Capell appears to have prepared the play for press in the first instance from Pope's first edition. The manuscript readings and stage directions, marked in his copy of that edition but not adopted in his own, we have quoted as 'Capell MS'.

* * * * *

3. OTHELLO was first printed in Quarto in 1622 with the following title:

To this edition which we call Q₁, the following preface was affixed by the publisher:

The Stationer to the Reader.

To set forth a booke without an Epistle, were like to the old English prouerbe, A blew coat without a badge, & the Author being dead, I thought good to take that piece of worke vpon mee: To commend it, I will not, for that which is good, I hope euery man will commend, without intreaty: and I am the bolder, because the Authors name is sufficient to vent his worke. Thus leauing euery one to the liberty of iudgement: I haue ventered to print this Play, and leaue it to the generall censure.

Yours,

Thomas Walkley.

This first Quarto contains many oaths and expletives, which in all the later editions are altered or omitted. This shows that the MS. from which it was printed had not been recently used as an acting copy. Many passages are omitted in Q₁, by accident or design, and some which we find only in the later editions look like afterthoughts of the author.

The title-page of the second Quarto is letter for letter the same as the first, except that it has the following imprint:

LONDON,| Printed by A. M. for Richard Hawkins, and are to be sold at | his shoppe in Chancery-Lane, neere Sergeants-Inne. | 1630. |

Of this Quarto, which we term Q₂, Mr Collier says: 'It was unquestionably printed from a manuscript different from that used for the Quarto of 1622, or for the Folio of 1623.' But after a minute comparison of the two it appears to us clear that the Quarto of 1630 must have been printed from a copy of the Quarto of 1622, which had received additions and corrections in manuscript. The resemblances between the two are too close to allow of any other supposition. These additions and corrections, though agreeing for the most part with the first Folio, which had appeared in the interval, were derived from an independent source.

The third Quarto, which we refer to as Q₃, was printed from the second, and is called 'The Fourth Edition.' It has the following imprint:

LONDON, | Printed for William Leak at the Crown in Fleet- | street, between the two Temple Gates, 1655 |

Jennens, in his edition of Othello, published in 1773, was not aware of the existence of the Quarto of 1630, and quotes as the readings of the second Quarto those of the edition of 1655.

An edition in Quarto, without date, is quoted by Capell on the authority of Pope; but on reference to Pope's list it appears that, though he has omitted the date, he refers to the Quarto of 1622, which contains the publisher's preface.

The kindness of Sir S. Morton Peto has enabled us to consult a copy of the first Quarto in the library at Chipstead, which, in cases where its readings differ from those of the copies in the Capell and Devonshire collections, we have distinguished as Q₁ (Chip.) A Players' Quarto of 1695, for the use of which, as well as for other acts of kindness, we have to thank Sir Charles Bunbury, is quoted as Q (1695).

In the Addenda we have given some readings which we had not previously seen from an anonymous tract published in 1752, with the title, Miscellaneous Observations on the Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The rest are chiefly from books which have been published since the greater part of our volume was struck off.

W. G. C. W. A. W.

ADDENDA.

HAMLET, I. 1. 117, 118. Add to note, _As stars with ... Distempered_ or As stars with ... Discoloured Staunton conj.

I. 4. 36, 37. Add to note, _the dram of leaven ... of a dough_ Cartwright conj. _the dram of evil ... oft weigh down_ Bailey conj.

I. 4. 73. _your ... reason_] of sovereignty your Hunter conj.

I. 5. 11. _And for_] Tho' in Anon. MS.

I. 5. 32, 34. _shouldst ... Wouldst_] wouldst ... Shouldst Anon. conj. (Misc. Obs. on Hamlet, 1752).

II. 2. 82. Add to note, And think upon and answer Anon. conj. (Misc. Obs. on Hamlet, 1752).

II. 2. 140. _out of thy star_] out of thy soar Bailey conj.

II. 2. 162. _Be ... then;_] Let ... then Anon. conj. (Misc. Obs. on Hamlet, 1752).

II. 2. 438, 439. _tyrannous ... murder_] _treacherous and damned light To the vile murtherer_ Anon. conj. (Misc. Obs. on Hamlet, 1752).

III. 1. 58. _slings and arrows_] stings and harrows Anon. conj. (Misc. Obs. on Hamlet, 1752). _stings and horrors_ Anon. MS.

III. 2. 21. _scorn_] sin Bailey conj.

III. 2. 22. _the very age_] the visage Bailey conj.

III. 2. 23. _pressure_] posture Bailey conj.

III. 2. 206. _Nor ... give_] Let earth not give me Anon. conj. (Misc. Obs. on Hamlet, 1752).

III. 3. 15. _The cease of_] Deceasing Bailey conj.

III. 3. 169. Add to note, And either house Bailey conj.

IV. 7. 112. _begun_] begnawn Bailey conj.

V. 2, 180. _and outward ... a kind_] and out of the habit of encounter get a kind Bailey conj.

V. 2. 180, 181. _collection_] diction Bailey conj.

V. 2. 182. Add to note, profound and renowned Bailey conj.

KING LEAR, I. 1. 72. Add to note, precious treasure Bailey conj.

I. 1. 226. Add to note, burden, or Bailey conj.

II. 4. 92. Add to note, Fiery? what? quality? Taylor conj. MS.

HAMLET.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ[A].

CLAUDIUS, king of Denmark. HAMLET, son to the late, and nephew to the present king. POLONIUS, lord chamberlain. HORATIO, friend to Hamlet. LAERTES, son to Polonius.

VOLTIMAND, } CORNELIUS, } ROSENCRANTZ, } courtiers. GUILDENSTERN, } OSRIC, } A Gentleman, } A Priest. MARCELLUS, } officers. BERNARDO, } FRANCISCO, a soldier. REYNALDO, servant to Polonius. Players. Two Clowns, grave-diggers. FORTINBRAS, prince of Norway. A Captain. English Ambassadors.

GERTRUDE, queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet. OPHELIA, daughter to Polonius.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants.

Ghost of Hamlet's Father.