The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [2489]
I.i.70 (406,2) Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!] [W: my] Thy is as well as my. We may suppose the Romans in a grateful ceremony, meeting the dead sons of Andronicus with mourning habits.
I.i.77 (407,3) Thou great defender of this Capitol] Jupiter, to whom the Capitol was sacred.
I.i.168 (410,5) And fame's eternal date for virtue's praise!] [W: In] To live in fame's date is, if an allowable, yet a harsh expression. To outlive an eternal date, is, though not philosophical, yet poetical sense. He wishes that her life may be longer than his, and her praise longer than fame.
I.i.309 (414,6) changing piece] Spoken of Lavinia. Piece was then, as it is now, used personally as a word of contempt.
II.i (421,8) In the quarto, the direction is, Manet Aaron, and he is before made to enter with Tamora, though he says nothing. This scene ought to continue the first act.
II.i.9 (421,9) So Tamora—/Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait] [W: her will] I think wit, for which she is eminent in the drama, is right.
II.i.116 (425,2) by kind] That is, by nature, which is the old signification of kind.
II.ii (425,3) Changes to a Forest] The division of this play into acts, which was first made by the editors in 1623, is improper. There is here an interval of action, and here the second act ought to have begun.
II.iii.8 (427,6)
And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest,
That have their alms out of the empress' chest]
This is obscure. It seems to mean only, that they who are to come at this gold of the empress are to suffer by it.
II.iii.72 (430,9) swarth Cimmerian] Swarth is black. The Moor is called Cimmerien, from the affinity of blackness to darkness.
II.iii.85 (430,1)
Bas. The king, my brother, shall have note of this.
Lav. Ay, for these slips have made him noted long]
He had yet been married but one night.
II.iii.104 (431,2) Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly] This is said in fabulous physiology, of those that hear the groan of the mandrake torn up.
II.iii.126 (432,3) And with that painted hope she braves your mightiness] [W: cope] Painted hope is only specious hope, or ground of confidence more plausible than solid.
II.iii.227 (435,4) A precious ring, that lightens all the hole] There is supposed to be a gem called a carbuncle, which emits not reflected but native light. Mr. Boyle believes the reality of its existence.
II.iv.13 (438,5) If I do dream, 'would all my wealth would wake me'] If this be a dream, I would give all my possessions to be delivered from it by waking.
III.i.91 (443,8) It was my deer] The play upon deer and dear has been used by Waller, who calls a lady's girdle, The pale that held my lovely deer.
III.i.216 (447,1) And do not break into these deep extremes] [We should read, instead of this nonsense,
—woe-extremes.
i.e. extremes caused by excessive sorrow. But Mr. Theobald, on his own authority, alters it to deep, without notice given. WARB.] It is deep in the old quarto of 1611, (rev. 1778, VIII, 510, 8)
III.ii (450,2) An apartment in Titus's house] This scene, which does not contribute any thing to the action, yet seems to have the same author with the rest, is omitted in the quarto of 1611, but found in the folio of 1623.
III.ii.45 (452,3) by still practice] By constant or continual practice.
IV.i.129 (458,6) Revenge the heavens] It should be,
Revenge, ye Heavens!—
Ye was by the transcriber taken for y'e, the.
IV.ii.85 (461,7) I'll broach the tadpole] A broach is a spit. I'll spit the tadpole.
IV.ii.99 (462,8) Coal-black is better than another hue,/ In that it seems to bear another hue] We may better read, In that it scorns to bear another hue.
IV.iii.88 (466,1) Yet wrung with wrongs] To wring a horse is to press or strain his back.
IV.iv.90 (472,4) With words more sweet, and yet more dangerous,/ Than baits to fish,