Textual Notes: Shakespeare's Sonnets

The reading of the present text appears to the left of the square bracket. Unless otherwise noted, the reading to the left of the bracket is from Q, the Quarto text (upon which this edition is based). The Sonnets were published again by John Benson in 1640 as POEMS: WRITTEN BY Wil. Shakespeare. Gent., a version that varies widely from Q. Ed. indicates an earlier editor of the Sonnets, beginning with Gildon, who, in 1710, based his edition on Benson’s. Malone, in 1790, was the first to edit Q. No sources are given for emendations of punctuation or for corrections of obvious typographical errors, like turned letters that produce no known word. Uncorr. means the first or uncorrected state of the Quarto; corr. means the second or corrected state of the Quarto; ~ stands in place of a word already quoted before the square bracket; ^ indicates the omission of a punctuation mark.

2
4. tattered] Q (totter’d)
14. cold] Q (could)

6
1. ragged] Q (wragged)
4. beauty’s] beautits Q

10
10. lodged] Q (log’d)

11
6. this,] ~^ Q; cold] Q (could)

12
4. all] Ed.; or Q

13
1. your self] Q
7. Your self] Ed.; You selfe Q

15
8. wear] Q (were)

16
10. this^ . . . pen^] ~ ( . . . ~) Q

17
12. meter] Q (miter)

19
3. jaws] Ed.; yawes Q

20
2. Hast] Q (Haste)

22
3. furrows] Q (forrwes)

23
2. beside] Q (besides)
6. rite] Q (right)
14. with] Q (wit)
14. wit] wiht Q

24
1. stelled] Ed.; steeld Q
3. ’tis] ti’s Q

26
11. tattered] Q (tottered)
12. thy] Ed.; their Q

27
1. haste] Q (hast)
2. travel] Q (trauaill)
6. thee,] Q corr.; ~; Q uncorr.
10. thy] Ed.; their Q

28
5. either’s] Q (ethers)
12. gild’st the even] Ed.; guil’st th’ eauen Q

31
8. thee] Ed.; there Q

32
8. height] Q (hight)

33
14. when] Q (whẽ)

34
2. travel] Q (trauaile)
12. cross] Ed.; losse Q

35
8. thy] Ed.; their Q (twice)

37
7. thy] Ed.; their Q

38
2. breathe] Q (breath)
2. pour’st] Q (poor’st)
3. too] Q (to)

39
12. doth] Ed.; dost Q

40
7. thyself] Ed; this selfe Q

43
11. thy] Ed.; their Q

44
13. nought] Ed.; naughts Q
13. slow] Q (sloe)

45
9. life’s] Q (liues)
12. thy] Ed.; their Q

46
3. thy] Ed.; their Q
8. thy] Ed.; their Q
9. ’cide] Ed.; side Q
13. thy] Ed.; their Q
14. thy] Ed.; their Q

47
10. Thyself] Q corr. (Thy selfe); thy seife Q uncorr.
11. no] Ed.; nor Q

50
6. dully] Ed.; duly Q

51
3. haste] Q (hast)
10. perfect’st] Ed.; perfects Q

55
1. monuments] Ed; monument Q
9. enmity] Q (emnity)

56
13. Or] Ed.; As Q

58
7. patience, tame^ to sufferance,] Ed.; ~^ ~, ~ ~^ Q

59
6. hundred] Q (hundreth)
8. done,] ~. Q
11. whe’er] Q (where)

61
8. tenor] Q (tenure)

62
13. ’Tis] T’is Q

63
5. traveled] Q (trauaild)

65
12. of] Ed.; or Q

66
5. misplaced] Q (misplast)
9. tongue] Q (tung)

67
10. veins] Q (vaines)

68
7. second life] scond life Q

69
3. due] Ed.; end Q
5. Thy] Ed.; Their Q
14. soil] solye Q

70
1. art] Ed.; are Q
6. Thy] Ed.; Their Q
8. unstained] unstayined Q

71
4. vilest] Q (vildest)

73
4. ruined] rn’wd Q
4. choirs] Q (quiers)

74
10. prey] Q (pray)

75
2. showers] Q (shewers)

76
4, 8. strange? . . . proceed?] Question marks do not print in one copy of Q
7. tell] Ed.; fel Q

77
1. wear] Q (were)
10. blanks] Ed.; blacks Q

81
14. breathes] Q (breaths)

86
13. filled] Q (fild)

87
9. Thy self] Q

89
11. profane] Q corr. (prophane); proface Q uncorr.

90
11. shall] Ed.; stall Q

91
9. better] Ed.; bitter Q

92
6. end;] ~, Q

93
6. change.] ~, Q

94
4. cold] Q (could)

98
9. lily’s] Q (Lillies)
11. were] Q (weare)

99
4. dwells^] ~? Q
5. dyed] Q (died)
7. marjoram] Q (marierom)
9. One] Ed.; Our Q

101
2. dyed] Q (di’d)

102
11. bough] Q (bow)

106
12. skill] Ed.; still Q

110
6. Askance] Q (Asconce)
10. grind] Q (grin’de)

111
1. with] Ed.; wish Q

112
14. methinks are] Ed; me thinkes y’are Q

113
6. latch] Ed.; lack Q
13. more, replete] ~^ ~, Q
14. mine eye] Ed.; mine Q

116] Q corr.; 119 Q uncorr.

116
8. height] Q (higth)

118
10. were^ not,] ~, ~^ Q

120
6. you’ve] Q (y’haue)

121
11. bevel;] ~^ Q

122
1. Thy] TThy Q

123
12. haste] Q (hast)

125
4. waste] Q (wast)
7. sweet^] ~; Q

126
2. sickle^] ~, Q
3. show’st] Q (shou’st)
5. mistress] Q (misteres)
8. minutes] Ed.; mynuit Q

127
2. were] Q (weare)
7. bower] Q (boure)
9. mistress’] Q (Mistersse)

128
11. thy] Ed.; their Q
11. gait] Q (gate)
14. thy] Ed.; their Q

129
9. Mad] Ed.; Made Q
10. quest^ to have,] ~, ~ ~^ Q
11. proved a] Ed.; proud and Q
12. Before, . . . proposed; behind,] ~^ . . . ~^ ~^ Q

130
2. Coral] Q (Currall)

131
3. heart] Q (hart)

132
6. the east] Q (th’East)
9. mourning] Q (morning)

133
3. Is ’t] I’st Q
10. bail] Q (bale)

134
12. lose] Q (loose)

136
6. Ay] Q (I)

137
8. tied] Q (tide)

138
12. to have] Q (t’haue)

140
3. Lest] Q (Least)
5. were] Q (weare)
13. belied] Q (be lyde)

143
12. part:] ~^ Q

144
2. suggest] Q (sugiest)
5. female] Q (femall)
6. side] Passionate Pilgrime, Ed.; sight Q
9. fiend] Q (finde)

145
7. doom] Q (dome)

146
2. Pressed with] This ed.; Booth’s conjecture; My sinfull earth Q

147
12. random] Q (randon)

148
8. men’s “no.”] mens: no, Q
14. Lest] Q (Least)

149
6. frown’st] Q (froun’st)
6. fawn] Q (faune)
7. lour’st] Q (lowrst)

150
6. deeds^] deeds, Q corr.; deeds; Q uncorr.

151
4. Lest] Q (Least)

153
4. cold] Q (could)
14. eyes] Ed.; eye Q

154
3. vowed] Q (vou’d)