PAGE =149=, ll. 100-4. My punctuation of these lines is a slight
modification of that indicated by _W_ and _JC_, which give the proper
division of the speeches. The use of inverted commas would make this
clearer, but Chambers' division seems to me (if I understand it) to
give the whole speech, from 'But to me' to 'So is the Pox', to Donne's
companion, which is to deprive Donne of his closing repartee. The
Grolier Club editor avoids this, but makes 'Why he hath travelled
long?' a part of Donne's speech beginning 'Our dull comedians want
him'. I divide the speeches thus:--
_Donne._ Why stoop'st thou so?
_Companion._ Why? he hath travail'd.
_Donne._ Long?
_Companion._ No: but to me (_Donne interpolates_ 'which
understand none') he doth seem to be
Perfect French and Italian.
_Donne._ So is the Pox.
The brackets round 'which understand none' I have taken from _Q_.
I had thought of inserting them before I came on this MS. Of course
brackets in old editions are often used where commas would be
sufficient, and one can build nothing on their insertion here in one
MS. But it seems to me that these words have no point unless regarded
as a sarcastic comment interpolated by Donne, perhaps _sotto voce_.
'To you, who understand neither French nor Italian, he may seem
perfect French and Italian--but to no one else.' Probably an eclectic
attire was the only evidence of travel observable in the person in
question. 'How oddly is he suited!' says Portia of her English wooer;
'I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his
bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour everywhere.' Brackets are thus
used by Jonson to indicate a remark interjected _sotto voce_. See the
quotation from the _Poetaster_ in the note on _The Message_ (II. p.
37). Modern editors substitute for the brackets the direction 'Aside',
which is not in the Folio (1616).