Notes for lines 1018-2022 ed. Eric Rasmussen
| 1463-4 passe, as most like it was; the first rowe of the | {pious chanson} <Pons Chanson> will | |
|---|
1723 pope1
pope1
1464 pious chanson] Pope (ed. 1723) [reads ’ rubrick’]: “It is Pons chansons in the first folio edition. The old ballads sung on bridges, and from thence call’d Pons chansons. Hamlet is here repeating ends of old songs.”
1728 pope2
pope2 = pope1
1464 pious chanson] Pope (ed. 1728) [Has rubrick, just as THEO1 does. So does Rowe, who also followed Q76 here rather than F4. Rubrick]: “It is Pons chansons in the first folio edition [not quite: F1 has Chanson not chansons]. The old ballads sung on bridges, and from thence call’d Pons chansons. Hamlet is here repeating ends of old songs.”
1733 theo1
theo1
1464 pious chanson]
Theobald (ed. 1733) [no note to justify the emendation of {pious} <Pons>chanson to ‘the rubrick’: was this not discussed in THEON? Check it again. HHF says this comes from Q76, and Rowe, Pope, &c.]
1743 mf3bl
mf3bl
1463 first rowe of the pious chanson] mf3bl (1743, f. 7r): “pans [sic] chanson, I guess, is Shepherds Songs or Ballads. The first row is perhaps the first column. But the edition 1723 reads, the first Row of the Rubrick”
1744 han1
han1
1464 pious chanson] Hanmer (ed. 1744): “Pont-chansons is the French word for Street-ballads, to some collection of which Hamlet refers Polonius after repeating some scraps of rhymes out of them.”
1747 warb
warb : pope
1464 pious chanson] Warburton (ed. 1747) cites Pope; reads ‘rubrick:’ “The rubrick is equivalent. The titles of old ballads being written in red letters.”
1754 Grey
Grey : pope, han, warb
1464 pious chanson] Grey (1754, p. 290): “First row of pons chanson, in the first two folio editions of 1623, and 1632. The first row of pons chansons, Sir Thomas Hanmer. Old ballads sung upon bridges. I cannot guess at Mr. Pope’s reason for the alteration. But Mr. Warburton subjoins, ‘That the rubrick is equivalent, the titles of old ballads being written in red letters.’ But he does not mention one single ballad in proof. There are five large folio volumes of ballads in Mr. Pepys’s library, in Magdalen college, Cambridge, some as ancient as Henry VII.’s reign, and not one red letter upon any one of the titles, as I am informed.”
1765 john1
john1 : pope, rowe, han
1464 pious chanson] Johnson (ed. 1765) cites Pope; reads ‘rubrick:’ “It is pons chansons in the quarto too. [corrected in appendix, below] I know not whence the rubrick has been brought, yet it has not the appearance of an arbitrary addition. The titles of old ballads were never printed red; but perhaps rubrick may stand for marginal explanation.”
“[In his appendix to vol 8, p. 198 (appendix not itself numbered) JOHNSON adds the following, attributing to Mr. STEEVENS]: “The words of the Rubrick were first inserted by Mr. Rowe, in his edition in 1709, in the room of Pons Chanson, (which is the reading of the first folio) and have been transplanted thence by succeeding editors. The old quarto in 1611, reads pious chanson, which (I think) gives the sense wanted. The pious chansons were a kind of Christmas Carol, containing some Scriptural History, thrown into loose rhimes, and sung about the streets by the common people when, they went at that season to beg alms. Hamlet is here repeating some scraps from songs of this kind, and when Polonius enquires what followed them, he refers him to the first row (i.e. division) of one of these, to obtain the information he wanted.”
