p. 57, l. 1. C] thy honour. l. 4. C] thou. l. 6. B and C] entertain. l. 18. C] Kill if. l. 35. A—D] states. C omits] and.
p. 58, l. 8. A—D] affect it. l.
10. After old Fool C inserts] Bri.
Your brother Sir. l. 18. C] we continue still
good.
C adds]
Finis.
l. 22. A and D] Till you. l. 25. C] live.
p. 59,
A, B and
D add] Finis.
Hereafter like me, ever doate on learning,
The meere beleefe is excellent, ’twill save
you;
And next love valour, though you dare not fight
Your selfe, or fright a foolish Officer, ’young
Eustace
Can doe it to a haire. And to conclude,
Let Andrew’s Farm b’encreas’d,
that is your penance,
You know for what, and see you rut no more,
You understand me, So embrace on all sides;
Ile pay those Billmen, and make large
amends;
Provided we preserve you still our friends.—
Exeunt.
[A few misprints in the above have been corrected in square brackets to agree with B.]
THE ELDER BROTHER: VARIANTS IN THE EGERTON MS.
There is a manuscript version of this play in the Egerton collection, British Museum (No. 1994). It is, presumably, a transcript of one of the early copies. It differs frequently from the Folio and the Quartos in single words and, occasionally, in lines but, as its authority is of doubtful value, it has seemed best to give a collation of it here, apart from the collations of the Quartos.
Begins Actus Primus. Scaena I.
p. 1, l. 29. Omits and.
p. 2, l. 7. foolish idle. l. 14. others hands. l. 24. vertues.
p. 3, l. 9. kinde. l. 13. purposed. l. 14. state. l. 30. great mans. l. 31. kings.
p. 4, l. 28. Merry wenches.
p. 5, l. 9. Cellar dry. l. 14. knowing pallat. l. 39. ever should ask.
p. 6, l. 6. how ere. l. 20. put in act. l. 24.
was addicted to. l. 31. blest with. l. 39. Omits
what yet ...Flatter l. 40. Omits without.
Also
gives stage direction in margin:—Trampling.
p. 7, l. 15. Omits Chas. Your blessing, Sir. l. 18. Countries garb. l. 25. Stage direction:—plucks out a booke and reades. l. 29. loves. l. 30. with service. l. 31. And report. l. 32. Pray you first make use of it. l. 37. Exit cum sociis.
p. 8, l. 4. lay it. l. 5. and the. l. 6. leads to. l. 10. the palme of. l. 13. ore worne. l. 25. Omits and there ...bring me. l. 29. guard.
p. 9, l. 11. from thee. l. 16. Quiddits from this time to Adam. l. 19. estates. l. 22. that bends not. ll. 23 and 24. fix their. l. 37. any sense. l. 38. my yonger Eustace.
p. 10, l. 12. nor your. l. 14. shall never. l. 16. Omits and but ... that I. l. 32. I did sir ... a word. He’s.