IV.
My examination of the Pavier spellings was undertaken as a result of
the hypothesis that an analysis of compositorial spellings can provide not
merely the basis for accurately identifying a compositor's work by his
preferential spellings, but also the means of seeing through the workman to
his copy. In many situations, it would be extremely advantageous, once the
compositor has been identified, to penetrate the layer of his spellings and
go behind the man to the copy from which he was setting his type.
Compositorial identification has concentrated on the discovery of forms like
do, go, and heere which are signs
indicating that the text in question is B's work. The hypothesis in question
stated, however, that if a new group of spellings can be discovered which
contains not only these compositorial habits and preferences, but also
spellings which reproduce copy spellings as well, there will be a means of
seeing through that compositor to his copy. The
examination of the Pavier spellings has produced the evidence to verify this
hypothesis and has further shown that even the identifying badges, strong
preferences, can be used to get at copy spellings.
There are various types of words which can produce information
about copy. The ideal word is one that has two or more variant spellings
which occur in mixed groups and are mechanically reproduced by the
compositor in question. Such words which then directly depict the copy
spelling at every occurrence turn out to be extremely rare. The only
examples which are invariably reliable in the Paviers are
art(20)/arte(2),
brier(2)/bryer(2),
marvell(4)/marveile(5+J1), and
pallace(4)/pallas(1). All four of these words
occur
in the Paviers with limited frequency, but they serve to demonstrate that
words can be found which will vary in direct relation to copy.
Oh is the best example of a high frequency word which varies
in extremely close relation to copy spelling. Of the 361 mixed
O (244+J45) and Oh (177+J20) forms in B's
copy,
341 reflect copy spellings. When one encounters an O or
Oh spelling in B's
Pavier texts, therefore, the odds are better than fifteen to one that B's
spelling is the spelling which stood in copy. Words of this type which can
be said to express compositorial indifference are unfortunately relatively
scarce and are, therefore, only one contributing factor to the search for
spellings which reflect copy. When they do occur, however, the evidential
value is extremely strong.
At the other end of the scale are strong habits and preferences which,
if viewed from a new perspective and not as identifying badges indicating
a given compositor's presence, can contribute clues to copy spellings. Take,
for example, do, the strongest of B's preferential spellings.
In
all of the Paviers, B violates his strong preference fifteen times
by setting unjustified
doe spellings. Twelve of these fifteen
spellings reflect copy spellings. When a
doe form is
encountered
in B's work in contradiction to his known preference, therefore, the odds
are four to one that the
doe reflects a
doe in
copy.
The same situation holds for
goe and
here. The
odds
are fifteen to one in the former case and about thirteen to one in the latter
that these contradictions of B's preferred spellings had their origin in copy
spellings.
Between the words expressing compositorial indifference and those
which display a strong preference are all shades of a spectrum. Among
these words are many which can be termed weak preference
words. These words are those for which B displays some favorite
spelling or spellings but neither a very strong habit nor indifference.
Dear is an ideal example of a weak preference word. B
clearly
displays a preference for the deere spelling by following
every
one of the thirty-seven (+J7) deere spellings in copy and
changing twenty-three (+J6) of the sixty (+J12) deare
spellings
in copy to deere. It is the thirty-seven (+J6) non-preferential
deare spellings which B reproduces in his texts from his
copy,
however, which are of importance for copy study. B's preference was
weak, and he allowed it to be subordinated to copy spellings in these
numerous instances so that all of these deare spellings in his
texts directly reflect copy
spellings. We are, so to speak, able to see through B back to copy when we
see a deare in his text. Dear is spoken of as an
ideal
example of a weak preference, copy-reflecting word because the complete
absence of aberrant -ee- to -ea- changes makes
the
deare absolutely reliable as an indication of the copy spelling.
Every single one of the thirty-seven (+J6) -ea- forms in B's
texts directly reflects an -ea- form in copy.
