Troilus and Cressida
Act I
Prol. “To Tenedos they come.”
This should be a single line, and is a sort of proof that the Prologue is by Shakespeare (see Introd. p. 82). N.B.—In the beginning of the Address prefixed to this play I read ‘that brain’ for “your brain.” See Introd. p. 68.
Sc. 1
“I have—as when the sun doth light a storm.”
Rowe’s correction of scorn of the 4tos and folio.
Sc. 2
“What were you talking of when I came up?”
“In his right condition, I had gone barefoot to India.”
“Hector shall not have his wit this year.”
Rowe’s correction again, ‘wit,’ for will.
“So, traitor!—when she comes!—when is she thence?”
This is Rowe’s correction of “So, traitor, then she comes, when she is thence?”
“And a proper man of his person.”
“Words, vows, gifts, tears, and love’s full sacrifice.”
For ‘gifts’ the Var. edit. has griefs.
“Things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing.”
For ‘lies’ Mason read, and perhaps with reason, flies. We might, but less probably, conjecture dies.
“Achievement is command; ungain’d beseech.”
Nothing can be more correct than this; yet some approve of Mr. Harness’s correction, Achieved men. ‘Ungain’d’ sc. men, are those who have not gained, achieved. In Corneille’s Polyeucte (i. 3), Pauline makes the very same remark.
“Then though my heart’s content firm love doth bear.”
For ‘Then’ of the 4tos the folio reads ‘That,’ another instance of the confusion of these words. (See note on Prol.) The folio also reads ‘contents.’
Sc. 3
“Princes * * * * * *”
The remainder of the line has evidently been omitted or effaced; for speeches never begin thus abruptly. We might read and leaders of the Grecian host.
“With those of nobler bulk * * *”
We might add, and greater strength.
“And flies fled under shade,” etc.
Here ‘flies’ is either a verb or a noun; if the former, we have the grotesque image of the wind running and hiding itself after doing mischief; if the latter, as in the folio, alluding to ‘the brize,’ we have a bathos unworthy of any poet. Something, then, must have been lost between ‘flies’ and ‘fled.’ I read thus:—
“And flies along the sky, while bird and beast are
Fled under shade;”
and I fancy I have made a near approach to what the poet wrote. As he was reading Chaucer at that time, he may have had in his mind:—
“Ne how the beestes and the briddes alle
Fledden for feare when the wood was falle.”
Knt’s. Tale.
If nothing is lost, we should read ‘have fled.’
“Retires to chiding Fortune.”
For ‘Retires’ Pope, whom I have followed, read Returns, Hanmer Replies, Dyce Retorts. Yet the text may be right, and ‘Retires’ be the French retire, shoots again, returns the shot.
“Speak, Prince of Ithaca, and be it of less expect.”
This is not sense. I read ‘we it less.’ The superfluous insertion of of was not infrequent (see on Meas. for Meas. iv. 4). Here, however, it was manifestly introduced to make some kind of sense. See Introd. p. 67.
“But for these instances * * *”
We might add, which now I’ll show you.
“And look! how many Grecian tents [do] stand hollow
Upon this plain so many hollow factions.
When that the general is not as the hive.”
‘Do’ was evidently introduced to eke out the verse. We should perhaps read ‘general’s’ sc. tent.
“Degrees being vizarded,
The unworthiest shows as fairly in the mask.”
As what? A line seems to be lost.
“In noble eminence enthron’d and spher’d
Amidst the others.”
Mr. Singer read ether for ‘others.’
“The enterprise is sick.”
Hanmer read Then for ‘the.’ See Introd. p. 65.
“This chaos, when degree is suffocate,
Follows the choking.”
I have added in my Edition of the common weal; but we might also read as his consequence, which I think better.
“Breaks scurril jests * * * *”
I would add on thee and all of us.
“To weaken us and discredit our exposure.”
“To overbulk us all.—Well, and how then?”
“And in the publication make no strain.”
Perhaps we should read doubt for ‘strain.’
“And think, perchance, they’ll sell; if they do not.”
“What glory our Achilles shares from Hector,
Were he not proud, we all should share with him.”
We should read wins or gains for ‘shares.’ See Introd. p. 64. It is remarkable that for the ‘share’ of the second line the folio reads wear, thus correcting the error of the 4tos.