part I

. Act 5, sc. 5:

Fare thee well, great heart! Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk! When that this body did contain a spirit, A kingdom for it was too small a bound; But now, two paces of the vilest earth Is room enough.

[159] Surely the full stop after [Greek: polin] in v. 749 should be removed, and a colon, or mark of hyperbaton substituted. On looking at Paley's edition, I find myself anticipated.

[160] This is Griffiths' version of this awkward passage. I should prefer reading [Greek: alkan] with Paley, from one MS. So also Burges.

[161] See my note on Soph. Philoct. 708, ed. Bohn.

[162] This seems the best way of rendering the bold periphrase, [Greek: ho polybotos aion broton]. See Griffiths.

[163] I follow Paley. Dindorf, in his notes, agrees in reading [Greek: trophas], but the metre seems to require [Greek: epikotos]. Griffiths defends the common reading, but against the ancient authority of the schol. on OEd. Col. 1375. See Blomfield.

[164] Blomfield with reason thinks that a verse has been lost.

[165] The care which the Messenger takes to show the bright side of the picture first, reminds us of Northumberland's speech, Shakespeare, King Henry IV.