original makes the task of
reprinting a difficult one. Ordinary misprints abound, and these have
been scrupulously retained, a list of irregularities being added below.
It has, however, proved impossible to arrive at any satisfactory method
of distinguishing between 'n' and 'u.' In the first hundred lines, which
are by no means the worst printed, there are thirty-two cases in which
the letter is indistinguishable, eighteen cases of an apparent 'u' which
should be 'n,' and seven cases of an apparent 'n' which should be 'u.'
When it is further remembered that there are few cases in which it is
possible to say for certain that a letter really is what it appears to
be, and none in which it may not be turned, some idea of the difficulty
in the way of reprinting will be obtained. To have followed the original
in this matter would have been to introduce another misprint into at
least every fourth line, while even so several hundred cases would have
remained which could only have been decided according to the apparent
sense of the passage. The only rational course was to treat the letters
as indistinguishable throughout, and to print in each instance
whichever the sense seemed to require. Again, as the superscript letters
'c,' 'e,' 't,' are seldom distinguishable, the printer has been given
the benefit of the doubt. Another difficulty arose in connection with
the speakers' names. In the original these have often dropt from their
proper places, which can now only be ascertained from the sense and the
not very regular indentation. With some hesitation it has been decided
to restore them to the positions they should apparently occupy, noting
all cases in which they are a line or more out in the original. Lastly
it may be remarked that in the speeches which aim at imitating foreign
languages the apparent readings of the very indistinct original have
been scrupulously reproduced, and no attempt has been made, even in the
subjoined list, to suggest any corrections.

In the last sheet some of the pages are cropt at the foot. In most cases
nothing more than the catchword has disappeared, and although between
lines 768 and 769 something seems to be lost, it is doubtful whether
this is due to the cropping, since D1^v has already one line too many.

The original is printed in the ordinary black letter of the period, of
the body known as English (20 ll. = 94 mm.).

Irregular and Doubtful Readings.

Tit. att his
5. tcowe
7. fleepe(?)