Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman
| 227 The head is not more natiue to the hart | 1.2.47 |
|---|
227 228 229 1598 Grimaldvs
Grimaldvs
227 Grimaldvs (1598, p. 19): “And as the head, without perill of life, can=not be taken from the heart, so may not the king be remoued from his Councell, because such disiunction breedeth discord to the common weale, and in the end confusion and destruction may followe thereof.”
Ed. note: “=” means a hyphen in the original at end of a line.
1747 warb
warb
227-9 Warburton (ed. 1747): “This is a flagrant instance of the first Editor’s stupidity, in preferring sound to sense. But head, heart, and head, he thought must needs go together where an honest man was the subject of the encomium; tho’ what he could mean by the head’s being native to the heart, I cannot conceive. The mouth indeed of an honest man might, perhaps, in some sense, be said to be native, that is, allied to the heart. But the speaker is here talking not of a moral, but a physical alliance. And the force of what is said is supported only by that distinction. I suppose, then, that Shakespear wrote, ‘The blood is not more native to the heart,— Than to the Throne of Denmark is thy father.’ This makes the sentiment just and pertinent. As the blood is formed and sustained by the labour of the heart, the mouth supplied by the office of the hand, so the throne of Denmark by your father, &c. The expression too of the blood’s being native to the heart, is extremely fine. †For the heart is the laboratory where that vital liquor is digested, distributed, and (when weakned [sic] and debilitated) again restored to the vigour necessary for the discharge of its functions.”
I am interested in the fact that WARB does not accuse HAN of stealing this emendation from him; does he ever do that? Did he perhaps take it from HAN? The fact that HAN2 credits the emendation to WARB is no very great evidence.
JOHN, v1773 accept part of it, 229 “Than to the Throne of Denmark is thy father.” WARB’s note is typically obtuse and pompous; JOHN seems equally dense here. HEATH is sarcastic about WARB. v1778 rejects the emendation and is copying JEN or Q2 directly here.
I have corrected in the narrative the italics (I hope). I should do so here too.
1747 mtby4
mtby4: warb
227-9 Thirlby (1747-), where Warburton says the line as he has emended it “is exceedingly fine,” comments ironically: “You are obliged to yr self.”
1747-1760 mBrowne
mBrowne
227-9 The head . . . thy father] Browne (1747-60, fol. ???): “Mr. W. says, he cannot conceive what he meant by the Head’s being native to the Heart, and therefore by Conjecture substitutes the blood for the Head, and for the last line reads, than to the throne of Denmark is thy Father—i.e. as if to his Construction. ‘As the blood is form’d and sustained by the Savour[?] of the Heart, the Mouth supplyed by the office of the Hand, so is the throne of Denmark by your father—’ But the passage as it stands—his reading will not bear this Construction, which is plainly forced upon it to conceal the apparent inconsistency is labours with, for his reading ought to be construed thus; Thy Father is not more[?] serviceable to the throne than the hand is instrumental in supplying the mouth, or than the blood—What?—is formed and sustained by “labour of the Heart—to return therefore to the old Head. Why may not native mean, by nature allyed to, or assistant to either the sense will be the throne of Denmark has the same disposition or tyes of kindness and good offices to your Father as the Head has by Nature to the Heart (and is ready to serve him as the Hand is to supply with food), the propriety where with the Shakespeare here makes the King compare himself to the Head, and his prime minister to the Heart, may be illuminated from the following beautiful lines in his fable of the Belly and the Members—‘—what The Kings crowned Head, the vigil and Eye, The counsellor Heart, the arm our soldier, Our ___ the Leg, the tongue our Trumpeter—’ ”
B This is not at all as clear as it should be. I am afraid it will confuse more than it will enlighten, CAM/PEM Ms 0.12.5755
1765 Heath
Heath: warb +
227-9 The head . . .