“[also in appendix, p. 198 (app not numbered) is note attributed to Dr. GRAY]: “First row of the pons Chanson, in the first two folio editions of 1623, and 1632. The first row of pont chansons, Sir Thomas Hanmer. Old ballads sung upon bridges. I cannot guess at Mr Pope’s reason for the alteration. But Mr. Warburton subjoins, ‘That the rubrick is equivalent, the titles of old ballads being written in red letters.’ But he does not mention one single ballad in proof. There are five large folio volumes of ballads in Mr. Pepy’s library, in Magdalen College, Cambridge, some as ancient as Henry VII reign, and not one red letter upon any one of the titles, as I am informed.”
1766-70 mwar2
mwar2
1464 first...chanson] Warner (1766-70): “The Rubrick, because the Titles of old Ballads were printed in Red Letters.”
1771 han3
han3=han1+
1464 pious chanson] Hanmer (ed. 1771): “ [The old Quarto in 1611, reads pious chanson; a kind of Christmas carol, containing some scripture history, and sung about the streets by the common people, when they went to beg alms. Hamlet is here repeating some scraps from songs of this kind ; and when Polonius inquires what follow’d them, he refers him to the first row (i.e. division) of one of these to obtain the information he wanted. Mr. Steevens. See Dr. Percy’s Reliques of Antique Poetry, for the song itself. V.I.177.].”
1773 v1773
v1773 = pope1
1464 pious chanson] Pope (ed. 1773): “It is pons chansons in the first folio edition. The old ballads sung on bridges, and from thence called Pons chansons. Hamlet here is repeating ends of old songs.”
1464 pious chanson] Johnson (ed. 1773): “It is the pons chansons in the quarto too. I know not whence the rubric has been brought, yet it has not the appearance of an arbitrary addition. The titles of old ballads were never printed red; but perhaps rubric may stand for marginal explanation.”
1464 pious chanson] Gray (ed. 1773): ‘There are five large vols. of ballads in Mr. Pepy’s collection in Magdalen college library, Cambridge, some as ancient as Henry VII’s reign, and not one red letter upon any of the titles.”
1464 pious chanson] Steevens (ed. 1773): “The words, of the rubric were first inserted by Mr. Rowe, in his edition in 1709. The old quarto in 1611 reads pious chanson, which gives the sense wanted, and I have accordingly inserted it into the text. The pious chansons were a kind of Christmas carol, containing some scriptural history thrown into loose rhymes, and sung about the streets by the common people when they went at that season to beg alms. Hamlet is here repeating some scraps from songs of this kind, and when Polinious enquires what follows them, he refers him to the first row (i.e. division) of one of these, to obtain the information he wanted.”
1778 v1778
v1778 = v1773
1464 pious chanson] Steevens (ed. 1778): “The words, of the rubric were first inserted by Mr. Rowe, in his edition in 1709. The old quartos in 1604, 1605, and 1611, read pious chanson, which gives the sense wanted, and I have accordingly inserted it into the text. The pious chansons were a kind of Christmas carols, containing some scriptural history thrown into loose rhymes, and sung about the streets by the common people when they went at that season to solicit alms. Hamlet is here repeating some scraps from a song of this kind, and when Polinious enquires what follows them, he refers him to the first row (i.e. division) of one of these, to obtain the information he wanted.”
1784 ays
ays = v1778 +
1463 first...chanson] Ayscough (ed. 1784): “Mr. Steevens explains this allusion thus:”
1791- rann
rann
1463-4 The first row of the pious chansons] Rann (ed.
-): “—Hamlet, after repeating a few scraps of some pious song, whose subject is taken from the Bible, refers Polonius to the first division of it for further information.”
1826 sing1
sing1
1463-4 pious chanson] Singer (ed. 1826): “Pons chanson is the reading of the first folio; three of the quartos read pious; and the newly discovered quarto of 1603, ‘the goodly balllad;’ which puts an end to controversy upon the subject. The first row is the first column. Every one is aquainted with the form of these old carols and ballads.”
