ACT IV. SCENE 1.-C. p. 69; K. p. 198. "You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wandering brooks," &c. Possibly, winding is the true word: all the folios repeat the misprint of that of 1623, windring." COLLIER. Mr. Knight retains "windering;" and observes in a note, "the epithet, of course, has the meaning of winding." If "windering" means, "of course," winding, why did not Shakespeare content himself with the latter word? why should he take the trouble of inventing a word, which those readers only, who possessed the "quick conceit" of Mr. Knight, could possibly understand? The true reading, I apprehend, is " winding." "In the original there is no point after couch;' but it seems necessary, and was inserted by Malone." Collier. Mr. Knight, in his text, gives the song thus ; and in his " Illustrations of Act v." favours us with the follow ing remarks; "We point the third line as in the original : 'There I couch when owls do cry.' TO THE REVEREND JOHN MITFORD. MY DEAR MITFORD, I HAVE two reasons for inscribing the present volume to you: the first, because, in the wide range of your learning, you have not neglected the minutiae of verbal criticism; the second, because you at least will read it with a conviction that it originated in pure love to Shakespeare, and not in the desire of decrying the labours of those who have thought themselves competent to become his editors. Believe me Your sincere friend, A. DYCE. TO THE REVEREND JOHN MITFORD. MY DEAR MITFORD, I HAVE two reasons for inscribing the present volume to you:—the first, because, in the wide range of your learning, you have not neglected the minutiae of verbal criticism; the second, because you at least will read it with a conviction that it originated in pure love to Shakespeare, and not in the desire of decrying the labours of those who have thought themselves competent to become his editors. Believe me Your sincere friend, A. DYCE. |