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Line 955 - Commentary Note (CN) More Information

Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman
For explanation of sigla, such as jen, see the editions bib.
955 Your bait of falshood {take} <takes> this {carpe} <Cape> of truth, 2.1.60
1625 Bacon
Bacon
955 Bacon ( 1625, E3v) in “Of Simulation and Dissimulation” (VI. E1-E4, ed. Kiernan, 1985, pp. 20-3, esp. p. 22): One of the three advantages of simulation and dissimulation is “the better to discover the Minde of another. For to him that opens himselfe, Men will hardly shew themselues . . . . And therefore, it is a good shrewd Proverbe of the Spaniard; Tell a lye, and find a Troth.
See Kiernan (1985, p. 191 n. 100): the proverb [“Tell a lye, and Find a Truth,” p. 22] is “recorded in English and Spanish in [Bacon’s] Promus, fo. 85 (earliest citation Tilley L237). Cf. . . Polonius in Hamlet [955].”
1832 cald2
cald2
955 carpe of truth] Caldecott (ed. 1832): “This alone is sufficient to establish the value of the 4tos.; as no conjecture could have reached it; or, if it had, could have made it satisfactory.”
Cald2 uses the F1 text, of course, as his basic copy-text
1854 del2
del2
955 carpe] Delius (ed. 1854): “die Fol. hat cape, doch ist carp allein richtig: wie man mit dem Köder Karpfen fängt so soll Reynaldo mit dem faschen Beschuldigungen die Wahrheit über Laertes’ Lebenswandel fangen.” [The folio has cape, but only carp is correct; just as one catches carp with bait so will Reynaldo find out the truth of Laertes’ style of living from his false imputations.]
1872 hud2
hud2
955 carpe of truth] Hudson (ed. 1872): “The shrewd old wire-puller is fond of the angling arts. The carp is a species of fish.”
1880 Tanger
Tanger
955 carpe] Tanger (1880, p. 126): F1 variant “probably owing to the negligence, inattention, or criticism of the compositor.”
1881 hud3
hud3 = hud2 minus (The shrewd old wire-puller”)
955 carpe of truth]
Ed. note: Interesting om. because it is the liveliest part of the hud2 note.
1902 Reed
Reed: claims Bacon is Shakespeare, supported by Promus notebooks begun Dec. 1594.
955 Reed (1902, § 74) quotes Bacon Essay of Simulation and Dissimulation 1625: “It is a good shrewd proverb of the Spaniard, ’Tell a lie and find a truth.’ ” See Bacon, above.
1904 ver
ver
955 carpe] Verity (ed. 1904): “typical of something foolish and easy to catch; as in [AWW 5.2.22 (2663)].”
1929 trav
trav
955 carpe] Travers (ed. 1929): “big fish.”
1939 kit2
kit2
955 carpe] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "Merely used to carry out the figure with Polonian thoroughness. Any other fish would do as well."
1964 Falconer
Falconer
955 carpe] Falconer (1964, pp. 138-9): “References to creatures of the deep and to various fish are of a general kind. . . [e.g.] The wariness of the carp . . . . ”
1982 ard2
ard2: Wilson
955 carpe] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “Dover Wilson notes a quibble on carp = talk.”
1987 oxf4
oxf4: Tilley
955 Hibbard (ed. 1987): "Compare ‘Tell a lie and find a truth’ (Tilley L237)."

oxf4
955 take] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "catches."

oxf4: Walton; contra kit2 without attribution
955 carpe] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "Izaak Walton writes: ‘The carp is the queen of rivers: a stately, a good, and a very subtle fish’ (The Compleat Angler 1.ix). It is probably the carp’s subtlety that Polonius has in mind."
1988 bev2
bev2: standard
955 carpe] Bevington (ed. 1988): “a fish.”
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: standard; xref
955 carpe] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “a freshwater fish, often attaining considerable age and size. Q2’s take follows on from See in [954]: ’watch your bait catch’.”
955