Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-06-03


..Wby this IS the mcnding OF high ways
In where the ways ATE la
This volume is duodecmo Of hive hundred and odd
purpouc 10 be the corrections OF Shakspeares play
made in the margin OF copy of The folio OF 1882 discover
ed by Mr. Collier English book store now past away
NO clue given where the copy has been lying THESE
1--WE hundred years. only said 10 have arrived from IN
country; the editors impression being That II came IRON
Bsdfo,dshe; that point he is not at all tain LOOK
ing upon i, as q matter Of no importance.
Nov we have no intention Of taking issue with him on
that point We willing 10 concede TO hitn 1hat y
matter of no importance to take the book
for what it worth and accept the corrections and emen
da,ons if they are good readily Dir. Golfers auhor
~ as on that of some player OF King Charles time, who il
now resting quietly in his grave. All ask is that they
shall be cancellations Improvement in and poetry
evidently on face Of ;em and then, being most orthodox
doaers OF Shakespeare ready ut once 10 allow ina
the best is what he !Gus have written.
But in gancing the volumc-for have not had il
in our power do more strikes that the motto which
heads notice. might be apty inserted in The Tile page OF
MIR. Golfers book The amendments with some few honora
bic exceptions strike adding little TO the intelligoy
of passages and, in many cases, positively taking
away from the poetic sense.
Let instance The we known passage in Macbeth Act
l, Scene
Macbeth ."Pry thee peace;
dare do all tina, may become man;
VINO ds az, do mo'e' .s,T none;"
That made You break this enterprise 10 H,c &c.
In the corrected folio, 70. beast is read boast"
"Wha boast it then" &c.
And the Editor makes himself merry the people who
have been reading Shakespeare Cor these 200 and never
once hit on this correction Of what he is pleased term
gross vulgarsm in Lady Mlc5el Now we have as good
right 10 an opinion Mr., Collier, and give it simply
IN rbans
thing sir but our o~n"and rnain,ain that The word
"beast follows naturally from M4cbe,hs speech, -" dare
DC. And so far from lis being yulsarism, il is simply
strong and fguraive expression, the language Of high
wrought passion. Lady Macbeth certainly did not mince
or choose her words ever bot she could be
vulgor.
10 the second part ri King Henry VI line is put in 10
supply missing rhyme which, 1" ear does not sound
particularly Shakspean however wonderfully il may
TO Mr. Collier dovetai! into it's place Gloster speaks
GiOs.-"My sad' here. noble Henry, my staff
TO h'i& fam ,eo'AG keep II, makes me laugh
That some line wanting here, is likely enough; but s
''makes me laugh" like Shakespeare Hudibras2-
Both these alterations spoken of in the preface
markabe examples OF The value of the newly discovered
folio.
Ia King John act Eve the oltca quoted line "un,hread
the eye OF rebei9n is altered untread the road
1ray &C." Now grant tina! this may make more sense,
childhood; and that around hangs nambcees associations
be that it is really poeca-any way we stand
20 the death for the usual reading
The corrections CT single words very numerous; come
OF them giving additional light 10 the text others being mere
changes and sometimes improvements In the Song at
Heros burial from "Much Ado About Nothing"
Pardon Goddess of The night,
Those that slew thy Virgin Knight.
The word Knight is changed to bright, thereby Ger
1anly losing dca not supplying one.
In the same scene One Hero died dehled but, do live
is altered 10 zone Hero died be butt &c, and the latter
word is by singular OF grammar said TO 90 mnch
preferable"
But il is somewhat inydious task to 60 on, finding
fault through 600 corrections, which the book pro-
fesses 10 contain; gladly TO some which seem
10 US not only 10 throw light re meanings but TO add to
she beauty Of the passages they alter Among them stand
four lines from the Fairys speech ~ fncR IN 9 sum
mer Nights Dream, act 2, scene !.
1.-THE cowsiips tall her pensioners be-
In their gold Goals spots you
These be rubies fairy favors,
In those freckles live their savours:"
Which are altered thus:
1.-THE cowsips all her pensioners be;
In their gold cups spots you sec ;" &C.
Which certainly brings the lines close 10 truth and
nature.
Ia Cymbene is curious alteration Imogen. in speak
ing Of Pos,humus supposed infieity, says:
"Some jay Of Italy,
Whose mother her painting hath betrayed him." &c.
The amender OF the folio rcads:
"Who smothers her 10Th painting"
The correction singular mistake might easily
be made In early editions be true that the words
taken down BY reporters from the stage owing to The
jealousy OF the and managers in regard the print
ing Of the plays
Ii rather curious inquiry in these days Of
bounded admiration Shakespeare 10 ask how much OF ht
enthusiasm for him is merely OF fashion, how much
of il is caught from ncghbors taken up as mark OF
good taste, and how much genuine honest enthusiasm
Our own days have shown what epidemic enthusi
asm be. We have The rise and fall Of the Jenny
Lind and kossuth fcrvor. We know people who did
know note OF music from another. flung away he
money concert tickets how people who had
OF patriotism 10 their souls crazy Tor the Magyar and
his washers bu, epidemics have spent themselves
and passed away. Strength was no, in them.
Something such epidemic in the latter part
last century in the shape admiration for Shakespeare
1t begun in Germany and thence passed over TO Eugand
and 10 this county Like the cholera in the Mississippi
valley The dis.as Sc hss now b,,m, indigenous ba, how
people take il uau,ay7 How ny ut Us would have found
Shakespeare for ouss.vcs7 As il not satisfied
VITA udmns what lie did say, but we put upon him thou
sands things that he meant 10 say discover hidden
beauties which perhaps exis; only In imaslnatons
Let be honest in admiration In this age there IL
danger bui that shalt ADMIRE lei be that our
admiration Is genuine. Not for Shakspeares sske ne can
stand or fall without but 70: the cake the truth nd
,egrty OF souls.
AR Golfers book is good and true far he is In
his desire TO throw lsh, obscure passages far
as ne wants to make book, ii is good
NEWSPAPER OFFICE MogBED.
Bosros May ga great exciemen, was created early
this morning by the destruction of printing Office mob
entered the Office of paper called the Life in Boston, de-.
soyed the furniture and threw tho type in the
great crowd collected 10 witness the scene.
EXCHANGE BANk.-A, meeting OF the Board Of Di.
rectors Of Branch of the Exchange Bank OF Virginia
Luxembourg held ast week. John G. Meem, Esq was unan
zmouy elected President and Saturday selected as the DIS
count day.