The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9] — John Shaqi
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]Shakespeare, William
General
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]
Shakespeare, William
English drama
From a minute comparison of this Quarto edition with the First Folio,
extending to points which are necessarily left unrecorded in our notes,
we have come to the conclusion that the Quarto was printed from the
Folio. It is necessary to mention this, because Mr Collier, in the
second edition of his Shakespeare, maintains that the Quarto was printed
long before 1623, perhaps as early as 1607 or 1609; that its publication
"had been in some way 'stayed' by the intervention of the author, on
behalf of himself and the company to which he belonged; and that, having
in consequence been laid aside for a number of years, some copies of it,
remaining in the hands of Smithwicke the stationer, were issued in 1631,
as if it had been then first published." Mr Collier also conjectures
that the title-page was 'struck off long subsequent to the printing of
the body of the comedy to which it is attached.' That this could not
have been the case appears from an examination of Capell's copy, the
only one known to us which has the title-page perfect. In this the title
forms part of the first quire, and has not been inserted. The paper on
which it is printed is the same as that used for the rest of the play,
the wire-marks corresponding throughout. The passages from the Quarto
and Folio which Mr Collier quotes in support of his theory seem to us to
make strongly against it.
We have not reprinted the old play called _The Taming of a Shrew_, on
which Shakespeare founded his comedy, because it is manifestly by
another hand. It is referred to in the notes as (Q).
The 'Long MS.,' to which we have referred, is a copy of the Second Folio
in the Library of Pembroke College, Cambridge, which was formerly in the
possession of Dr Roger Long, Master of the College from 1733 to 1770. It
contains marginal emendations, some from Theobald and Warburton, marked
'T.' and 'W.' respectively; some to which the initial 'L.' is affixed,
and some without any initial letter at all. Such of these as could not
be traced to any earlier source we have quoted as 'Long conj. MS.' or
'Long MS.' For permission to use this volume we are indebted to the
kindness of the Rev. C. H. Parez.
Mr Keightley has, with great liberality, sent for our use the MS. of his
forthcoming work 'The Shakespeare Expositor.' We beg to return him our
best thanks.
To the number of those whom we have to thank for kind assistance we add
with pleasure the names of the Rev. G. B. Bubier, the Rev. N. M.
Ferrers, and Dr Meredith of Quebec.
W. G. C.
W. A. W.
ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA.
_The Taming of the Shrew._
II. 1. 108. _To_] _Unto_ S. Walker conj.
IV. 1. 36, 37. _and ... thou wilt_] _is ... will thaw_ Badham
conj. In note on line 37 dele _will thaw_ Anon. conj.
IV. 5. 22. Add to note, _so it shall be, so_ Mitford conj.
IV. 5. 77. _Have to_] _Have at_ Jervis conj.
_All's Well that Ends Well._
I. 1. 97. In the note, for _Williams_ read _Badham_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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