Page:The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare (1790) - Vol. 1a.djvu/30

xvi In the next quarto, 1609, the last line is thus represented: “'Tis is thy sheath, ” &c.

The editor of the folio, feeing that this was manifestly wrong, absurdly corrected the errour thus:

"'Tis in thy sheath ; there rust, and let me die.”

Again, in the same play, quarto 1599, mishav'd being corruptly printed, for misbehav'd,—

"But like a misbav’d and sullen wench—” the editor of the first folio, to obtain something like senfe, reads

"But like a misshap’d and sullen wench—” and instead of this, the editor of the second folio, for the sake of metre, gives us—

"But like a misshap’d and a sullen wench—.”’

Again, in the first scene of K. Richard III.' quarto, 1597, we find this line:

"That tempers him to this extremity.”

In the next quarto, and all subsequent, tempts is corruptly printed instead of tempers. The line then wanting a syllable, the editor of the folio printed it thus:

"That tempts him to this harsh extremity."

Not to weary my reader, I shall add but two more instances, from Romeo and Juliet: "Away to heaven, respective lenity,

"And fire ey’d fury be my conduct now!”