Let reason rule things worthy blame, Take counsel of some wiser head, And when thou com'st thy tale to tell, ; But plainly say thou lov'st her well, What though her frowning brows be bent, What though she strive to try her strength, And to her will frame all thy ways; The strongest castle, tower, and town, Serve always with assured trust, 275 And in thy suit be humble true; Unless thy lady prove unjust, Press never thou to choose a new. When time shall serve, be thou not slack To proffer, though she put thee back. 301 308 810 318 320 325 330 $25 fight! 280 Clear wells spring not, Sweet birds sing not, Green plants bring not Forth their dye; Herds stand weeping, Flocks all sleeping, 285 The wiles and guiles that women work, Think women seek to strive with men To sin, and never for to saint: She, poor bird, as all forlorn, 66 Ah, thought I, thou mourn'st in vain! Senseless trees they cannot hear thee; All thy friends are lapp'd in lead; [Even so, poor bird, like thee, Whilst as fickle Fortune smil'd, Thou and I were both beguil'd. Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find: Every man will be thy friend Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend. There will we sit upon the rocks, And see the shepherds feed their flocks There will I make thee a bed of roses, Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle; A belt of straw and ivy buds, 965 370 375 Beasts did leap, and birds did sing, Trees did grow, and plants did spring; Every thing did banish moan, Save the nightingale alone. 380 But if store of crowns be scant, No man will supply thy want. If that one be prodigal, Bountiful they will him call, And with such-like flattering, Pity but he were a king! If he be addict to vice, Quickly him they will entice: If to women he be bent, They have at commandement: But if Fortune once do frown, Then farewell his great renown; They that fawn'd on him before Use his company no more. He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need: If thou sorrow, he will weep; If thou wake, he cannot sleep; Thus of every grief in heart He with thee doth bear a part. These are certain signs to know Faithful friend from flatt'ring foe. THE PHOENIX AND THE TURTLE THIS poem, with Shakespeare's name attached, appeared in Robert Chester's Love's Martyr, or Rosalin's Complaint. Besides Chester's own work, the volume contained verses on the Phoenix and the Turtle attributed to Shakespeare, Marston, Chapman, Jonson, and "Ignoto." The ascription to Shakespeare is generally, though not universally, accepted, such scepticism as exists being usually based upon the absence among his acknowledged works of anything with precisely the same characteristics. The poem exhibits the influence of a number of literary conventions, such as the congress of birds, the metaphysical quibbling on unity in duality, Platonic affection, the debate between Love and Reason, and the emblematic signification of the Phoenix and the Turtle-dove as typifying Rarity and Constancy, or Beauty and Truth. There is no difficulty in conceiving Shakespeare as joining with a group of his fellows to exercise his ingenuity on such themes. No valid evidence exists either for or against the poem's having an historical or personal reference. Property was thus appalled, That it cried, "How true a twain Whereupon it made this threne 40 45 50 TEXTUAL NOTES In the following notes are recorded the more important variations of the text from the readings of the edition chosen as a basis in each case. