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except in the cafe of mere obvious errors of the

20. "

P. 402.

Doft thou think, for that I infinuate or toze"
"Doft thou think, for that I infinuate and toze—

P. 231.

21. "You might have spoke a thousand things," P. 414,
"You might have Spoken a thousand things,-" P.235,
22." Where we offend her now, appear-" P. 417.
"Where we offenders now appear-" P. 237.

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24.

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25.

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P. 240.

like a weather-beaten conduit." P. 425.
like a weather-bitten conduit." P. 246.
This your fon-in-law,

"And fon unto the king, who, heavens directing,
"Is troth-plight to your daughter." P. 437.
This your fon-in-law,

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"And fon unto the king, (whom heavens directing,)
"Is troth-plight to your daughter." P. 257.

KING JOHN.

1. "Which fault lies on the hazard of all husbands. P. 10,
"Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands."

2. "'Tis too refpective, and too fociable,
"For your converfing." P. 14.

" "Tis too refpective, and too fociable,
"For your converfion." P. 456.

3." Thus leaning on my elbow," P. 16.
Thus leaning on mine elbow,- P. 457.

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P. 451.

P. 25.

4. "With them a bastard of the king deceas'd.”
"With them a baftard of the king's deceas'd." P. 464.
5. "That thou haft under-wrought its lawful king.” P. 26.
"That thou haft under-wrought his lawful king."

P. 465.

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Say, Shall the current of our right run on ?"

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Say, fhall the current of our right roam on?"

P. 37.
P. 476.

prefs, the reader is apprized by a note; and every

7. "And now he feafts, mouthing the flesh of men,-."

P. 38.

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P. 477.

"And now he feafts, moufing the flesh of men,—'

8.

"A greater power than ye-" P. 39.

"A greater power than we—” P. 478.

9 That I may be accurately underftood, I fubjoin a few of these unnoticed corrections:

In King Henry VI. P. I. A&t I. fc. vi:

"Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens,

"That one day bloom'd, and fruitful were the next."

The old copy reads-garden.

In King John, Act IV. fc. ii:

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that close aspect of his

"Does thew the mood of a much-troubled breast."

The old copy reads-Do.

Ibidem, A& I. sc. i :

"'Tis too refpective, and too fociable," &c.

The old copy,-Tis two refpective," &c.

Again, in the fame play, we find in the original copy: "Against the inuoluerable clouds of heaven."

In King Henry V. A& V. fc. ii:

The old

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Corrupting in its own fertility." copy reads-it.

In Timon of Athens, A& I. fc. i:

"Come, fhall we in ?"

The old copy has-Comes.

Ibidem: "Even on their knees, and hands,—."

The old copy has—hand.

In Cymbeline, A&t III. fc. iv:

"The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
"Woman its pretty self."

The old copy has-it.

It cannot be expected that the page fhould be encumbered with the notice of fuch obvious miftakes of the prefs as are here enumerated. With the exception of errors fuch as these, whenever any emendation has been adopted, it is mentioned in a note, and afcribed to its author.

emendation that has been adopted, is afcribed to its proper author. When it is confidered that

9.

"For grief is proud, and makes his owner ftoop." P. 52. "For grief is proud, and makes his owner ftout."

P. 492.

10. "O, that a man would speak these words to me!"

"O, that a man should speak these words to me!"

P. 52.

P. 497.

11. "Is't not amifs, when it is truly done?" P. 64. "Is not amifs, when it is truly done." P. 504. 12. "Then, in defpight of broad-ey'd watchful day,-"

"Then, in despight of brooded watchful day,-"

P. 72.

P. 512.

13. "A whole armado of collected fail." P. 74. "A whole armado of convicted fail." P. 514. 14. "And bitter fhame hath Spoil'd the Sweet world's tafte." P. 79,

"And bitter fhame hath spoil'd the fweet word's taste."

P. 519.

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15. Strong reafons make strong actions." P. 81. Strong reasons make strange actions."

