Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-05-18
From the New York Evepiog post.7

oy oIonaEsPeaTe for the last half century, and has
added moi little TO knowledge of the great dra-
matlst. His edition of 1910, in eight volumes NAV
safely be pronounced the most authentic represen-
atlon OF the text as presented in the old printed
as he himself States of making the most important
addition to this branch of critical English litera-
ture Early Ia 1910, he purchaseda weil-worn copy
of The second folio addition of the Works of Shak-
sPeaTe printed in 1884," 1t was full OF MS notes,
to which he paid attention. but laid his purchase
aside as rather bad bargain. Some three years
later, having occasion TO refer to this copy, he no.
tlced tor the first time that the name of srhouas
Perkins, was inscribed the cover. There tad
been an actor by the of Perkins. whose Chris
tan name, on investigation, turned be Richard
but In looking further, he discovered his surprise
that there was hardly page which did present.
In hand writing of the time, cancellations in
the pointing, or In the text, while most of them
they were frequent, and on many numerous"
MI. Collier then addressed communication the
Athaneum, announcing his discovery, and giving
some examples Of the MS notes.
The Importance of these alterations immeGi-
ately recognized, and the attention OF literary men
excited. Mr.. Collier now gives in the volume be-
fore US one thousand cancellations of ShaksPeare's
text, derived from his 632 folio, in which, by the Way
of corrections of all kinds there not less than 30
thousand.
Although several generations of distinguished
commentators have labored upon the text of Shaks-
Peare, every admits that it is often incomplete
and corrupt. The best critics have done but little
There are passages which defy any but the most
have too frequently " made that darker, which was
dark enough Aefore'' But here is book which Of
ers thousand cancellations, clear that We cannot
hesitate TO accept them.
The question will of course arise" On what au-
thority these corrections made by the unknown
annotator ?'
1t has proved impossible to ascertain with certain
y the previous history of The folio. The internal
evidence indicate that the cancellations were
made with a view to dramatic representation; for
many minute stage directions are inserted, and many
passages not affecting the sense stricken of
the plays, apparently with view of shortening
them Tor acting purposes.
If then, these alterations made for the stage,
they were probably the property of some manager or
actor. But did this manager or actor make of
any authority, did he rely solely his own cTiti- |
cal sagacity his corrections Mr.. Collier is in
cned 10 think /" that the last must have been the !
fact, regards of his changes; and, far his
suggestions only to be taken as those of in
divdual who lived we may suppose, not very long
after the period when the dramas he elucidaed were
written, and who might have had intercourse with
the of Shakspeares day." But there 9th.
er changes and additions, sweeping and impor-
TO be got over in this summary way. ITO say
nothing Of words. sometimes two, three and four to-
gethe which wanting in the foios land supplied
In manuscript TO the improvement both of meaning
and measure, there least nine different instances
where line, the want of which was never before
peced, has been supplied ''From what source, asks
Mr. Collier, could these have been derived IF not from
some more perfect copies, or from more faithful fec-
ation !'' =" How can we account for the discovery
of nine distinct lines, most exactly adapted to tie
situations where they inserted excepting upon
the suppositIon that they proceeded om the pen of
the poet, and have been preserved by the curious
curacy of an individual almost contemporary, who,
in some way, possessed the means OF supplying
them?
that our readers may form opinion of their value
In the " Tempest,'' act V, scene l.;
You demy-puppets, that
BY mOonshine do the green rlnglets make
" hereof the eve not bites.
For green sour the MS. gives green sOdrd.
In the same act:
HUiy Gonzalo, honorable man,
Mine eyes, sociable TO the shoW of thine,
Fall feiowly drops.
Which is altered to:
Noble Gouyao, honorable man,
Mine eyes, sociabIe TO the f0V of thine, !
Fall feliowIy drops.
In the 1.-Two Gentlemen of Verona act ",
scene 3
Madam, pity much your grievances,
Which, since know they vlrtuously placed,
give consent TO go along with you.
In the alteration, line is supplied
Madam pity much your grievances,
find The most true affections that gnu bear,
Which, since know they viruously are placed,
give consent to go along with you.
In the Merry Wives of Windsor, act ii, scene /:
Vii! you CO. an heireS2
This word has given rise 10 infinite conjecture.
The unknown writes:
w III you ~, OI HeTe!
Act ", scene 3:
81 will bring thee where Mistress Anne Page is,
at farmhouse a,tas1ing. and thou shall WOO her
Cried game, said WEEK."
Which is rather incomprehensibe; it reads in the
corrected copy:
Curds and Cream, said we'll.
We might multiply these citations five had space,
but the sample we have given, shows, think, that
the alterations of the unknown critic have least
the merit of common A writer in the London
Atheneum is firmly convinced that this emendator
must have had to authority which we have
not He cannot suppose that any man, even with
all the advantages which nearness to the author may
have given him over ourselves, should have done so
infinitely than all others put together, if he had
depended solely the same power of conjecture
which'those others possessed, We of opinion,
he adds, I" that the internal evidence, whole,
leads the conclusion that the book in question was
amended from some copy used by the Prompter or q
manager of theatre in which these plays per-
formed, somewhere about 1852, If this conclusion
be correct, and it is irresistible. we have here,
in all probability, genuine restoration of Shak-
speare's language in at least thousand places In
which he has been hitherto misunderstood"
Mr.. Collier is preparing edition of Shakespeare
in volume, which will contain all the plays and -
al the old readings and the readings from the
oIio of 1852, which appear to merit notice. ,
We need hardly add that Red6eld has published I
his interesting book in his usual excellent style.
fac smile of page from the old folio is prefxed.
1t is for sale by Mr.. Courtenay at the oppo-
ute the Exchange.
This work NAV be obtained of Mr. Pomerov to