ON THE EDITING OF ELIZABETHAN TEXTS

Abstract

At the and of tho third of his Sandors locturos (1958 )> Professor Frodson Bowors writ os, in an agrooftbly humblo voini "Tho union of tho critical judgnont with tho bibliographical rethod i3 tho hopo for tho futuro» Bibliography alono will carry one a long way toward good editing, but it is no magic carpet to tho Promised Land. And if undue expectation is arousod that it will solvo all problems, tho disappointment will bo tho keonor. It is truo that loss ham than usual nay bo causod to a text if tho bibliographical method is narrowly followed; but for the real principios of editing, for the discipline that places editing as alno s t a creativo art, bibliography is only ono of atriad that also includes language study but above all literary criticism shaping the judgment withjp certain linlts proscribed jfifià language...» Id tho history of Shakospeo.ro oditing ospocially in tho twentieth contury when a little bibliography has sonetinos becono a rather dangerous thing-I should prefer the tasto and judgment of a Kittrodgo (wrong as ho sonet ine s was).,. to tho unskilled and thoreforo unscientific operation of a scientific method as if it wore the whole answer to tho problon and automatically relieved an Oditor of tho necessity to uso his critical judgment in any way. Bibliography can only help to preparo a text for tho final operation. Bibliography is a good servant but a bad master" (Textual and Litorarv Criticisn. Cambridge, 1959, pp. 115-16).