I cannot think but your age has forgot me ; By the phraseology here, Shakespeare gives the double effect of my wounds blush for your shameless ingratitude' and 'my wounds ache afresh at your cruel hardness.' Why, man, they did make love to this employment.—Hamlet, v. 2. This variation from the more usual phrase, 'courted this employment,' gives increased force to the accusation of base suing for a base office. And we shall talk before we fight.-Most meet that first we come to words.— Ant. & C., ii. 6. By the introduction of "words into this form of phrase, Shakespeare neatly infers before coming to blows' as its understood completion. And not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal seizes him.—Ibid., iii. 5. The phrase, thus constructed, gives the duplicate effect of 'on his own responsibility,' and 'on his own accusation solely'; since “ appeal " is here used in the sense which it bears in common law-that of 'accusation.' Follow the noise so far as we have quarter ; Let's see how it will give off.—Ibid., iv. 3. By employing this expression instead of either of the commoner ones, give over,' or 'leave off,' the poet imparts an effect of the speakers being unusually impressed by the supernatural sounds they hear. PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION. Some of Shakespeare's constructional peculiarities in phraseology deserve special notification. He occasionally has phrases of trans posed or even of involved construction: One of them is a plain [plainly a] fish.-Temp., v. I. Yet in this life lie hid more thousand deaths [a thousand more deaths than I have enumerated, or than the one that is life's ending].-M. for M., iii. 1. Here is the head; I'll carry it myself. Convenient is it [it is convenient that you should do so].—Ibid., iv. 3. And I, with your two helps [the help of you two], will so practise on Benedick.-M. Ado, ii. 1. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers [the wagers of us two] recorded.— Cym., i. 5. These, and your three motives [the motives of you three] to the battle, with I know not how much more, should be demanded.—Ibid., v. 5. I shall desire you of more acquaintance [more acquaintance of you], good Master Cobweb.-Mid. Ñ. D., iii. I. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon [pardon of your grace]; I must away this night.-Mer. of V., iv. I. Till that the weary very means [very means, becoming weary] do ebb?-As You L., ii. 7. If yourself, Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth, Did ever, in so true a flame of liking, Wish chastely, and love dearly, that your Dian Was both herself and love* [if ever you wished chastely and loved dearly in so pure and true a flame as that your Diana was both herself and love itself ].—All's W., í. 3. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with [a coil is kept up with me],—“Too young" and "the next year."—Ibid., ii. 1. The last that e'er I took her leave at court [the last time that ever I took leave of her at court].—Ibid., v. 3. I could not find him at the Elephant: Yet there he was [he had been there].-Tw. N., iv. 3. So long I daily vow to use it [vow to use it daily].-W. T., iii. 2. This avouches the shepherd's son [the shepherd's son avouches].—Ibid., v. 2. 'A pops me out at least from [from at least] fair five hundred pound a year.John, i. I. Why, then, your fears (which, as they say, attend the steps of wrong) should move you [why, then, should your fears move you] to mew up your tender kinsman.— Ibid., iv. 2. But my fair name (despite of death, that lives [that, despite of death, lives] upon my grave).-R. II., i. 1. With rival-hating envy, set on you [set you on] to wake our peace.-Ibid., i. 3. Violent fires soon burn out themselves [burn themselves out].-Ibid., ii. 1. He hath not money for these Irish wars, His burdenous taxes notwithstanding [notwithstanding his burdenous taxations].— Ibid., ii. I. Nor friends, nor foes, to me welcome you are [neither as friends nor as foes are you welcome to me].-Ibid., ii. 3. The worst is worldly loss thou canst unfold [the worst that thou canst unfold is worldly loss].-Ibid., iii. 2. Revolt our subjects? [Do our subjects revolt?]-Ibid., iii. 2. Me rather had [I had rather] my heart might feel your love.-Ibid., iii. 3. Mounted upon a hot and fiery steed, Which his aspiring rider seem'd to know [which seem'd to know his aspiring rider].— Ibid., v. 2. Nor I, nor any man, that but man is [is but man], With nothing shall be pleas'd.-Ibid., v. 5. Was he not proclaim'd by Richard, that dead is [is dead], the next of blood?I H. IV., i. 3. Whose wrongs in us God pardon! [God pardon in us!].—Ibid., i. 3. What a candy deal of [deal of candy] courtesy.—Ibid., i. 3. Homo is a common name [name common] to all men.—Ibid., ii. 1. I know his death will be a march of twelve-score [I know that a march of twelvescore will be the death of him].-Ibid., ii. 4. Make blind itself [itself blind] with foolish tenderness.