Mr. Collier does Theobald the justice to observe, that he, as well as the corrector of the folio, 1632, adds the necessary letter s to the word "creature," making the plural substantive agree with her other exclamation of, "Poor souls, they perished!"
Where Mr. Collier, upon the authority of his folio, substitutes _pre_vision for "provision" in the lines of Prospero,—
"The direful spectacle of the wreck . . .
I have with such provision in mine art
So safely ordered," etc.,—
I do not agree to the value of the change. It is very true that _pre_vision means the foresight that his art gave him, but _pro_vision implies the exercise of that foresight or _pre_vision; it is therefore better, because more comprehensive.
Mr. Collier's folio gives as an improvement upon Malone and Steevens's reading of the passage,—
"And thy father
Was Duke of Milan; and his only heir
A princess; no worse issued,"—
the following:—
"And thy father
Was Duke of Milan,—thou his only heir
And princess no worse issued."
Supposing the folio to be ingenious rather than authoritative, the passage, as it stands in Hanmer, is decidedly better, because clearer:—
"And thy father
Was Duke of Milan,—thou, his only heir
A princess—no worse issued."