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Line 2754 - 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.”

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Notes for lines 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary

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

2754 The hearers to collection, they {yawne} <ayme> at it,	4.5.9

1755 Johnson Dict.

Johnson Dict.

2754 collection ] Johnson (1755): 1. “the act of gathering together.”

2. “an assemblage; the things gathered.”

3. “the act of deducing consequences; ratiocination; discourse.”

1778 v1778

v1778 ≈ Johnson Dict.; Cym. //

2754 collection] Steevens (ed. 1778): “i.e. to deduce consequences from such premises. So, in Cym., Scene the last [5.5.432 (3760)]: ‘—whose containing Is from sense to hardness, that I can Make no collection of it.’ See the note on this passage. Steevens.”

v1778

2754 yawne] Steevens (ed. 1778): aim] “To aim is to guess. Steevens.”

1784 ays1

ays1 = v1778 minus Cym. //for collection

ays1 = v1778 for yawne

1785 Mason

Mason

2754 collection] Mason (1785, p. 392): “That is, to endeavor to collect some meaning from it.”

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

1790 mal

mal = v1785

1791- rann

rann

2754 to collection] Rann (ed. 1791-): “to collect her meaning.”

1793 v1793

v1793 = v1785 +

2754 yawne] Steevens (ed. 1793): “aim] So, in Rom. [1.1.204 (213)]: ‘I aim’d so near, when I suppos’d you lov’d. Steevens.’”

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1785

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813

1826 sing1

sing1: v1778 without attribution

2754 collection] Singer (ed. 1826): “To collection, that is to gather or deduce consequences from such premises. Thus in Cym. [5.5.432 (3760)]:’—whose containing Is so from sense to hardness, that I can Make no collection of it.’ See note on that passage.”

sing1 = ays1 for yawne

1854 del2

del2 ≈ sing1 minus Cym. //

2754 collection] Delius (ed. 1854): “collection = Aneinanderreihung von Schlüssen, Folgerung, Folgerung.” [collection means a lining up of conclusions or a deduction.]

del2

2754 they yawne at it] Delius (ed. 1854): “to aim at = auf Etwas zielen, wird namentlich von Vermuthungen gebraucht, die sich auf ein bestimmtes Ziel richten: it bezieht sich auf her speech. Für das aim der Fol. haben die Qs. yawn = den Mund aufsperren, vor Verwunderung über Ophelia’s Reden.” [to aim at means to take aim at something and is used of suspicions that are directed to a particular goal. it refers to her speech. For the Folio edition aim the Quartos have yawn, meaning to open the mouth wide in amazement at Ophelia’s talk.]

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hud1 = sing1 minus Cym.//

2754 collection] Hudson (ed. 1851-6): “That is, to gather or deduce consequences.”

hud1 = sing1 for yawne

1856b sing2

sing2 = sing1

1857 fieb

fieb: Mason, cald (Cym. //) without attribution

2754 collection] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “I.e. to deduce consequences from such premises; of, as Mason observes, ‘endeavour to collect come meaning from them.’ So, in Cymbeline, scene the last: ‘—whose containing/Is so from sense to hardness, that I can/Make no collection of it;’ that is, draw no conclusion from it.”

fieb = v1785 for yawne

1864a glo

glo: xref.

2754 collection] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Collection): “sb. drawing a conclusion. Ham. 4. 5.”

glo ≈ v1785 minus Rom. // + magenta underlined

2754 yawne] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Aim): “Aim] sb. a guess. TGV. [3.1.45 [1114].”

1866 elze

elze

2754 they yawne at it] Elze (Athenæum, No. 2024, Aug. 11, 1866): “aim] Instead of—‘They aim at it,’ I suspect we should read ‘They gape at it, &c.’”

1866 ktlyn

ktlyn

2754 collection] Keightley (ed. 1866, glossary): “consequences or corollary.”

1872 hud2

hud2 ≈ hud1

2754 collection] Hudson (ed. 1872): “Collection is inference or conjecture.”

hud2 ≈ glo minus TGV //; xref.

2754 yawne] Hudson (ed. 1872): “aim] Aim is guess. See [3.2.389 (2260)], note 243.”

1872 cln1

cln1: cald1 without attribution

2754 collection] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “attempt to gather meaning from her disjointed speech. Compare Cym., 5.5.432 [3760]: ‘This label on my bosom; whose containing Is so from sense in hardness, that I can Make no collection of it.’”

cln1 ≈ v1793 (incl. Rom. //) without attribution

2754 yawne] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “‘Aim’ means here ‘to guess,’ as in Rom. [1.1.204 (213)]: ‘I aim’d so near when I supposed you loved.’”