thy father]
Heath (1765, pp. 521-2): <p. 521> “ ‘
The blood is not more native to the heart.’ Thus Mr. Warburton hath thought proper to correct the common reading, </p. 521> <p. 522> ‘
The head
is not more native to the heart;’ not being able, as he tells us himself, to conceive what this expression could mean, but determined however at all events to carry the compliment far enough. To assist his conception therefore, I take the liberty of informing him, that the meaning is plainly no other than this; There is not a more natural affinity, and strict connection, between the head and the heart, though the former contrives the means by which the purposes of the latter are executed. In this view, the King considers himself the heart, and Polonius, by whose advice he is in great measure directed, as the head.” </p. 522>
Heath understands the phrase by the affinity between head and heart but then goes too far by saying that Claudius thinks of himself as the heart, Polonius as the head. Would Claudius consider the doddering Polonius his head, even as a compliment? He means they are knit together.
1765 john1
john1 = warb; ≈ Heath without attribution
227-9 Johnson (ed. 1765): “Part of this emendation I have received, but cannot discern why the head is not as much native to the heart, as the blood, that is natural and congenial to it, born with it, co-operating with it. The relation is likewise by this reading better preserved, the Counsellor being to the King as the head to the heart.”
1773 v1773
v1773 = john1
227-9
1774 capn
capn ≈ Heath without attribution
227-9 Capell (1774, 1:1:123): “ ‘native’ is —naturally ally’d; and the transposition of ‘is’ and ‘to,’ [229], a most certain correction, taken from the two latter moderns: for the purport of the lines is as follows;—that Polonius’ counsels, and ministry, were to him and his ‘throne’ what the ‘head’ is to the ‘heart,’ and the ‘hand’ to the ‘mouth.’ ”
CAPN sometimes quotes Heath. 1778 v1778
v1778 = v1773 +
227-9 Steevens (ed. 1778): “I am not certain that the part of Dr. Warburton’s emendation which is received [i.e. by Johnson in 1765 and himself in 1773], is necessary. The sense seems to be this, the head is not formed to be more useful to the heart, the hand is not more at the service of the mouth, than my power is at your father’s service. That is, he may commnd me to the utmost; he may do what he pleases with my kingly authority.”
1784 ays1
ays1 ≈ v1778 without attribution
227-9 Ayscough (ed. 1784): “The sense is, The head is not formed to be more useful to the heart, the hand is not more at the service of the mouth, than my power is at you father’s service.”
BWK: This almost word for word is from v1778
1785 Mason
Mason: v1778 +
227-9 Mason (1785, p. 373): “This [i.e. Q2] is surely the right reading, and justly explained by Steevens. Warburton proposes to amend the last line, and to read, ‘Than to the throne of Denmark is your father;’ in which he is supported by Johnson, which much surprises me, as I cannot conceive how Johnson, who has so accurtely delineated the character of Polonius, should think it possible that the King should pay so high a compliment to that whimsical and pragmatical courtuer, as to say that he was necessary to the state of Denmark as the hand was to the mouth, or the head to the heart. It is evident that the King’s intention in this place, is not to express his high opinion of Polonius as a statesman, but his own good wishes towards him, and his readiness to oblige him:—Which he does by saying that he was as ready to do him service, as the hand to serve the mouth: By the throne of Denmark he means himself, not the state.”
1785 v1785
v1785 = v1778
227-9
1787 ann
ann = Steevens v1785 minus “I am not certain that the part of Dr. Warburton’s emendation which is received [i.e. by Johnson in 1765 and himself in 1773], is necessary.”
227-9
1790 mal
mal = v1785 minus warb +
227-9 The head . . . thy father] Malone (ed. 1790): [quotes Steevens] “By native to the heart Dr. Johnson understands, ‘natural and congenial to it, born with it, and co-operating with it.’
“Formerly the heart was supposed to be the seat of wisdom; and hence the poet speaks of the close connexion between the heart and head. See [7:150 n. 4] Malone.”
BWK: Malone’s additional comment. He refers to Vol. VII, p.150, n.4, w/o saying which play this is. I assume it is Cor, which I mention at the top. Yes, Boswell specifies that play.
