ix

THE TEMPEST [23042] 3
Notes to the Tempest 77

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA [23043] 83
Notes to the Two Gentlemen of Verona 157

Introduction to the Merry Wives of Windsor 163
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR [23044] 165
Notes to the Merry Wives of Windsor 253
A Pleasant Conceited Comedy
of Syr John Falstaffe, &c. 257

MEASURE FOR MEASURE [23045] 295
Notes to Measure for Measure 391

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS [23046] 399
Notes to the Comedy of Errors 462

PREFACE.

The main rules which we proposed to ourselves in undertaking this
Edition are as follows:

1. To base the text on a thorough collation of the four Folios and of
all the Quarto editions of the separate plays, and of subsequent
editions and commentaries.

2. To give all the results of this collation in notes at the foot of
the page, and to add to these conjectural emendations collected and
suggested by ourselves, or furnished to us by our correspondents, so as
to give the reader in a compact form a complete view of the existing
materials out of which the text has been constructed, or may be emended.

3. In all plays of which there is a Quarto edition differing from the
received text to such a degree that the variations cannot be shown in
foot-notes, to print the text of the Quarto _literatim_ in a smaller
type after the received text.

4. To number the lines in each scene separately, so as to facilitate
reference.

5. To add at the end of each play a few notes, (_a_) to explain such
variations in the text of former editions as could not be intelligibly
expressed in the limits of a foot-note, (_b_) to justify any deviation
from our ordinary rule either in the text or the foot-notes, and
(_c_) to illustrate some passage of unusual difficulty or interest.

6. To print the Poems, edited on a similar plan, at the end of the
Dramatic Works.

An edition of Shakespeare on this plan has been for several years in
contemplation, and has been the subject of much discussion. That such an
edition was wanted seemed to be generally allowed, and it was thought
that Cambridge afforded facilities for the execution of the task such as
few other places could boast of. The Shakespearian collection given by
Capell to