what concerns the metre of Shakespeare, I yet regard it as an incomparably better authority than the History of English Rhythms by Dr. Guest, who, if he has not a proneness to seek "those springs On chalic'd flowers that lies," an editor must necessarily follow the old copies: but I cannot think that, except where a rhyme is in question, or where some low character happens to be speaking, an editor is called upon to offend his readers by presenting them with nouns plural to verbs singular; for though it is certain that “such a grammatical construction is frequent in the plays” (i. e. in the old copies of the plays), it is also certain that there is no lack in those plays of plural nominatives to plural verbs. In the same article apud The Times the reviewer seems decidedly to approve of the reading printed (not merely, as he tells us, "proposed") by Capell in The Merry Wives of Windsor, act i. sc. 4; according to which Simple, while describing Slender, says, " he hath but a little whey-face, with a little yellow beard, a cane-coloured beard." Now, the folio, which alone preserves the complete and corrected text of that comedy, exhibits the passage literatim thus ; "he hath but a little wee-face; with a little yellow Beard: a Caine colourd Beard;" while the quartos, which contain only an imperfect text of the first sketch of the play, have in the corresponding passage, "Quic. . . . . . And he has as it were a whay coloured beard, Sim. Indeed my maisters beard is kane colored;" 66 which passage of the quartos suggested to Capell his emendation.-When the reviewer objects to the received reading, a little wee face," that it "gives two epithets of size which mean the same thing," he cannot be aware how common the use of "wee" after "little" was formerly; and is even in our own day,—I myself, on many occasions, having heard the lower classes in the north of England and in Scotland apply the double epithet "little wee" both to persons and to things. Again, when the reviewer affirms that the folio's having "wee face" hyphened "is a principal argument in favour of Capell's reading," he writes very hastily indeed; for in old books the hyphen is often introduced with strange impropriety (see note 39, p. 424 of this vol., and my note on the words "thin bestainèd cloak" in King John, act iv. sc. 3); and just as wee-face" is hyphened in the folio ed. of The Merry Wives of Windsor, so "wee-man" is hyphened in the quarto ed. of Heywood's Fair Maid of the West,—in a passage which is itself a host against Capell's emendation; 66 "Bes. And where dwelt he? Clem. Below here in the next crooked street, at the signe of the Leg. Hee was nothing so tall as I, but a little wee-man, and somewhat hucktbackt." First Part, p. 14, ed. 1631. out, seems to admit, every sort of irregularity in the versification of the Elizabethan dramatists, and, to a considerable extent, to mix up their metrical systems with those not only of the older English but also of the Anglo-Saxon poets. This would render him an unsafe guide for an editor of Shakespeare, even if he did not occasionally give, as examples of certain kinds of versification, lines which he either misquotes, or lines which are manifestly corrupted. E. g. Hist. of Eng. Rhythms, vol. i. p. 37; "Let pity not | be believed: there | she shook | The holy water from her heavenly eyes.' Lear, 4. 3." A passage found only in the quartos, and certainly not to be depended upon. Vol. i. p. 197; "With such holiness: can you do | it.' Corrupted, and all but nonsense. [Sec. Part of] H. 6, 2. 1.” Vol. i. p. 218; "Is | my kins|man: whom | the king | hath wrong'd\.' R. 2, 2. 2." One of the hobbling lines in a speech which has suffered most cruelly from the transcriber or printer. Vol. i. p. 219; 666 But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes Misquoted. The old copies read “With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do." Vol. i. p. 221; "Nay if you melt: then I will she | run mad|?' M. N. D. 3. 2." 1 H. 4, 3. 1." In this line a word is evidently wanting; nor is the old text to be defended by the line which Dr. Guest cites ibid., "Poison'd, ill fare! dead! forsook! cast off.' Kg. John, 5. 7,”— for in that line "fare" is to be considered as a dissyllable: see Walker's Shakespeare's Versification, &c. p. 139. Vol. i. p. 225; "Which, look'd on as it is, is nought but shadows Misquoted. The old copies have R. 2, 2. 2." "Of what it is not. Then thrice-gracious queen," &c. Vol. i. p. 231; * "Lord Marshall command: our officers | at arms|,* R. 2, 1. 1." "Fol. Ed. 1623. In the modern Editions the word Lord is omitted." Surely the modern editors are justified in omitting the word “Lord” as an interpolation, when (to say nothing of the line being the first line of a couplet) they find in sc. 3 of this act the same speaker (King Richard) saying, "We may boldly spend: upon | the hope | of what | No such line occurs in the old copies of this dreadfully vitiated play. They have "When he was seated in a chariot Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him," &c. out of which the modern editors have made "When he was seated, and his daughter with him, In a chariot of inestimable value." Vol. i. p. 238; "Hubert, keep | this boy: Philip, make up, My mother is assailed in her [our] tent, Kg. John, 3, 2.” In spite of the four lines of Anglo-Saxon (!) which Dr. Guest adduces as similar in metre to the first line of this speech, I feel confident that it is mutilated,-Shakespeare having most probably written 66 'Hubert, keep thou this boy.-Philip, make up," &c. Vol. i. p. 238; 666 "Stay! the king | hath thrown]: his war der down|.' R. 2, 1. 3." But what says Walker? "Read,-Stay, stay!' The situation itself, surely, demands more than the simple 'Stay'." Crit. Exam. &c. vol. ii. p. 144. (And the reduplication of the word "Stay" was very common; 66 Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon,” &c. "Stay, stay, I say!" 66 First Part of King Henry VI. act i. sc. 2. Id. act iii. sc. 1. Timon of Athens, act ii. sc. 2.) Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus," &c. Vol. i. p. 239; "Let's to the sea-side, ho! As well to see the vessel that's come in, As | throw out our eyes: for brave | Othello.' Othello, 2. 1." Misquoted. The old eds. have “As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello." Vol. i. p. 240; "And thus do we of wisdom and of reach By indirections find directions out, So by former lecture: and | advice|, Shall you, my son. Misquoted. The old eds. have "So by my former lecture and advice," &c. Vol. i. p. 241; Hamlet, 2. 1." "See him pluck | Aufidius: down | by the hair. Cor. 1, 3." That Shakespeare wrote “I see him pluck Aufidius down by th' hair" (the folio of 1623 having “th' hair") is almost proved by other lines of the speech; "Methinks I hear hither your husband's drum," and “Methinks I see him stamp thus, and call thus." Vol. i. p. 245; “Come, | for the third, | Laer|tes: you do | but dal|ly.” Hamlet, 5, 2." In this line the folio of 1623 omits "do," and rightly. “Have for ty miles | to ride | yet: ere dinner time].' 1 Hen. 4, 3. 3." The "yet" is plainly an interpolation. (The old eds. read "Have thirty miles," &c.) Vol. i. p. 250; "The morning comes | upon | us: we'll leave | you, Bru\tus.' Jul. Cæs. 2, 1." |