SC. 1. "Let higher Italy," etc.
This passage has never been understood, yet it is perhaps plain enough.
By 'higher Italy' is meant the part more distant from France. "Will you
travel higher [_i.e._ go further south], or return again to France,"
iv. 3. In this place it is Tuscany that is termed 'higher Italy.' "But
then _up farther_, and as far as Rome," Tam. of Shrew, iv. 2, where
the speaker is at Padua. By 'bated' is meant abated, subdued, as we
_abate_ a nuisance; 'inherit' is, as usual, possess; and 'the fall of
the last monarchy' is the fallen final state of the Roman Empire, the
last monarchy according to the current interpretation of the Book of
Daniel. "The antique ruins of _the Roman Fall_."--F. Q. i. 549. "The
underseated deities that circle Saturn's fall."--Chap. II. xv. 208.
"Redeem'd him from his fall and made him mine."--Fletch. Kt. of Burn.
Pest. iv. 3. But perhaps we should read _pall_, as being still more
contemptuous, indicating that the symbol only and not the real power
had been inherited. By 'Those,' etc., I think are meant the Ghibelines
or Imperial party, to which Siena belonged, while Florence was usually
Guelf, the side which was always taken by France, out of opposition
to the German Emperor. There is, however, no mention of Guelfs or
Ghibelines either in the story in the Decamerone or in the Palace of
Pleasure; so that Shakespeare must have gotten his knowledge elsewhere,
which is to me one proof, among many, of the extent of his reading. I
regard this as the only explanation that gives sense to the passage.
* * * * *
"And lustrous, _in_ a word good metals."
* * * * *
"With his cicatrice, an emblem of war,"
The folio reads 'his cicatrice with.' As usual, Theobald made the
correction.
* * * * *
"Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.--
I'll see thee to stand up," etc.
This is the arrangement of the folio, which Malone altered needlessly.
For 'see' Theobald read _fee_, and in the next line _bought_ for
'brought.' These corrections most editors have adopted, but I see no
great gain in them. I confess I do not clearly discern the meaning
here of either 'see' or _fee_; and Mr. Staunton's _sue_ is not much
better, and I suspect that the poet's word may have been a different
one, which I think I can fix on with something like certainty. He wrote
then 'I _beseech_ thee,' but _ch_ being either blotted or rubbed out,
the transcriber or printer read _I be_ 'Ile,' the usual form of _I'll_.
In Ham. iii. 4, and Tim. i. 2, we have a similar effacement of two
letters. "Pardon, my lord.--I pray you all, stand up" (M. N. D. iv. 1),
is exactly parallel. See also Hen. VIII. v. 1.
* * * * *
"Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary."
We should, I apprehend, read _it_ for 'you.' There had been no allusion
yet to the king.
* * * * *
"And write to her a love line."
It would be better to read, with Hanmer, as I have done, '_To_ write.'
* * * * *
"Than I dare blame my weakness...."
We thus get some appearance of sense; but I still am suspicious of
'blame.' _Task_ might seem better. "I dare not task my weakness with
any more."--Othel. ii. 3. We meet, however, in the Faerie Queen with
"Ne blame your honour with so shameful vaunt
Of vile revenge," ii. 8. 16,
where _blame_ seems to signify blemish, or expose to blame.
* * * * *
"With that malignant cause."
We might suspect 'cause'; but it is right.
"Leave us to cure this cause. For 'tis a sore upon us."
Cor. iii. 1.
* * * * *
"Humbly entreating from your royal thoughts
A modest one, to bear me back again."
This would seem to mean that, notwithstanding her boldness, he would
still continue to think her modest. It would be derogatory to Helena to
read _sum_ for 'one.'
* * * * *
"When miracles have by the greatest been denied."
Johnson saw rightly that a line had been lost after this.
* * * * *
"Where hope is coldest and despair most shifts."
For 'shifts' Pope read _sits_, Theobald _fits_, which I think is right;
_fits_ occurs in the sense of suits in
"The humble salve which wounded bosoms _fits_."
Son. cxx.
* * * * *
"Ne worse of worst extended
With vilest tortures let my life be ended."
She means, be racked to death. Malone read, as I do, _Nay, worst of
worse_. 'Nay' was sometimes spelt _ne_. "Is't true? _Ne_, let him run
into the war."--Chapman, All Fools, i.
* * * * *
"Youth, beauty, _virtue_, wisdom, courage all."
