II Press-Variants in The Duchess of Malfi
(1623)
Copies: BM1 (British Museum 644.f.72),
BM2 (British
Museum
Ashley 2207), D (Victoria and Albert Museum Dyce 10494), E (Eton
College), F (Victoria and Albert Museum Forster 9333), O (Bodleian
Library Mal.220(1), wants N4); Cha (Chapin Collection of Williams
College, a made-up copy), Cl (Clark Library, University of
California), Co (Library of Congress), H1 (Harvard
University A
copy), H2 (Harvard University B copy),
Hn1 (Henry E.
Huntington Library 61885), Hn2 (Henry E. Huntington
Library K-D
178), NY1 (New York Public Library, copy 1),
NY2 (New York
Public Library, copy 2), T1 (University of Texas I),
T2
(University of Texas II), Y (Yale University).
Sheet A, outer forme.
| A3. |
line 4 |
Bathe: |
Bathe
|
Sheet B, inner forme.
| B2. |
I.i.58 |
did |
died |
|
I.i.59 |
pleadon |
pardon |
Sheet C, inner forme.
| C1v. |
I.i.312 |
Prouisosr- |
Prouisors- |
| C2. |
I.i.353 |
Eeues |
Eues |
|
I.i.363 |
plealures[6]
|
pleasures |
Sheet E. outer forme.
| E1. |
Signature |
F |
E |
Sheet E, inner forme.
| E4. |
II.v.1 |
dig |
dig'd |
Sheet F, inner forme.
| F3v. |
III.ii.33 |
Sirina
|
Siriux
|
|
III.ii.34 |
Anaxorate
|
Anaxarate
|
|
III.ii.48 |
approbation |
apprehention |
| F4. |
III.ii.54 |
wai-ting |
waieting |
|
III.ii.58 |
the dwelling |
his dwelling |
|
III.ii.79-80 |
[omit] |
Ferdinand giues / her a ponyard. |
Sheet G, outer forme.
| G1. |
III.ii.131 |
ta'ne |
taine |
taine |
|
III.ii.146 |
ltwas |
it was |
it was |
|
III.ii.157 |
shooked |
shooked |
shooke |
| G2v. |
III.ii.239 |
A-loth |
A-loth |
As loth |
|
III.ii.241 |
confifcate |
confiscate |
confiscate |
|
III.ii.259 |
(those |
(those |
those |
|
III.ii.260 |
money) |
money) |
money |
|
III.ii.273 |
and Intelligencers |
and Intelligencers |
Intelligencers |
|
III.ii.275 |
Liuory |
Liuory |
Liuery |
| G3. |
III.ii.278 |
doombe |
doombe |
doome |
|
III.ii.307 |
Bermoothes
|
Bermoothes
|
Bermootha's
|
|
III.ii.308 |
Politisians |
Politisians |
Polititians |
| G4v. |
III.iii.25 |
Pewterers |
Pewterers |
Painters |
Sheet H, inner forme.
| H1v. |
III.iii.87 |
compters |
coumpters |
|
III.iv.SD. |
order
|
habit
|
|
III.iv.SD. |
Banishment
|
Banishment in dumbe-shew, |
|
III.iv.SD. |
Hymne
|
Ditty
|
| H2. |
Title, before III.iv.9 |
The Hymne. |
[omit] |
|
III.iv.11-4 |
[omit] |
The Au- / thor dis- / claimes / this Ditty / to be his.[7]
|
|
III.iv.32 |
state |
state sir |
|
III.iv.34 |
Had |
Hath |
| H3v. |
III.v.89 |
Man |
"Man |
|
III.v.91 |
tyrannny |
tyranny |
| H4. |
III.v.109 |
what |
what a |
|
III.v.110 |
[omit] |
Enter Bosola with a Guard. |
|
III.v.113 |
more |
moue |
|
III.v.117 |
Is |
Bos. Is |
|
III.v.121 |
Ant.
