viii. 149. I práy | Gòd Ì | like hèr | as I lóv|ed theé.
It emphasizes the reluctant utterance. Ignoring this, Dy. and G. change
text and rhythm to:--
'Pray Gód | I like | her ás | I lóv|ed thee.
=B. Quantity.=--1. A syllable is broken into a dissyllable, or
prolonged by way of emphasis, in such cases as i. 168 (your̈ heart's),
ii. 18 (of āll ⋀ this), ii. 170 (Ā-men), ix. 116 (haile, or hāile),
vi. 17, xii. 43 (fair̈e), xiii. 38 (hour̈e). In names like Marg(a)ret,
Erm(e)sbie, diæresis or dialysis often occurs. For Elizabethan usage,
see Schipper, _Neuengl. Metrik_, 1: § 53, and Knaut, _Metrik R.
Greene's_ (Halle, 1890).
2. In vi. 4, 171, vii. 25, etc., such words as _devil_, _spirit_, are
contracted by synæresis or slurring. In x. 55, xiii. 3, xiii. 38 (while
I've; he'd; thou'st), we find elision or apocope, as, also, in xiv.
79, vi. 162, xiii. 37 ('n if she bé; 'n if your hónour; there'll bé).
In _vig'r, El'nor, fri'r, pow'r, fi'ry_, syncope. In vi. 135, ix 129
(To⌒avoid; no⌒unlesse), synalœpha. Evidently the dramatist has in mind
the spoken sentence, in which slurring and rapid pronunciation are more
likely to occur than omission of syllables.
=C. Lacking Syllables.=--1. _Compensation for one syllable_ is made by
a rhetorical pause, or by lengthening or emphasizing the next syllable,
_e.g._,
(_a_) In the first foot, for an absent thesis:--
vi. 17. ⋀ Thát this fai-r coúrteous coúntrie swaíne;
vi. 130. ⋀ Made me thinke the shádows súbstàncès;
unless we read with hovering accent, _sc._ "Màde mè ⋀ thínke,"
which wouýld accumulate the emphasis upon 'thinke.' Do., Dy., W.,
gratuitously insert 'to' before 'thinke.'
vi. 161. ⋀ Whý stànds frìer Búngay só amázed?
Another acephalous line. The suppression of the light syllable
accentuates the arsis 'Why.' For similar suppression in questions see
i. 20, ii. 156.
xiv. 77. ⋀ Whý,--then Màrgret wíll be shórne a nún?
Accumulated emphasis of surprise. So, in iii. 4: (⋀ Thómas, maids when
they cóme), etc.; and in
xiv. 34. ⋀ Lóve ... oh, Lóve!--and wíth fond Lóve, farewéll.
Dy., G., W., "Farewell, oh Love" for first two feet. But why should
Margaret repeat a verb which she has used twice already in this speech?
As for Greene, he was not writing a primer of prosody for school
recitations. Margaret has said farewell to world, friends, father, and
dainty robes, then with a sigh or sob, for which Greene allows by the
lacuna, she bids adieu to the dearest--"⋀ Lóve ... oh Lóve." The pause
before _Love_ heightens the explosion. A similar effect is produced by
the suppression at the beginning of
xiv. 20. ⋀ Pride, | flàttèr iè ànd | incónstant thoúghts
or perhaps ⋀ Príde | ⋀ flát terie ánd.
Dy. says this line is mutilated, and G. inserts 'vanitie' after
'Pride.' But the line is all right. See also _C_, 2 _b_, below.
ix. 171. ⋀ Grátious ás the mórning stárre of heáven.
I prefer this to Ward's emendation (approved by Wagner) 'Gratious as
_is_,' because the Q is less sibilant and, owing to the pause, more
deliberate and forcible. Greene may have written 'As gracious'; for
compare _Looking-Glasse_, l. 14, 'As glorious,' etc.
ix. 257. ⋀ Pérsia, dówne _her_ Vòlga bý canóws.