—Ibid., iii. 2. The dauphin, whom of succour we entreated [of whom we entreated succour).— H. V., iii. 3. So that here men are punished, for before-breach of the king's laws, in now the king's quarrel [the king's quarrel now].-Ibid., iv. 1. But all's not done; yet keep the French the field [the French keep the field).— Ibid., iv. 6. * Besides "love" here meaning 'love itself,' it means Love," as used for the goddess of love, Venus; since Shakespeare has more than once employed "Love" thus [See TITLES]. Lives he [does he live], good uncle?-H. V., iv. 6. Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met [peace, for which we are here met, be to this meeting]—Ibid., v. 2. This Gloster should be quickly rid the world [the world should be quickly rid of this Gloster].-2 H. VI., iii. 1. Men's flesh preserv'd so whole do seldom win [men, whose flesh is preserved so whole, do seldom win].-Ibid., iii. 1. Until my mis-shap'd trunk that bears this head [until my head, that this mis-shaped trunk bears] be round impaled with a glorious crown.-3 H. VI., iii. 2 I can add colours to the cameleon; Change shapes with Proteus for advantages [advantageously compete with Proteus in changing shapes].-Ibid., iii. 2. And to that end I shortly mind to leave you [I intend soon to leave you].—Ibid., iv. 1. Do cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.-Ibid., iv. I. Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men To turn their own points on their masters' bosoms [their points on their masters' own bosoms].-R. III., v. 1. I am sorry my integrity should breed (And service to his majesty and you) So deep suspicion, where all faith was meant [my integrity and service to his majesty and you should breed].—H. VIII., iii. 1. Have been more than could my studied purposes requite [than my studied purposes could requite].—Ibid., iii. 2. You have as little honesty as honour; Toward the king, my ever royal master, Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be, And all that love his follies [you have as little honesty as honour, who dare impugn a sounder man (on the score of loyalty and truth towards my royal master, the king) than Surrey and all who love his follies can be].—Ibid., iii. 2. An ordinary groom is for such payment [such payment is fit only for an ordinary groom].-Ibid., v. 1. They would shame to make me wait else at door [else they would shame to make me wait at the door].-Ibid., v. 2. That loves his mistress more than in confession With truant vows to her own lips he loves [more than he protests he loves her when he vows constancy and kisses her].—Tr. & Cr., i. 3. Hector shall have a great catch, if he knock out either of your brains [the brains of either of you].—Ibid., ii. 1. Diomed has got that same scurvy doting foolish young knave's sleeve of Troy [young knave of Troy's sleeve] there in his helm.-Ibid., v. 4. The policy of those crafty swearing rascals worth a blackberry.-Ibid., v. 4. ... is not proved [is proved to be not] My work hath yet not [not yet] warm'd me.-Coriol., i. 5. Of all the treasure in this field achiev'd and city [achiev'd in this field and city].— Ibid., i. 9. What good condition can a treaty find I' the part that is at mercy? [What good condition can the side that is at the mercy of the other find in a treaty ?]—Ibid., i. 10. Thereto witness may my surname, Coriolanus [my surname of Coriolanus may bear witness thereto].-Ibid., iv. 5. I also am longer to live most weary [I also am most weary to live longer].-Ibid., iv. 5. For Shakespeare's varied use of the word "mate," see PECULIAR Use of Words. This so never-needed help [this never so much needed help].-Coriol., v. I. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once [once begin to rail on society], I am sworn not to regard you.-Timon, i. 2. Not nature, to whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune, but by contempt of nature [human nature, liable to the assaults of every misfortune, can never bear great fortune without showing contempt for its fellow-creatures].-Ibid., iv. 1. So soon we shall drive back of Alcibiades th' approaches wild [the wild approaches of Alcibiades].-Ibid., v. 2. Crimes, like lands, are not inherited [crimes are not inherited, as lands are].— Ibid., v. 5. And roars, as doth the lion, in the Capitol [and roars in the Capitol, as the lion roars]. Jul. C., i. 3. O Rome, I make thee promise [I make promise to thee].-Ibid., ii. 1. That every like is not the same, O Cæsar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon! [O Cæsar, the heart of Brutus grieves to think that everything which seems like another is not always the same as that other!] -Ibid., ii. 2. Speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate [who neither beg your favours nor fear your hate].— Macb., i. 3. Which is now our point of second meeting [the point (or object) of our second meeting].-Ibid., iii. 1. Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives [free our feasts and banquets from bloody knives].