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I.i.221 (324,2)

Sure her offence

Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it: or your fore-vouch'd affection

Fall into taint]

The common books read,

—or your fore-vouch'd affection

Fall'n into taint:—

This line has no clear or strong sense, nor is this reading authorized by any copy, though it has crept into all the late editions. The early quarto reads,

—or you for vouch'd affections

Fall'n into taint.—

The folio,

—or your fore-vouch'd affection

Fall into taint.—

Taint is used for corruption and for disgrace. If therefore we take the oldest reading it may be reformed thus:

—sure her offence

Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it; or you for vouch'd affection

Fall into taint.

Her offence must be prodigious, or you must fal1 into reproach for having vouched affection which you did not feel. If the reading of the folio be preferred, we may with a very slight change produce the same sense:

—sure her offence

Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection

Falls into taint.—

That is, falls into reproach or censure. But there is another possible sense. Or signifies before, and or ever is before ever; the meaning in the folio may therefore be, Sure her crime must be monstrous before your affection can be affected with hatred. Let the reader determine.—As I am not much a friend to conjectural emendation, I should prefer the latter sense, which requires no change of reading.

I.i.243 (325,3) from the intire point] Intire, for right, true. WARB.] Rather, single, unmixed with other considerations.

I.i.264 (326,5) Thou losest here, better where to find] Here and where have the power of nouns. Thou losest this residence to find a better residence in another place.

I.i.282 (326,6) And well are worth the want that you have wanted] [This I take to be the poet's meaning, stript of the jingle which makes it dark: "You well deserve to meet with that want of love from your husband, which you have professed to want for our father." THEOBALD.] [W: have vaunted] I think the common reading very suitable to the manner of our author, and well enough explained by Theobald.

I.i.283 (327,7) plaited cunning] i.e. complicated, involved cunning. (1773)

I.ii.3 (328,2) Stand in the plague of custom] The word plague is in all the copies; I can scarcely think it right, nor can I yet reconcile myself to the emendation proposed, though I have nothing better to offer [Warburton had proposed plage].

I.ii.21 (330,7) Shall be the legitimate] [Hanmer: toe th'] Hanmer's emendation will appear very plausible to him that shall consult the original reading. Butter's quarto reads,

—Edmund the base

Shall tooth' legitimate.—

The folio,

—Edmund the base

Shall to th' legitimate.—

Hanmer, therefore, could hardly be charged with coining a word, though his explanation may be doubted. To toe him, is perhaps to kick him out, a phrase yet in vulgar use; or, to toe, may be literally to supplant. The word be has no authority.

I.ii.24 (331,1) subscrib'd his power!] To subscribe, is, to transfer by signing or subscribing a writing of testimony. We now use the term, He subscribed forty pounds to the new building.

I.ii.25 (331,2) Confin'd to exhibition!] Is allowance. The term is yet used in the universities.

I.ii.25 (331,3) All this done/Upon the gad!] So the old copies; the later editions read,

—All is gone

Upon the gad!—

which, besides that it is unauthorized, is less proper. To do upon the gad, is, to act by the sudden stimulation of caprice, as cattle run madding when they are stung by the gad fly.

I.ii.47 (332,4) taste of my virtue] Though taste may stand in this place, yet I believe we should read, assay or test of my virtue: they are both metallurgical terms, and properly joined. So in Hamlet,

Bring me to the test.

I.ii.51 (323,6) idle and fond] Weak and foolish.

I.ii.95 (333,7) pretence] Pretence is design, purpose. So afterwards in this play,

Pretence and purpose of unkindness.

I.ii.106 (333,8) wind me into him] I once thought it should be read, you