In reading Emma L. Roth-Schwartz’s “Colon and Semi-Colon in Donne's Prose Letters: Practice and Principle,” in Early Modern Literary Studies, Vol.3, No.1, 1997, I concluded that I have little interest in making statements about my use of punctuation for future literary scholars. There are dangers, of course, in inattention given to punctuation both by myself and future students. There is damage done to sense and style by repunctuation, mine and others, for punctuation must be seen as an act of interpretation. I find that I sometimes punctuate different copies of the same text differently. I certainly don’t feel tied to the punctuation that editors find in my work. Some writers do not want editors to change anything. I am not of that ilk. My hope is that future editors may yet come close to that happy state of affairs in punctuating my work, a state described by Francis Clement in 1587 in which he says that with punctuation "the breath is relieved, the meaning conceived, the eye directed, the ear delighted, and all the senses satisfied."1
-Ron Price with thanks to 1Anthony Graham-White, Punctuation and Its Dramatic Value in Shakespearean Drama. Newark: U of Delaware P, 1995, p.46:cool:.

That's it. When I dedicate my book it will be to 'My parents, God and Francis Clement.'

Ah, the importance of commas.

Francis Clement in 1587 in which he says that with punctuation "the breath is relieved, the meaning conceived, the eye directed, the ear delighted, and all the senses satisfied."1



That's it. That's why I like editing what I read. I don't think I would've ever put it into words. But if I did.... Thanks for the refernce RP!

nicely put...