Act V Sc. 1
“And bid him speak of patience to me.”
“And sorrow wag, cry Hem! when he should groan.”
For ‘wag,’ which gives no sense, I would read sway, which gives most excellent sense.
“For Affection,
Mistress of passion, sways it.”
Mer. of Ven. iv. 1.
“You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart.”
M. N. D. i. 1.
“The will of man is by his reason sway’d.”
Ib. ii. 2.
“Our own stars all our fortunes,
Which, as we sway ’em, to abuse or bless us.”
Fletch. Chances, ii. 3.
It seems evident that the initial s of sway was effaced, a thing not unusual. As to the change of y to g, I lately read a work on South America, in which the well-known name Almagro was invariably printed Almayro. ‘Cry Hem!’ may mean, use the language of rakish youths; “Our watch-word was, Hem boys!” (2 Hen. IV. iii. 2).
“Some of us would lie low.—Who is it wrongs him?”
“Gentlemen both, we will not wake your patience.”
The meaning of ‘wake’ is not clear; perhaps we should read task. Hanmer read rack; Talbot waste.
“I cannot bid you bid my daughter live.”
A printer’s error, probably caused in the usual way. We might better read make, though ‘bid’ makes sense. ‘Can I make men live whe’r they will or no?’ (2 Hen. VI. iii. 3.)
“I do embrace your offer, and dispose
From henceforth of poor Claudio.”
It would seem that something had been lost at the end, the speech terminates so abruptly. We might supply at your pleasure.
“Have you been deceived; for they swore you did.”
Mr. Dyce would read ‘for they did swear’; but the two dids rather offend the ear.
“Brave punishments for him. Come, strike up, piper.”