Act III Sc. 1
“And fools are as like to husbands as pilchards are to herrings.”
It might be better to omit the second ‘are.’
“And not like the haggard cheek at every feather.”
The negative is absolutely necessary. Collier’s folio, Johnson, and Dyce, read ‘Not like’; but ‘And’ should be retained.
“But wise men’s folly fallen quite taint their wit.”
So the folio reads; Theobald and Tyrwhitt ‘wise men folly-fallen.’ I agree with them, and have so printed it. Some read ‘taints.’
“I mean to go in, sir, to enter.”
“Hideth my heart. So, let me hear you speak.”
The usual reading is ‘Hides my poor heart’; but this simple change, made also by Delius, fully restores the metre. The printer may, however, have substituted ‘Hides’ for conceals or covers.
“Do not extort thy reasons from this clause.”
Perhaps for ‘thy’ we should read my.
Sc. 2
“Did she see thee the while, old boy?”
The 3rd folio first added thee.
“Challenge me the Count’s youth to fight with him.”
I think ‘him’ should be thee. Ritson read you.
Sc. 3
“And thanks, and ever thanks. Good turns oft.”
Here we have an instance of the advantage of transposition, for the folio has “oft good turns.” ‘Turns’ is a dissyllable. Theobald read ‘thanks, and oft.’
“For which if I be lapsed in this place.”
We should surely read latched, i.e. caught, taken. See on M. N. D. iii. 2. Mr. Hunter, I find, read as I do.
Sc. 4
“He’s coming, madam, but in a very strange manner.”
“No dram of a scruple, no scruple of a scruple.”
Surely the poet’s word must have been ounce for the last ‘scruple.’
“He is a knight, dubbed with unhatched rapier.”
Malone proposed ‘an hatched,’ and he was probably right.
“Ay, is it, I warrant him. Do but read it.”
“That, honour sav’d, I may upon asking give.”