understand _the meaning of my innocence_, or _my innocent meaning._ Let no suspicion of ill enter thy mind. _Love takes the meaning, in love's_ conference. In the conversation of those who are assured of each other's kindness, not _suspicion_, but _love takes the meaning_. No malevolent interpretation is to be made, but all is to be received in the sense which _love_ can find, and which _love_ can dictate. II.ii.89 (45,6) [my grace] My acceptableness, the favour that I can gain. (1773) II.ii.120 (46,7) [Reason becomes the marshal to my will] That is, My will now follows reason. III.i (48,3) In the time of Shakespeare, there were many companies of players, sometimes five at the same time, contending for the favour of the publick. Of these some were undoubtedly very unskilful and very poor, and it is probable that the design of this scene was to ridicule their ignorance, and the odd expedients to which they might be driven by the want of proper decorations. Bottom was perhaps the head of a rival house, and is therefore honoured with an ass's head. III.i.110 (52,8) [Through bog, through bush, through brake, through bryer] Here are two syllables wanting. Perhaps, it was written, _Through bog_, through mire,------- III.i.116 (52,9) [to make me afeard] _Afeard_ is from _to fear_, by the old form of the language, as _an hungred_, from _to hunger_. So _adry_, for _thirsty_. (1773) III.i.117 (52,1) [O Bottom! thou art chang'd! what do I see on thee?] It is plain by Bottom's answer, that Snout mentioned an _ass's head._ Therefore we should read, Snout. _O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee_? An ass's head? III.i.141 (53,3) [Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,] So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force (perforce) [doth move me, On the first view to say, to swear I love thee] These lines are in one quarto of 1600, the first folio of 1623, the second of 1632, and the third of 1664, &c. ranged in the following order: _Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note. On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape, And thy fair virtue's force (perforce) [doth move me._ This reading I have inserted, not that it can suggest any thing better than the order to which the lines have been restored by Mr. Theobald from another quarto, but to shew that some liberty of conjecture must be allowed in the revisal of works so inaccurately printed, and so long neglected. III.i.173 (55,6) [the fiery glow-worm's eyes] I know not how Shakespeare,who commonly derived his knowledge of nature from his own observation, happened to place the glow-worm's light in his eyes, which is only in his tail. III.ii.9 (56,l) [patches] _Patch_ was in old language used as a term of opprobry; perhaps with much the some import as we use _raggamuffin_, or _tatterdemalion_. III.ii.17 (56,2) [nowl] A head. Saxon.