Shakespeare Restored

Tho' all the printed Copies, that ever I have feen, concur in reading Colleagued in this Place, I cannot but think it carries a harsh and intricate Senfe, and does not fo aptly fall in with the Context. This makes me fufpect it corrupted from a Word very near it, both in Sound and Writing, and which carries a much more plaufible Meaning, as well as connects better both with what precedes and follows. 'Tis true, Colleagued fignifies joined with, putting himself on the Side, or Faction of, &c. and therefore it is not to be utterly difallowed in Senfe. But if we can only, with the Alteration of a Letter or two, fubftitute another Word that gives a stronger and more proper Image, and connects better with the Reasoning of the Paffage; I hope, I fhall be allowed to offer it, at least, as a Conjecture, if not as a Correction. Suppose therefore that SHAKESPEARE might write it thus;

Nor have We herein barr'd

Your better Wifdoms, which have freely gone
With this Affair along: (For all, our Thanks.)
Now follows that you know, Young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak Suppofal of our Worth;

Or thinking, by our late dear Brother's Death,
Our State to be disjoint, and out of Frame;

* COLLOGUED with this Dream of his Advantage,
He hath not fail'd to pefter us with Meffage, &c.

Here you have a Reafon for the Young Man's Opinion, and Proceeding, and for his Infolence in making the Demand on Denmark, viz. he being flattered, impofed on, cajol'd, by the Dream of his Advantage. However, if the Readers are inclined to imbrace the first Reading, I am willing to retract Mine, or at least keep it to my felf, which I propofed but as a Guefs. The

Correction

Collogue, Blanditiis tentare, parùm deflexo fenfu, à Lat. Colloqui; vel fi à Germanicâ Origine de lucere malis, à Teut. Kolen, garrire, & Lugen; Belg. Logen, Mentiri: q. d. Kollogen elisô propter Euphoniams: q. d. blandis Mendaciis imponere.

SKINNER'S Lexic. Etymolog

174P 325

Correction of the next Paffage fhall be founded on fomething more than Conjecture.

VII. Ibid.

We have here writ

To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,

Who [ ] impotent and bed-rid, fcarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose, to suppress

His further gate herein [.I] n that the levies,
The lifts, and full proportions are all made

Out of his Subjects [;]

That is, We have writ to the Old King to ftop his Nephew's Expedition, because his Army is compos'd all out of the old King's Subjects. But this Paffage is fo pointed, that, by the Reasoning being disjoined from the Sentence of which it ought to be a Part, the Senfe is fo much weaken'd, that it is almoft loft. Reftore it therefore, as some of the Editions lead the Way;

We have here writ

To Norway, Uncle of young Fortinbras,
Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Of this his Nephew's Purpose, to Suppress
His further Gate herein; in that the Levies,
The Lifts, and full Proportions, are all made
Out of his Subjects:

VIII. Ibid.

and we here dispatch

You, good Cornelius, and you Voltimand,
FOR bearers of this greeting &c.

The

The Word, FOR, here feems to be meerly fupplimental, and introduced to keep the Verse from halting; besides that, to difpatch for Bearers, is a bald and poor Expreffion. It certainly will be more in the Stile of Majefty, if we may suppose the Poet

wrote;

and we here dispatch

You, good Cornelius, and You, Voltimand,
OUR Bearers of this Greeting &c.

This Speaking in the plural Number connects exactly with the Beginning of the Sentence last quoted, We have here writ, and We here difpatch You, and You, Our Bearers of this Greeting to old Norway. Befides, the Miftake of for instead of our is fo eafy, that, in the second Folio Edition, it has happen'd again in this very Act in another Paffage; and the plain Senfe has led the later Editions to corect it.

This is a Reading adopted, and of a modern Stamp, as I take
it; either from Want of Understanding the Poet's genuine Words,
or on a Suppofition of their being too ftiff and obfolete.
old Copies have it, as I think it ought to be restor'd,

Giving to you no further perfonal Pow'r
TO BUSINESS with the King, &c.

All my

i. e.

Proofs of Subftantives made Verbs.

i. e. to negotiate, or tranfact with him. It is a Licence in our Poet, of his own Authority, to coin new Verbs both out of Subftantives and Adjectives; and it is, as we may call it, one of the Quidlibet audendi's very familiar with him. I'll throw in a few Inftances of the like kind, and it were very eafy, with little Pains, to produce a Croud more.