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Line 1726 - Commentary Note (CN)

Commentary notes (CN):

1. SMALL CAPS Indicate editions. Notes for each commentator are divided into three parts:

In the 1st two lines of a record, when the name of the source text (the siglum) is printed in SMALL CAPS, the comment comes from an EDITION; when it is in normal font, it is derived from a book, article, ms. record or other source. We occasionally use small caps for ms. sources and for works related to editions. See bibliographies for complete information (in process).

2. How comments are related to predecessors' comments. In the second line of a record, a label "without attribution" indicates that a prior writer made the same or a similar point; such similarities do not usually indicate plagiarism because many writers do not, as a practice, indicate the sources of their glosses. We provide the designation ("standard") to indicate a gloss in common use. We use ≈ for "equivalent to" and = for "exactly alike."

3. Original comment. When the second line is blank after the writer's siglum, we are signaling that we have not seen that writer's gloss prior to that date. We welcome correction on this point.

4. Words from the play under discussion (lemmata). In the third line or lines of a record, the lemmata after the TLN (Through Line Number] are from Q2. When the difference between Q2 and the authors' lemma(ta) is significant, we include the writer's lemma(ta). When the gloss is for a whole line or lines, only the line number(s) appear. Through Line Numbers are numbers straight through a play and include stage directions. Most modern editions still use the system of starting line numbers afresh for every scene and do not assign line numbers to stage directions.

5. Bibliographic information. In the third line of the record, where we record the gloss, we provide concise bibliographic information, expanded in the bibliographies, several of which are in process.

6. References to other lines or other works. For a writer's reference to a passage elsewhere in Ham. we provide, in brackets, Through Line Numbers (TLN) from the Norton F1 (used by permission); we call these xref, i.e., cross references. We call references to Shakespearean plays other than Ham. “parallels” (//) and indicate Riverside act, scene and line number as well as TLN. We call references to non-Shakespearean works “analogues.”

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Notes for lines 1018-2022 ed. Eric Rasmussen

For explanation of sigla, such as jen, see the editions bib.

1726 The pangs of {despiz’d} <dispriz’d> loue, the lawes delay,	3.1.71

1752 anon.

1726 ANON. (1752, p. 29):”Shakespeare, amongst the Evils of a corrupt, degenerate Age, reckons, what he elegantly calls “The Insolence of Office.” There is nothing more common, and nothing more deserving the severest Censure, than the Contempt and Scorn with which Men in Power treat their Inferiors. The Love of Sway is implanted deep in every Breast, and we take all Opportunities of showing our Authority. Our Author in another Place levels the whole Artillery of his Eloquence against the Abuse of Power, and the Haughtiness of her Ministers.”

1843 col1

col1

1726 despiz’d] Collier (ed. 1843): “ Thus every quarto, but that of 1603, which has not the line, and that of 1611, which corruptly reads ‘The pangs of office,’ the printer having caught the word from the line below. The folios, dispriz’d. In the preceding line, the folios misprint, ‘the poor mans’s contumely.’”

-1845 mhun1

mhun1

1726 the lawes delay] Hunter (-1845, f. 227v): <f. 227v>“It is remarkable that Shakspeare’s father had a Chancer’s suit on his hands, begun 1597 or 1598. (See Note on this passage f. 19) which probably the Poet might inherit, the father dying in 1601, & perhaps had on his hands at the very time he wrote these words.— It is however a very common complaint— heard in all ages. See the way in which Primaudaye speaks of it in his French Academy. f. 699.”</f. 227v>

1845 hunter

hunter

1726 the lawes delay] Hunter (1845, p. 241): <p. 241>“This has been a very common topic of complaint in all countries, and probably in all ages. Of the writers in the time of Shakespeare, Guevara makes it in Spain, Primaudaye in France, and Barckley and Davis, and doubtless several others, in England. Shakespeare had probably some personal experience of it in his family’s suit with the Lamberts.”

1861 wh1

wh1

1726 despiz’d] White (ed. 1861): “‘The pangs of despis’d love’:—So the 4tos. The folio, ‘of dispriz’d love’—a misprint, or, more probably, a sophistication.”

1872 cln1

cln1

1726 despiz’d] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): "The first two quartos have ’despiz’d.’ The folios ’dispriz’d.’ "

1874 corson

corson

1726 despiz’d] Corson (1874, p. 24): “The pangs of dispriz’d Loue, the F. The pangs of despised love, the C. ‘dispriz’d’ is the reading of the Folios; 2d and 3d Quartos, despiz’d; 4th and 5th Quartos, ‘office, and’; mispriz’d Collier MS. (erased). It would be hard to decide as to the relative force of the two words ‘dispriz’d’ and ‘despised.’ But, perhaps, a disprized or undervalued love, a love that is only partially appreciated and responded to, would be apt to suffer pangs than a despised love.

1885 macd

macd

1726 despiz’d] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “—not necessarily desprized by the lady; the disprizer in Hamlet’s case was the worldly and suspicious father—and that in part, and seemingly to Hamlet altogether, for the king’s sake.”

1899 ard1

ard1

1726 despiz’d] Dowden (ed. 1899): “undervalued, misprised. Troilus and Cressida (Folio text), IV. v. 74: ‘disprising the knight opposed.’ The Q despised love is preferred by many editors. “

2008 Bate

Bate

1726 the lawes delay] Bate (2008, p. 323) demonstrates how common was the problem of ’the law’s delay’ and how personally concerned the Shakespeare family had been in experiencing such delays.