1843 col1
col1
1463-4 pious chanson] Collier (ed. 1843): “These are quotations from the firs stanza of the ballad of ‘Jephthah, Judge of Israel, ‘ in Percy’s ‘Reliques,’ vol. i. p. 193. ed. 1812. Steevens informs us , that in the books belonging to the Stationers’ Company, there are two entries of this ballad. Among others, ‘A ballet intituled the Songe of Jephthah’s Doughter,’ &c. 1567, vol. i. fol. 162. Again: ‘Jeffa Judge of Israel,’ p. 93, vol. iii. Dec. 14, 1624. Malone conjectured that there had been an English drama written on the subject, and it appears from Henslowe’s Diary that such was the fact, for in May, 1602, Henry Chettle was paid money on account of a tragedy called Jefftha.”
mCOL1 (BM 134.f.1.vol.7) has a note next to Steevens note for “It came to pass, as most like it was” that refers to Percy’s Reliques, I.193, 1812 ed: “See Evans’s Old Ballads I.7 (last edit) for a perfect copy—in Percy it is imperfectly given.
-1845 mhun1
mhun1
1463 the first...chanson] Hunter (-1845, f. 243v): “I strongly suspect that verse not row is the true reading. In the new-found quarto it stands thus: The first verse of the godly ballet will tell you all.’ Pious chanson was substituted in the very next edition, I hope reverential cause. This new reading must quite put down the pons chanson, ballads sung on bridges!”
1845 hunter
hunter : malone, pope, rowe
1463 the first...chanson]
Hunter (1845, p. 232-3): <p. 232>“‘The first row of the
pious chanson will shew you more.’ This is Mr. Malone’s selection from three readings, every one of which may be said to be genuine—that is, to have been written by the author. The first was ‘godly ballet.’ This appears in the earliest quarto, 1603. The next was ‘pious chanson.’ This appears in the quartos of 1604 and 1605. The ballet alluded to was on a scripture subject, the story of Jephtha. But both these expressions appeared to border on profaneness, and in the quarto of 1611 we find a third reading, ‘pons chanson,’ which is also the reading of the folios. Whether, in regard to what was the latest intention of the Poet, or to propriety, the third and latest reading ought to have been adopted by the modern editors, the term ‘pons chanson,’ when rightly understood, being a very appropriate term by which to designate the kind of composition which is here spoken of.
“If ‘pons chanson’ were to be understood as Pope and others have considered it, as meaning only ‘ballads sung on bridges,’ it would appear to every one, as it has appeared to the later editors, a weak and inefficient expression, unworthy of the Poet. But in fact, in France, the trivial ballad, such as that referred to, is called in ordinary discourse a pons chanson, or a chanson du Pont Neuf. ‘Vaudevilles, ou Chansons du Pont Neuf, les chansons communes qui se chantent parmi le peuple avec une grande facilité, et sans art: Trivialis cantilena.’— Dictionnaire de Trevoux, voce Chanson.
“Among the arbitrary alterations of Shakespeare’s text, made by Rowe, the first modern editor, one of the most adventurous was on the passage before us. He had the ‘pons chanson’ of the folio before him, and I believe no other </p. 232><p. 233>reading; and, not knowing what to make of it, he substituted ‘rubrick,’ and the line became ‘The first row of the rubrick will shew you more.’ Rowe was in many respects a proper person to be selected for an Editor of Shakespeare, from among the literary men of the year 1707, when there was probably not one person to be found who had much acquaintance with the language or literature of the reign of Elizabeth; but he has certainly done much to deteriorate the text, and half the duty of later editors has been to recall readings which he had displaced. There were, however, in Rowe’s time, those who had juster views of the duty of an editor, and amongst them the Earl of Oxford, who has left the following severe remark on the work: ‘This Rowe, a special editor, though he pretended to be a poet, yet he knew little of what he was about: for there never was a worse editor; he not only left the errors that had been in other editions, but added many of his own.’— See Harl. MS. 7544.”</p. 233>
1857 dyce1
dyce1 : pope, hunter
1463-4 pious chanson] Dyce (ed. 1857): "Hamlet, in the text of the quarto of 1611, calls the poem, ’the Pious Chanson;’ but in the quarto of 1604, and the folio of 1623, it is ’the Pons Chanson.’ Pope says, this refers to the old ballads sung on bridges. We believe Pons is a typographical error; for in the quarto of 1603 we find ’the first verse of the godly ballet.’ But Mr. Hunter says, that ’in France, the trivial ballad, such as that referred to, is called in ordinary discourse a pons chanson, or a chanson du Pont Neuf.’ A popular ballad is called in modern dictionaries a chanson du Pont Neuf--but where is the authority of pons chanson?" Knight.
