The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-05-15
Literary Notice.

Iyoi octave Published by hEDrlgLD. New York Fo
sale by TAYLOR MAURT
The admirers OF Shakespeare, and. indeed the whole
literary world have been waiting for several months ia
anticipation OF the forthcoming OF this volume which
by accident il places them in possession OF
KEY 10 most OF the passages in the plays OF the immortal
dramaist which have Tor hundreds of years exercised
the skill and OF the most distinguished critics
The volume in which these notes and cancellations ara
found is copy of the folio of ''Mr. William Shakes
peares Comedies, Histories. and Tragedies" which was
published in 1882, that edition having been reprint Of
previous impression in the form in 1923. The
circumstances which led 10 the discovery OF these noes
are thus narrated by Mr. Collier in his Introduction to
the volume before us
was tempted only by its cheapness TO buy il under
the following circumstances In the spring oil lSis nap.
pened 10 be the shop OF The late Br hod1 OF ufea'
Newport street, at the Time when package OF books ar
lived from The country my Impression IS hat IL came
from Bedfordshire, but not al all certain upon
point which looked upon matter OF no importance
He opened the parcel IN my presence as ne hau oeh
done before in the course Of my thy or forty years ac
auantance with him. and looking al the backs ana ile-
wages OF several volumes saw that they were chiefly
works OF little interest to me. Two folos however
attracted my % .a Ghe The s s Wa, s a eTcssn
cow OF Forios "New World OF Words" 1911 with the
name OF Henry Osborn (whom mistook at the moment
for his celebrated namesake, FraBcs) upon the first
leaf and the other copy OF The second folio OF
Shakespeares Plays much cropped the covers old and
greasy and, as saw al glance on opening them, i'm
peffect al Tue UtSlnnlHb SoEOiuuibp udoilIJ
thai the latter would complete another poor copy OF the
second folio, which had bought of the same booksel-
ler and which had for some years in my possession
and wanting the former for my use, bought them BOTH
the Floro for twelve aud the Shakespeare for thirty
shllllngs.
garded the Shakespeare, because. when took it home
Il appeared thai two leaves which wanted were unfit
for nv purpose. merely by being too short, but dam
aged and delaced Thus disappointed threw il by, and
did no, see again until made selection of books
would take with me on quitting London. In the mean
time finding that could not readily remedy the detcien-
ces in my other copy OF the folio 1852, had parted with
H. and when removed into the country with my family in
the spring of 1850. in order that might not be without
some copy OF the second folio for the purpose oil reference
took with that which is the foundation OF the pres
ent work.
II was while putting my books together for removal
that first observed some marks in the margin OF This
folio but il subsequently placed upon upper
shelf and did not take il down until had occasion
TO consult it. II then struck me tina, Thomas Perkins
whose name with the addition Of "hls Booke" up
on the cover, might be the old actor who had performed
IN Marowes "Jew OF Malta on its revival shortly be-
fore 1893 Al this time ancied that the binding OF
about that date, and that the volume might have been
his but in the first place found that his name was
Richard Perkins, and in the next became satisfied that
the rough calf was not the original binding. Still,
Thomas Perkins might have been descendant oil Rich
ard and this circumstance and others induced to
anime the volume particularly. then discovered,
10 my surprise, that there hardly page which did
not present, in hand. wiring OF the time, some emenda
lions in the pointing or in the text while on most OF
them they were frequent, and on many numerous
1t was found upon careful scrutiny that the amenda
lions OF which there about 20 900, in one hand
writing, and that the value OF the old volume still
further enhanced by hundreds of stage directions insert
ed in manuscript That the old corecter had good author
lily for his action is satisfactorily shown by the TACT
that the most valuable of his corrections selfevi
dent when suggested that the mind does not pause
to inquire into the authority by which the correction is
made bu, TO wonder why such palpable blundeIs and
errors either escaped detection or Jailed to receive
recGon at the hands of the many learned critics who
have devoted years TO the calculation OF the text OF
Shakespeare.
The character Of tho cancellations made in the copy OF
the old folio WILL however, be best understood by the fol-
lowing examples which have been taken almost at
dom:
In the Tempest. act l. scene q
P 90 Ariel. giving Prospero an accoun, Of the fate
Of the rest OF the dispersed fleet. tells him
They all have met again,
And are upoa the Mediterranean hote,
Bound sadly homo for Naples"
In order to make the grammatical II has been
necessary consider "noe atubsantve, from the FIR.
fo wave The misptint OF care" for all The begin
ming OF the second line has led 10 this imaginary intro
duciion OF foreign and affected word into our language
when ii was never contemplated by Shakespeare. The
reading, as given IN manuscript IN The corrected foho
1884, is,
" They al have met again,
And all upon the MedIlen ane an foai
Bound sadly back to Naples"
Float" in fact verb. used by every body, and not
substantive, used by no other English writer.
Again in the 4th act, Prospero commencing his
daughter 10 Ferdinand, remarks
"ForI
Have given you a third of mine e."
Such is the reading Of all the folios and there no
especial reason why pfospero should divide his life into
three, and call Miranda "a third OF IT, The text has
been much disputed, and for "hrd" OF The old printed
copy the OF the folio 1882 has written hrid
T.. thread in the margin This fact may possibly be
decisive Of the question.
65. In the subsequent passage from the speech of
lns, two manuscript corrections made in the folio
1882. We hrst give the lines as ordinarily printed
Thy bank, with pioned and twilled brims
Which sponpy April At thy hest betfims,
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns and thy broom
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lsss-orn."
10 the corrected folio 1882 they stand thus
Thy banks with pioned and tiied brims,
Which spongy April At thy beet betrns,
10 make cold nymphs chase crowns; and thy broom
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being assiorn."
Tiled OF course refers to cultivation by "pionng, /"
or digging but brown groro. in alluson 10 their deep
shade, more important emeIdaon. There seems NO
reason why dismissed bachelor" should love the
covert OF "broom groves especially recolleciing thai
broom trees seldom found 10 groves" II may be
added that the word so,riy is subjoned TO the printed
stage. direction Jsno descends-to show perhaps, that
The goddess gradually descending all the time Ceres
and lrls delivered their speeches.
In the Two Gentlemen Of Verons" we have a very
Important enendaion, supplying whole line. evidently
deheen, and yet never missed by any Of the
ialors II is in OF the speeches OF Sir Eglamour
wherein he consents to aid Silva in her escape Unul