The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's Plays

ACT IV.

Chapter 9298 wordsPublic domain

SC. 1. "_O_ sir, we are undone; these are the villains."

So Capell read also.

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"An heir, and near-allied unto the Duke."

The folio has "And heir and niece." Theobald made the corrections.

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"Come, go with us; we'll bring thee to our crews."

As in v.1 we have

"Come, I must bring thee to our captain's cave,"

we should probably read here _cave_ or _caves_ for 'crews.'

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SC. 3. "Vain Thurio whom my very soul abhorred."

'Abhorreth' is probably what the poet wrote.

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"Madam, I pity much your grievances, Which since I know they virtuously are placed."

This is mere nonsense; 'grievance' never had any meaning but that which it has at present. A line has evidently been lost; something like this:--"_And sympathize with your affections_." The corrector of Collier's folio, who first saw the loss, added--"_And the most true affections that you bear_," which seems wanting in ease and simplicity.

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"When will you go?--This evening coming _on_."

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SC. 4. "It seems you loved not her, not leave her token."

For the second 'not' we should read _to_. See on All's Well, v. 3. For 'leave,' see Index _s. v._

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"Why dost thou cry Alas?--I cannot choose But pity her.--Wherefore should'st thou pity her?"

This is the proper arrangement; that of the editions, my own included, is wrong.

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"Well, give _to_ her that ring, and therewithal."

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"From whom?--From Sir Proteus, my master, madam."

So I should have given it in my Edition.

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"Aye, but her forehead's low, and mine's as high."

The sense might seem to require 'mine _is_ high,' as Pope also saw; but her meaning may be, so is mine also. A high forehead was, however, a part of beauty. See Fletcher, Woman-hater, iii. 1.

"She hath a freckled face, A _low forehead_, and a lumpish eye." Marston, Ant. and Mel. I. iv.