1877 v1877

v1877 = Mason

2754 collection] Furness (ed. 1877): “Mason: To endeavor to collect some meaning from it.”

v1877 = col1 (see VN)

2754 yawne] Furness (ed. 1877): “aim] Collier: The Qq may possibly be right, though not very likely to be so.”

1878 rlf1

rlf1 = Mason

2754 to collection] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “‘To endeavor to collect some meaning from it (Mason).”

rlf1 ≈ glo + magenta underlined

2754 yawne] Rolfe (ed. 1878): Aim] “= guess; as in TGV [3.1.45 (1114)], Shr. [2.1.235 (1114)], 2H6 [2.4.58 (1234)], etc.”

rlf1 = cln1 for 2756-8

1881 hud3

hud3 = hud2

2754 collection] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Collection is inference or conjecture.”

hud3 = hud2 minus xref

2754 yawne] Hudson (ed. 1881): “aim] Aim is guess.”

1883 wh2

wh2 ≈ Mason

2754 to collection] White (ed. 1883): “to gathering up the meaning.”

1885 macd

macd

2754 to collection] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “‘to gathering things and putting them together.’”

macd = hud3

2754 yawne] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “ayme] guess.”

1885 mull

mull

2754 collection] Mull (ed. 1885): “collation, to obtain a meaning.”

1889 Barnett

Barnett

2754 collection] Barnett (1889, p. 56): “to gather sense.”

1890 irv2

irv2 ≈ hud2 without attribution

2754 collection] Symons (Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “inference.”

irv2 ≈ cln1 (incl. Cym. //); xref.

2754 collection] Symons (Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “See [5.2.192 (3655)]: ‘a kind of yesty collection,’ or inference. The word is used again, in the same sense as in the text—in Cym. [5.5.432 (3760)]: ‘I can make no collection of it.’”

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ irv2 (incl. Cym. //)

2754 collection] Dowden (ed. 1899): “inference, but here with the idea of a preliminary gathering together of Ophelia’s distracted thoughts. Compare Cym. [5.5.432 (3760)].”

1903 rlf3

rlf3 = rlf1 minus Mason attrib. for to collection

rlf3 = rlf1 for yawne

1904 ver

ver: [OED]; (Milton analogue)

2754 to collection] Verity (ed. 1904): “to infer her meaning; cf. the phrase ‘to gather the sense of.’ This obsolete sense of collection comes from the use of Lat. collectio as a term of rhetoric, signifying ‘inference, deduction.’ The New E. Dict. [OED] quotes Milton’s Doctrine of Divorce, I. viii.: “We may safely say thus, that wrong collections have been hitherto made out of these words [of St. Paul] by modern divines.”

1905 rltr

rltr

2754 collection] Chambers (ed. 1905): “putting two and two together.”

1906 nlsn

nlsn = irv2

2754 collection] Neilson (ed. 1906, glossary): “inference.”

nlsn = macd

2754 yawne] Neilson (ed. 1906, glossary): “aim] guess.”

1913 tut2

tut2 ≈ nlsn + magenta underlined

2754 collection] Goggin (ed. 1913): “’inference’; a fairly common meaning in Shakespeare’s time and later; cp. Latin collectio.”

1929 trav

trav

2754 collection] Travers (ed. 1929): “= inference, in quite a number of 16th and 17th cent. instances; but here, it seems, with the idea of a preliminary ordering, a construing ”

trav

2754 yawne] Travers (ed. 1929): aim] “Aim had been used in the sense of guessing for three centuries; aim at it = guess at what it all may mean.”

1931 crg1

crg1 = nlsn for collection and yawne

1934 Wilson

Wilson

2754 yawne] Wilson (1934, rpt. 1963, 1:145): <1:145> “The word ‘aime’ with its four minim-strokes, might easily be misread as ‘awne’; and if so set up, would then present the corrector with something which he might as easily take for ‘yawne,’ on the supposition that an initial letter had been omitted.” </1:145>

1934 rid

rid

2754 collection] Ridley (ed. 1934): “deduce sense for it.”

1937 pen1

pen1

2754 hearers to collection] Harrison (ed. 1937): “causes them to make deductions.”

1939 kit2

kit2 = crg1

2754 yawne] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “aim] guess.”

1942 n&h

n&h ≈ nlsn

2754 collection] Neilson & Hill (ed. 1942): “conjecture.”

n&h = nlsn

2754 yawne] Neilson & Hill (ed. 1942): “aim] guess.”

