June 9. 1855,] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



439 



And the following note is subjoined by Steevens : 



" 3Iark YOU her eyes ?] The modern editors read, 

 ' Mark her eyes,' but in the old copy, there being a stop 

 of interrogation after this passage, as after the foregoing 

 clauses of the speech, I have ventured to insert the pro- 

 noun you, which at once supports the ancient pointing, 

 and completes the measure." 



Mr. Knight and Mr. Collier, in their respective 

 editions, of course reject the interpolation by 

 Steevens, and correct the absurd corruption 

 earthly^ but leave the line defective as it appears 

 in the folio, only substituting a note of admiration 

 after " Mark her eyes ! " and both without any 

 remark. 



In Mr. Collier's Notes and Emendations, founded 

 on his mysterious second folio, we have the passage 

 thus noticed : 



" All the early editions print thus, when Griffith {sic) 

 speaks of Catherine very soon after the vision, — 



' How pale she looks, 

 And of an earthy cold ? Mark her eyes.' 



Steevens, at a venture, inserted you to complete the mea- 

 sure, ' ]\Iark you her eyes ; ' but the error lies earlier, and 

 before the note of interrogation, for the old corrector gives 

 the line as follows : 



* And of an earthy coldness ? Mark her ej'es.' 



Such we may confidently believe was the original read- 

 ing ; to say that a dying person looks ' of an earthy 

 cold,' is at least a peculiar expression, though ' cold ' is 

 ver}' often used as a substantive." 



It is marvellous that this last remark, " to say 

 that a dying person looks of an earthy cold, is at 

 kast a peculiar expression," had not led Mr. Col- 

 lier to see that it was also applicable to coldness. 



I read the passage thus : 



" Do you note 



How much her grace is alter'd on the sudden ? 

 How long her face is drawn ! How pale she looks, 

 And of an earthy colour ! Mark her eyes ! " 



Whoever consults the passage in the first folio, 

 will see how easily the misprint arose. Cold? is 

 thus huddled together with the note of interroga- 

 tion ; and color, as written, would easily be mis- 

 taken for it. 



That this simple correction restores the metre, 

 and renders the passage more effective as well as 

 more rhythmical, there can be no doubt ; and 

 that it is what the poet wrote, I think we may 

 safely conclude. It completes the picture of the 

 suffering queen ; her attendants could hardly say 

 that she looked of an earthy or earthly coldness, 

 but they saw that eaj-thy colour, the dusky hue so 

 common on the approach of death, suffused with 

 pallor o'er her countenance. The subsequent 

 *' Mark her eyes ! " alludes to that almost super- 

 natural brightness which often supervenes in the 

 last moments of the dying. I trust there can be 

 but one opinion about the propriety of the adop- 

 tion of this simple restoration, and that it may 



find a place among those which Mr. Collier pro- 

 nounces to be " self-evident." S. W. Singeb. 



ORIGINAL LETTER OF JAMES ANDERSON. 



The following letter from James Anderson, the 

 editor of the Diplomata Scotia:, to the Earl of 

 Isla (afterwards Duke of Argyle), is taken from 

 the original draft in the library of the Faculty of 

 Advocates, and is extremely curious. 



[27 Dec. 1715.] ; 

 My Lord, 

 Your Lordship has heard that yesterday, about 

 noon, worthy Mr. Carstairs left this world for a 

 better. By his death are some vacancies ; and 

 ataong them that of being one of His Majesty's 

 chaplains. The Lord Advocate will recommend 

 to his Grace * and your Lordship's favour, Mr. 

 Simple, Minister of Libberton, to succeed Mr. 

 Carstairs f as chaplain. He being my old and 

 good acquaintance, and with me once at London, 

 I humbly beg liberty to tell your Lordship of his 

 being a sufficient man, and of his being employed 

 to compile the history of this church, wherein he 

 has been at great pains and charge in collecting 

 materials here and in England, and has several 

 Acts of Assembly in his favour, which will make 

 the countenancing him one obligation upon our 

 clergy. What at this time will recommend him 

 to your Lordship is, that he has given equal and 

 successful marks of his zeal ; and with 250 men 

 accompanied his Grace to Leith, and afterwards 

 went thence to Seaton House, and for three months 

 has kept up about 120 men at Libberton, on his 

 own charge. He was the first who apprehended 

 any of the rebels who came over the Frith [of 

 Forth], having taken a sergeant and eight private 

 men with the hazard of his life, and afterwards 

 apprehended Mr. Douglas, by whom considerable 

 discoveries were made, being sent from Kenmure 

 to Mar, and was honoured with thanks from Mr. 

 Stanhope by His Majesty's command. I presume 

 your noble family will wish him the better, that 

 Brunstaine J is in the parish of Libberton ; and I 

 know in his history he will do justice to the family, 

 being a most sincere well-wisher of it, and will 

 value their countenance in this matter above that 

 of all others. I hear the salary is about 1501. 



Anon. 



* The Duke of Argyle. 



f The well-known friend of William III., and called by 

 the episcopalians Cardinal Carstairs. 



I One of the seats of the Duke of Argyle ; it now be- 

 longs to his Grace of Buccleugh. 