P. 522. 16. «Must make a ftand at what your highness will."

P. 89.

P. 530.

"Doth make a stand at what your highness will." 17. "Had none, my lord! why, did not you provoke me?"

P. 96.

"Had none, my lord! why, did you not provoke me?"

P. 536.

18. Mad'ft it no confcience to destroy a king." P. 97. "Made it no confcience to destroy a king." P. 537. 19. Sir, fir, impatience has its privilege." P. 102. "Sir, fir, impatience has his privilege." P. 541.

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Or, when he doom'd this beauty to the grave,

P. 102.

"Or, when he doom'd this beauty to a grave,-"

P. 541.

there are one hundred one hundred thousand lines in thefe plays, and that it often was neceffary to confult

21. To the yet-unbegotten fins of time." P. 102. "To the yet-unbegotten fin of times." P. 541. 22. "And breathing to this breathless excellence,-" P. 102. "And breathing to his breathlefs excellence,—”

P. 542. 23." And your fupplies, which you have wish'd fo long,—" "And your Supply, which you have wish'd fo long,—”

P. 121.

P. 561.

P. 122.

24. "What's that to thee? Why may I not demand—”

"What's that to thee? Why may not I demand-"

P. 562.

P. 123.

25. "O, my Sweet fir, news fitted to the night." "O, my sweet fir, news fitting to the night." P.563.

26. "Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts, "Leaves them; invifible his fiege is now

27.

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Against the mind," P. 124.

"Death, having prey'd upon the outward parts,
"Leaves them invifible; and his fiege is now
Against the mind,-" P. 565.

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"The falt of them is hot." P. 125.
"The falt in them is hot." P. 568.

Two other restorations in this play I have not fet down:
"Before we will lay down our juft-borne arms-'

and

A& II. fc. ii.

"Be these fad signs confirmers of thy word."

because I pointed them out on a former occafion.

A& III. fc. i.

It may perhaps be urged that fome of the variations in thefe. lifts, are of no great confequence; but to preferve our poet's genuine text is certainly important; for otherwife, as Dr. Johnfon has justly obferved, "the hiftory of our language will be loft;" and as our poet's words are changed, we are constantly in danger of lofing his meaning alfo. Every reader muft wish to peruse what Shakspeare wrote, fupported at once by the authority of the authentick copies, and the ufage of his contemporaries, rather than what the editor of the second folio, or Pope, or Hanmer, or Warburton, have arbitrarily substituted in its place.

fix or feven volumes, in order to afcertain by which of the preceding editors, from the time of the publication of the fecond folio, each emendation was made, it will easily be believed, that this was not effected without much trouble.

Whenever I mention the old copy in my notes, if the play be one originally printed in quarto, I, mean the first quarto copy; if the play appeared originally in folio, I mean the firft folio; and when I mention the old copies, I mean the first quarto and first folio, which, when that expreffion is ufed, it may be concluded, concur in the fame reading. In like manner, the folio always means the first folio, and the quarto, the earliest quarto, with the exceptions already mentioned. In general, however, the date of each quarto is given, when it is cited. Where there are two quarto copies printed in the fame year, they are particularly diftinguished, and the

variations noticed.

The two great duties of an editor are, to exhibit the genuine text of his author, and to explain his obfcurities. Both of these objects have been fo conftantly before my eyes, that, I am confident, one of them will not be found to have been neglected for the other. I can with perfect truth fay, with Dr. Johnson, that "not a fingle paffage in the whole work has appeared to me obfcure, which I have not endeavoured to illuftrate." I have examined the notes of all the editors, and my own

Let me not, however, be misunderstood. All these variations have not been difcovered by the present collation, fome of them having been pointed out by preceding editors; but fuch as had been already noticed were merely pointed out: the original readings are now established and fupported by the ufage of our poet himself and that of his contemporaries, and restored to the text, instead of being degraded to the bottom of the page.

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