NOTE BY THE EDITOR.

In the present volume the notes on the authority of Warburton MS.' are taken from a copy of Warburton's edition of 1747 (8 vols. 8vo.) annotated by himself, and now in the possession of Mr Norman Bennett of Trinity College, Cambridge. My best thanks are due to Mr Bennett for allowing me free access to these interesting volumes; to Mr J. W. Jarvis for enabling me to trace the edition of 1718 which formerly belonged to him; and to Mr Samuel Timmins for his kindness in comparing the readings of Hughs as given by Theobald with the corresponding passages of the 1718 edition.

After the publication of the first edition of the Cambridge Shakespeare the Editors modified their views of the relation. between the Quarto of 1603 and the play as it appeared in the later Quartos and in the Folios. The conclusion at which they arrived was expressed in the Preface to the Clarendon Press edition of Hamlet (1871), and is briefly as follows: "That there was an old play on the story of Hamlet, some portions of which are still preserved in the quarto of 1603; that about the year 1603 Shakespeare took this and began to remodel it for the stage, as he had done with other plays; that the quarto of 1603 represents the play after it had been retouched by him to a certain extent, but before his alterations were complete; and that in the quarto of 1604 we have for the first time the Hamlet of Shakespeare.' From this opinion which was carefully considered I see no reason to dissent.

7 June, 1892.

W. A. W.

TIMON OF ATHENS.

VOL. VII.

1

Other Lords, Senators, Officers, Banditti, and Attendants.

SCENE: Athens, and the neighbouring woods.

1 DRAMATIS PERSONE.] THE ACTORS NAMES, at the end of the play

in FF,F3, prefixed to the Play in F4. See note (1).

THE LIFE OF

TIMON OF ATHENS.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Athens. A hall in Timon's house.

Enter Poet, Painter, Jeweller, Merchant, and others, at several doors.

Poet. Good day, sir.

Pain.

I am glad you're well.

Poet. I have not seen you long: how goes the world? Pain. It wears, sir, as it grows.

Ay, that's well known:

Poet.
But what particular rarity? what strange,
Which manifold record not matches? See,
Magic of bounty! all these spirits thy power

ACT I. SCENE 1.] Actus Primus.
Scæna Prima. Ff. See note (1).
Athens.] Capell.

A hall in Timon's house.] Rowe.
Merchant, and others,] Malone.
Merchant and divers others, Capell.
Merchant, and Mercer, Ff.
Merchant, Johnson.

and

1, 2 Poet. Good...Poet. I have] Poet. Good day. Pain. Good day, sir. Poet. I am......well. I have Farmer conj. See note (II).

1 Good day,] Good day, good day, Capell. Good day, good Seymour conj.

I am] Good sir, I'm Singer conj. you 're] y' are F1F2F3. ye are F you are Capell.

3 grows] goes Theobald.

4 strange] so strange Rowe.

5 Which] That Johnson conj.

matches?] Pope. matches: Ff. 5, 6 See, Magic] Paint. See! Poet. Magick Johnson conj.

Hath conjured to attend. I know the merchant.
Pain. I know them both; th' other's a jeweller.
Mer. O, 'tis a worthy lord!

Jew.

Nay, that's most fix'd. Mer. A most incomparable man, breathed, as it were, To an untirable and continuate goodness:

He passes.

Jew. I have a jewel here

11

Mer. O, pray, let's see 't: for the Lord Timon, sir?
Jew. If he will touch the estimate: but, for that—
Poet. [Reciting to himself] 'When we for recompense have
praised the vile,

It stains the glory in that happy verse
Which aptly sings the good.'

Mer. [Looking on the jewel] 'Tis a good form.
Jew. And rich here is a water, look ye.

16

20

Pain. You are rapt, sir, in some work, some dedication To the great lord.

Poet.

A thing slipp'd idly from me. Our poesy is as a gum, which oozes