II.i.13 (41,2) The plague of Greece] Alluding perhaps to the plague sent by Apollo on the Grecian army.

II.i.15 (41,3) Speak then, thou unsalted leaven, speak] [T:  unwinnow’dst] [W:  windyest] Hanmer preserves whinid’st, the reading of the folio; but does not explain it, nor do I understand it.  If the folio be followed, I read, vinew’d, that is mouldy leven.  Thou composition of mustiness and sourness.—­Theobald’s assertion, however confident, is false. Unsalted leaven is in the old quarto.  It means sour without salt, malignity without wit.  Shakespeare wrote first unsalted; but recollecting that want of salt was no fault in leaven, changed it to vinew’d.

II.i.38 (42,5) aye that thou bark’st at him] I read, O that thou bark’dst at him.

II.i.42 (42,6) pun thee into shivers] Pun is in the midland counties the vulgar and colloquial word for pound. (1773)

II.i.125 (45,1) when Achilles’ brach bids me] The folio and quarto read, Achilles’ brooch. Brooch is an appendant ornament.  The meaning may be, equivalent to one of Achilles’ hangers on.

II.ii.29 (47,2) The past-proportion of his infinite?] Thus read both the copies.  The meaning is, that greatness, to which no measure bears any proportion.  The modern editors silently give,

  The vast proportion—­

II.ii.58 (48,4) And the will dotes that is inclinable] [Old edition, not so well, has it, attributive.  POPE.] By the old edition Mr. Pope means the old quarto.  The folio has, as it stands, inclinable.—­I think the first reading better; the will dotes that attributes or gives the qualities which it affects; that first causes excellence, and then admires it.

II.ii.60 (48,5) Without some image of the affected merit] The present reading is right.  The will affects an object for some supposed merit, which Hector says, is uncensurable, unless the merit so affected be really there.

II.ii.71 (48,7) unrespective sieve] That is, into a common voider. Sieve is in the quarto.  The folio reads,

  —­unrespective fame;

for which the modern editions have silently printed,

  —­unrespective place.

II.ii.88 (49,9)

        why do you now
  The issue of your proper wisdoms rate;
  And do a deed that fortune never did,
  Beggar that estimation which you priz’d
  Richer than sea and land?]

If I understand this passage, the meaning is, “Why do you, by censuring the determination of your own wisdoms, degrade Helen, whom fortune has not yet deprived of her value, or against whom, as the wife of Paris, fortune has not in this war so declared, as to make us value her less?” This is very harsh, and much strained.