Chapter XVI: Appendix: VIII. Collation of Ms. of “believe as You List”

This play is accessible to the general public at present in Colonel Cunningham’s edition of Massinger, and in Mr. Arthur Symons’s edition in “The Mermaid Series.” An examination of the original MS., now in the British Museum, shows that Cunningham’s text is not always correct. Though an exhaustive collation of the MS. is not necessary, several points of interest emerge from a study of the original document, which I have digested here. (C. = Cunningham’s edition; MS. = Manuscript reading. Brackets signify Cunningham’s conjectural additions, which he has not always taken the trouble to indicate.)

Page 595. There is no list of dramatis personae in MS.

I., 1.—C.: Enter Antiochus and a Stoic. The three servants enter after line 118.

MS.: Antiochus Stoic in philosopher’s habits; Chrysalus with a writing, Syrus, Geta, bondmen.

I., 1, 26.—C.: Stoic.

MS.: Stoic: Hermit (cancelled).

I., 1, 56.—C.:

Old (He) sper with his fierce beams (scorch)ing in vain
Their (wives, their sisters and their tender daughters).

MS.: The line is much damaged, being the last on the page. A mention of the old after the young (lines 52 to 55) seems to be required.

I read it thus: Olde men with sil ... in vain. There is no trace of 57, but it is required by the sense.

I., 1, 60.—MS.: The soldiers’ greedy lusts. “Greedy” deleted.

I., 1, 85.—C.: A prey so precious and so dearly purchased.

MS.: A prey so precious and dearly purchased.

“Precious” is scanned as a trisyllable.

I., 1, 117.—C.:

The imperious waves
(Of my) calamities have already fallen.

MS.: “Of my” is not in MS. The last word of 118 is “Swollen.” The word “Marvell” can be seen at the end of a line after 118.

Here comes a hiatus of two pages. No doubt Antiochus had a fairly long soliloquy. It is impossible to tell how many lines are lost here, as the characters seem to be conducting a rapid dialogue, in which it is not necessary to suppose that a whole line was assigned to each speaker at a time.

I., 1, 119.—C.:

Despair with sable wings
(Sail-stretch’d ab)ove my head.

MS.: Ore my head. A verb is wanted. (?) Sail-stretch’d flies o’er my head.

I., 1, 121.—MS.: ... ius furnished me. The line begins with a name to which there is no clue, probably introduced in the part now lost.

I., 1, 122.—C.: (And) make my first appearance like myself.

MS.: Made ? Which made, etc.

I., 1, 123.—C.: (Have these) disloyal villains ravished from me. Addition required by sense.

I., 1, 124.—C.: (Wret)ch that I was.

MS.: “ch” at end of a word which has disappeared. “Wretch” gives the sense.

I., 1, 125.—C.: (With) such a purchase.

MS.: Such a purchase. The first word in the line has disappeared.

I., 1, 126.—C.: Without (the) gold to fee an advocate.

MS.: Without gold to fee an advocate. The first word in the line has disappeared. (?) And.

I., 1, 127.—C.: (To) plead my royal title, nourish hope.

MS.: Plead my royal title, nourish hope. The first word in the line has disappeared. “To” is required.

I., 1, 129.—C.: Wanting the outer gloss.

MS.: Wanting the outward gloss.

I., 1, 153.—C.:

Bids me become a beggar. But complaints are weak
And womanish. I will like a palm-tree grow
Under my (own) huge weight.

MS.: Bids me become a beggar. But complaints
Are weak and womanish. I will, like a palm-tree,
Grow under my huge weight.

I., 1, 155.—C.:

Nor shall the fear
Of death or torture that dejection bring
Make me (or) live or die less than a king!

MS. has: To make me live or die less than a king!—_i.e._, “that” in 156 is the demonstrative, not the relative.

I., 2, 2.—C.: Keeps us at such (a) distance.

MS.: Keeps us off at such distance.

I., 2, 20.—C.: Sans doubt, he’s bent on mischief.

MS.: Sans doubt he’s bent to mischief.