There are, of course, many gradations of preferences ranging from
words that approach the strong habits like do,
go,
and heere to those which fade into examples of compositorial
indifference. In addition, many of these weak preference words are not like
deare in being 100% reliable. Perfect reliability is not,
however, a requisite for words to use in copy study. Take, for example, the
weak preference word credit. B's demonstrable preference is
for
the credite spelling, but he sets credit seven
(+J1)
times. Of these seven times, six reflect six of the thirteen
credit
spellings in copy and one represents an aberrant change of the supposedly
preferred credite to credit. This one aberrancy
does
not destroy the value of the word for the purpose of getting at copy since
the odds are still six to one that credit in the Pavier text will
reflect credit in copy.
The following compilation includes over 100 words which, within the
Pavier texts, demonstrably reflect the characteristics of copy. Here,
therefore, is the verification of the hypothesis that a class of copy-reflecting
words does exist. In the table, the second column lists B's observable
preference or preferences, if any, for a given spelling of the word in
question. The third column lists the forms which are members of the newly
discovered class of copy-reflecting spellings. The numbers in parentheses
after both forms give the number of times that these forms occur in B's
work in the Paviers. A comparison of these figures will indicate roughly the
place of that word in the spectum ranging from strong preference to
indifference. The final column is a rough attempt to indicate the reliability
of the form in column three as a reflection of copy. This percentage
indicates the fraction of the instances recorded in column three which
reflect copy. It must be noted that many of the copy-reflecting forms occur
only infrequently, but the fact that a given copy-reflecting form occurs only
once or twice does not by itself
lessen the value of that form as an indication of copy. The total picture for
each word must be examined. For example,
alreadie occurs
only
once as a copy-reflecting form but this one occurrence is highly reliable
when it is seen that B's preference for
already is relatively
strong and, therefore, any deviation from it is likely to be done under the
influence of copy. B changed nine of the ten
-ie forms in
copy
to
-y and retained all three
-y forms in copy.
The
one
alreadie, therefore, that slipped through is, like the few
doe,
goe, and
here forms which
slipped
through in contradiction of strong preferences, highly reliable as an
indication of the copy spelling.
Words have been included in this list down to a 67% degree of
reliability. This 67% figure in itself may not sound as strong as when it is
expressed in the form of two-to-one odds that the copy-reflecting spelling
does indicate the spelling in copy. This percentage is calculated only for the
unjustified occurrences of the spellings in the third column so as to remove
any possible contamination from the exigencies of justification. Since it is
impossible to draw lines dividing the spectrum of copy-reflecting words into
different groups, the percentage of reliability must be considered in
conjunction with the number of times the preferential (column two) and
copy-reflecting (column three) spellings occur in B's texts in order to
evaluate the significance of a specific spelling as a form which reflects