Warburton also supplied _virtue_, but _after_ 'wisdom.' In the next
scene but one, the King speaks again of her _virtue_.
* * * * *
"Ay, by my sceptre and my hopes of heaven."
This is the correction of Thirlby; the folio has _help_ for 'heaven,'
regardless of rime.
* * * * *
"What husband in thy power I will command."
The proper word would seem to be '_de_mand'; but see on As You Like It,
ii. 5.
* * * * *
"With any branch or image of thy state."
For 'image' Warburton, whom Singer follows, read _impage_, while
Steevens says (and, I believe, truly) there is no such word. By 'image'
may be meant child, offspring, which is its signification in
"I have bewept a worthy husband's death.
And liv'd by looking on his images."--Rich. III. ii. 2.
In the original tale she expressly excepts the _children_ and relatives
of the King.
* * * * *
SC. 2. "An end, sir, to your business. Give Helen this."
For 'An end' I feel almost certain we should read _Attend_, or possibly
_And now_. I have, however, made no change in the text of my Edition.
Some point 'An end, sir: to your business.'
* * * * *
SC. 3. "_Mort de vinaigre!_ is not that Helen_a_?"
* * * * *
"And writ as little beard."
For 'writ' we should, I think, read _wore_ or _with_. Mr. Dyce,
however, says it was "the phraseology of Shakespeare's time." He
should, then, have given us examples of it; for _write man_ and such
like are not such. Perhaps this and the following speeches of Lafeu
should be _Asides_.
* * * * *
"Do they all deny her? An they were sons of mine," etc.
The folio reads, "Do all they."
* * * * *
"From lowest place, whence virtuous things proceed."
So the folio reads and punctuates. The context shows that we should
read _when_, with Thirlby. Two lines further on we have 'additions
swell's,' which, reading 'swells,' is grammatically right; but the 2nd
folio read '_addition_,' and Malone, who is usually followed, _swell_.
* * * * *
"Where dust and damn'd oblivion is the tomb."
For 'damn'd' we might feel inclined to read _dim_, _damp_, or _dank_.
"And in a dark and _dankish_ vault," Com. of Err. v. 1; or (as in Tr.
and Cr. iii. 2) _blind_. The text, however, is probably right, for
'damn'd' often merely meant what is odious, or hateful, was to be
condemned or simply was reprehensible. "Surfeits, impostumes, grief,
and _damn'd_ despair."--Ven. and Adon. (See on Othel. i. 1.)
* * * * *
"My honour's at the stake, which to defeat."
I have read, with Theobald, _defend_. Farmer's explanation of 'defeat'
is untenable.
* * * * *
"Whose ceremony
Shall seem expedient on the now borne brief,
And be perform'd to-night."
By 'brief' I would understand the marriage-contract; for _brief_ is
used with great latitude. So in v. 3 we have "a sweet verbal _brief_,"
_i.e._ commission or address. The 'now borne' of the folio is, I think,
_now-born_, _i.e._ which has just come into being, been made. Possibly
we might read _new-born_, like "things _new-born_" (W. T. iii. 3),
"_new-born_ gauds" (Tr. and Cr. iii. 3). We have _now_ for _new_ (M. N.
D. i. 1). I read _come_ for 'seem.' (See on Macb. i. 2.)
* * * * *
"Than the commission of your birth and virtue give you heraldry for."
Hanmer transposed 'commission' and 'heraldry'; and most editors have
followed him. They seem to be right, and I agree with them.
* * * * *
"What, what, _what_, sweetheart?"
* * * * *
"To the dark house and the detested wife."
The folio reads _detected_; the correction is Rowe's.
* * * * *
SC. 5. "When I should take possession of the bride ...
And ere I do begin."...
For 'And' Mr. Collier found _End_ in MS. in a copy of the folio.
* * * * *
"Than you have or will deserve at my hand."
So the 2nd folio reads; the 1st has '_to_ deserve'; and perhaps a noun
may have been omitted after 'have.'
* * * * *
"I think _not_ so.--Why, do you not know him?"
Some would transfer 'not' to the former speech, but I think it more
likely that _not_ was omitted.
_Ber._ "Where are my other men?--
_Hel._ Monsieur, farewell."
The folio gives all this to Helena; while Theobald, followed by the
Cambridge editors, reads "_Ber._ Where are my other men, monsieur?
Farewell."