Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/363

 The Furness Variorum 359 " Alarums. " V, iii, 55: there is no reason for not recording the necessary s.d., "[Exit," supplied by Rowe and retained by everyone since. V, iii, 71 : Rowe i reads " Son, " Rowe ii " Sun." V, iii, 75: both Rowe's editions anticipate Pope in reading "Melancholy's." V, iii, 118: Rowe reads "Funerals" in both editions, and should be so recorded. V, v, 25: Rowe, Pope, and Hanmer, only, follow F 3, F 4 in reading " Philippi-fields " ; Theob. i reads " Philippi fields, " and Theob. ii, Warb., Johnson, and Var. '73 read "Philippi' fields" so there is neither rhyme nor reason in crediting this last reading to Capell. When it is remembered that these specimens of error are not even all that I have found, and presumably very far from all that anyone would find who should systematically verify every one of Mr. Furness' statements (as I had no occasion to do), it will be seen that there is offered here a fine opportunity for unsel- fish service to the cause of American scholarship: let some dis- interested student or committee "audit" my account (or simply test Mr. Furness' forthcoming volume, "King John," in the same way), employing yet another set of Folios, Quartos, and critical editions; and then, if these charges of error are substan- tiated, let action be taken forthwith to rescue this monumental Variorum series from the hands of its present editor. It is not contemplated, naturally, that any legal or forcible action shall be attempted in these premises, even were any possible, but it is hoped that sufficient moral pressure may be brought to bear upon Mr. Furness to persuade him to relinquish the undertaking voluntarily and to entrust the decision as to the future of the Series to the Modern Language Association of America, prefer- ably, or to some other suitable body. LAWRENCE MASON Yale University.