AS YOU LIKE IT.

"Of suchdeepmisery doth she cut me off."

A syllable is wanting, anda, the reading of the 2nd folio, is feeble. We have "suchdeepsin"(Rich. II. i. 1); "deepgrief" (Ham. iv. 5); and many similar expressions. The omission of an adjective is not unusual. (See on M. N. D. v. 1.)

"As makes it light or heavy in the substanceOr the division of the twentieth partOf one poor scruple."

"As makes it light or heavy in the substance

Or the division of the twentieth part

Of one poor scruple."

By readingOffor 'Or' we gain both in sense and energy. The proof-sheets of my Edition have given me instances of this confusion oforandof.

"Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandement."

"Full of good news. My master will be here ere morning."

By readingmornwe should get a rime.

"My friend, Stephano, I pray you signify."

Both 4tos and folios read "signify I pray you."

"Is thick-inlaid with patens of pure gold."

The reading of the 2nd folio,patterns, the one usually followed, is decidedly wrong. In Spanishpatenais a medal worn by country-women about the neck.

"By the sweet power of music; therefore the poets."

I think we should read this in the plural, as no particular poet was regarded as the author of this mythe.

"Peace, ho! the moon sleeps with Endymion."

In reading "ho!" for thehowof the original editions, I had been anticipated by Malone.

"That she did give me, whoseâ€”poÃ«sy wasâ€”For all the world like cutler's poetryUpon a knifeâ€”Love me and leave me not."

"That she did give me, whoseâ€”poÃ«sy was

â€”For all the world like cutler's poetry

Upon a knifeâ€”Love me and leave me not."

By punctuating thus, we need not read, with Steevens, 'tome.'

"Or your own honour to contain the ring."

It might be better, with Pope, to readretain. (See on Two Gent. v. 4,ad fin.)

"In summer where the ways are fair enough."

The usual confusion ofwhereandwhen.

"Well while I live," etc.

A waggish allusion to a story told by Poggio, Ariosto, Rabelais, La Fontaine, and Prior. Our poet probably got it from Rabelais, with whom he was familiar.

"As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion.Hebequeathed me, by will, but poor a thousand crowns, and as thou sayest," etc.

"As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion.

Hebequeathed me, by will, but poor a thousand crowns, and as thou sayest," etc.

The 2nd folio reads 'a poor thousand,' but the metre is in favour of the original reading, and we meet "What poor an instrument" (Ant. and Cleop. v. 2). It is really surprising to see with what pertinacity editors reject the necessary wordHe, first supplied by Blackstone.

"Or to speak more properly stays me here at home."

Warburton readstys, as in Temp. i. 2, which is certainly more forcible; but Orlando could not be said to be 'sty'd,' like Caliban.

"If Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished."

Hanmer addedoldto 'Duke,' which, however, is not necessary.

"Ros.My father's love is enough to honour him enough."

Ros.should probably beCel.(so also Theobald), and the second 'enough' be rejected.

"Sport? Of what colour?"

The princess here plays on the similarity of sound betweenspotandsport, pronounced with thernearly effaced.

"There is such odds in theman."

Hanmer properly readmen.

"Mounsieur the challenger, the princess calls for you.â€”I attend them," etc.

"Mounsieur the challenger, the princess calls for you.â€”

I attend them," etc.

Celia had desired Le Beau to call him; Orlando, seeingtwo princesses, says 'them'; so the corrections of the critics are needless.

"If you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgement."

Warburton ingeniously, but perhaps needlessly, readourfor 'your.'

"But justly, as you have exceeded all promisehere."

Hanmer read 'hereexceeded.'

"But yet indeed the taller, is his daughter."

For 'taller' Pope readshorter, Malonesmaller, which is the usual reading, as Rosalind was 'the taller.' I feel, however, almost certain that the poet wrote 'lesstaller,' and have so printed it. We have, "Against the envy ofless happierlands" (Rich. II. ii. 1), and no one would object tomore taller.

"Not a word!â€”No, not one to throw at a dog."

The 'No,' it will be seen, was transferred to the beginning of the next speech, where it was not wanted; while both sense and metre require it here.

"No, some of it for my child's father."

Rowe properly read 'father's child.' Sense, taste, and delicacy, alike commend this simple and natural transposition. Some editors, however, think otherwise.

"Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste."

For 'safest' Collier's folio readsfastest; we might also read, with Singer,swiftest, like "swiftestexpedition" (Two Gent. iii. 1); "in allswift haste" (Tr. and Cr. i. 1). But it is not necessary to alter the text; forsafeis, sure, certain, a sense which it retains in the Midland counties. "To take the safest occasion by the front" (Oth. iii. 2).

"Which teacheth thee, that thou and I am one."