The rhetorical emphasis on 'her' compensates (with the hovering
accent) for the aposiopesis before 'Persia.' Greene's metrical effects
don't always count upon the fingers, but they are often rhythmically
delightful.
(_b_) For a lacking thesis in the second foot, a similar rhetorical
pause, sometimes also an anapæstic third foot, may compensate, as in
i. 11. And nów ⋀ chángde to a mélanchólie dúmpe.
The 'a' is in Q 1. Wagner's emendation (_Anglia_, p. 523; 1879),
"_he's_ chang'd to melancholy dump," is futile.
ii. 62. Carved oút ⋀ like to the pórtall óf the súnne.
Pause for reflection. The ear is satisfied by the spondaic first foot
and the anapæstic third. (With i. 11 and ii. 62 cf. _A_ 2 above.)
vii. 3. For hé ⋀ troópt with áll the wésterne kíngs.
The rhythmical aposiopesis represents a rhetorical pause for which the
strongly accented 'troopt' and 'all' compensate. Do., Dy., G., W., read
'troopèd,'--but I don't think Greene did.
x. 27. Contént ⋀ keéper; sénd her únto ús.
I have inserted a dash for the pause of decision after 'content':
Lambert accepts the proposition and acts. No metrical stop-gap is
necessary. Sometimes the arsis is lacking, and is supplied by a pause
or gesture:--
xiii. 4. Ah, Búngay, ⊼ my Brazen-head is spoíled.
A second 'ah' suggests itself, and Dy. and W. print it. But I have no
doubt Greene intended the speaker to draw breath for a sigh indicative
of despair.
xiv. 111. Come, Sússex, ⊼ let's ín we sháll have móre.
The missing arsis is supplied by the pause that succeeds a command.
With different punctuation we have '⋀ Cóme! | Sússex, let's ín,' which
is as good. The editors keep Lacie talking.
(_c_) In the third foot, lacking thesis:--
ix. 229. And gíve us cátes ⋀ fit for coúntrey swáines.
If the emperor did not pause for language suitable to the emergency,
it was because he pronounced 'cates' as a dissyllable. Cf. Marlowe's
_Faustus_ (Dyce ed. 1850, p. 211), "Pardon me _sweet_, ⋀ Í forgot
myself."
ix. 144. How nów, ⋀ Vándermást! have you mét with your mátch?
Pause for surprise. If the pause should fall before 'have' it would
indicate the transition to inquiry. In this and the next instance
anapæstic compensation is prominent.
ix. 148. Why Vándermast, ⋀ árt thou óvercóme?
But it is rhetorically more natural to read: '⋀ Whý ⋀ Vándermást, art
thou óvercóme?'
(_d_) In the fourth foot, lacking thesis:--
v. 62-64. _Edw._ To whóm speakest thóu? _Bacon._ To thée. _Edw._
⋀ Whó art thóu?
Pause justified by change of speaker, and the indignant inquiry.
2. _Two or more syllables lacking._ To assume that omissions of
this kind are due to carelessness on the part of author, scribe, or
printer, is to beg the question. It is more reasonable to premise the
genuineness of the lines and consider whether each in turn is not to be
justified by its dramatic conditions. The following sixteen exhaust,
I think, the more flagrant instances of lacuna in this play. In none
would I alter the text of the first quarto.
(_a_) Edward's lines:--
vi. 47. Gogs wóunds ⋀ Bácon hére comes Lácie ⊼.
Abrupt outcry, in which the less and the more forcible exclamatory
pauses are metrically provided for by the lacking thesis and arsis
respectively. The lacking thesis allows also for the transition from
surprise to affirmation. This line is paralleled by
vi. 127. Gogs wóunds ⋀ Bácon they kísse! Ile stáb them ⊼.
The former pause for breathless amazement; the latter for decision and
a gesture. He raises his hand to deal the blow.
vi. 146. Helpe, Bácon ⊼! ⋀ stóp the márriage nów!
