Warburton read _plainness_, of which Mr. Dyce approves, and perhaps with reason. I have, however, made no change. Lead in fact never is pale; for its surface is always oxydized. Shakespeare, moreover, would hardly use the same term of two distinct substances. (See, however, on Rom. and Jul. ii. 5.) * * * * * SC. 3. "The Duke cannot deny the course of law, For the commodity that strangers have With us in Venice. If it be denied '_T_will much impeach the justice of the state." I thus point and amend the passage, as Capell had done, followed only, I believe, by Knight. I am rather dubious of 'justice,' and should prefer _interest_ or _traffic_. * * * * * SC. 4. "From out the state of hellish misery." I prefer 'misery,' the reading of the first 4to, to _cruelty_, that of the others and the folio. * * * * * "As I have ever found thee honest-true." These compounds of two adjectives--the first being used adverbially--are not by any means uncommon. They are frequent in Shakespeare; in Fletcher's Hum. Lieut. (iii. 2) we have "serious-true," and in his Chances (ii. 1) "glorious-foolish." (See on 1 Hen. IV. iii. 1.) * * * * * "In speed to Padua; see thou render this." All the old editions read _Mantua_, but it is so certain that it must have been a mere slip of the poet or the printer that Theobald's correction has been universally and properly adopted. (See on Hen. V. iii. Chor.) * * * * * "Unto the Tranect, to the common ferry." Rowe, I think properly, read _Traject_ (_tragetto_ It.). * * * * * SC. 5. "And if on earth he do not mean it, then." Here 'it' seems to mean 'to live an upright life'; rather a harsh construction. It is not likely that the poet used 'mean' in the sense of _mener_ Fr., yet it seems to be used so sometimes in Piers Ploughman. ACT IV. SC. 1. "Cannot contain their urine; for Affection, Masters of passion, sways it to the mood Of what it likes or loathes." The original editions all read "Cannot contain their urine for affection;" but that this cannot be right is proved by the context. The only question then is, should we read _Master_ with Thirlby, or _Mistress_ with the same and Capell. Nothing (see Introd. p. 59) is more common than the addition of _s_, while _master_ and _mistress_ are frequently confounded. (See on Taming of Shrew, i. 2.) On the whole, I prefer _mistress_. In the last line I read _she_ for 'it,' evidently caused by that in the preceding line. For the meaning of 'affection,' see Index _s. v._ * * * * * "Why he a woollen bag-pipe."