I divide the
speeches
thus:--
_Donne.
_Donne.
John Donne
_O Elephant or Ape_, See Introductory Note to
_Satyres_.
l. 89. _I whispered let'us go. _ I have, following the example of
_1633_ in other cases, indicated the slurring of 'let'us' or 'let's',
which is necessary metrically if we are to read the full 'whispered'
which _1669_ first contracts to 'whisperd'. _Q_ shows that 'let's'
is the right contraction. Donne's use of colloquial slurrings must be
constantly kept in view when reading especially his satires. They are
not always indicated in the editions: but note l. 52:
I shut my chamber doore, and come, lets goe.
PAGE =149=, ll. 100-4. My punctuation of these lines is a slight
modification of that indicated by _W_ and _JC_, which give the proper
division of the speeches. The use of inverted commas would make this
clearer, but Chambers' division seems to me (if I understand it) to
give the whole speech, from 'But to me' to 'So is the Pox', to Donne's
companion, which is to deprive Donne of his closing repartee. The
Grolier Club editor avoids this, but makes 'Why he hath travelled
long? ' a part of Donne's speech beginning 'Our dull comedians want
him'.
I divide the speeches thus:--
_Donne. _ Why stoop'st thou so?
_Companion. _ Why? he hath travail'd.
_Donne. _ Long?
_Companion. _ No: but to me (_Donne interpolates_ 'which
understand none') he doth seem to be
Perfect French and Italian.
_Donne. _ So is the Pox.
The brackets round 'which understand none' I have taken from _Q_.
I had thought of inserting them before I came on this MS. Of course
brackets in old editions are often used where commas would be
sufficient, and one can build nothing on their insertion here in one
MS. But it seems to me that these words have no point unless regarded
as a sarcastic comment interpolated by Donne, perhaps _sotto voce_.
'To you, who understand neither French nor Italian, he may seem
perfect French and Italian--but to no one else.
_Satyres_.
l. 89. _I whispered let'us go. _ I have, following the example of
_1633_ in other cases, indicated the slurring of 'let'us' or 'let's',
which is necessary metrically if we are to read the full 'whispered'
which _1669_ first contracts to 'whisperd'. _Q_ shows that 'let's'
is the right contraction. Donne's use of colloquial slurrings must be
constantly kept in view when reading especially his satires. They are
not always indicated in the editions: but note l. 52:
I shut my chamber doore, and come, lets goe.
PAGE =149=, ll. 100-4. My punctuation of these lines is a slight
modification of that indicated by _W_ and _JC_, which give the proper
division of the speeches. The use of inverted commas would make this
clearer, but Chambers' division seems to me (if I understand it) to
give the whole speech, from 'But to me' to 'So is the Pox', to Donne's
companion, which is to deprive Donne of his closing repartee. The
Grolier Club editor avoids this, but makes 'Why he hath travelled
long? ' a part of Donne's speech beginning 'Our dull comedians want
him'.
I divide the speeches thus:--
_Donne. _ Why stoop'st thou so?
_Companion. _ Why? he hath travail'd.
_Donne. _ Long?
_Companion. _ No: but to me (_Donne interpolates_ 'which
understand none') he doth seem to be
Perfect French and Italian.
_Donne. _ So is the Pox.
The brackets round 'which understand none' I have taken from _Q_.
I had thought of inserting them before I came on this MS. Of course
brackets in old editions are often used where commas would be
sufficient, and one can build nothing on their insertion here in one
MS. But it seems to me that these words have no point unless regarded
as a sarcastic comment interpolated by Donne, perhaps _sotto voce_.
'To you, who understand neither French nor Italian, he may seem
perfect French and Italian--but to no one else.