1861 wh1
wh1
1463-4 pious chanson] White (ed. 1861): “‘---the first row of the pious chanson,’ &c.:--Thus the 4to. The folio has the misprint ‘Pons Chanson,’ which would be unworthy of notice save for the confusion which it has occasioned. Hamlet calls the ballad from which he has been quoting, the pious chanson- -in biblical character of its subject. His quotations are all from the first stave; and to the first row, i. e. line of column, he refers his hearers for more, he being cut short in his recital, ‘for look where my abridgment comes.’ It is possible, however, that both here and in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act V. Sc. 1, ’abridgment’ means that which shortens time--pastime; though there it is applied to things, here to persons.--The folio has ‘abridgments come.’”
1867 Ktlyn
Ktlyn
1463-4 pious chanson]
Keightly (1867, pp. 290-1): “What ‘
Pons Chanson’ is, no one has divined. Editors </p. 290><p. 291> therefore read ‘pious chanson,’ meaning the ballad of Jephtha and his daughter.”
1872 hud2
hud2
1463 chanson] Hudson (ed. 1872): “Chanson is something to be sung or chanted; and ‘the first row’ probably means the first column, or, perhaps, stanza.”
1882 elze
elze : han
1463 pious chanson] Elze (ed. 1882): “Hanmer’s conjecture Pont-chansons and the strained attempts of lending a meaning to this monstrous invention, should be superseded at the present day. That the reading of QB is right, is shown by the synonymous phrase of QA.”
1885 macd
macd
1463-4 pious chanson] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “That this is a corruption of the pious in the Quarto, s made clearer from the 1st Quarto: ‘the first verse of the godly Ballet wil tel you all.”
1890 irv
irv : hunter
1464 pious chanson] Symons (in Irving & Marshall ed. 1890): “This is the reading of Qq. (further confirmed by the parallel passage in Q. 1: ‘the first verse of the godly Ballet’). F. 1 has Pons Chanson, an obvious misprint, which some editors have endeavoured to torture into a meaning. Hunter (New Illustrations, vol. ii. P. 232) flatly declares that the French term for a trivial ballad, chanson du Pont Nenf, is also used in the form pons chanson, which, however, no one but himself seems to have met with.”
1899 ard1
ard1
1463 pious chanson] Dowden (ed. 1899): “The ‘godly Ballet’ of Q1 confirms the reading of Q. Attempts have been made by reference to the French ‘Chanson du Pont Neuf’ to justufy the Folio misprint. The ballad is ‘pious’ as having a scriptural subject. ‘Row’ perhaps means stanza, or perhaps column of a broadside ballad.”
1982 ard2
ard2
1464 pious chanson] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “So called because it is a song based on holy writ. This sounds more like a term from a songbook title than a Shakespearean coinage. Attempts to defend the F[olio] Pons Chanson by linking it with the French chanson du pont-neuf, a street ballad, could afford a cautionary tale. The synonymous substitutions of Q1 show, again, what the actors understood.”
1985 cam4
cam4
1464 first row...pious chanson] Edwards (ed. 1985): “A ‘row’ is properly a line, but, as this does not make much sense, some editors suggest, without much authority, ‘stanza’ – i.e. ‘you’ll have to read the first stanza of this pious ballad if you want more...’ Q1 says ‘the first verse of the godly Ballet’.”
1463 1464
