New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TIM p1vrPsJDE SHAKESPEARE.

THE RIVERSIDE SHAKESPEARE.
Mr. WILLIAM hd I1t newly
e1ited with Glossaral. Historical ana ExliahalqdH
Notes BY RICHARD Grant "h LIE iIi 81 Goa
f fcs7. ''0-''' , 49,,
Tbn on,bi,ion Of Mr. White in undertaking this
publication was TO prepare an EDITION OF ohahes-
noore N be read He has allowed himself, therefore,
neither disquisition upon Shakespeares genius
nor n critical essay upon the Elizabethan drama
nor . minute discussion of various readings
o,,bonob il Is almost superfiuous to say
that he has made the various readings inc sun
iect of a minute study. lie has sought to enaOie
The reader of general intelligence IL understand
and therefore to enjoy, what Shakespeare "i"'e' ~
nearly as possible in the very way III Wnicn nv
,voul1 have understood and enjoyed II nc
had lived In London in the reign OF james
~ The plan embraced scrupulous revision
at the text with the assistance OF All the 'al'S'
discoveries of ,ShaIeSpearian scholarship; pam
statement Of whatever is known about the poet ana
Ijs writings. and notes upon obsolete words ana
obscure paS>agcs ample enough 20 rem"ve dl'n'uL'
ties without ucedlesSly distractions the readers AZ
tentiop or rctarlms bis pyvsrv>s. This scheme
rresentiug the results " ltaruug without the ,N''
iror> ,pparstu> Is uuQuc>tiouaby the best ior the
purpn>r ltrv Defined and 1t has been tAfr''N '9'
so well that As an &, you gor general n>I tne |\e''
sid, Shs kc>1fe mess cake It's place 40 outc IN '"o
very front r1sk tat text y uct to@adtd upon t"a'
az any &aseyeJeag aederu eltsoa. even Nh B." me-
own Il o, tac fv>lH vi D ec" Ard very '"'''"i W.
latoa .i va.yA >cHe ~ tae c,t0rS FORMER t'""i"s
81 l.>..,.,i messages ht,e bJyn abandoned ana
SONY y,tlued, v1te IN certain instances Tvs"
smc,,,l ga> BAKE eevs -,yVduced.
In ,,., e.sen with chs part OF his task we mus
cal! attention TO . matter upon when MI Nnit'
fltftfFsr
li,.ri,. ,,norfaut. That we may understand and
enjoy What Shakespeare wrote as nearly as possible
in the very way in which we would have under
stooJ and cuioyed it if we had lived in London IN
The reign of James l." he has taken pains to remind
ms of some things which must have been more oO-
vious two hundred and fifty years ago than they
are to tbc critics of the present day. Shakespeare
recllcssly msuscd the language of ms own time,
His plavs abound in forced meanings OF words ana
unnatural constructions which are not Only COIL
trary 10 modern rules but were always "rolH'
Literary precision was. not fashionable Wheh ne
,vrotc Nobody cared for it. Even precise thought
WAS often but lightly valued In scores OF III
stances commentators have labored vigorously 10
mend the text OF discover deep meanings IN passages
which only Illustrate the poets sublime careless
ness NJ White has some opposite remarks upon
his feeling with respect to the First Folio and other
nnblic9tions of its kind and period: at is a
mingled feeling of entire lack of reverence Tor ther
authority. with a hesitation at disturbing the text
founl u them on the ground that it Is strange, OBJ
scure on otherwise unacceptable. study OF the
dramatic literature of Elizabeths time Is apt TO
begct IN thc student the belief that almost any
playWIight-eyen the grcatest-of that day was
often content 10 write something that had the mere
misty outline Of a possible sense, and that would
run easily oil hs pen and into his verse. Thus, al
though these old play-books represent manuscripts
stolen and patched and heterogeneous, and are IRE
oucntlv printed in such typographical disorder that
their text, have not the slightest claim To unQu'S-
1ioning Difference the experienced reader feels that
he may we'll hesitate at disturbing what notWIll-
standing its obscmity its extravaganza, or even rs
tamcucss Shakespeare himself may have written"
Ii is in this frame of mind that Shakespeare must be
read not only by the professional critic but by tie
loving student. We are repeatedly reminded OF 1T,
indirectly in the short foot-notcs, well as eX-
plicitly in the preface; and Mr.. White has been
wisely guided by 1t il numerous coniectulai
emcndations
But if the character of the Eizahcthan drama
warns lis TO be cautious of meddling with the text,
the condition in which the text has come down to
us encourages us sometimes to bc bold. happy
example of boldness is given in Mr. Whites treat
Inent OF tie much disputed passage of Hamlet
l., 4:
The dram of Gale