place.  Yet I am afraid the scenes must keep their present order; for the painter alludes to the thieves when he says, he likewise enriched poor straggling soldiers with great quantity.  This impropriety is now heightened by placing the thieves in one act, and the poet and painter in another:  but it must be remembered, that in the original edition this play is not divided into separate acts, so that the present distribution is arbitrary, and may be changed if any convenience can be gained, or impropriety obviated by alteration.

V.i.47 (384,6) While the day serves, before black-corner’d night] [W:  black-cornette] Black-corner’d night is probably corrupt, but black-cornette can hardly be right, for it should be black-cornetted night.  I cannot propose any thing, but must leave the place in its present state. (1773)

V.i.101 (386,8) a made-up villain] That is a villain that adopts qualities and characters not properly belonging to him; a hypocrite.

V.i.105 (386,9) drown them in a draught] That is, in the jakes.

V.i.109 (388,1)

  But two in company—­
  Each man apart, all single and alone,
  Yet an arch villain keeps him company]

This passage is obscure.  I think the meaning is this:  but two in company, that is, stand apart, let only two be together; for even when each stands single there are two, he himself and a villain.

V.i.151 (388,3) Of its own fall] [The Oxford editor alters fall to fault, not knowing that Shakespeare uses fall to signify dishonour, not destruction.  So in Hamlet,

  What a falling_ off was there_!  WARBURTON.]

The truth is, that neither fall means disgrace, nor is fault a necessary emendation. Falling off in the quotation is not disgrace but defection.  The Athenians had sense, that is, felt the danger of their own fall, by the arms of Alcibiades.

V.i.151 (388,4) restraining aid to Timon] I think it should be refraining aid, that is, with-holding aid that should have been given to Timon.

V.i.154 (389,5) Than their offence can weigh down by the dram] This which was in the former editions can scarcely be right, and yet I know not whether my reading will be thought to rectify it.  I take the meaning to be, We will give thee a recompence that our offences cannot outweigh, heaps of wealth down by the dram, or delivered according to the exactest measure.  A little disorder may perhaps have happened in transcribing, which may be reformed by reading,

  —­Ay, ev’n such heaps
  And sums of love and wealth, down by the dram,
  As shall to thee—­

V.i.165 (389,6) Allow’d with absolute power] Allowed is licensed, privileged, uncontrolled.  So of a buffoon, in Love’s Labour lost, it is said, that he is allowed, that is, at liberty to say what he will, a privileged scoffer.