1947 cln2

cln2

2755 botch . . . vp] Rylands (ed. 1947): “piece together clumsily.”

1957 pel1

pel1

2754 collection] Farnham (ed. 1957): “attempts at shaping meaning.”

pel1 = n&h

2754 yawne] Farnham (ed. 1957): aim] “guess.”

1974 evns1

evns1 ≈ pen1

2754 collection] Evans (ed. 1974): “attempts to gather the meaning.”

evns1

2754 yawne at] Evans (ed. 1974): “gape eagerly (as if to swallow). Most editors adopt the F1 reading aim at.”

1980 pen2

pen2 ≈ evns1

2754 to collection] Spencer (ed. 1980): “to gather something of a meaning.”

pen2

2754 yawne at it] Spencer (ed. 1980): aim] “make a guess at its meaning. This is the F reading (‘ayme’). Q2 has ‘yawne’, which can hardly be right, though in an appropriate context ‘yawn’ can mane ‘let the mouth gape open with surprise’.”

1982 ard2

ard2 ≈ irv2 (Cym. //)

2754 collection] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “putting together (of the ‘unshaped’ fragments), gathering by inference. Cf. Cym. [5.5.431-2 (3759-60)], ‘so from sense . . . that I can Make no collection of it’.”

ard2: Oth., Cor. //s

2754 yawne] Jenkins (ed. 1982): aim] “make conjecture. Those who read yawn with Q2 cite Oth. [5.2.101 (3364)], Cor. 3.2.11 [2096], for the meaning ‘gape in wonderment’. But the sense there is of stupefaction, here of movement in an effort to gather or grasp something. Hence yawn is more probably a misreading, perhaps influenced by the y of they.”

1984 klein

klein: parc, hub, evns; Cor. Oth., 2H6, Rom. //s; Wilson

2754 yawne] Klein (ed. 1984): “Parrott/Crait defend Q2 yawne (recently also chosen by Hubler and Evans), referring to Cor. [3.2.11 (2096)] and Oth. [5.2.101 (3364)], with yawn as vb. (4b) ’to open the mouth wide from surprise and the like; to gape’ (1st and 2nd examples). In this context rather a misreading of ayme (Wilson, MSH, p.145). aim here vb. (3) ’to guess, to conjecture’ (however, transitive, as e.g. in Warner, Albion’s England [1596], X.59, p.258), cf. (in absolute constructions) e.g. 2H6 [2.4.58 (1234)] and Rom. [1.1.203 (213)].”

1984 chal

chal

2754 to collection] Wilkes (ed. 1984): “i.e. to try to gather its significance.”

chal

2754 yawne] Wilkes (ed. 1984): “gape.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4: OED, Cym. //

2754 collection] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “making something coherent of it; putting their own interpretation on it (OED 5). Compare Cym. 5.5.431-2 [3760], ‘so from sense . . . that I can / Make no collection of it’.”

oxf4: OED, Schmidt

2754 yawne at] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “guess about (OED v. 3). Q2’s ‘yawn at’ meaning ‘are bewildered by’ (Schmidt) also makes good sense.”

1988 bev2

bev2 ≈ evns1

2754 collection] Bevington (ed. 1988): “inference, a guess at some sort of meaning.”

bev2 ≈ evns1

2754 yawne] Bevington (ed. 1988): “gape, wonder; grasp. (The Folio reading, aim, is possible).”

1993 dent

dent ≈ bev2 + magenta underlined

2754 yawne] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Gape, listen in open-mouthed concentration. Most editors follow the Folio and print aim, conjecture. Compare [3.2.389 (2260)].”

1997 evns2

evns2 = evns1

1998 OED

OED

2754 collection] OED (Sept. 21, 1998): “5. The action of inferring or deducing; an inference, deduction, conclusion. Obs. [L. collectio.]

“1529 MORE Heresyes I. Wks. 155/1 By a collection & discourse of reason. 1607 TOPSELL Serpents (1653) 653 From hence Hierom Cardan would make this collection, that of every corrupted living Creature another doth proceed. 1643 MILTON Divorce viii. (1851) 42 Wrong collections have been hitherto made out of those words by modern Divines. 1705 STANHOPE Paraphr. III. 538 One was the Object of Sense..the Other..the Collection of Reason.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: Cor //; Edwards, Jenkins, Jennens

2754 yawn] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “gape with surprise; see Coriolanus’ account of his mother’s view of the common people as ’things created. . . to yawn, be still, and wonder’ (Cor 3.2.9-11). F’s ’ayme’ (=aim, guess, conjecture) is adopted by Jenkins, but Jennens and Edwards follow Q2.”