SCENE II.
"The sky. it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,
But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek,
Dashes the fire out."
The manuscript corrector of the folio, 1632, has substituted _heat_
for "cheek," which appears to me an alteration of no value whatever.
Shakspeare was more likely to have written _cheek_ than _heat_; for
elsewhere he uses the expression, "Heaven's face," "the welkin's face,"
and, though irregular, the expression is poetical.
At Miranda's exclamation,--
"A brave vessel,
Who had no doubt some noble creature in her,
Dash'd all to pieces,"--
Mr. Collier does Theobald the justice to observe, that he, as well as
the corrector of the folio, 1632, adds the necessary letter _s_ to the
word "creature," making the plural substantive agree with her other
exclamation of, "Poor souls, they perished!"
Where Mr. Collier, upon the authority of his folio, substitutes
_pre_vision for "provision" in the lines of Prospero,--
"The direful spectacle of the wreck . . .
I have with such provision in mine art
So safely ordered," etc.,--
I do not agree to the value of the change. It is very true that
_pre_vision means the foresight that his art gave him, but _pro_vision
implies the exercise of that foresight or _pre_vision; it is therefore
better, because more comprehensive.
Mr. Collier's folio gives as an improvement upon Malone and Steevens's
reading of the passage,--
"And thy father
Was Duke of Milan; and his only heir
A princess; no worse issued,"--
the following:--
"And thy father
Was Duke of Milan,--thou his only heir
And princess no worse issued.
Pages:
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94