Page:A letter to the Rev. Richard Farmer.djvu/17

 my vigilance hould have been overwatched only in eight intances; nor, without o deciive a proof as the malignant indutry of a petty adverary has furnihed, could I have believed it. I ay eight intances; for though thirteen over-fights have been enumerated, five of them have no foundation in truth.

. The firt of thee is in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Vol. I. p. 154. Speed. Item, he can ew. Launce. That's as much as to ay, can he o?

"Both the folios," ays this redoubted critick, "read—ow, which is manifetly requiite. Probably, however, the editor may uppoe ew and o to have the ame pronunciation."

With the econd folio, here cited, or any other corrupted copy of our author, I have no concern. The firt and only authentick copy of this play printed in folio, in 1623, (for there is no quarto,) reads, if letters are to be enumerated, not ow, but owe. When a quibble is intended, the word in the old copy is often intentionally mipelt, in order to