The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-22 00:00:00

LITERATUBB.

Nisi sod Emeadatuses to Ma Text of Nhastimarla Ploys,
it Early Manuscript Corrections, 4r. By J. P. Cot-
-,,„g, EN. Whataker.
The account of the source from which these manu-
script corrections is derived has so much similarity to
the history of the discovery of the manuscript con-
taining the veracious history of the Knight of La
Mancha, and other treasure trove of a like nature,
that were it not for the reverence which it is well
known Mr. Collier entertains for Shakespeare, we
might have suspected him of having concocted a clever
story to introduce certain judicious alterations of his
awn of the original text. Mr. Collier buys a copy of the
second folio of Shakespeare's plays much cropped, the
ewers old and greasy, and imperfect at the beginning
and the end. flis reason for purch.:sing this dilapi-
dated folio was that he might be enabled to complete
be its means another poor copy of the same edition
which he had by him. On taking it home he dis-
covered that the two leaves he wanted were unfit for
hie purpose, being not only too short, but much
damaged and defaced. The copy was, therefore,
thrown 'aide, and it was not until subeequent pe-
rusal had drawn Mr. Collier's attention to the value
of the manuscript corrections of the text, that he
was induced to subject it to a careful scrutiuy.
The result of his investigation showed that the
book contained twenty thousand emendations of
every kind. Many of these were trifling, but •
large number appeared of the utmost value. Mr.
Collier is unable to give any clue to the discovery of
the annotator in question, but supposes that he may
have been a manager, or a member of a company,
who for his own theatrical purposes took the trouble
to set right from time to time errors in the printed
text by the more faithful delivery of their parts by
the principal actors. The managers and sharers of
theatres did their utmost to prevent the appearance
of plays in print, and se on this account most of the
plays appeared surreptitiously, the great number of
typographical errors the earlier editions contained
is explained. About half of the productions of
Shakespeare remained in manuscript until about
seven years after his death, and of those
printed in his life-time not ono can be
pointed out to the publication of which he in any
way contributed. The manuscript copies from which
the first editions wire printed may be, therefore,
supposed to be transcripts made from oral dictation,
by incompetent scriber, or by inferior actors when
kitcning to rehearsals or performances.
Of the value of the corrections in Mr. Collier's copy
it is impossible to speak too highly. A few will sat-
ficiently indicate their worth. In Henry VIII.
(act iii., scene 2), the King says to Wolsey—
Toa have ewer time
Te steal from spiritual Wows a brief pea
To kern your earthly audit.
The scribe here evidently, heard "leisure" for
labour," and made the King's speech unintelligible.
The corrected copy
Thas—
en have scarce time
To steal from spiritual &boar a brief span.
In " Macbeth," Act i., scene 7, Lady Macbeth is
reproaching her irresolute husband for not taking
advantage of time and opportunity to murder Dun-
gan, after vaunting his determination to commit the
crime, and in the midst of her taunts she asks him,
in the words of all the printed copies:
What keel meet then,
That made you break this enterprise to Ins ?
When you dant do it, then you were a mail.
The correction of a single letter in Mr. Collier's
ow frees Lady Macbeth from the absurdity of
asking "what beast" made him communicate the
enterprise to her. The gist of her question is to ask
why he should brag that he would commit the mur-
der, and then shrink like a coward from what he had
undertaken, and this coma out clearly enough in
the correction—
What boast was% then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you dent do it, then you were a man.
Sometimes the transference of a portion of a
speech from one character to another throws a flood
of light upon an obscure passage. Thus in " Romeo
and Juliet," act iii., scene 5, Juliet expresses her
determination to her mother that if she must marry,
her husband shall be Romeo, in the following terms,
according to the old copies—
And- wheat I do, I swear
It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,
Rather than Paris.—These are news indeed l
The commentators generally pass over the extra-
ordinary incongruity of the last sentence with a very
wise silence. The change in the corrected copy
makes the whole clear. It runs thus :
And when I do, I swear
It shall be Rome*, whom you know I hate,
Rather than Paris.
Ledo Cori:M.—Them are news Indeed l
Here oases your father, Re.
Then few examples will be sufficient to show the
general value of the emendations. The book itself
will be a rich mine of wealth foe all critical readers
of Shakespeare. It is worth the whole body of anno-
tations that are in existence.

