Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/450

 444

NOTES AND QUERIES. [iis.x. DEC. 5,1911.

simply inserted in I. 2, appears in brackets in I. 3, I. 4, II., and III.

On a preliminary leaf of I. 2 we find a list headed Erratum.

" P. 7, 1. 17, for unacquainted read ac- quainted. \Unacquainted appeared in the text of I. 1 and of I. 2 ; appeared in I. 3, but with an accompanying emendation in a list of errata on A preliminary leaf, and became acquainted in I. 4, and in II. and III.]

P. 25, 1. 14, for human; read human,

P. 32, 1. 13, for subside, read are calmed.

P. 36, 1. 17, for usurpers, read usurped.

P. 39, 1. 3, for would demand, read demanded.

P. 40, 1. 26, insert after required "

In every one of these five cases the erro- neous form appeared in I. 1 ; in I. 2 with the corrective note ; and was corrected in I. 3, and every issue thereafter. On the basis of the matter discussed in these two paragraphs then, we may distinguish between I. ], I. 2, and later forms.

The next question is (now that we recog- nize at least I. 1 and I. 2 as differing from

I. 3 and I. 4, as well as from II. and III. ) to distinguish clearly between 1. 3 and I. 4, and

II. and III. This we do on four bases :

(1) The word Advertisement on p. 3 .appears with that spelling in I. 1, 1. 2, I. 3 ; is changed to Advertemerit in I. 4 ; and remains Advertement in II. and in III. By this we distinguish I. 4 from earlier issues, and place it close to II. and III.

(2) On p. 4 of I. 4 we find the erratum : p. 17, 1. 23, for convicted, read acquitted. The word appeared as convicted in I. 1, I. 2, I. 3 ; with the corrective note in I. 4 and II.; and is changed to acquitted in III. This again distinguishes I. 4 from earlier issues, and places it close to II.

(3) The corrective note (mentioned above) of p. 7, 1.17, for unacquainted, read acquainted, in I. 2, was repeated in I. 3, since the type had not been changed, though the other five corrections noted in I. 2 were made in I. 3. The note was repeated in I. 3, and the text still read unacquainted ; but the text was corrected to acquainted, and the note dropped, in I. 4, and so remained in II. and III. Again we place I. 4 as later than the early issues, and similar to II. and III.

(4) On a p.l. to one copy of I. 4, which I have seen in the New York Public Library the p.l. was missing from every other copy I examined, probably lost there appears under the heading Erratum : p. 48, 1. 8, for dice, read die.

The word dice appeared in I. 1, I. 2, I. 3 ; in every copy of I. 4 ; and was changed to die in II. and III. By this we distinguish I. 4 from II. and III.

II. differs from I. 4 by having " second edition " on the title-page. But, in addition, the discussion of the change of dice to die distinguishes I. 4 from II. and III.

To find indication of variation between II. and III. aside from the difference stated on the title-page we have only to notice as above mentioned that II. agrees with I. 4 in having convicted on p. 17, 1. 23 ; while IIT. has the proper form acquitted ; and that II. has the erratum on p. 4, in agreement with the earlier I. 4, while III. has not.

In this fashion I have tried to indicate the several forms in which I have seen this book.J By noting the variations, by considering the form appearing in the second and third editions, and chiefly by noting the logical sequence of correcting what were early noted as errata, I have tried to indicate the order. The variations in the first edition may be due{ to corrections made during the process of ; printing, but it is advisable, at least, to classify the variant readings. The book was a political pamphlet, an attack on a peer ; and such works sold well in those clays. Therefore I do not think it improbable that there were at least three bona fide editions. 13 am inclined to believe that errors were dis- covered, and that changes occurred to Hoi- croft's mind during the printing of the first.- edition. The lists of errata were, therefore, added to the faulty copies which had already gone through the press, but which were, per- haps, not yet bound up, and subsequent im- pressions were made from corrected type. But such animadversions are ever liable to error, on account of various methods of printing sheets for separate signatures the order of; printing, the number of impressions made at once, the various points in the printing of each signature at which corrections might be made : in short, it is all a very complicated matter, where one can never be sure, and I do not care to commit myself as to chrono- logy. I shall state merely that I have observed these six forms of the book, varying in respect to the details I have noted.

ELBRIPOE COLBY. Columbia University, New York City.

(To be. continued.)

THE ORTEGA

NELSOX'S STR;

IT would hardly be possible for ' X. & Q-' to constitute itself during the war a repository for ready reference of the single deeds of gallantry which the newspapers record day by day, but the exploit of Capt. Kinneir may, perhaps, claim a place in its columns. It ifi needless to point out to readers of ' N. & Q.'