I., 2, 24.—C.:

He shall find I can
Think, and aloud too.

MS.: Chant, and aloud too.

I., 2, 53.—C.: ’T had perfected thy life.

MS.: It had.

I., 2, 66.—C.: (to task). Not in MS. Traces of a word in the beginning of a line now lost at the foot of 66.

I., 2, 67.—C.:

If arrogantly you presume to take
The Roman government, your goddess cannot
Give privilege to it, and you’ll find and feel
’Tis little less than treason, Flamen.

MS.: If arrogantly you presume to tax
The Roman government, you’ll find and feel your goddess cannot
Give privilege to it, and you’ll find and feel
’Tis little less than treason, Flamen.

“You’ll find and feel” cancelled in line 68—_i.e._, the author changed his mind as he wrote.

I., 2, 72.—C.: These Asiatic merchants whom you look on.

MS.: These Asiatic merchants whom you look upon.

“Merchants” added afterwards above the line, and the first syllable of “upon” deleted.

I., 2, 90.—C.: To it again.

MS.: To it again now.

I., 2, 139.—C.: Yet you repine and rather choose to pay.

MS.: Yet you repined and rather chose to pay.

I., 2, 151.—C.: And this is my last caution.

MS.: Since this is my last caution.

I., 2, 161.—C.: (On) which.

MS.: Mutilated at beginning. “On” makes sense.

I., 2, 186.—C.: His nose, his very lip.

MS.: His nose, his German lip. “German” scratched out, and underneath appears a word beginning with “A,” Asian or Austrian?(567) “Very” is written above “German.”

I., 2, 187.—C.:

His very hand, leg and foot!
The moles upon
His face and hands.

MS.: His own (?) hand, leg and foot, and the left side
Shorter than on the right.
The moles upon
His face and hands.

“His own” down to “the right” is cancelled in MS.

I., 2, 191.—C:

1 M. To confirm us, tell us your chirurgeon’s name
When he served you.

A. You all knew him as I
Do you, Demetrius Castor.

2 M. Strange.

3 M. But
Most infallibly true.

MS.:

1 M. To confirm us,
Tell us his name when he served you.

A. You all know him,
As I do you: Demetrius Castor.

2 M. Strange.

3 M. But most infallibly true.

In line 192 “his” has been altered to “the chirurgeon’s” to the detriment of the metre.

I., 2, 196.—C.: We’ll pay for our distrust.

MS.: We sin in our distrust.

II., _ad initium._—Stage-manager’s note in left-hand margin, “Long.”

II., 1, 6.—C: I will exact

MS.: ’Twill exact.

II., 1, 47.—MS.:

We hold it fit you should have the first honour notice,
That you may have the honour to prevent it.

“Honour” in 47 deleted.

II., 1, 51.—MS.: In the shape of King Antiochus. Under King can be seen “Don Sebastian.”

II., 2, 45.—C: With due invitation, and remember.

MS.: With a due invitation and remember.

II., 2, 49.—C.:

And though the Punic faith is branded by
Our enemies, our confederates and friends
And seventeen kings, our feodaries found it
As firm as fate.

MS.: And though the Punic faith is branded by
Our enemies, our confederates and friends
Found it as firm as fate, and seventeen kings
Our feodaries.

II., 2, 52.—MS.:

Our strength at sea superior upon the sea
Exceeding theirs.

“At sea superior” deleted. A clear case of the author’s alteration as he went.

II., 2, 56.—C.:

And then for our cavallery, in the champaign
How often have they brake their piles.

MS.: And then for our cavallery, how often, in the champaign
How they brake often have they brake their piles.

“How often” in line 56. and the first “they brake” deleted. Author’s alterations again.

II., 2, 59.—C.: If so we find it.

MS. If so, as we find it.

II., 2, 67.—MS.: By yielding up a man.

Written over something of which the first words are “in a,” the last word “king.”

II., 2, 98.—MS.: By the conquered Asiatics this impost in their hopes.

“This impost” deleted. “This impostor” occurs just above in line 97.

