And if we be, how dare thy joints forget
To pay their awful duty to our presence?"
The meaning in this case is no doubt clear enough, and the words "awful duty" may be the right ones; but had they stood lawful duty in any old copy, he should have been a bold man who would have proposed to substitute awful for lawful.
Second Part of King Henry IV., Act IV. Sc. 1.—
"Arch. To us, and to our purposes, confin'd:
We come within our awful banks again,
And knit our powers to the arm of peace."
The use of the word "awful" in this passage may be right, but, as in the preceding case, I think, had lawful banks stood in any old printed copy, or had it even been found in Mr. Collier's volume, the fitness would have been acknowledged.
Shakspeare used the word "lawful" in many instances where, no doubt, it may with reason, strong as any given here, be changed to awful. In the historical plays, lawful king, lawful progeny, lawful heir, lawful magistrate, lawful earth, lawful sword, &c., may be found. These suggestions, like the pinch of sand thrown on the old woman's cow, if they do no good, will, I trust, do no harm.
Robert Rawlinson.