The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's PlaysKeightley, Thomas
General
The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's Plays
Keightley, Thomas
Drama -- Outlines, syllabi, etc.; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Outlines, syllabi, etc.
"And grapple thee unto a pagan shore."
'Grapple' is Pope's correction; the folio has _cripple_.
* * * * *
"Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars."
Capell read 'coals of war.'
* * * * *
"_Vive le roy!_ as I have bank'd their towns."
As there is mention of cards in the next line, I think that in 'bank'd'
there may be an allusion to card-playing. The same is the opinion of
Mr. Staunton. In Ant. and Cleop. (ii. 2) we have "she _pursed_ up his
heart."
* * * * *
"This unheard sauciness and boyish troops."
For 'unheard' Theobald read _unhaired_; and we have in Venus and Adonis
'_hairless_ face.' I, however, prefer _unbeard_, i.e. unbearded,
beardless. We have already had in this play 'heat' for _heated_.
* * * * *
"Even at the crying of your nation's crow."
For 'crow' I read _cock_; Collier's folio reads _cock_, and _crowing_
for 'crying.' In the next line I read, with Rowe, _his_ for 'this.'
* * * * *
SC. 4. "Unthread the rude eye of rebellion."
Theobald reads _untread_ and _way_. A little further on we have, "We
will untread the steps of damned flight;" but no change is needed here.
* * * * *
"For if the French be lords of this loud day,
He means to recompense," etc.
Here 'He' can only refer to John, while it is evidently the Dolphin
that is meant. I have therefore, as I find Mr. Lloyd also has done,
read _Prince_ for 'French,' and of course _lord_ for 'lords.' But as in
this play _Prince_ alone is never used of the Dolphin, it may be that a
line is lost. It might have been something of this sort: "And Fortune
smile upon the Dolphin's arms."
* * * * *
SC. 6. "Unkind Remembrance! Thou and endless Night."
For 'endless' Theobald read _eyeless_; but there is no need of change.
* * * * *
SC. 7. "I have a kind soul that would give _you_ thanks."
KING RICHARD II.
ACT I.
SC. 1. "_May_ many years of happy days befall."
* * * * *
"And free from other misbegotten hate."
We might read _any_, perhaps, for 'other'; Collier's folio has _wrath
or_.
* * * * *
"Upon remainder of a dear account."
Collier's folio reads _clear_; and _d_ and _cl_ might be confounded.
* * * * *
SC. 3. "Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms."
This is the merest prose. Ritson for _ask_ repeats 'demand of'; but
it seems to me that the simplest way is to read 'ask _of_,' making
'Marshal' a trisyllable, as the King of course speaks in a solemn,
majestic tone. In 1 Hen. VI. iv. 7, an envoy says: "Great märshal to
Hen_e_ry the Sixth." In Hen. VIII. v. 4, the herald speaks in the same
manner.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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