Romeo and Juliet (1917) Yale/Appendix C
APPENDIX C
The Text of the Present Edition
The present text is based upon that of Craig's Oxford Shakespeare (Oxford University Press). Both the spelling and the punctuation are Craig's, with the exception of a few unimportant commas and a normalization of the following words: traffic, antic, villainous, lantern. The large number of verbal variations recorded below is due to the peculiar textual problem which this play presents. The first Quarto is notoriously corrupt, being made up—at least in part—from the notes of a spectator in the theatre. Unfortunately the earlier eighteenth century editors gave it much more weight than it deserved, often preferring its readings to those of the fairly accurate second Quarto, from which the later Quartos and the Folios were derived. Hence many of its readings, notably the last line of the third scene of the fourth act, have become traditional. With the exception of this line and of Theobald's emendation, 'sun' for 'same' (I. i. 158)—readings which have the sanction of a long line of Shakespearean editors—it has seemed wise to accept the more authoritative text, save where that of the first Quarto appeared clearly more plausible, and to replace all words having only first Quarto authority by those appearing in the better texts. In the following list of departures from Craig's text the words adopted in the text and placed first are—unless otherwise stated—the readings of Qq2–5 and of the Ff. The words after the colon are—except where otherwise indicated—those preferred by Craig on the authority of the first Quarto alone.
I. i. 133–4 Cr. has the single line from Q1: That most are busied when they're most alone
196 made: rais'd
198 loving: lovers'
ii. 29 fennel: female Q1Ff2–4
iii. 52 it: its, Ff3, 4
iv. 45 light lights; lights, lights, Qq2–5, Ff: like lamps
59 over: athwart
62 her: the
63 her: the
82 he dreams: dreams he
v. 135 here: there
II. i. Prol. 10 use: us'd (misprint?)
3 Romeo! Romeo!: Romeo!
13 Abraham: Adam, Steevens
ii. 31 puffing: pacing
39 thyself, though: thyself though,
48 thy: that
58 yet not: not yet
59 thy: that
84 should: would
107 vow: swear
168 By: At
178 That: Who
iii. 15 plants, herbs: herbs, plants
27 kings: foes
40 with: by
66 that: whom
74 yet ring: ring yet
85 chide me not; her I: chide not; she whom I
88 that: and
iv. 6 to: of
14 run: shot
43 was: was but
67 Sure wit: well said
77 our: thy
78 am: have
111 Given to Mercutio
112 Given to Benvolio
174 bid: bade
176 in: into
vi. 23 is: are, Rowe
III. i. 65 love: hate
119 cousin: kinsman
ii. 5–6 night, That runaways': night! That runaway's
iii. 15 Here: Hence
40 ff. Cr. omits 40 and in 41 reads: Flies may do this, but, etc. (Q1). The QqFf are confused; the arrangement in the text is that of Daniel.
51 a little speak: but speak a word
76 simpleness: wilfulness
84–89 Cr. gives these lines to the Friar
112 And: Or
iv. 8 times: time
34 very: very, very
v. 43 Love . . . friend: My lord, my love, my friend
150 chopt-logic: chop-logic
IV. i. 7 talk: talk'd, Q1, 5
78 any: yonder
81 hide: shut
94 distilling: distilled
ii. 22 to: and, Pope
iv. 6 Go: Go, go, Theobald
V. iii. 170 rust: rest
194 your: our, Johnson
271 to: in