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Line 938 - 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.”

7. Further information: See the Introduction for explanations of other abbreviations. Click here for more information about browsing the entries and here for more information about the special symbols used in Hamletworks. Click the question mark icon above to remove this help message.

Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman

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

938 Good sir, (or so,) or friend, or gentleman,	2.1.46

1723- mtby2

mtby2

938 (or so,)] Thirlby (1723-): “fsql [low-level probability] Sir. sed v. ad 377.1”

1747 warb

warb

938 (or so,)] Warburton (ed. 1747): “or sire, i.e. father.”

1747- mtby4

mtby4

938 (or so,)] Thirlby (1747-) crosses out sire and has a ms. note “ridiculous” and MP fsql sir, sed v ad V.24 [3619] Hoc ibi.”

1765 Heath

Heath contra warb

938 (or so,)] Heath (1765, p. 534): “The words, or sire, are interpolated by Mr. Warburton instead of the common reading, ‘Good sir, or so:’ that is, Good Sir, or some other expression to the like purpose, or friend, or gentleman. But this conjecture of Mr. Warburton’s can by no means be admitted; since sire, for father, is a title by which, in the English language, those only are distinguished, who are very far advanced in years, and in the French, only the royal majesty itself; neither of them very likely to be companions, or witnesses, of a young fellow’s irregularities.”

1765 john1

john1 = warb +

938 (or so,)] Johnson (ed. 1765): “I know not that sire was ever a general word of compliment as distinct from sir; nor do I conceive why any alteration should be made. It is a common mode of colloquial language to use, or so, as a slight intimation of more of the same, or a like kind, that might be mentioned. We might read, ‘Good Sir, Forsooth, or Friend, or Gentleman.’

“Forsooth, a term of which I do not well know the original meaning, was used to men as well as to women.”

1773 v1773

v1773 = john1 but emends to sir

v1773 appendix : john1

938 (or so,)] Percy (in Steevens, ed. 1773, 10: Nn6v): “Dr. Johnson would read—‘Good Sir, forsooth, &c.’ Forsooth, which has sometimes been supposed to be a form of address, and since its proper meaning has been forgot, may perhaps have been sometimes so applied by vulgar ignorant people, originally had no such signification. Sooth is truth, and in sooth or forsooth signify originally and properly only in truth and for truth. In Shakespeare’s time the proper sense was not left out of use; and therefore I think he could hardly have inserted forsooth in the text, as a form of address.”

1773- mstv1

mstv1: T.T [= Tyrwhitt]

938 (or so,)] T.T. (apud ms. notes in Steevens, ed. 1773): “We might read Good sir, or sir, &c. T.T.”

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773; v1773 appendix; v1773 ms. notes +

938 (or so,)] Steevens (ed. 1778): “I believe we should read, ‘Good sir, or so forth, friend or gentleman;’ So, in Humor’s Ordinaire, a collection of ancient satires, no date: ‘Then tells him, brother, friend, or so forth.’ In the [WT 1.2.218. (303)], the same expression occurs. ‘Sicilia is a so forth.’ Nay, Polonius uses it again a little further on in this very speech [954]. Steevens.”

1783 Ritson

Ritson: warb; john; Steevens; Tyrwhitt

938 (or so,)] Ritson (1783, pp. 195-6): <p.195> “This is the reading of all the old copies; and there is not a more plain, simple, certain (20), and intelligible line in these ten volumes; nor one that has ore exercised the attention and ingenuity of the learned and sagacious commentators. Such readers are better acquainted with Shakspeare than with the modern improvements upon him, </p.195> <p. 196> will not be displeased to see a list of their several emendations.

“Dr. Warburton: Good sir, or sire, i.e. father.

“Dr, Johnson: Good, sir, forsooth, or friend or gentleman.

“Mr. Steevens: Good sir, or so forth, friend or gentleman.

“Mr. Tyrwhitt: Good sir, or sir, &c. Each of these proposals is recommended by a long note; and there is, besides, a memoir by the reverend and learned dr. Percy, upon the word forsooth. Illustrious criticks! how much is the spirit of Shakspeare indebted to your unparalleled generosity, and unexampled friendship!” </p. 196>

<n20> That it is the true reading is sufficiently proved by what Reynaldo a few lines lower [946], says to Polonius, who asks, ‘Where did I leave? Rey. At closes in the consequence, at friend, or so, or gentleman.’ But this last line, though certainly useful,—though printed in the folios,—is not taken the least notice of in this editorial specimen of accuracy and perfection.” </n20>

1790 mal

mal: Tyrwhitt; ≈ mtby4 without attribution +

938 (or so,)] Malone (ed. 1790): “I suspect, (with Mr. Tyrwhitt,) that the poet wrote—Good sir, or sir, or friend, &c. In the last act of this play, so, is used for so forth: ‘—six French rapiers and ponyards, with their assigns, as girdle, hanger, and so.’”

I don’t quite understand this. Malone appears to be supporting the idea of so yet also advancing the idea of sir. Notice that MAL doesn’t go back to v1778. He does have the Percy, who, of course, was a friend of his and they wrote to each other with some frequency (a whole vol. in the Percy collection of letters).

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal

938 (or so,)]

[No WARB. Percy doesn’t get into this edition. Has MAL note.

Here’s another example of Steevens preferring MAL to v1778! And this more or less blows the (maybe mine alone?) theory that Steevens got into editing again because he wanted so much to correct the omissions and errors of Reed. Unless there are textual corrections that are at issue? I doubt it. Steevens had not shown much interest in the text up to 1778. That is, not much original work.

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

938 (or so,)]

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

938 (or so,)]

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813 minus Tyrwhitt: Blue means not new

938 (or so,)] Malone (apud Boswell, ed. 1821): “In the last Act of this play, so, is used for so forth: ‘—six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hanger, and so.’” Malone.”

1826 sing1

sing1 = v1821 without attribution

938 (or so,)]

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1

938 (or so,)]

1854 del2

del2

938 (or so,)] Delius (ed. 1854): “d.h. ‘oder wie Ihr ihn nun betiteln möget.’ Die folgende Zeile erklärt dieses or so näher.” [That is, ‘or as you might address him.’ The next line clarifies further this or so.]

1856 sing2

sing2 = sing1

938 (or so,)]

1868 c&mc

c&mc: standard

938 (or so,)] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868): “ Here ‘so’ is used for ‘so forth,’ ‘such and such,’ ‘thus,’ ‘after this fashion.’”

1913 F4Quincy

F4Quincy contra mal

938 (or so)] Quincy (1913, p. 23): “Malone translate ‘or so,” into ‘and so forth,’ but does not tell us why ‘or’ should be used for ‘and,’ or why the ‘and so forth’ does not follow the ‘additions’ that are named.

“Is it not better to read, ‘Good sir, or sir, or friend, or gentleman;’”

2000 Kliman

Kliman

938 Kliman (2000): Through such unnecesary repetitions of what this imaginary gentleman will say to Reynaldo, Shakespeare delineates Polonius’s doddering senility.

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2

938 or so] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “or whatever”