Act V Sc. 1
“Send fairplay orders and make compromise.”
For ‘orders’ Collier’s folio reads offers, which I have adopted.
Sc. 2
“That we the sons and children of this isle
Were born to see so sad an hour as this.”
For ‘Were’ the folio has Was, produced by ‘isle.’
“And grapple thee unto a pagan shore.”
‘Grapple’ is Pope’s correction; the folio has cripple.
“Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars.”
Capell read ‘coals of war.’
“Vive le roy! as I have bank’d their towns.”
As there is mention of cards in the next line, I think that in ‘bank’d’ there may be an allusion to card-playing. The same is the opinion of Mr. Staunton. In Ant. and Cleop. (ii. 2) we have “she pursed up his heart.”
“This unheard sauciness and boyish troops.”
For ‘unheard’ Theobald read unhaired; and we have in Venus and Adonis ‘hairless face.’ I, however, prefer unbeard, i.e. unbearded, beardless. We have already had in this play ‘heat’ for heated.
“Even at the crying of your nation’s crow.”
For ‘crow’ I read cock; Collier’s folio reads cock, and crowing for ‘crying.’ In the next line I read, with Rowe, his for ‘this.’
Sc. 4
“Unthread the rude eye of rebellion.”
Theobald reads untread and way. A little further on we have, “We will untread the steps of damned flight;” but no change is needed here.
“For if the French be lords of this loud day,
He means to recompense,” etc.
Here ‘He’ can only refer to John, while it is evidently the Dolphin that is meant. I have therefore, as I find Mr. Lloyd also has done, read Prince for ‘French,’ and of course lord for ‘lords.’ But as in this play Prince alone is never used of the Dolphin, it may be that a line is lost. It might have been something of this sort: “And Fortune smile upon the Dolphin’s arms.”
Sc. 6
“Unkind Remembrance! Thou and endless Night.”
For ‘endless’ Theobald read eyeless; but there is no need of change.
Sc. 7
“I have a kind soul that would give you thanks.”