|
Duch.
|
|
III.v.130 |
such |
such a |
Sheet I, inner forme.
| I2. |
IV.i.87 |
remembre |
remember |
Sheet M, inner forme.
| M4. |
V.iii.35 |
too |
go |
THE STATE OF THE COPIES[8]
|
BM1
|
BM2
|
D |
E |
F |
O |
Cha |
Cl |
Co |
H1
|
H2
|
Hn1
|
Hn2
|
NY1
|
NY2
|
T1
|
T2
|
Y |
| A inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| B inner. |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| C inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| E outer. |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| E inner. |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| F inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| G outer. |
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
| H inner. |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| I inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| M inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
There is little to remark upon with the majority of sheets which
show variant readings; the corrections are simple and the need for
them self-evident. The variants are restricted to single formes and
are so few in number that they probably represent a second stage of
proof-correction.
The first irregularity is the correction of the signature on E1;
the inner forme also shows a minor correction and the fact that
only five out of seventeen copies are in state ii suggests that the
erroneous signature was discovered by accident late in the printing
of the outer forme. The correction of proper names on F3v
and
the addition of an explanatory stage direction
on F4 are the first suggestions that the corrector may have
consulted his copy or some other authority. Such consultations are
certainly implied by the variants in the outer forme of sheet G
and, more particularly, in the inner forme of H.
The change of "Pewterers' to 'Painters' on G4v is
not the
correction of an obvious error in the proof-sheets, for both
readings make good sense; nor is it likely to have been made
through reference to the copy, for it is hard to see how, if
'Painters' was in the copy, 'Pewterers' was set in its place. The
change was almost certainly due to the personal whim of a corrector
or to the second thoughts of the author himself. The greater number
of corrections in this forme and the fact that it is in three
states also suggest that a new method of proof-correction was
adopted at this point. For the first time, too, spelling changes
are included among the variants.
Corrections in the inner forme of sheet H make it all but
certain that it was the author who was helping with the
proof-correcting at this stage: they are the change of
'order' to 'habit', and 'Hymne'
to
'Ditty', and the addition of 'in dumbe-shew' on
H1v, and the excision of the heading 'The Hymne' and the
addition of the note 'The Author disclaimes this Ditty to be his'
on H2. The addition of a stage direction on H4 and of 'sir' and 'a'
(twice) on H2 and H4 may be accounted for in the same way.
That the normal course of work in the printing house was
interrupted around sheets G and H is also implied by the
arrangement of the running-titles. The evidence may be tabulated:
- I
B2v-C1v-D1v-E1v-F1v-G1v-H2v-I2v-K 2v-L2
v-M1v-N2v
- II C2 -D2 -E2 -F2 -G2 -H1 -I1 -K1 -L1 -M2 -N1
- III
B4v-C3v-D3v-E3v-F3v-G3v-H4v-I4v-K
4v-L4 v-M3v
- IV B3 -C4 -D4 -E4 -F4 -G4 -H3 -I3 -K3 -L3 -M4 -N3
- V B2 -C1 -D1 -E1 -F1 -G1 -H2 -I2 -K2 -L2 -M1 -N2
- VI
B1v-C2v-D2v-E2v-F2v-G2v-H1v-I1v-K
1v-L1 v-M2v-N1v
- VII B4 -C3 -D3 -E3 -F3 -G3 -H4 -I4 -K4 -L4 -M3 -N4
- VIII
B3v-C4v-D4v-E4v-F4v-G4v-H3v-I3v-K
3v-L3 v-M4v-N3v
From sheets C to G the two skeleton-formes alternate regularly with
the inner and outer formes, but at sheet H the skeleton-forme
hitherto used for the outer forme appears for the inner; the order
of printing may have been disturbed in order to allow the author to
introduce his own corrections. Similar change-overs occurred
between sheets B and C, L and M, and M and N.