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST Text based on Q1 I. i. 62. feast] fast Q Ff. i. 184. tharborough] Farborough Q. ii. 106. blushing] F2; blush-in Q F1. ii. 150. [Dull] Clo. Q. II. i. 88. unpeopled] Ff; unpeeled Q. i. 115, etc. Kath.] Q; Rosa. Ff. i. 193. [Exit] Exit. Enter Dumaine Q Ff. i. 195. [Katherine] Rosalin Q Ff; i. 219. Kath.] Q; La. Ma. Ff. i. 221, 222, 224. Kath.] La. Q Ff. i. 254. Ros.] Ff; Lad. Q. i. 255. Mar.] Ff; Lad. 2. Q. i. 256. Kath.] Lad. 3. Q; Lad. 2. Ff. i. 257. Ros.] Lad. Q; La. 1. Ff. i. 258. Mar.] Lad. Q; Lad. 2. Ff. III. i. 1. Song] Ff; om. Q. i. 1-67. For Arm., Moth, and Cost., in speech tags, Ff read Brag., Boy, and Clow. IV. i. 1, etc. Prin.] Quee. Q; Qu. Ff. ii. 67, 80, 85, 89, 95, 107, 135. Hol.] Nath. Q Ff. ii. 75, 106, 152. Nath.] Holo. Q Ff. ii. 80. ingenious] ingenous Q. ii. 95. Fauste... pecus omne] Facile.. •pecas somnia Q. ii. 99, 100. Venetia, etc.] vemchie, vencha, que non te vnde, que non te perreche Q F1. ii. 123, 154. Hol.] Pedan. Q Ff. ii. 125-132. Given to Nath. Q Ff. ii. 140 Sir Nathaniel] Ped. Sir Holofernes Q; Per. Sir Holofernes Ff. iii. 176. to me... by you] by mee... to you Q Ff. iii. 299-304. These lines, substantially repeated at 320, 350-352, are supposed to be a survival of the earlier form of the play. V. i. 27. insanie] infamie Q Ff. i. 30. bone] bene Q Ff. i. 31. Bone... Priscian] Bome boon for boon prescian Q Ff. i. 56. third] last Q Ff. i. 125. [Nathaniel] Holofernes Q Ff. ii. 28. cure... care] care... cure Q Ff. ii. 67. pedant-like] perttaunt-like Q. ii. 407. affectation] affection Q Ff. ii. 517. least] Ff; best Q. ii. 598. [Moth retires] Exit Boy Q Ff. ii. 773. strange] straying Q Ff. ii. 826. ever] Ff; herrite Q. ii. 834. A wife ?] This begins Katherine's speech in Q Ff. ii. 905, 906. Transposed in Q Ff. ii. 926. foul] full Q. ii. 940-1. You... this way] Ff; om. Q. THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Text based on F1 I. i. 55. meaner] meane Fi; poor meane F2 8 4. ii. 1. ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse] Antipholis Erotes Ff. II. i. 1. ADRIANA] Adriana, wife to Antipholis Sereptus Ff. i. 64. home] om. Ff. i. 107. alone, alone] Fa; alone, a loue F1. i. 110, 111. and tho' ... yet] yet the... and Ff. i. 112. Wear] where F1. ii. 99. tiring] trying Ff. ii. 188. offer'd] free'd Ff. ii. 197. not I] I not Ff. III. ii. 1. LUCIANA] F2; Juliana F1. ii. 4. ruinous] ruinate Ff. ii. 21 but] not Ff. ii. 49. bed] F2; bud F2. them] thee Ff. IV. i. 17 her] their Ff. ii. 61. 'a] I Ff. iii. 24. bob] sob Ff. iv. 1. the OFFICER] a Jailor Ff. iv. 45. to prophesy] the prophesie Ff. iv. 149. again] again. Runne all out Ff. V. 195. Ege] Mar Fat. F1. i. 356–361. Inserted after 345 in Ff. i. 402. ne'er] are Ff. I. i. 10. New-bent] Now bent Q. i. 136. low] loue Q. i. 187. Yours would] Your words Q. i. 216. sweet] sweld Q. i. 219. stranger companies] strange companions Q. II. i. 101. cheer] heere Q. i. 109. thin] chinne Q. i. 247. Re-enter...] Enter Puck (after 247) Q. ii. 77. kill-courtesy] this killcourtesy Q. III. i. 85. Odorous, odorous] Odours, odorous Qq; Odours, odours Ff. ii. 48. knee-deep] the deep Q. ii. 57. dread] dead Q. ii. 80. so] om. Q. ii. 215. rend] rent Q. ii. 250. prayers] praise Q. ii. 257. [but] om. Q; Sir, Ff. ii. 279. doubt] of doubt Q. V. i. 127. Enter...] Tawyer Ff. i. 193. up in thee] Ff; now againe Q. i. 209. moon used] morall downe Ff. i. 279. gleams] beames Q. i. 330. moans] means Q. i. 379. behowls] beholds Q |