Ed. note: 7:150 n.4 is a lengthy two-page disquisition on “the counsellor heart” in Cor. 1.1.116 (119) with a lengthy quotation from Camden that is irrelevant to 227-9.
1790- mWesley
mWesley: john, Steevens +
227-9 The head . . . thy father] Wesley (1790-, p. 43): “Good. This [Steeven’s note] is quite superfluous after Johnson’s note, and wholly inferior; a squib after a comet!”
in a copy of v1785
1791- rann
rann: standard
227 natiue] Rann (ed. 1791-) defines: “congenial, naturally allied, or subservient to.”
1793 v1793
v1793 = mal
227-9
except “See Vol. XII, p. 12, n.9. Malone.” This is probably that same Cor. reference. It’s annoying that they note it this way. No need to search this out.
1803 v1803
v1803 = mal
227-9
: except the V.p. ref changes to XVI. p. 12n.7 for the Malone ref.
1813 v1813
v1813 = v1803
227-9
w x-ref to XVI.p.12n7 again. More proof about how alike are v1813 and v1803
1819 cald1
cald1
227-9 Caldecott (ed. 1820): “The principal parts of the body are not more natural, instrumental, or necessary to each other, than is the throne natural to, and a machine acted upon and under the guidance of, your father.”
CN not much different, though his language varies from others’
1821 v1821
v1821 = v1813 +
227-9 Malone (ed. 1821): [at end of his earlier note] “So, in [Cor. 1.1.? (00)]: ‘Even to the court, the heart—to the seat of the brain.’ See the note on that passage. Malone.”
v1821
227-9 Boswell (ed. 1821): “We meet with a thought resembling this in [Ado a.s.l. (0000)]: ‘—I will deal in this As secretly, and justly, as your soul Should with your body.’ ”
for Malone note, Boswell (I assume) gives the specific reference: Or Malone made the reference clearer. I somehow doubt it, but I cannot be certain, of course. Boswell, shall we say, improves the note in one way, by providing the line from Cor. but he neglects to give the v.p.n for the xref. He also adds
1826 sing1
sing1 = v1778 def. subst. w/o attribution
227-9 Singer (ed. 1826) simplifies: “The various parts of the body enumerated are not more allied, more necessary to each other, than the throne of Denmark (i.e. the king) is to your father to do him service.”
1832 cald2
cald2 = cald1
227-9
1854 del2
del2
227 natiue] Delius (ed. 1854): “native drückt eine Verbindung durch die Geburt . . ..”
1856 sing2
sing2 = sing1 + han transposition conj. in magenta without attribution
227-9 Singer (ed. 1856): “The various parts of the body enumerated are not more allied, more necessary to each other, than the throne of Denmark (i.e. the king) is to your father to do him service. But it is most probable that Shakespeare wrote—‘Than to the throne of Denmark is thy father.”
1856 hud1
hud1 ≈ sing1 without attribution minus what is struck out, variations in magenta
227-9 Hudson (ed. 1856): “The various parts of the body enumerated are not more allied, more necessary to each other, than the throne of Denmark (i.e. the king) of Denmark is bound to your father to do him service. But it is most probable that Shakespeare wrote—‘Than to the throne of Denmark is thy father.”
1860 Bucknill
Bucknill
227-9 Bucknill (1860, p. 259): “In the Oxford edition the word ‘blood’ is substituted in [227-9] for ‘head’ as it occurs in other editions, with the utmost advantage, as it would appear, to the sense. The presence of the blood in the heart was, as we have shewn, well known to Shakespeare.”
He does not try to account for the sense of the whole, merely the correctness of blood in the heart.
1865 hal
hal = v1821 (Steevens, Malone on Johnson, Malone, Boswell)
227-9
1868 c&mc
c&mc: standard
227-9 Clarke &
Clarke (ed. 1868): “‘The head is not more naturally co-operative with the heart, or the hand more actively useful to the mouth, than the throne of Denmark is willing to be serviceable to they father.”
