Line 2826 - Commentary Note (CN) 
Commentary notes (CN):
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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.
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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 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary
| 2826 {Feeds} <Keepes> on {this} <his> wonder, keepes himselfe in clowdes, | 1.2.100 |
|---|
1723- mtby2
mtby2
2826 in clowdes] Thirlby (1723-): “inclos’d fsql v. 447.21 [4.7.129 (3119)] close within your chamber].”
1765- mDavies
mDavies
2826 Feeds on his wonder] [Davies] (ms. notes in Johnson, ed. 1765, opp. 8. 261): “ruminates deeply on the news he hears of his Fathers death & his Sisters distraction—”
Transcription by BWK, who adds: “Surely he is wrong about “his Sisters distraction”? The king has just learned of it himself, and Laertes is surely surprised when he sees her, isn’t he?”
1791- rann
rann
2826 Feeds on his wonder] Rann (ed.1791-): “Seems lost in astonishment, and keep aloof from our court.”
1819 cald1
cald1
2826 in clowdes] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “At lofty distance and seclusion.”
1854 del2
del2
2826 Feeds . . . wonder] Delius (ed. 1854): “er hegt seine Verwunderung oder Befremdung über das Geschehene so geflissentlich und ausschliesslich, als ob sie seine Nahrung wäre, als ob er davon lebte.” [He preserves his wonder or aversion to what has happened so intentionally and completely, as if it were his nourishment or as if he lived from it.]
1857 fieb
fieb: john; contra han
2826 Feeds . . . wonder] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “I.e. delights in showing his great astonishment at the fact; he cannot forget it, as if it were as necessary to him as food to man. See p.19, 5 [4.5.89 (2826)].—The folio reads—‘Keeps on his wonder;’—the quarto, ‘Feeds on this wonder.’ Thus the true reading is picked out from between them. Sir T. Hammer reads unnecessarily,—‘Feeds on his anger. J.”
1869 tsch
tsch: john
2826 Feeds on] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “Die Lesart rührt von Johnson her. In die Worte kann man nur den Sinn legen: er fristet sich mit seinem Staunen. Da indessen die Fs. für “feeds” aufweisen “keeps,” so hat man Ursache die Stelle für verderbt zu halten. Vielleicht wäre für “on” “in” und für das zweite “keeps” “wraps” zu vermuthen, so dass die Stelle lautete: keeps in his wonder, wraps himself in clouds, er beharrt bei seinem Staunen etc. Ich wage indessen die Aenderung nicht aufzunehmen.” [The reading comes from Johnson. The words can only mean: he supports himself with his wonder. However, since the Fs. show keeps for feeds, there is reason to consider the passage flawed. Perhaps in for on and wraps for the second keeps might be suggested, so that the passage would read: keeps in his wonder, wraps himself in clouds, he remains in his wonder etc. However, I would not dare to accept the change.]
1872 cln1
cln1: contra han emend.
2826 wonder] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “For ‘wonder’ Hanmer read ‘anger,’ but no change is needed. The mysterious death of Polonius fills his son with doubt and amazement.”
cln1
2826 keepes . . . clowdes] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “keeps his intentions secret.”
1877 v1877
v1877 ≈ cln1
2826 wonder]
Furness (ed. 1877): “
Clarendon: The mysterious death of Pol. filled his son with doubt and amazement.”
v1877 ≈ Theobald (contra Thirlby), cald1, tsch
2826 keepes . . .
clowdes]
Furness (ed. 1877): “
Theobald (
Nichols’s Lit. Hist. ii, 575): Thirlby has conjectured
inclos’d,
i.e. private, close in his apartment, and cites [4.7.129 (3119)], in confirmation. But change is needless; the text means: ‘to be reserved and mysterious in his conduct.’
Caldecott: At lofty distance and seclusion.
Tschischwitz suggests ‘keeps in his wonder, wraps himself in clouds.’”
1878 rlf1
rlf1 = cln1
2826 Feeds . . . wonder] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “The reading in the text is Johnson’s. ‘The mysterious death of Polonious filled his son with doubt and amazement’ (Wr.).”
rlf1 ≈ theo
2826 keepes . . . clowdes] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “Is reserved and mysterious in his conduct (Theo.).”
1885 macd
macd: 1H4 //
2826 Feeds . . . wonder] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Keepes on his wonder] If the Q2 reading is right, ‘this wonder’ means the hurried and suspicious funeral of his father. But the Folio reading is quite Shaksperean: ‘He keeps on (as a garment) the wonder of the people at him’; keeps his behaviour such that the people go on wondering about him: the phrase is explained by the next clause. Compare: ‘By being seldom seen, could not stir But, like a comet, I was wondered at.’ 1H4 [3.2.46-47 (1865-66)].”