copy. Because of the dangers inherent in dealing with statistically small
samples, even this rough indication of relative percentages of reliability has
been omitted for words which do
not occur at least ten times in the Paviers.
|
Word
|
B's Preference(s) |
Spellings Reflecting Copy
|
| aboard |
aboard (5) |
aboord (4+J1) |
100% |
| act |
acte (12+J3) |
act (4) |
100% |
| adieu |
final -u (10) |
final -w (2+J2) |
100% |
| aid |
medial -i- (12+J1) |
medial -y- (3) |
100% |
| alack |
alacke (18) |
alack (4) |
75% |
| already |
already (12) |
alreadie (1) |
100% |
| always |
alwayes (7+J1) |
alwaies (5+J1) |
100% |
| and |
and (General Rule) |
& (4+J4) |
100% |
| angel |
angel (5+J1) |
angell (5) |
100% |
| answer |
answer (43+J7) |
final -re (12+J3) |
83% |
| approach |
approch (6+J1) |
approach (5) |
100% |
| art |
_____ |
art (20) |
100% |
|
|
arte (2) |
100% |
| bar |
barre (9) |
bar (1) |
100% |
| battle |
battell (12+J4) |
battle (1) |
100% |
|
|
battaile (7+J1) |
86% |
| been |
_____ |
bin (18+J10) |
72% |
| behind |
behinde (17+J2) |
behind (4+J3) |
75% |
| bishop |
byshop (19) |
bishop (9) |
100% |
| blind |
blinde (14+J5) |
blind (2+J2) |
100% |
| blood |
blood (97+J8) |
bloud (32) |
84% |
| bloody |
bloody (27+J1) |
medial -ou- (13) |
100% |
| bow |
bow (4) |
bowe (1) |
| box |
box (1) |
boxe (2+J1) |
| briar |
_____ |
bryer (2) |
|
|
brier (2) |
| brief |
breefe (5) |
briefe (12+J3) |
100% |
| charity |
charity (12+J3) |
charitie (1) |
100% |
| cheer |
cheere (10+J2) |
cheare (3) |
100% |
| chief |
cheefe (8+J1) |
chiefe (1+J2) |
100% |
| choice |
choise (21+J1) |
internal -y- (4) |
100% |
| choose |
choose (5) |
chuse (3) |
| clear |
cleere (9) |
cleare (11+J1) |
82% |
| coin |
coine (4) |
coyne (2) |
| command |
command (17+J2) |
commaund (1) |
100% |
| courtesy |
courtesie (6+J1) |
curtesie (7+J1) |
100% |
| cousin |
_____ |
internal -ou- (9) |
89% |
|
|
internal -o- (11+J4) |
90% |
| credit |
credite (8+J3) |
credit (7+J1) |
86% |
| crown |
crowne (21+J3) |
crown (1+J1) |
100% |
| cruel |
cruell (13+J1) |
cruel (1) |
100% |
| dear |
deere (60+J13) |
deare (37+J6) |
100% |
| deed |
deede (8+J2) |
deed (14+J1) |
71% |
| deny |
deny (13+J3) |
denie (1) |
100% |
| devil |
divell (44+J15) |
devill (1+J1) |
100% |
| do |
do (573+J103) |
doe (15+J21) |
80% |
| duchess |
final -esse (9+J3) |
final -es (1+J1) |
100% |
| duty |
duty (14+J1) |
dutie (1+J1) |
100% |
| enemy |
enemy (12+J1) |
enemie (3) |
100% |
| error |
error (7+J1) |
errour (1) |
| extreme |
extreme (12) |
extreame (2) |
100% |
| fancy |
fancy (4) |
fancie (1) |
| forth |
foorth (25+J3) |
forth (16+J2) |
87% |
| fury |
fury (9) |
furie (3) |
100% |
|
Word
|
B's Preference(s) |
Spellings Reflecting Copy
|
| girl |
gyrle (6) |
girle (1+J2) |
| go |
go (231+J40) |
goe (73+J32) |
93% |
| grief |
greefe (19+J1) |
griefe (21+J4) |
100% |
| grieve |
greeve (19) |
grieve (4+J3) |
75% |
| guard |
guard (13+J1) |
gard (3) |
100% |
| guess |
guesse (5) |
gesse (2) |
| hear |
heare (19+J2) |
hear (1) |
100% |
| heart |
heart (184+J27) |
hart (20+J10) |
95% |
| herald |
herald (7) |
herauld (5) |
80% |
| here |
heere (345+J44) |
here (150+J41) |
91% |
| heretic |
hereticke (2) |
heretike (6) |
| high |
high (7+J2) |
hi (y) e (9) |
100% |
| hour |
houre (45+J6) |
internal -ow- (2) |
100% |
| intreat |
initial en- (17+J2) |
initial in- (13+J1) |
92% |
|
final -te (22+J2) |
final -t (4+J1) |
100% |
