Page:The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare (1790) - Vol. 1a.djvu/38

xxiv and from the same cause the words dank, blest, and hurtled, are dismissed from the text, and more familiar words substituted in their room.

In like manner in the third act of Coriolanus, sc. ii. the ancient verb to owe, i. e, to possess, is discarded by this editor, and own substituted in its place.

In Antony and Cleopatra, we find in the original copy these lines: "———I say again, thy spirit

"Is all afraid to govern thee near him,

"But he alway, 'tis noble." Instead of restoring the true word away, which was thus corruptly exhibited, the editor of the second folio, without any regard to the context, altered another part of the line, and absurdly printed—"But he alway is noble." In the same play, Act I. sc. iii. Cleopatra says to Charmian—"Quick and return;" for which the editor of the second folio, not knowing that quick was either used adverbially, or elliptically for Be quick, substitutes— "Quickly, and return."

In Timon of Athens, are these lines: "And that unaptness made your minister

"Thus to excuse yourself." i. e. and made that unaptness your minister to excuse