Such was the structure of the time. "My thoughts and Iamfor this other element" (Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, i. 1). It was the same in French:

"Ni la mort ni vous-mÃªmeNe meferezjamais prononcer que je l'aime."

"Ni la mort ni vous-mÃªme

Ne meferezjamais prononcer que je l'aime."

Racine, Bajazet, iv. 1.

"Here feel we not the penalty of Adam,The season's difference," etc.

"Here feel we not the penalty of Adam,

The season's difference," etc.

As the Duke proceeds to show that hedidfeel this difference, the text cannot be right. Critics, therefore, for 'not' readbut, as these words were frequently confounded by the printers. But then a question arises, was 'the season's difference' any part of 'the penalty of Adam.' In Scripture that penalty was "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread;" and this was the very penalty that the Duke and his friends did not feel; for we have just been told of them (i. 1) that "they fleet away the time carelessly, as they did in the Golden World." Further, it does not appear that any writer anterior to Milton made the Ovidian change of seasons a part of Adam's penalty. The text may therefore be right, and a line, something like this, have been lost,

"Here is no toil; we have only to endure"

"I would not change it."

Upton, most properly, made this the conclusion of the Duke's speech. (See on W. T. v. 1)

"First for his weeping into the needless stream."

Pope's change of 'into' toinhas been generally followed, but without the slightest reason, by the decasyllabists. I am almost ashamed to say that I have joined them from pure inadvertence.

"Left and abandon'd of his velvet friends."

"The body ofthecountry, city, court."

The 2nd folio suppliedthe.

"Send to his brother's; fetch that gallant hither."

"When service should in my old limbs lie lame,And unregarded age in corners thrown."

"When service should in my old limbs lie lame,

And unregarded age in corners thrown."

There is either a line lost after these, or we should read'bein corners thrown,' as I have done. The omission ofbewas not infrequent.

"The constant service of the antique world,When service sweat for duty not for meed."

"The constant service of the antique world,

When service sweat for duty not for meed."

The 'service' in the first line arose from that in the second (See Introd. p.64). I readfashion; Collier's folio hasfavour.

"From seventy years, till now almost fourscore."

Such is the reading of the folioâ€”a convincing proof of how little the old printers are to be relied on. Editors, without exception, readseventeen.

"O Jupiter, how weary are my spirits!"

'Weary' is Warburton's correction ofmerryof the folio.

"I pray you bear with me; I cannot go no further."

For 'cannot' the 2nd folio hascan, the usual reading. Yet I doubt if the change was needed.

"From whom I took two cods."

Johnson read, as every man of sense would read,peasfor 'cods.' I have just shown the origin of the change.

"And turn his merry note."

We still sayturn a tuneand anote. Pope, then, was wrong in readingtunefor 'turn.' "When threadbare Martialturns his merry note" (Hall. Sat. vi. 1) was probably in the poet's mind.

"Doth very foolishly, although he smart,Not toseem senseless of the bob."

"Doth very foolishly, although he smart,

Not toseem senseless of the bob."

Both sense and metre demand this addition of Theobald's, whom all editors follow. We have the very same omission in

"Yet if it be your willsnot toforgiveThe sin I have committed, let it not fall," etc.

"Yet if it be your willsnot toforgive

The sin I have committed, let it not fall," etc.

Philaster, ii. 4.

where none of the editors have perceived the loss.

"Why who cries out on pride."

There is something wanting here; for in this play thespeeches never begin thus with a short line. It is evident also that it is one kind of pride, that of dress, that is spoken of. I therefore read without hesitation 'pride ofbravery,' and, three lines further on,wearer'sfor 'weary,' in which I had been anticipated by Singer.

"Of what kind should this cock come of."

This seems to be a third instance of effacement in a single page of the MS. I would addI marvel.

"And take upon command what help we have."

"And in his room not only to eat his fill, butbe the lordof the feast." (Lodge, Rosalynde, p. 53.) "They covet not their neighbours' goods; butcommandall that is their neighbours' as their own." (MS., 1559,ap.Froude, Hist. of Eng. viii. 3.)

"Andthen the whining schoolboy."

This is a proper addition of Pope's.

"Here comes young master Ganymede, my new mistress['s] brother."

Though it stands thus in the folio, metre and the usage of the time reject thes.

"But the fair of Rosalind."

We might read 'fairface,' or, with Rowe,facefor 'fair'; which last, however, is the same as fairness; so no change is needed.

"Winter'd garments must be lined."

The 3rd folio properly readsWinter.

"Why should this desert be?"

Rowe read 'adesert'; Tyrwhitt 'silentbe.' I rather prefer the latter; but it is against it that, excepting in one of the following and the six last lines, the first foot is always monosyllabic. I have therefore followed Rowe.

