Edmond Malone

“ With respect to the other part of the charge, it is certainly true that while almost every page of the second folio is disfigured by printer's blunders, and arbitrary and capricious deviations from the original copy, the editor of that book has in a few places corrected such manifest errors of the press in the elder copy, as could not escape a person of the most ordinary capacity, who had been but one month conversant with a printing-house. ”

“ Thus, some emendations have been taken even from Pope and Hanmer, as well as from the editor of the second folio; though all these editors have with almost equal licentiousness corrupted the author's text; but they are adopted, not because their books are of any authority but because the emendations themselves are evidently just; for the editor of the second folio, as soon as his book is proved not to be authentick, can rank only by the side of any other conjecturer, commentator, or verbal critick. ”

“ It is, I trust, unnecessary to assure you, who have known me so long, that it is the last subject which I should have chosen; it has, as you will see, been forced upon me. However, though from the nature of the disquisition it is impossible for me to keep where I wish to remain, in the back ground, I will promise not to detain you long from much more important and interesting topicks. ”

“ If by my humble labours I had any title to suppose the publick had been pleased and benefited, I should consider myself as having obtained the best reward which it has to bestow, or the sons of literature ought to aspire to.—To have merited publick approbation, must to an ingenuous mind ever afford a pleasure which the cavils of criticism cannot diminish ”

“ Mr. Malone, in the year 1780, when publishing a Supplement to Shakspeare of plays which he never wrote [1] , modestly remarked, that 'by a diligent collation of all the old copies thitherto [2] discovered, and the judicious restoration of ancient readings, the text of this author seemed then finally settled.' Since that period, however, he has been labouring 'with unceasing solicitude,' for the space of 'eight years,' to convince the publick that he had, if not directly asserted the thing which was not, at least gone a little further than was consistent with the exact state of the case. ”

“ Steevens's edition of Shakspeare, (in which that gentleman, Dr. Johnson, and others, were treated with just as much decency and respect, as our late ingenious and learned friend Mr. Warton had been in another forgotten pamphlet,) to him it was a very serious grievance; for he appears to have set up for a hypercritick on Mr. Steevens, without a single quarto copy of our author's plays, and, I suspect, without being possessed of the only authentick folio edition. ”

“ But as two or three facts have been mentioned, which, however distorted or discoloured, have something like the semblance, though nothing of the reality, of truth, I shall detain you for a short time, solely with a view of obviating the effect which is sometimes produced by silent contempt and unrefuted misrepresentation. Our inimitable poet, who on most occasions is our best instructor, you remember, advises us, not to "give advantage
"To stubborn criticks, apt, without a theme,
"For depravation." ”

“ Of these eight additional restorations I shall very gladly avail myself in the quarto edition of this poet's works, which I am now about to put to the press [4] ; and and if from any quarter, however unrespectable, others shall be added to that number, they shall be accepted in like manner; but I do not expect that will be the case; as it is probable, if any further discoveries of the same kind could have been made, they would have been pointed out. Dum silent clamant.—Dr. Johnson has justly observed, that a discursive mind cannot be always kept steadily fixed on evanescent truth. ”

“ With the second folio, here cited, or any other corrupted copy of our author, I have no concern. The first and only authentick copy of this play printed in folio, in 1623, (for there is no quarto,) reads, if letters are to be enumerated, not sow, but sowe. When a quibble is intended, the word in the old copy is often intentionally mispelt, in order to mark it more plainly to the reader. In the present instance, however, this may not have been the case, for the word sew was variously spelt in Shakspeare's time, and Milton writes it, though improperly, sow. ”

“ Such a supposition is as wild and chimerical, as many of that editor's arbitrary interpolations. This fancy should seem to have originated from its having been thrown out in some modern publication, the title of which I have forgotten, that Heminge and Condell, the editors of the first folio, were probably likewise editors of the second, which appeared in 1632; an assertion which, before the two books had been minutely examined and compared, and before the time of their respective deaths had been ascertained, might pass current enough ”

“ This fact is therefore manifest, upon Mr. Malone's own evidence, that the text of Shakspeare had never been collated, whether diligently or not, with all or any of the old copies, by any person before Mr. Malone."
Twenty six years have now elapsed since Mr. Steevens issued out proposals for publishing the plays of Shakspeare, of which in that period he has given the publick three editions, each of them elaborated with his utmost care and diligence. The year 1766, in which his proposals first came forth, should be doubly dear to every intelligent reader of this poet ”

“ I am represented as having adopted a corrupt reading found in the second folio, ("If a christian did not play the knave, and get thee," &c.) though I have expressly written a note to shew that this reading was the offspring of ignorance in the editor of that book; in K. John, Act II. sc. ii. I am represented as having adopted a corrupt reading introduced by the same editor,—"run on," instead of the authentick reading—roam on; in a passage in King Henry V. Act III. sc. i. I am untruly represented as reading with the same copy,—" You noblest English;" ”

“ Tyrwhitt's have given birth. "The editor" [i. e. Mr. M.] we are told, "has inserted both Mr. Tyrwhitt's notes, without taking notice of the conclusive reply already made to the latter." This reply, I must inform you, appears to have been made by this sagacious remarker himself. Hinc illæ lacrymæ.—But how stands the fact? The comedy of The Two Gentlemen of Verona was printed in the year 1786. It should seem therefore not to have been a crime of very great magnitude not to have subjoined to Mr. Tyrwhitt's note a reply to it which was made two years afterwards, viz. ”