III. 1. 118. Johnson says the most plausible conjecture is 'benighted.' It does not appear by whom this conjecture was made. NOTE XVII. III. 1. 168. We must suppose that Claudio, as he is going out, stops to speak with his sister at the back of the stage within sight of the audience. NOTE XVIII. IV. 2. 91. This is a case in which we have thought it best to make an exception to our usual rule of modernizing the spelling. The metre requires 'Haply' to be pronounced as a trisyllable. Perhaps it would be well to retain the spelling of the first two Folios 'Happely,' and as a general rule it would be convenient if an obsolete spelling were retained in words used with an obsolete meaning. We have, however, abstained from introducing on our own authority this, or any other innovation in orthography. In IV. 3. 126, we have retained 'covent,' which had grown to be a distinct word from 'convent,' and differently pronounced. Shakespeare's ear would hardly have tolerated the harsh-sounding line 'One of our cónvent and his cónfessor.' NOTE XIX. IV. 3. 17. The reading 'cry' (i.e. 'crie') for 'are' was suggested by a passage in Nashe's _Apologie for Pierce Pennilesse_, 1693, quoted by Malone: 'At that time that thy joys were in the _fleeting_, and thus _crying_ 'for the Lord's sake' out at an iron window.' NOTE XX. IV. 3. 83. In order to avoid the unmetrical line 83, as given in the Folios and by all Editors to Johnson inclusive, the lines 82-85 have been arranged as five, thus: _If ... Let ... In secret ... Ere ... To the under_ ... Capell. _If ... Let ... Both ... The sun ... The under_ ... Steevens. _If ... Let ... Both ... Ere ... To yonder_ ... Collier. _If ... Let ... Both ... The sun ... To yond_ ... Singer. Perhaps the best arrangement, because requiring the least change from the printing of the Folio, would be to put the words 'And Claudio' in a line by themselves. Many examples of such a broken line in the middle of a speech may be found (e.g. V. 1. 448), and it would add to the emphasis with which the Duke commends Claudio to the Provost's care. The long line V. 1. 465, might be similarly reduced by reading 'His name Is Barnardine.' NOTE XXI. IV. 5. 1. Mr Spedding suggests that Act V. should begin here. Dr Johnson says: "This play has two Friars, either of whom might singly have served. I should therefore imagine that 'Friar Thomas,' in the first Act, might be changed without any harm to 'Friar Peter:' for why should the Duke unnecessarily trust two in an affair which required only one? The name of Friar Thomas is never mentioned in the dialogue, and therefore seems arbitrarily placed at the head of the scene." NOTE XXII.