| jest |
jeast (4) |
jest (3) |
| keys |
keyes (3) |
keies (1) |
| kiss |
kisse (15) |
kis (2) |
100% |
| liberty |
liberty (4) |
libertie (1) |
| loud |
_____ |
lowd (4) |
75% |
|
|
loud (7) |
86% |
| mad |
mad (13+J2) |
madde (1+J1) |
100% |
| madam |
medial -d- (78+J12) |
medial -dd- (1+J1) |
100% |
| maid |
internal -i- (25+J7) |
internal -y- (2) |
100% |
| majesty |
majesty (47+J3) |
majestie (2+J1) |
100% |
| marvel |
_____ |
marvell (4) |
100% |
|
|
marvaile (5+J1) |
100% |
| master |
master (121+J19) |
maister (4+J3) |
100% |
| mighty |
mighty (15+J3) |
mightie (1) |
100% |
| mind |
minde (61+J10) |
mind (4+J3) |
100% |
| mock |
mocke (9) |
mock (1) |
100% |
| month |
month (6+J1) |
moneth (2) |
| moral |
morall (4) |
morrall (1) |
| murder |
_____ |
internal -d- (39+J3) |
80% |
|
|
internal -th- (34+J3) |
79% |
| near |
neere (45+J4) |
neare (2) |
100% |
| need |
neede (9+J2) |
need (13+J4) |
69% |
| noise |
noise (5+J4) |
noyse (3) |
100% |
| oh |
_____ |
o (244+J45) |
99% |
|
|
oh (117+J20) |
85% |
| old |
olde (21+J18) |
final -d (42+J16) |
93% |
| palace |
palace (3+J2) |
pallace (4) |
100% |
|
|
pallas (1) |
100% |
| pity |
internal -tt- (42+J7) |
internal -t- (2+J1) |
100% |
| poison |
poyson (8) |
poison (3) |
67% |
| quick |
quicke (6+J4) |
quick (2) |
100% |
| relieve |
internal -ee- (11) |
internal -ie- (1) |
100% |
| run |
run (16+J2) |
runne (13+J7) |
100% |
| sail |
internal -y- (10+J2) |
internal -i- (4+J1) |
100% |
| seven |
seven (9) |
seaven (2) |
100% |
| show(s) |
medial -e- (75+J8) |
medial -o- (13) |
100% |
| singular: |
final -w (60+J3) |
final -we (2+J1) |
100% |
| son |
sonne (87+J14) |
son (5+J3) |
80% |
| sorry |
internal -rr- (5) |
internal -r- (3+J1) |
|
Word
|
B's Preference(s) |
Spellings Reflecting Copy
|
| sudden |
_____ |
internal -u- (4+J2) |
100% |
|
|
internal -o- (11+J3) |
90% |
| summer |
summer (6+J2) |
sommer (7+J1) |
100% |
| sun |
sunne (23+J1) |
sun (5) |
80% |
| together |
together (12+J2) |
togither (3) |
100% |
| traitor |
internal -i- (59+J4) |
internal -y- (1+J1) |
100% |
| truly |
truely (7+J2) |
truly (2+J1) |
100% |
| try |
try (6+J2) |
trie (2) |
100% |
| unless |
unlesse (18) |
unles (1) |
100% |
| victory |
victory (6) |
victorie (2) |
| war |
single r (5) |
double rr (22) |
100% |
| wax |
wax (4+J2) |
waxe (2+J5) |
100% |
| we'll |
wee'l (42+J5) |
final -le (10+J3) |
100% |
| wind |
winde (34+J10) |
wind (3) |
100% |
| witness |
witnesse (15+J4) |
witnes (1) |
100% |
| you'll |
you'l (23+J3) |
youle (3) |
67% |
| young |
_____ |
internal -o- (25+J8) |
68% |
|
|
internal -ou- (39+J18) |
72% |
The forms in this table which are reflections of copy constitute the
class of words hypothesized to exist at the beginning of this study. The
large number of spellings which belong to this class and the consistently
high degree of their reliability at reflecting copy spellings show that words
which reflect copy are an important part of the overall pattern of B's
spellings. Compositor B has more than simple preferential spellings; he has
a complex pattern of strong preferences, weak preferences, tolerances, and
even mechanical indifference. Time after time under the pressure of copy,
he sets non-preferential spellings about which he was relatively indifferent
and thereby allows his texts to transmit the evidence of spellings which lie
behind them. No longer must the person investigating a B text look only for
do and go and heere spellings.
