So, indeed, the first folio; but it is evidently a misprint, though defended by Malone. The second folio gives the true reading, "Farther than he is Cæsar ;" and so Mr. Knight.

The folios have the very same misprint in act iv. sc. 12, where (p. 106) Mr. Collier, alone of the modern editors, carefully retains it;

she, Eros, has

Pack'd cards with Cæsar's," &c.

ACT IV.

SCENE 6.-C. p. 96.

Alexas did revolt, and went to Jewry on
Affairs of Antony; there did dissuade
Great Herod to incline himself to Cæsar,

And leave his master Antony: for this pains,

Cæsar hath hang'd him."

"So all the folios, and, as Johnson says, perhaps rightly." COLLIER.

If the folios were forty instead of four, such a reading could not be right: but (as Malone observes) the question is at once settled by the old translation of Plutarch which Shakespeare used for this tragedy, where we find, "he persuaded him to turne to Cæsar."

SCENE 10.-C. p. 102.

Swallows have built

In Cleopatra's sails their nests: the auguries

Say, they know not, they cannot tell ;-look grimly,
And dare not speak their knowledge."

i. e. the declarations of the augurs: it is unnecessary, with all modern editors, to change the word, found in all the old copies, to augurers." Collier.

This is a degree beyond the ridiculous. What! the auguries look grimly, and dare not speak their knowledge!

SCENE 12.-C. p. 109.

"The guard!-how ?-O, despatch me!"

66

Modern editors have usually printed ho! for how?' of the folios. The Rev. Mr. Barry proposes the substitution of now; but it seems to us that the text hardly requires alteration." COLLIER.

Mr. Knight also retains "how?" but it was doubtless intended for "ho!" both by the author and the printer. That "how" was frequently put for ho in Shakespeare's time, Malone has shewn by the following citations from the Hamlet of 1604;

Queen. Help, how!

Pol. What how, help."

O villainy! how, let the door be lock'd."

I may add, that in earlier writers that mode of spelling ho was still more frequent; see, for instance, Skelton's Works, i. 104, 267; ii. 6, 8, ed. Dyce.

SCENE 13.-C. p. 111; K. p. 326.

"The varying shore o' th' world. O Antony, Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help: help, friends

The above arrangement, than which none could be worse, is given also by Malone. That adopted by Mr. Knight seems to be the best of which the passage will admit ;—

"The varying shore o' the world.-O Antony!
Antony, Antony !-Help, Charmian; help, Iras, help;
Help, friends below; let's draw him hither.

66

Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle.—
O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too.—

What should I stay

[Applying another Asp to her Arm. [Falls on a Bed, and dies.

66

Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well," &c.

Here Mr. Collier has no note. Mr. Knight observes that

some of the modern editions have turned wild into wide."

Steevens conjectured that Shakespeare "might have written vild (i. e. vile, according to ancient spelling) for worthless;" and here Steevens was doubtless right. The misprint of wild for vild is one of the commonest in early books: the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher furnish the following examples;

I will not lose a word

To this wild [read vild] woman," &c.

The Maid's Tragedy, act iii. sc, 1. "and gave away

My soul to this young man,

that now dares say

I am a stranger, not the same, more wild [read vild],” &c. The Faithful Shepherdess, act iv. sc. 4. "and from yourself

Have borrow'd power I never gave you here,

To do these wild [so the first 4to, the later 4tos vild,

fol. 1679 vile] unmanly things."

The Scornful Lady, act iii. sc. 1.

Or am I of so wild [read vild] and low a blood,

So nurs'd in infamies—"

The Little French Lawyer, act iii. sc. 5.

CYMBELINE.

[Vol. viii. COLLIER; vol. viii. KNIGHT.]

ACT I.

SCENE 1.-C. p. 141; K. p. 204.

1 Gent. We must forbear. Here comes the gentle-
man, the queen, and princess."

Arrange, with Mr. Knight;

Hath charg'd you should not speak together. [Exit Queen.
Imo. O dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant
Can tickle," &c.

So too Mr. Knight. A little after, in this scene, both he and Mr. Collier give ;

It is your fault that I have lov'd Posthumus."

Now, it is just as necessary, for the sake of the verse, that "O" in the former passage should stand by itself,

("Imo.

Dissembling courtesy," &c.)

as that “Sir” in the latter passage should be so placed. But Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight, when they reject here and in several other places the arrangement of the modern editors, fancy that they are restoring the metre of Shakespeare-by following the old copies.

SCENE 5.-C. p. 154; K. p. 214.

Iach. You are a friend, and therein the wiser. If you buy ladies' flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preserve it from tainting. But I see, you have some religion in you, that you fear.”

Both Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight pass by this speech without any remark. After carefully comparing it with the context, I feel perfectly satisfied that Warburton's correction, "You are afraid, and therein the wiser," is the genuine reading. In the attempts of the commentators to explain, "You are a friend, and therein the wiser," there is nothing but weakness.

SCENE 6.-C. p. 158; K. p. 218.

"the agent for his master,

And the remembrancer of her, to hold

The hand fast to her lord."

So too Mr. Knight; and most erroneously.-Read
"The handfast to her lord,"

i. e. The contract.-Compare Beaumont and Fletcher;
"Should leave the handfast that he had of grace.'

The Woman-Hater, act iii. sc. 1.

"I knit this holy handfast."

Wit at Several Weapons, act v. sc. 1.

(where the modern editors give wrongly, with the old eds., "hand fast.")

Possibly sweet,' as the Rev. Mr. Barry proposes, ought to be suite." COLLIER.

Surely, though such a villanous conjecture as this might be sent to Mr. Collier, he was not bound to record it.

SCENE 7.-C. p. 161.

"What woman is, yea, what she cannot choose

But must be,—will his free hours languish

For assur'd bondage?'