"Or at every sentence end."

For 'Or' I readAnd. (See Note at end of Samson Agonistes in my Edition of Milton's Poems.)

"It may well be called Jove's tree when it drops forth fruit."

The 2nd folio reads 'forthsuch; Capell readsuchfor 'forth.' Perhaps the first is to be preferred; yet I find I have followed Capell in my Edition.

"Makeme believe it! You may as soon make her."

Surely the passage thus gains not only in metre, but in spirit.

"By so much is a horn more precious than to want."

There is apparently an aposiopesis here.

"Leave me not behind thee,prythee."

Both rime and metre require this addition; yet none of the critics has made it.

"Breaks his staff like a noble goose."

Singer, very unnecessarily and most tamely, readsnotablefor 'noble.' Printing from his edition, I have heedlessly followed him in mine.

"Bring usunto this sight, and you shall say."

"Than he that dies and lives by bloody drops."

It is quite impossible that this line in its present form could have come from the pen of the poet. He must have seen the absurdity of dying before living, and he could have had no motive for departing from the universal form "live and die," as in "I could live and die in the eyes of Troilus" (Tr. and Cr. i. 2). If we then transpose, and take 'by' in the sense of beside, near, in contact with (Indexs. v.), we get excellent sense. 'Dies,' however, may be a printer's error for some other verbâ€”shedsperhaps; and then 'by' may be taken in its ordinary sense. I had also, like Heath, conjectured 'dailylives.'

"The cicatrice and capable impression."

For 'capable' Singer's and Collier's folio readpalpable; I have followed them.

"Nor I am sure there is no force in eyesThat can do hurt to anyone.â€”O! dear Phebe."

"Nor I am sure there is no force in eyes

That can do hurt to anyone.â€”O! dear Phebe."

For 'Nor' we might perhaps better readAnd. (See my note on Sam. Agon., 1692.) Still no change is needed.

"That you insult and exult all at onceOver the wretched? What! though you have no beauty."

"That you insult and exult all at once

Over the wretched? What! though you have no beauty."

The transposition in the first line removes all necessity for correction. Strange that the critics should not have thought of it! In my Edition the transposition is, "That you insult and all at once exult," which is wrong; but it is there corrected. By reading 'What!' the difficulty found here by critics is removed.

"That the old Carlot once was master of."

In the folio 'Carlot' is printed as a proper name, and it may be the SpanishCarloto. No such substantive as 'carlot' is known.

"He is fallen in love with your foulness, and she'll."

For 'she' we should, I think, read, as I have done,you.

"Ihave more cause to hate him than to love him."

TheIwas supplied in the 2nd folio.

"And the foolish chroniclers of the age found it wasâ€”Hero of Sestos."

The use of the word 'found' proves that Hanmer's readingcoronersis right. In Twelfth Night (i. 5) the coroner is said to sit on a drowned man.

"That cannot make her fault her husband's occasion."

This seems to mean occasioned, caused by her husband. Or we may read, with Hanmer,accusation. I find I have done so, but doubt if I was justified in so doing.

"I'll go find a shadow and sigh till he come.â€”And I'llgosleep."

Both sense and metre seem to demand this addition.

"My gentle Phebe did bid me give you this."

Editors, myself included, follow 2nd folio, and omit 'did.' I think we are wrong.

"Art thou god to shepherd turn'd."

I think we should read 'agod.'

"Like a ripe sister,butthe woman low."

The necessary insertion was made in the 2nd folio.

"As how I came into that desert place."

There may have been, as Malone thought, a line lost here; but I rather think it is an aposiopesis.

"Hersudden consenting, but say with me."

Rowe suppliedHer.

"All purity, all trial, all observance."

As 'observance' is the word in the riming line, Collier's folio and Malone readobedience; Heathperseverance; Harness and Singer, whom I find I have followed,endurance.

"Why do you speak too?"

I quite agree with those who read, with Rowe,Whoandto.

"Yet the note was very untuneable."

Theobald readuntimeable, as the reply is "we kept time;" but, astimeandtunewere synonymous, there seems to be no need of change.

"As those that fear they hope and know they fear."

To give sense here, I read 'theirhope' and 'theirfear,' and for 'know'hope. In the change of 'they' totheirI find I had been anticipated by Heath. The thought is the same as in "In these feared hopes." (Cymb. ii. 4). Theprinter having made 'they hope,' in order to get some sense, changed the following 'hope' toknow, no unusual practice. Yet Mr. Dyce says, "I believe that the line now stands as Shakespeare wrote it." Coleridge thus expresses the same thought:

"And Fears self-willed, that shunned the eye of Hope;And Hope that scarce would know itself from Fear."

