III Press-Variants in The Devil's Law Case
(1623)
Copies: BM1 (British Museum 644.f.71),
BM2 (British
Museum
82.c.26(2), wants A2 and 3, D2 and 3, F1 and 4, K1, and L2 and 3),
BM3 (British Museum Ashley 2206,
a made-up copy), C (Cambridge University Library Syn. 7.62.16), D
(Victoria and Albert Museum Dyce 10493), E (Eton College), O
(Bodleian Library Mal.199(7)); B (Boston Public Library), Cha
(Chapin Collection of Williams College), Chi (University of
Chicago), Co (Library of Congress), Fl (Folger Shakespeare
Library), H (Harvard University), Hn (Henry E. Huntington Library),
NY
1 (New York Public Library, copy 1),
NY
2 (New York Public
Library, copy 2), PM (Pierpont Morgan Library), T (University of
Texas, a made-up copy), W (University of Wisconsin), Y (Yale
University).
Sheet A, inner forme.
| A1v. |
line 15(Q) |
A wayting Woman. |
A wayting Woman.[9]
|
|
|
[the first two words are to the left of the preceding
column.] |
[in line with the rest of the column.] |
Sheet B, outer forme.
| B1. |
I.i.165 |
withall |
withall |
| B4v. |
I.ii.196 |
and Man-oons |
& Man-toons |
|
I.ii.198 |
Cornecutting |
Corne-cutting |
Sheet C, outer forme.
| C1. |
I.ii.240 |
thee |
three |
| C3. |
II.i.57 |
Gleeke |
Gleeke, |
Sheet G, outer forme.
| G4v. |
IV.i.77 |
breds |
bred |
Sheet G, inner forme.
| G1v. |
III.iii.290 |
his |
this |
|
III.iii.307 |
countenance. |
conuayance, |
|
III.iii.308 |
Let |
Exprest him stubbornehearted./Let |
|
III.iii.319 |
not |
was |
|
III.iii.320 |
Reserued |
Restored |
|
Catchword |
When |
Your[10]
|
| G2. |
III.iii.327 |
ore / Leon.
|
ore. Leon.
|
| G3v. |
III.iii.444 |
Aduocates |
Aduocats |
|
III.iii.444 |
a |
one |
|
IV.i.17 |
ith Margent sheet |
i'th Margent |
| G4. |
IV.i.30 |
Diuerses |
Diuorces |
|
IV.i.32 |
pursuits |
pursnets |
|
IV.i.37 |
thee |
them |
|
IV.i.38 |
Ignorance |
Ignoramus |
|
IV.i.41 |
It is |
But tis |
|
IV.i.44 |
with't |
in't |
Sheet K, outer forme.
| K1. |
IV.ii.595 |
sure |
sure from |
| K2v. |
V.i.46 |
salt |
rough |
|
V.ii.2 |
resolned |
resolued |
| K3. |
V.ii.31 |
Letter> |
Letter? |
Sheet L, inner forme.
| L4. |
V.v.90 |
Romelto
|
Romelio
|
THE STATE OF THE COPIES[11]
|
BM1
|
BM2
|
BM3
|
C |
D |
E |
O |
B |
Cha |
Chi |
Co |
Fl |
H |
Hn |
NY1
|
NY2
|
PM |
T |
W |
Y |
| A inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| B outer. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| C outer. |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| G outer. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| G inner. |
2 |
2 |
x |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
x |
2 |
2 |
| K outer. |
2 |
2 |
x |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
x |
2 |
2 |
| L inner. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
[_]
Sheets G and K of BM
3 and T represent mixed
states. BM
3
has G1
v-2 in state ii and G3
v-4 in state
i, while T has
G1
v-2 in i and G3
v-4 in ii.
BM
3 has K1 and 2
v in state
ii and K3 in state i, while T has K1 and 3 in ii and K2
v
in i.
The profusion of corrections in the inner forme of sheet G and
the fact that it alone shows variants in both formes suggest that
here, as for sheets G and H of The Duchess of Malfi, the
normal method of proof-correcting for this book was modified. For
this forme the corrector must, at least, have consulted his copy,
for several of the errors are not self-evident. The correction of
IV.i.17 suggests that Webster himself might have been responsible:
it is hard to see how 'sheet' could have been printed if it were
not in the copy, and, if it were there, some other authority
probably caused its excision. The change of 'salt' to 'rough' on
K2v may also be authorial.
The identification of headlines is difficult in this quarto but
other bibliographical details suggest that Webster visited the
press after the first delivery of the manuscript and before
printing was completed. On A1v the catchword 'The' is
incorrect,
being appropriate to A3 and not to the dedication on A2; A2 has no
catchword, while A2v repeats 'The' appropriately for A3.
It
seems probable that sheet A was at first printed with title-page
(A1), dramatis personae (A1v), and the
beginning of the
text (A3-4v), while A2-2v was left blank.
If this were so,
Webster probably brought (or sent) a dedication and preface to the
printing-shop some time later; these would then have been set up
separately and sheet A sent through the press two more times. This
unusual procedure is further attested by the alignment
of the type. A2
v and 3 are conjugate pages—none
of the copies
in England which I have examined leads me to think otherwise—and
have similar type ornaments at their heads, but these ornaments
vary between copies in their alignment with each other, that on A3
usually being a little higher than the one on A2
v Similarly
the
alignment of the equal-sized type ornaments at the head of
A1
v
and 2 varies between copies. Sometimes there is variation in the
alignment of the running-heads and type on A3
v and 4.
The
misalignment of the several pages in different copies does not
suggest a perfectly constant spatial relationship between the type
on A2 and 2
v and that on the rest of sheet A, and,
therefore, my
hypothesis of a double printing for sheet A and of a late delivery
of the prefatory matter seems the simplest explanation of the
facts. Webster's allusion in his preface to unprinted 'Commendatory
Verses' may, perhaps, be due to insufficient space on A2 and
2
v,
and not to
his own modesty as he asserts.
