[a divulged shame
Traduc'd by odious ballds; my maiden's name
Sear'd otherwise; no worse of worst extended,
With vilest torture let my life be ended]
This passage is apparently corrupt, and how shall it be rectified?
I have no great hope of success, but something must be tried. I
read the whole thus,
King. _What darest thou venture?_
Hal. _Tax of impudence.
A strumpet's boldness; a divulged shame,
Traduc'd by odious ballads my maiden name;
Sear'd otherwise,_ to worst _of worst extended;
With vilest torture let my life be ended._
When this alteration first came into my mind, I supposed Helen to
mean thus, _First,_ I venture what is dearest to me, my maiden reputation;
but if your distrust _extends_ my character _to the worst of_
the _worst, and supposes me _seared_ against the sense of infamy, I
will add to the stake of reputation, the stake of life. This certainly
is sense, and the language as grammatical as many other passages
of Shakespeare. Yet we may try another experiment.
Fear _otherwise_ to worst of _worst extended;
With vilest torture let my life be ended._
That is, let me act under the greatest terrors possible.
But once again we will try to find the right way by the glimmer
of Hanmer's amendation, who reads thus,
--_my maiden name
Sear'd; otherwise_ the worst of _worst extended._ etc.
Perhaps it were better thus,
--_ my maiden name
Sear'd; otherwise_ the worst to _worst extended; _
_With vilest torture let my life be ended._
II.i.182 (45,5) [Thy life is dear; for all, that life can rate Worth name
of life, in thee hath estimate] May be _counted_ among the gifts enjoyed
by them.
II.i.185 (45,7) [prime] Youth; the spring or morning of life.
II.ii.40 (48,1) [To be young again] The lady censures her own levity
in trifling with her jester, as a ridiculous attempt to return
back to youth.
Il.iii.6 (49,3) [unknown fear] _Fear_ is here the object of fear.