Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 074.djvu/195

1853.] And Mr Collier approves of this variation, as "making the dialogue run quite consistently."

—In the Duke's speech, at the opening of the play, a formidable difficulty presents itself. Addressing Escalus, of whose statesmanlike qualities he has the highest opinion, the Duke says, as all the editions give it—

The two last lines of this passage have been a grievous stumbling-block to the commentators. The variorum men, with Johnson at their head, have made nothing of it. Mr Singer reads—

which seems quite as dark and perplexing as the original text. Mr Collier's man, cutting the knot with desperate hook, which slashes away a good many words, gives us—

These words are sufficiently intelligible; but this is not to rectify Shakespeare's text—it is to re-write it; and this no man can be permitted to do. As a private speculation of our own, we venture to propose the following, altering merely one word of the authentic version—

The Duke has remarked that he is not competent to give Escalus any advice on matters of public policy, as he is much better versed in such affairs than himself. He then goes on to say, "No more remains, but that (seeing your worth is able—that is, is equal—to your sufficiency or acquired knowledge) you should let the two, your worth and your sufficiency, work together for the good of your country." Or it might be allowable to introduce "equal" into the text, thereby making the sense still plainer—

But if any auxiliar authority could be found for the use of the word "able" as here employed (a point about which we are doubtful, though not desperate), we should prefer to retain it in the text. By making the words to and as change places, we obtain a still more perspicuous reading—

Mr Collier remarks (p. 42), "Near the end of Mrs Overdone's speech, 'is' is required before the words 'to be chopped off.' It is deficient in all printed copies, and is inserted in manuscript in the corrected folio 1632." We can inform Mr Collier that the word "is" stands, in this place, in the variorum edition of 1786.

Act I. Scene 4.—The Duke, who has abdicated for a time in favour of Angelo, says, in allusion to the abuses which Angelo is expected to correct—

The corrector of Mr Collier's folio suggests to draw on slander; and as a gloss or explanation of an antiquated or awkward expression, this variation may be accepted; but it certainly has no title to be admitted into the text as the authentic language of Shakespeare. The change of" story" into "scorn" (Scene 6), is perhaps admissible. Alluding to a false species of repentance, the friar, in ''Act II. Scene 3''., says that such insufficient

On the margin of Mr Collier's folio, "serve "is written, and "spare" is scored out. We greatly prefer the