has exceedingly troubled all his editors and commentators. I wish much to know whether your method will help us on this occasion. In Troylus and Cressida, Ajax, speaking to Thersites, says (according to the first Folio) Speake then, thou whinid'st leauen, speake.” Not knowing what to make of this word Whinid, subsequent editors have changed it to Unsalted. And thus Mr. Malone alters the text, with the Quarto editions, "Speak then, thou unsalted leaven, speak." H. The first Folio, in my opinion, is the only edition worth regarding. And it is much to be wished, that an edition of Shakspeare were given literatim according to the first Folio which is now become so scarce and dear, that few persons can obtain it. For, by the presumptuous licence of the dwarfish commentators, who are for ever cutting him down to their own size, we risque the loss of Shakspeare's genuine text; which that Folio assuredly contains; notwithstanding some few slight errors of the press, which might be noted, without altering. This is not the place for exposing all the liberties which have been taken with Shakspeare's text. But, besides this unwarrantable substitution of unsalted for whinid'st, a passage of Macbeth (amongst innumerable others) occurs to me at present, to justify the wish I have expressed. "Approach thou like the rugged Russian beare, If trembling I Inhabit then, protest mee Pope here changed Inhabit to Inhibit. Upon this correction Steevens builds another, and changes Then to Thee. Both which insipid corrections Malone, with his usual judgment, inserts in his text. And there it stands "If trembling I inhibit thee." "The emendation Inhibit (says Mr. Malone) was made by Mr. Pope. I have not the least doubt that it is the true reading. By the other slight but happy emendation, the reading Thee instead of Then, which was proposed by Mr. Steevens, and to which I have paid the respect that it deserved by giving it a place in the text, this passage is rendered clear and easy." But for these tasteless commentators, one can hardly suppose that any reader of Shakspeare could have found a difficulty; the original text is so plain, easy and clear, and so much in the author's accustomed manner. "Dare me to the desart with thy sworde, "If I inhabit then "i. e. If then I do not meet thee there if trembling I stay at home, or within doors, or under any roof, or within any habitation: If, when you call me to the desart, I then House me, or, through fear, hide myself from thee in any dwelling; "If trembling I do House me then-Protest me &c." But a much stronger instance of the importance of such a strictly similar edition (in which not a single letter or supposed misprint should be altered from the original copy) offers itself to me from the two following passages: "He blushes, and 'tis HIT." All's well that ends well, pag. 253. col. 1. Mr. Malone has altered the text to "He blushes, and 'tis IT." And he adds the following note; "The old copy has-'tis HIT.--The emendation was made by Mr. Steevens. In many of our old chronicles I have found HIT printed instead of IT. Hence probably the mistake here." "Stop up th' accesse and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Macbeth, pag. 134. Upon this passage Mr. Malone (having again altered the text, from HIT to IT) says, "The old copy reads-Between the effect and HITthe correction was made by the editor of the third Folio." The Correcter and the Adopter deserve no thanks for their mischievous alteration: for mischievous it is; although no alteration can, at first sight, appear more trivial. I can suppose one probable mischief to have resulted from it to my former castigator, Mr. Burgess,―(I beg his pardon, the present Lord Bishop of St. David's). It is possible that he may not have seen the first Folio, and may have read only the corrected text of Shakspeare. If so; by this alteration he may have missed one chance of a leading hint; by which, if followed, he might have been enabled to fulfill his undertaking, concerning an explanation of the Pronouns, which he promised: no unimportant part in the philosophy or system of human speech. For I can easily suppose that, with his understanding and industry, (for I have heard a very favourable mention of him, in all respects) he might have been struck with this HIT in Shakspeare: and might, in consequence, have travelled backward; and have found that, not only in our old chronicles, but in all our old English authors, down to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the word was so written; and that it was not, as poor Malone imagined, any mistake of the Printer. "And whan the bisshop aright hym bethoughte, That of disdayne and wylful necligence Lydgate. Lyfe of our Lady, pag. 27. "The bisshoppe hath the cuppe fyrste directe Unto Joseph, and hym the parell tolde, And manly he gan it holde And dranke HET up, and chaunged nat his chere." Ibid. p. 91. "Whiche ordinaunce of Moses was afterward established in the citie of Athens, and from thens the Romaines receiued HIT." -Dr. Martin's Confutation of Poynett, chapiter 4. "Not that matrimonie is of the church abhorred, for the churche doeth reuerence and alowe HIT."—Id. chap. 7. "He useth not the onely tearme of womanne by HIT selfe.' Id. chap. 13. "I geue mi regall manyer called Wie, with al thappertenaunces longinge to my regall crowne, with al liberties priuilegies and regal customes as fre and gayet as I hadde HIT fyrste."-The true Dyfferences of Regall Power. By Lord Stafford. ["Much in his glorious conquest suffred hee: And hell in vaine HIT selfe opposde." Godfrey of Bulloigne, translated by R. C. Esq. pag. 2. "Molto soffit nel glorioso acquisto : E in van l' Inferno à lui s'oppose." Gierus. liberata, cant. 1. Mr. Malone has altered the text to "He blushes, and 'tis IT." And he adds the following note; "The old copy has-'tis HIT.--The eme made by Mr. Steevens. In many of our old I have found HIT printed instead of IT. Hen the mistake here." "Stop up Upon this Macbe passage Mr. Malone (having the text, from HIT to IT) says, "The old copy reads-Between the eff the correction was made by the editor of th The Correcter and the Adopter deserve their mischievous alteration: for mischic though no alteration can, at first sight, app I can suppose one probable mischief t from it to my former castigator, Mr. Burg pardon, the present Lord Bishop of St. I It is possible that he may not have se and may have read only the corrected te If so; by this alteration he may have 11 of a leading hint; by which, if followe been enabled to fulfill his undertaking, planation of the Pronouns, which he important part in the philosophy or speech. For I can easily suppose th standing and industry, (for I have h able mention of him, in all respects) 1 |