1870 rug1
rug1 ≈ Thirlby without attribution + in magenta underlined
227-9 Moberly (ed. 1870): “From this high estimate of Polonius, it would seem that Claudius was under some deep obligation to him; probably for securing his election to the throne instead of Hamlet. See also [1066],”
1872 cln1
cln1 ≈ mBrowne def, without attribution; //, xref
227 natiue to] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “connected by nature with. ‘Native’ has a similar sense in [AWW 1.1.238 (230)], ‘like native things.’ Compare also [3171] of this play.”
1872 hud2
hud2 = hud1
227-9
1873 rug2
rug2 ≈ rug1 +
227-9 Moberly (ed. 1873): “where Polonius is called ‘the father of good news.’”
1877 v1877
v1877: warb, Heath, Steevens, cald, del, cln1
227-9
v1877 expends a lot of energy on it: The analogy could shift: in the first line, the head is important to the heart, in the second the hand is important to the mouth, and in the third, Polonius is important to the throne. Or heart and head, mouth and hand, and king and Polonius are all equally mutually necessary to each other—something like that. But the necessity does not have to be //.
1879 Clarke & Clarke
Clarke & Clarke = c&mc
227-9 Clarke & Clarke (1879, p. 519)
1880 meik
meik
227 natiue] Meikeljohn (ed. 1880): “closely related to. Cf. [quotes AWW 1.1.238 (230) ] . For a different meaning of native, see [3171].”
1881 Gould
Gould
227 natiue] Gould (1884, p. 38): “This seems very much like ‘servant.’”
I cannot tell if he means this as an emendation or as a gloss.
1881 hud3
hud3 = hud2
227-9
1885 macd
macd
227-9 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “The villain king courts his courtiers.”
1899 ard1
ard1: del without attribution for connected by birth; cln1 without attribution for connected by nature, // AWW
227 natiue]
1934 rid1
rid1
227 natiue] Ridley (ed. 1934, Glossary): “akin”
1938 parc
parc
227 natiue] Parrott & Craig (ed. 1938): “related.”
1939 kit2
kit2: standard
227 natiue to] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "naturally associated with; bound by ties of nature to."
1957 pel1
pel1: standard
227 natiue] Farnham (ed. 1957): “joined by nature.”
1958 fol1
fol1: standard
227 natiue] Wright & LaMar (ed. 1958): “naturally related.”
1970 pel2
pel2 = pel1
227 natiue] Farnham (ed. 1970): “joined by nature”
1980 pen2
pen2
227 natiue] Spencer (ed. 1980): “by its very nature closely related.”
1982 ard2
ard2: Kellett; //
227-8 Jenkins (ed. 1982): “Claudius’s assertion gains strength from the traditional correspondence between the human organism, with the independence of its various members, and the body politic. The king is naturally the head, and in mediaeval allegory the councillors are often referred to as the heart. See Kellett, Suggestions, p.31, and cf. Cor. [1.1.116 (119)], ’The kingly crowned head . . . The counsellor heart’. native, closely joined in nature. Cf. [AWW 1.1.238 (230)] ’kiss like native things’. In the next line the king as the hand is the provider for his subjects.”
1985 cam4
cam4
227 natiue] Edwards (ed. 1985): "naturally related."
1987 oxf4
oxf4: Cor. // without attribution; standard ref. to analogy of body politic to human body
227-9
oxf4 gloss ≈ cln1 without attribution
227 natiue] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "naturally connected."
1988 bev2
bev2: standard
227 natiue] Bevington (ed. 1988): “closely connected, related.”
1992 fol2
fol2 = oxf4 without attribution
227 natiue] Mowat & Werstine (ed. 1992): “naturally connected“
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: standard
227-9 lose your voyce] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “The King flatters Polonius by designating the throne of Denmark as merely instrumental or serviceable to his wishes.”
ard3q2: standard
227 natiue] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “naturally connected with or obliged to”