II., 2, 108.—C.: By her.

MS.: By his.

II., 2, 138.—C.: He bears him like a king.

MS.: He bears himself like a king.

II., 2, 142.—MS.: Ceutha deleted before Afric.

II., 2, 165.—C.: Cannot near you.

MS.: Cannot hear you.

II., 2, 205.—C.: Filled.

MS.: Filed.

II., 2, 209.—MS.: And hath keeps a whore in Corinth.

“Hath” deleted.

II., 2, 217.—MS.: In the royal monument of Hib the Asian kings.

(?) The author started to write “Hiberian kings.”

II., 2, 240.—MS.: Rebellion delivery or restoring.

“Rebellion” deleted; it occurred in the previous line.

II., 2, 253.—C.:

With reverence to
This place, thou liest.

MS.: Setting aside, with reverence to
Thy place, the state, thou liest.

“Setting aside” and “thy place” deleted.

II., 2, 255.—C.: By being ...

MS.: By being libb’d, and my disability
To deflower thy sisters.

II., 2, 256.—C.: I (bow to) your goddess.

MS.: Thank your goddess.

“Thy” deleted under “your.”

II., 2, 285.—MS.:

Of brave and able men that might have stood
In opposition for the defence.

“That might” down to “opposition” inserted in same hand above the line.

II., 2, 289.—C.: For my confed’rates.

MS.: For my confederates.

Required by metre.

II., 2, 328.—MS.: Word deleted before Antiochus. Sebastian would scan.

II., 2, 335.—MS.: With your accustomed clemency wisdom you’ll perceive.

“Clemency” deleted.

II., 2, 346.—MS.: Such depositions as they pleased knew would make.

“Pleased” deleted.

II., 2, 368.—MS.: Word deleted under “Carthage.” (?) Venice.

III., 1, 20.—MS.: “Europe” deleted under “Afric.”

III., 1, 22.—MS.: “To the good king Hiero” deleted under “To the pro-consul Marcellus.”

III., 1, 47.—C.: You’ll find there that they.

MS.: You shall find there that.

(A nominative is wanted; unless for “there” we read “them”)

III., 1, 62.—C.: To my (aid).

MS.: To my wish.

III., 1, 91.—MS.: There’s thy reward.

Underneath “there’s,” “take” deleted.

III., 1, 103.—C.:

Your travail’s ended, mine begins; I take my leave.
Formality of manner now is useless.

MS.: Your travail’s ended, mine begins, and therefore
Sans ceremonie I will take my leave.

“Sans ceremonie” deleted, and “formality ... useless” added at the end of the line. The author omitted to cancel “I take my leave.”

III., 2, 31.—C.: Thou thin gut!

MS.: You thin gut!

III., 2, 35.—MS.: Cancels from “Jove! if thou art” to 38, “They come.”

III., 2, 36.—C.: Change not Jove’s purpose.

MS.: Change not you Jove’s purpose.

III., 2, 106.—MS.:

I will conjure him
If revenge hath any spells.

Cancelled in MS.

III., 3, 132.—C.: Will but—I spare comparisons.

(?) Punctuate: Will—but I spare comparisons.

III., 3, 150.—MS.: Of such such as are.

Second “such” deleted.

III., 3, 151.—MS.: Bithynia covered with our knights armies.

“Knights” deleted.

III., 3, 166.—MS.: And more than my his caution to you; but now peace or war.

“And more than my” deleted. The previous line had begun with these words. Was the author copying a former draft of the scene?

III., 3, 229.—C.: To cross your purpose.

MS.: To cross your purposes.

III., 3, 234.—MS.: The warrant and authority of a wife your queen.

“A wife” deleted.

III., 3, 244.—C.: These (eyes) pull’d out.

MS.: These pulled out.

“Eyes” is required by the sense, and “these” and “eyes” are much alike in this hand.

_Ibid._—C.: Do then.

MS.: Do you then.

III., 3, 248.—C.: Born deaf.

MS.: Born dumb.