DRAMA.

THE FRENCH PLAYS AT ST. JAMES'S
THEATRE.

Mr. Mitchell, the spirited lessee of this theatre, is
about to rein*, his elegatt and fashionable performances of
French plays; and has just put forth a promos** of the
arrangements for this season. The theatre is to opus oa the
gist instant, when M. Revel, the admirable essedias free
this theatre of the Pala* Royal, will appear for this Int
time nee the year 1841. The following onsinst per
have bees engaged to appear duns,' the semen :
NMI,. Benin, Mille. Brahma and M. Ropier, of
the Theitre Fringe* ; Lambert of the Pallas Royal ;
Mdlle. Luther of the Oymasse, her first appearanee in
Ragland ; M. Lafont, Mdlle. Emma Fleury, 11. Adrien
Fen, and M. Leonard. Mdlle. Rubel is also engaged for
twelve nights, sad will, et the commencement of her
engagement, appear in M. Augier's easensfed play of
" Diana." During M. Ravers engagement, at the begin-
ning of the mesons, it is intended to give fear representa-
tion • week ; os Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and &cur-
ds evenings ; the Moadaye at Fridays being, as nasal,
sights. The esbeariptios will be arranged
kr Obey *presentations, em Mondays sod Fridays, until
the end el May. it is is be eillad,_thse a eoaditional
tin eagarnanat bee she ark Dralli, but, owing
tbe prearbres same of Ms beethas, eh:aromas. of this
favourite actor is vest prideely

MUSIC.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.

" Elijah" is now so frequently performed that its
repetition call for no remark save when novelty is produced
by ems chine in the performers. This oratorio, though
its composition is of so recent a Ilan, is already looked upon
is the light of an old acquaintance, net nab' in the met"'
piths but throughout the whole kingdom. Our performen,
oven in the province, have learned to execute it, and the
public to understand it. "Elijah,' In short, is better known
and more popular in Englsad than any oratorio whatever,
neepting only "The Messiah"; and Idle orchestra and
shores of the Sacred Harmonic Society aro sow nearly as
much at home in it as in the Messiah itself.
Last night the arduous part of the Prophet was sustained
by Mr. Weir, who gained golden opinions by the manner
In whets be acquitted himself. He excelled, we have no
kesiUtion in myna/, every performer who hes appeared in
the pert due fltaudigl, by whom it was Ant performed.
Ms. Weir's voice, at once powerful, flexible, and ex-
tern,* in its compass, enabled him to execute the
nose without the slightest effort ; he had thus no physical
ss seelsanical iospedita. tit to the freedom and boldness of
his delivery : and he supported, by his energy the gran-
deur tithe part from the beginning. to 'Wend. Of the piece.
The principal soprano part al as &unused by Madame Flom.
lin who was still suffering from the hoarseness under
which she hail laboured the evening before, and which pre-
tested her from exocuting some of the most difficult pas-
sages with the ease and clearnese of which she would other-
wise have been capable. Her performance, theless.
ressedmirabie in style and expression, especially in the
beautiful seen of the widow and her son, which she gave
With exquisite sweeneks and feeling. In the great air,
" Hear ye, Israel," the state of her voice prevented her
from doing full jollies to her conceptions. Several por-
noes of the eontraito part were assigned to Miss Huddiet.
a highly promising young singer, who acquitted herself
very erediumy ; but it was a mistake to lay upon her the
weight of the grand scene in which Jezebel denounces the
Prophet—the most arduous pars., probably, in the whole
oratorio, which taxes the highest tragic powers of • Tiardot.
TM ball, as usual, was crowded in every part.