Dyce, "some word or words wanting." Others would supply "Helpe! and"
and so reduce the line to mediocrity. The omission is intentional. The
exclamatory pause after 'Bacon' is metrically equivalent to an accented
syllable. The pause before 'stop' is for Edward's quandary--as if he
should for a moment cast about for an appropriate request. The line
might of course be interpreted so as to require one lacking thesis
before 'Helpe' and one before 'Bacon.'
vi. 108. ⋀ Hów familiar they bé, Bacòn, ⋀ ⊼.
First pause, the gasp before an interrogatory exclamation. Second pause
for Bacon's 'Sit still,' which as a convertible fo_o_t is the last of
this line and the first of the next.
vi. 176. The foot pause before 'Flees' may allow for a burst of
laughter. Wagner suggests '_very_ fear,' which no compatriot of
Greene, if he read the line aloud, can tolerate. Until English is
a dead language it will hardly be judicious to encourage foreign
emendations of our masterpieces.
(_b_) Margaret's lines.
iii. 46. Suppression of the first two feet in rapid dialogue. The
words 'sent this rich purse' might have been set down before 'To me?'
but with what advantage save to fill the pentameter? For the clause
has occurred once and the verb twice already in the last six lines.
The suppression intensifies the dialogue, and accentuates the mingled
surprise and impatience of the speaker.
viii. 132. A rhetorical pause occupies the first foot or the last.
Like the preceding instance in so far as the aposiopesis indicates
question and surprise. Dy., G., insert 'indeed' before 'mean': easy
but needless.
x. 156. Dy. queries 'shall be' after 'wealth.' But the words 'shall
be' are implied from the preceding line, and so intentionally
omitted. An additional rhetorical emphasis falls upon _trash_:--
Wealth, ⊼ ⋀ träsh; love, háte; pleàsùre, dispaíre.
xiv. 20. Impassioned soliloquy within an address, like x. 158.
The light syllables of the first and second feet are suppressed to
increase the effect of the accented syllables: ⋀ Príde ⋀ flätterie
and--.
(_c_) Lines of other characters.
ii. 157. The infuriate Burden occupies the first foot with a stifled
'Henly!' or something unreverend.
ix. 120. An interrogatory pause for the first foot or an exclamatory
for the last; unless we combine the lines thus:--
_Van._ What art thóu that quéstionst thús? _Bacon._ Men cáll me Bácon.
ix. 162. Whý, ⋀ Bacon, whíther dost thóu send him.
As in vi. 161, and ix. 148, the lacunæ correspond with moments of
breathless surprise; and emphasis is accumulated upon the syllables
respectively succeeding. If we scan without pauses, the lacunæ will
occupy the fifth foot which might naturally be reserved for Bacon's
echo-question [send him?]. 'Whither,' probably contracted 'whe'r.'
x. 150. What ánswere shall Í retúrne to my lórd? [_Marg_. Retúrne?]
Another echo-foot. Unless we pronounce 'réturne' for which there is
authority, as in iv. 56, 'prógress,' ix. 242, 'éxceed.' See Schipper,
_Neuengl. Metr._, p. 153.
xiii. 72. My father slaine! ⋀⊼ Sèrlbỳ, ward thát.
The thesis of the third foot allows for the recoil of horror; the arsis
for the transition to revenge--the drawing of the rapier.
xiv. 99. Echo of the previous idea, unuttered because dramatically
understood; ['_As glád_] as if,' etc. Dy. suggests insertion
⋀ ⊼
'As _glad as_ if,' and G. adopts. No.
xvi. 69. Let's márch: ⋀ ⩡ the tábles áll are spréad.
The silent foot allows for the rhetorical pause between command and
affirmation. Cf. vi. 146. Dy.'s 'Let _us_ march _hence_,' and G.'s 'Let
_us_ march _on_,' will do well enough if we must keep somebody talking
all the time.
=D. Additional Syllables.=--Like the foregoing apparently deficient
lines it will be found that, properly read, most of the so-called
hypermetric lines conform to the pentameter. The dozen or so that do
not are warranted by historic, if not by rhetorical, conditions. At any
rate they are much more likely to be the lines that Greene wrote than
are the 'procrustitutes' which we might suggest.