—Ibid., iii. 6. Our suffering country under a hand accurs'd! [our country suffering under an accursed hand!]-Ibid., iii. 6. Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten her nine farrow [the blood of a sow that hath eaten].-Ibid., iv. 1. Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes The youth you breathe of guilty [the youth you breathe of guilty in the prenominate crimes]. Hamlet, ii. 1. But, good Laertes, will you do this [if you will do this], keep close within your chamber. Ibid., iv. 7. Grop'd I to find out them [them out].-Ibid., v. 2. And your large speeches may your deeds approve [may your deeds prove equal to your large speeches].-Lear, i. I. So distribution should [should distribution] undo excess.—Ibid., iv. 1. I marvel, our mild husband not met us [met us not, or, did not meet us] on the way.-Ibid., iv. 2. What cannot be preserv'd when fortune takes, Patience her injury a mockery makes [when fortune takes what cannot be preserved, patience makes a mockery of her injury].-Oth., i. 3. His barque is stoutly timber'd, and his pilot Of very expert and approv'd allowance [of very allowed and proved expertness].Ibid., ii. 1. I humbly do beseech you of [of you] your pardon.-—Ibid., iii. 3. This fellow's of exceeding honesty, And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit, Of human dealings [and knows with an experienced spirit all qualities of human dealings].-Ibid., iii. 3. How this Herculean Roman does become The carriage of his chafe [makes his chafed bearing become him].-Ant. & C., i. 3. That he which is was wish'd until he were [that the man who is in power was wished for until he came to be in power].-Ibid., i. 4. Lepidus flatters both, Of both is flattered; but he neither loves [loves neither of them] Your wife and brother made wars upon me; and their contestation was theme for you [had you for its theme], you were the word of war.-Ant. & C., ii. 2. If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof were well deserv'd of rashness [the reproof you would receive from her would be well deserved for your rashness].—Ibid., ii. 2. Leap thou, attire and all, through proof of harness [armour of proof] to my heart.-Ibid., iv. 8. Her life in Rome would be eternal in our triumph [her living presence in Rome would render our triumph eternal].-Ibid., v. I. And golden Phoebus never be beheld of eyes again so royal! [never again be beheld by eyes so royal!].-Ibid., v. 2. And you shall hear the legions, now in Gallia, sooner landed in our not-fearing Britain [you shall sooner hear that the legions, now in Gallia, are landed in our notfearing Britain] than have tidings of any penny tribute paid.-Cym., ii. 4. From whose so many weights of baseness cannot A dram of worth be drawn [a dram of worth cannot be.drawn].—Ibid., iii. 5. Many years, though Cloten then but young, you see, not wore him from my remembrance (though Cloten then was but young, you see many years have not worn him from my remembrance]. -Ibid., iv. 4. Than be so, better to cease to be [better to cease to be than to be so].-Ibid., iv. 4. Fairer than those for preservation cas'd, or shame [those cased for preservation or shame].-Ibid., v. 3. Why, do ye take it [why, then, take it].-Per., ii. 1. Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan The outward habit by the inward man [the inward man by the outward habit].— Ibid., ii. 2. For a more blust'rous birth had never babe [for never had babe a more blusterous birth.-Ibid., iii. 1. We are near Tharsus.-Thither, gentle mariner, alter thy course for Tyre [alter thy course, which is now for Tyre, to go thither (to Tharsus)].—Ibid., iii. 1. In your supposing once more put your sight of heavy Pericles [once more put what you behold of the melancholy Pericles under the influence of your imagination].— Ibid., v. (Gower). He has a few phrases where objects are mentioned and references made in order of succession contrary to usual arrangement : What would you have, you curs, That like nor peace nor war? the one affrights you, The other makes you proud.-Coriol., i. I. In all shapes that man goes up and down in from fourscore to thirteen, this spirit walks in.-Timon, ii. 2. Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chops.—Macb., i. 2. Thou hast it now-king, Cawdor, Glamis, all.—Ibid., iii. 1. They are apt enough to dislocate and tear Thy flesh and bones.-Lear, iv. 2. If knife, drugs, serpents, have edge, sting, or operation, I am safe.—Ant. & C., iv. 13. And will to ears and tongues be theme and hearing ever.—Cym., iii. 1. He sometimes has phrases where verbs and pronouns are transposed :— But is my husband coming?-Ay, in good sadness, is he.-Merry W., iv. 2. And there will she sit in her smock.-M. Ado, ii. 3. Like a demi-god here sit I in the sky.-Love's L. L., iv. 3. There lay he, stretch'd along like a wounded knight.-As You L., iii. 2. You are so fretful, you cannot live long.-Why, there is it.-1 H. IV., iii. 3. |