1885 mull
mull
2826 in clowdes] Mull (ed. 1885): “reticent.”
1891 dtn
dtn
2826 Feeds . . . wonder] Deighton (ed. 1891): “broods over the amazement caused by his father’s death.”
dtn
2826 keepes . . . clowdes] Deighton (ed. 1891): “shuts himself up in gloomy reserve.”
1903 rlf3
rlf3 ≈ rlf1 minus cln1, theo attrib. for Feeds . . . clowdes
1929 trav
trav
2826 Feeds . . .
wonder]
Travers (ed. 1929): “ruminates his doubts and guesses.”
1931 crg1
crg1
2826 in clowdes] Craig (ed. 1931): “invisible.”
1934 rid
rid
2826 in clowdes] Ridley (ed. 1934): “gloomy.”
1935 ev2
ev2
2826 Boas (ed. 1935): “Ponders over these bewildering events, takes part in nothing at court.”
1939 kit2
kit2
2826 Kittredge (ed. 1939): “Instead of trying to discover the facts about his father’s death, Laertes does nothing but wonder about it, making such wonder his only food for thought. Thus he keeps himself in a state of willful uncertainty and confusion of mind.”
1947 cln2
cln2
2826 Rylands (ed. 1947): “i.e. nurses his amazement and keeps himself aloof.”
1957 pel1
pel1
2826 clowdes] Farnham (ed. 1957): “obscurity.”
1958 fol1
fol1
2826 Wright & LaMar (ed. 1958): “spends all his time speculating about his father’s death and surrounds himself with the clouds of uncertainty.”
1974 evns1
evns1
2826 in clowdes] Evans (ed. 1974): “i.e. in cloudy surmise and suspicion (rather than the light of fact).”
1980 pen2
pen2
2826 Feeds on this wonder] Spencer (ed. 1980): feeds on his wonder] “nurses his shocked grievance (perhaps). For his Q2 reads ‘this’, which is even more difficult; it can hardly refer to Ophelia’s distraction (and in any case it is implied that Laertes does not know of it until he sees her at [4.5.155 (2907)]; and the hugger-mugger funeral of Polonius is grammatically too far away to be referred to by ‘this’.”
pen2
2826 keepes himselfe in clowdes] Spencer (ed. 1980): “holds himself sullenly aloof.”
1982 ard2
ard2: xref.; MV //; Walker, Dover Wilson
2826 this wonder] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “The Q2 reading must be taken to refer to this whole sensational course of events. Cf. l. 94. But perhaps we should accept F his wonder (= his bewilderment) and regard this as an error, as at [5.2.138 3612)], MV [3.3.8 (1694)]. Cf. Walker, ii.219-28; MSH, p. 112.”
ard2
2826 in clouds] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “mystified in uncertainties (through indulging in ‘wonder’ instead of fact).”
1987 oxf4
oxf4: OED; Plutarch analogue
2826 Feeds on this wonder] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “i.e. nourishes the growth of this popular mood of astonishment mingled with perplexity and bewildered curiosity. See OED feed v. 6c and wonder sb. 7; also North’s Plutarch (Life of Publicola): ‘Publicola . . . was very diligent, not only to understand the original cause of [Appius’] sedition, but to feed on further and increase the same’ (ed. George Wyndham (1895), i. 273).”
oxf4: Dent
2826 keepes himselfe in clowdes] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “remains inscrutable, does not reveal his motives. For the connection between ‘walking in a cloud’ and dissimulation see Dent C443.I and C444.”
1988 bev2
bev2
2826 in clowdes] Bevington (ed. 1988): “i.e., of suspicion and rumor.”
1993 dent
dent: xref.
2826 keepes . . . clowdes] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Hides himself away in a suspicious obscurity. Claudius’ imagery recalls [1.2.66-73 (246-253)].”
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: Jenkins, Hibbard, Spencer, Edwards, Johnson
2826 Feeds. . . wonder] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “Q2’s reading must mean something like ’finds good (for revenge) in these amazing events’. F’s ’Keepes on his wonder’ seems to mean ’sustains his amazement’. Jenkins and Hibbard follow Q2 (though Jenkins suggests ’his’ might be right); Spencer and Edwards (following Johnson) print ’Feeds on his wonder’; "Keeps’ is generally rejected, presumably as an anticipation of the word later in the line.”
ard3q2
2826 clouds] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “i.e. suspicion or uncertainty.”
282