes says, in the statue scene,—"No, he's in Tartar limbo, worse than hell:
A devil in an everlasting garment hath him, fell;
One whose hard heart is button'd up with steel,
Who has no touch of mercy, cannot feel;
A fiend, a fury [pro fairy], pitiless, and rough;
A wolf, nay, worse, a fellow all in buff," &c.
Comedy of Errors, IV. 2.Lord Bardolph advises—"Let be, let be!
Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already
I am but dead, stone looking upon stone.
What was he that did make it?"
Winter's Tale, V. 3.… "Consult upon a sure foundation,
Question surveyors, know our own estate,
How able such a work to undergo.
A careful leader sums what force he brings
To weigh against his opposite," &c.
2 Henry IV. I. 3.Especially notable are the new complementary rhymes in the dialogue of Queen Margaret and Glo'ster:
"Q. M. I see no reason why a king of years
Should be protected, like a child, by peers.
God and King Henry govern England's helm.
Give up your staff, Sir, and the King his realm.
Gl. My staff?—here, noble Henry, is my staff:
To think I fain would keep it makes me laugh.
As willingly I do the same resign,
As e'er thy father Henry made it mine."
2 Henry VI. Act II. Sc. 3.