He will
look for doe, goe, here,
youle, wind and so on, which by long odds are
indications of copy spellings. Using a large number of the forms which
reflect copy spellings, we can now start to assemble from the evidence in
B's texts a projection of the texture of copy spellings.
Until the Pavier statistics are carefully extended by word counts on
control situations in the Folio, no thoroughgoing application of this new
method for determining spelling features of unknown or disputed copy can
be attempted. As a brief test of the validity of this theoretical technique,
however, let us turn to the first text occurring in the 1623 Folio which was
set by B from known copy and perform a formal experiment in hopes of
indicating the validity of the technique. Such an experiment can offer a
formal demonstration under laboratory-like conditions of this new method
for determining the characteristics of
copy. From the Folio text, we can use the group of spellings reflecting
copy to predict the spellings of words in the copy used for the Folio.
Turning then to this copy, the validity or invalidity of the procedure will be
apparent.
According to Hinman's study, Compositor B set the last six pages of
Love's Labors Lost in the Folio
(M4r-M6v).[22] Examining these six Folio pages,
we find
the following forms which occur in unjustified lines and should, on the
basis of the results of the Pavier analysis, indicate copy spellings.
- alwaies 1
- bin 1
- deare 3
- griefe 1
- hart 3
- jest 5
- O 12
- show 3
- sodaine 1
- yong 1
These six Folio pages include, therefore, thirty-one spellings which, at odds
ranging from two to one (
yong) to virtual certainty
(
deare) should be reflections of spellings which stood in B's
copy.
The experimental demonstration now depends on the confirmation or
denial of the existence of these predicted phenomena by checking the
control text, Love's Labors Lost Q1 (1598).[23] Checking these predicted spellings
against
the actual copy, we find that twenty-nine of the thirty-one or 93% of the
projected spellings are in fact the spellings which stood in copy. Here is
strong evidence that the hitherto unrecognized group of copy-reflecting
spellings within B's total spelling system functions as an indication of copy.
The strength of this experiment cannot be overemphasized. Starting with an
hypothesis theoretically proposing the existence of a class of spellings which
could be used as indications of copy spellings, a class of copy-reflecting
spellings was constituted from the evidence derived from the control
situation in the Paviers. The Folio sample was then examined for the
presence of these newly discovered forms, and once they were
found, yet another control confirmed the validity of the spellings themselves
as reflections of copy and the validity of the technique of projecting copy
spellings
from the evidence in B's texts. Here is a classic case in bibliography of
hypothesis, prediction, and experimental verification.
It has now been demonstrated that a portion of a compositor's total
spelling pattern is composed of spellings which directly reflect the spellings
found in the compositor's copy. Although many investigators have
conjectures about the origins and characteristics of copy used for various
printed texts, the discovery and use of what are here called copy-reflecting
spellings is the first procedure for determining features of copy. Many
formerly vexing problems should be resolved by a thorough implementation
of this method. After further investigation of spellings which reflect copy
in Folio texts set by B from known copy, the road will be open to solve
disputed problems like the possibility of the use of an annotated hybrid of
Q1 (1608) and Q2 (1619) as copy for Folio Lear. Although
authorities agree that the Folio Lear text was set from an
annotated quarto, there is no agreement on the exact nature of copy. Using
B's copy-reflecting spellings, one may be able to
reliably project various features of the copy from B's share of the Folio text
and then by inspection see which of the quartos matches the projection. In
the case of texts set from MSS, these spellings which depend on copy
spellings may provide the first substantial evidence concerning the specific
physical features of copy. This new method, therefore, makes a start at
enabling textual investigators to tackle one of the most vexing problems in
establishing texts of English Renaissance drama, the nature of the lost MS
copy behind extant printed texts. More specifically, when the technique has
been applied to all of the workmen in the Shakespeare Folio, we may then
possess an excellent tool for getting closer to the copy behind the texts of
important Shakespearean plays that were printed for the first time in the
Folio. The day may come when we can apply these techniques to texts set
from Shakespearean foul papers and arrive at a far more intimate
knowledge of the orthographical
features of Shakespearean holograph than is at all possible today.