"And Fears self-willed, that shunned the eye of Hope;

And Hope that scarce would know itself from Fear."

"That thou mightest join his hand in hisWhose heart within his bosom is."

"That thou mightest join his hand in his

Whose heart within his bosom is."

Editors readherfor 'his' in both lines. The first change, made in the 3rd folio, is necessary; the second, made by Malone, not so.

"And all their lands restored to him again."

For 'him' editors very properly, following Rowe, readthem; in MS. probably'em.

"I makemycourtesy, bid me farewell."

"Is it possible Disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick?"

For 'it' we should probably readher, or ratheron.

"Scratching could not make it worse, or 'twere such a face as yours" [were].

The 'were' was probably suggested by the preceding ''twere.'

"This be true. Go you and tell her of it."

The metre requires 'shouldbe.'

"There is no measure in the occasion that heedsit."

Bene."Well I would you did like me."

It should beBalt.here and in the next two speeches.

"Which I mistrusted not. Farewell, therefore, Hero!"

Collier's folio reads needlessly 'then, Hero.'

"It is the base, though bitter disposition of Beatrice."

For 'though,' which can hardly be right, the usual reading isthe, the correction of Johnson, which is very good; the words were easily confounded, especially whenthoughwas writtentho'.

"That I stood like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at me."

We should expecthim; but 'me' may have been the poet's word. For the first 'at' we might perhaps readas.

"All that Adam had left him before he transgressed."

There must certainly be an error either in 'left' or in 'before.' For the latter we might readafter; for the former perhapslentorabout. I think the true reading islent, in which I had been anticipated by Collier's folio.Lendwas constantly used in the sense of give. "I canlendyou letters to divers officers," etc. (Jonson, Every Man out, etc. iii. 1.) It is not quite out of use yet.

"County Claudio, when mean you go to church?"

For 'County,' which occurs nowhere else in the play, I readCount, which also suits the metre.

"Hear me call Margaret Hero; hear Margaret term me Claudio."

The poet no doubt wrote 'Claudio' here; but from what precedes it certainly should have beenBorachio. These slips were not at all unusual with him.

"We'll fit the hid fox with a pennyworth."

The originals read 'kid-fox'; but his hiding had just been mentioned, and the name of the game probably alluded to was Hide Fox. Warburton made the correction.

"Since many a lover doth commence his suitthus."

Something seems evidently wanting for the sense.

"Notes, notes, forsooth, and noting!"

Theobald's correction; the old copies havenothing.

"O, ay. Stalk on; stalk on; the fowl sits."

Perhaps for the sake of metreyondershould be added.

"Beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses, O sweet Benedick!"

I agree with Collier's folio and Singer in readingcriesfor 'curses,' which was suggested by 'prays.'

"My lord, will you walkin? dinner is ready."

"And virtuous; 'tis so, I cannot reprove it."

It would perhaps be better to read 'disprove it.'

"And choke a daw withal."

Collier's folio reads 'notchoke'; but it is dubious.

"Good Margaret, run theeinto the parlour."

Pope read 'into.'

"Whisper her ear and tell her I and Ursula."

There has probably been an omission ofinbefore 'her.'

"No, not to be so odd and from all fashions."

The proper word isnor, as Capell also saw.

"Well, every one can master a grief, but he that has it."

Both folio and 4to read 'cannot' for 'can,' Pope's correction.

"As a German from the waist downward all slops, and a Spaniard from the hip upward no doublet."

This is only in 4to, 1600. We should probably read, as Mason also did, 'alldoublet.'

"He is no fool for fancy as you would have it to appear he is."

For 'fool' we should perhaps readfood.

"She shall be buried with her face upwards."

That is, like everybody else. Theobald readheelsfor face, quoting,

"Whilst I have meat and drink love cannot starve me;For if I die of the first fit I am unhappy,And worthyto be buried with my heels upward;"

"Whilst I have meat and drink love cannot starve me;

For if I die of the first fit I am unhappy,

And worthyto be buried with my heels upward;"

(Fletcher, Wild-goose Chase, i. 3)

while Mason proposedfeet. But Singer says, referring to Winter's Tale, iv. 3, that the meaning is, she shall be buriedin her lover's arms; and I think thereisa waggish allusion to nuptial joys.

"Out on thee, seeming! I will write against it,You seem to me as Dian in her orb."

"Out on thee, seeming! I will write against it,

You seem to me as Dian in her orb."

For 'thee' we should, I think, readthyorthis, as they were pronounced alike, and for 'seem'seem'd, for the same reason.' (See Introd. p.52.) Pope also readthy, and Hanmerseem'd.

"But if all aim but this be levell'd false."

I would readin; for 'but,' suggested by 'But,' makes nonsense. I have, however, made no change in my Edition.

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