False Pointing, and

I HAVE, at length, got through the first Act of this Tragedy; and hope, as well for the Eafe of my Readers as my self, that, in the remaining Parts, Faults will neither rife so numerous, nor require fo much Prolixity in the grubbing up. The Proofs of feveral Kinds, which I have already given to maintain any Correction, muft naturally fave fome Trouble in what is to follow: And I am fufficiently aware what Room my APPENDIX will demand; in which I have engaged to fhew, that the fame Sorts of Errors are fcattered through the other Plays; and that SHAKESPEARE is to be reftor'd to his genuine Reading, with the fame Method and Eafe of Cure.

XXXV. Act. 2. Scene 1. Page 376.

POLONIUS, about to dispatch his Servant Reynoldo for France Conjectural with Commands to his Son Laertes, bids him, before he makes Emendation. his Vifit, firft enquire into his Son's Character; and the better to fift into it, commiffions him to lay feveral Levities to his Charge; (fuch as are ufual with Youth, but none fo rank in Quality, as might discredit him;) as Gaming, Drinking, Fencing, Swearing, Quarrelling, Drabbing. Reynoldo objecting, that, to accufe him of Drabbing, might difhonour him, Polonius replies;

Faith [] no [,] as you may feafon it in the charge;
You must not put ANOTHER Scandal on him,
That he is open to incontinency,

That's not my Meaning;

The old Gentleman, 'tis plain, is of Opinion, that to charge his Son with wenching would not difbonour him, confequently would be no Scandal to him: For every Scandal, in fuch Degree as it affects any Man, proportionably difhonours him. Why then fhould he caution Reynoldo from putting ANOTHER Scandal on him? Methinks, there is fome Reafon to fufpect this Word of not being altogether fo proper here, if no Scandal at all had been yet offer'd. There can be no Second Scandal

fuppofed

fuppofed, without a First implied. The Poet's Meaning is, as I conceive it, fimply this: To fay, that he wenches, without Aggravation in the Circumftances, lays but a venial Liberty of Youth at his Door; but to fay, That he is open and addicted to Incontinency, amounts to an Habit of Licence, and throws an actual Scandal. A very flight Change will reconcile the Paffage to this Sense; and therefore, if I am right in the Author's Meaning, we may fuppofe he wrote;

No, faith; as you may feas'n it in the Charge;

You must not put AN UTTER Scandal on him,

That he is open to Incontinency,

That's not my Meaning; but breath his Faults fo quaintly,

That they may seem the Taints of Liberty;

i. e. So far from their being an abfolute, entire, and utter Scandal to him, that they may be none at all, but appear at worst the Liberties of Youth.

THERE is a various Reading upon this Paffage, which deferved the Notice of the Editor; because, if I am not much deceived, it seems to have the genuine Stamp of our Author upon it. The fecond Edition in Folio, and fome other of the Impreffions, read;

And, I believe, it is a Fetch of WARRANT.

Which I take to be the very Words and Meaning of the Poet for this Reafon, because he makes Polonius fpeak dubiously of his Intention. No body is fo doubtful of his own Judgment and Talents, but that he knows abfolutely whether his Drifts and Purposes are defigned with Wit, or no, tho' he cannot be fo

certain

Emendation, from Various Reading.

certain, as to their being juftifiable. A Man may much easier be mistaken, as to the Legality, than as to the Sagacity, of any Fact; because something more than private Opinion, or naked Belief, is wanting to determine pofitively whether a Thing be warrantable. Besides, I observe, that it is very familiar with SHAKESPEARE to use the Words Warrant and Warranty to fignify a Juftification. So,

(1.) OTHELLO, pag. 484.

I therefore apprehend, and do attach Thee,
For an Abufer of the World, a Practifer
Of Arts inhibited, and out of Warrant,

(2.) TITUS ANDRONICUS, pag. 509.

A Reafon mighty, strong, and effectual,
A Pattern, Precedent, and lively Warrant,
For me, moft wretched, to perform the Like.

(3.) King JOHN, pag. 176.

It is the Curfe of Kings to be attended

By Slaves, that take their Humours for a Warrant,
To break into the bloody Houfe of Life.

Not, Warrantry; as it is in this last Place erroneously printed. in Mr. POPE's Edition.

Occafional
Correction.

'Tis true, Sallies and Flights of Youth are very frequent Phrases; but what Agreement is there betwixt the Metaphors of Sallies, and a Thing foil'd? Correct, as all the Editions, that I have ever feen, have it;

You laying thefe flight SULLIES on my Son,

Perhaps, this Subftantive may be of his own coining, from the Verb to fully: But that, as I have already amply prov❜d, is a Liberty which he eternally affumes through his whole Works.

XXXVIII. Act 2. Scene 4. Page 381.

Correction, from Various Reading.

from Various

CORNELIUS and Voltimand, being returned from their Embaf- Conjecture, fy to Norway, bring Word, that That Monarch had fupprefs'd Reading. his Nephew Fortinbras's Expedition; which he at first supposed defigned against Poland, but found, upon Enquiry, to be levell'd at Denmark: That he had put Fortinbras under Arreft, who had obey'd it; and, upon a Check receiv'd, had made Protestation before his Uncle never more to make any hoftile Attempts against the Danish State.

Whereon old Norway, overcome with Joy,

Gives him THREE thoufand Crowns in annual Fee;
And his Commiffion to employ thofe Soldiers,

So levied as before, against the Polack.

So,

Correction, from Various Reading.

So, indeed, the Generality of the Editions read; but my two
Quarto's, of 1637 and 1703, both have it ;

Whereon old Norway, overcome with Joy,

Gives him THREESCORE thousand Crowns in annual Fee, &c.

This Addition of a Syllable gives a little Roughness to the Beginning of the Verfe; but one Syllable in the firft Foot of it must be refolv'd in the Pronunciation; which is very ufual, as I have obferv'd, with our Poet. 'Tis true, this Alteration is of no Moment to the Senfe of the Paffage; but, methinks, Threefcore thousand Crowns are a much more fuitable Donative from a King to his own Nephew, and the General of an Army, than fo poor a Pittance as Three thoufand Crowns, a Penfion fcarce large enough for a dependant Courtier.

XXXIX. Ibid. Page 382.

That He is mad 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity;
And pity, it is true :

Thus, indeed, feveral of the Editions read this Place; but they
don't seem to enter entirely into the Poet's Humour. Polonius,
(an officious, impertinent, old Courtier,) priding himself in
the Discovery which he fuppofes he has made of the Cause of
HAMLET'S Madnefs, is fo full of the Merit of it, that he can't
content himself to deliver it in a plain and eafy Manner; but
falls into an affected jingling Sort of Oratory, as he fancies;
and ringing the Chimes, backwards and forwards, upon the fame
Words. No Body can read this Speech without obferving, that
thefe Figures and Flowers of Rhetorick are not only fprinkled,
but poured out, through the whole. They are Strokes of low
Humour, thrown in purpofely, ad captandum populum; or, to
ufe the Poet's own Phrafe, to fet on fome Quantity of barren
Spectators to laugh at. I think, therefore, it fhould be wrote,

as