Chapter M: Cowley

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

In all the editions save that of 1652 the respective portions of COWLEY and CRASHAW are alternated as Question and Answer, after a fashion of the day exemplified by _Pembroke_ and RUDYARD and others. The heading in 1646, 1648 and 1670 accordingly is 'On Hope, by way of Question and Answer, between A. COWLEY and R. CRASHAW.'

_Various readings from 1646 edition._

Line 3, 'and' for 'or,' and 'doth' for 'does.'

" 7, 'Fates' for 'starres:' but as Fate occurs in line 4,
'starres' seems preferable.

Line 9, 'ends' for 'end.'

" 18, 'so' for 'such.'

" 19, 'doth' for 'does;' adopted.

" 20, 'its' for 'his;' the personification warrants 'his.'

" 25. All the other editions misread

'Thine empty cloud, the eye it selfe deceives.'

There can be no question that 'thinne' not 'thine' was the poet's word. Cf. CRASHAW'S reference in his Answer. TURNBULL perpetuates the error.

Line 30, 'not' for 'for.'

" 33, 'shield' in all the editions save 1652 by mistake.

" 34, 'blows' and 'chymicks' for 'chymick;' the latter adopted.

Line 37, as in line 19.

" 38, spelled 'laborinths.'

In our Essay see critical remarks showing that COWLEY and CRASHAW revised their respective portions. It seems to have escaped notice that COWLEY himself wrote another poem '_For_ Hope,' as his former was '_Against_ Hope.' See it in our Study of Crashaw's Life and Poetry. G.