Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected.—Hamlet, iii. 2. This phrase gives the double effect of 'collected from midnight weeds,' and made of weeds collected or gathered at midnight.'

To withdraw with you. Why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil?—Ibid., iii. 2.

By the above muttered four words, Hamlet, observing the two spies drawing a little apart to watch and track him, implies not only, Now, then, to draw away a little as you do,' but also to track you in your own manner'; because elsewhere Shakespeare uses the word "draw" in the sense it bears as a term of the chase for track by the scent, trail, or foot-print of the animal pursued. That this latter meaning is included. we think is evidenced by the hunting technicality (" recover the wind") occurring so immediately after.

'Tis meet that some more audience than a mother,

Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear
The speech, of vantage.-Ibid., iii. 3.

This expression, besides meaning with the advantage of concealment,' having the advantage of being hidden,' also includes the sense offor the sake of advantage,'' for future benefit.'

Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
The shame which here it suffers.—Lear, ii. 4.

Here the double meaning is implied of, found this trespass deserving of the shame which here it suffers,' and 'found it worth while to put me to the shame which I here undergo for this trespass.'

Dear daughter, I confess that I am old;
Age is unnecessary: on my knees I beg

That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food.—Ibid., ii. 4.

This phrase comprises the two significations of

living to be old is

needless,' and 'age needs but the merest necessaries of life.'

She that herself will sliver and disbranch

From her material sap, perforce must wither,

And come to deadly use.-Ibid., iv. 2.

This expression means, literally, the sap of the parent tree or trunk; it means, figuratively, her own parental blood,' 'the blood of her old father'; and it means, elliptically, 'the parent stock which supplies her vital sap.' "Material" has here especial force of apt signification; materia, in Latin, besides signifying material,' matter," 'substance,' also signifying timber,' 'wood,'' the trunk of a tree.' Oh, then it mov'd her.

Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove
Who should express her goodliest. You have seen
Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears
Were like a better way.-Ibid., iv. 3.

This phrase (which has been variously altered by various emendators) is, as it stands, thoroughly Shakespearian in its inclusive mode of referring to two clauses of the speech; it implies her mingled "smiles and tears" expressed her feelings in a better way than either "patience" or "sorrow" could do separately,' and it also implies, her "smiles and tears" showed that she was "mov'd," "not to a rage," but to a better way of expressing her deep feeling.'

4

Cassio's a proper man: let me see now;
To get his place, and to plume up my will
In double knavery.-Oth., i. 3.

In the mouth of Iago, this expression has varied significance of effect; as if any project that involved reduplication of knavery were a feather in the cap of his depraved will-a thing to plume himself upon as a feat of intellectual volition-and as if, moreover, he meant to give wings of speed to his purpose by investing it with twin wickednesses, and to dress it up finely in the plumage of trickery. So suggestive and inclusive are the words Shakespeare chooses, that a crowd of images are presented to the mind by their expressive conciseness.

Eternity was in our lips and eyes,

Bliss in our brows' bent.-Ant. & C., i. 3.

This phrase comprises the sense of the arched curve of our eyebrows,' the bending of our brows in expressive mobility,' and 'the half frown of our brows when knit in sudden anger.' Cleopatra, in these five little words, reminds Antony of the rapture he has felt at every varying turn of those flexile and bewitching brows of hers.

Oh, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten.-Ibid., i. 3.

This combines the double sense of I am entirely forgotten' and ‘I am thoroughly forgetful.'

Why should excuse be born or e'er begot ?-Cym., iii. 2.

This phrase means not only Why should excuse be framed before the act is done for which excuse will be necessary?' it also means 'Why should excuse be born or ever be begotten?' 'Why should excuse be made or ever be conceived?' It is characteristic of the noble-souled Imogen that she should deplore the necessity for excuse, -the next thing to deception.

Now, if you could wear a mind
Dark as your fortune is, and but disguise
That which, to appear itself, must not yet be
But by self-danger, you should tread a course
Pretty and full of view; yea, haply, near
The residence of Posthumus,-so nigh, at least,
That though his actions were not visible, yet
Report should render him hourly to your ear
As truly as he moves.-Ibid., iii. 4.

Here, "full of view" includes the combined meanings of full of promising or auspicious aspect in itself,' full of means of observation for yourself,' and 'full in view of others.'

I'll make my will, then; and, as sick men do,
Who know the world, see heaven, but, feeling woe,

Gripe not at earthly joys, as erst they did.-Per., i. I.

This phrase elliptically conveys the twofold effect of see a heaven of delight in their mundane pleasure,' and 'see heaven itself only as a distant goal to be attained. The whole passage is condensedly expressed; but we interpret it to mean, 'As sick men do, who know the world, seeing a heaven of delight in its pleasures while they lasted, and seeing heaven itself only as a distant object of attainment; but feeling illness and sorrow, care no longer for earthly joys as once they did.'

VERBS PECULIARLY USED.

Shakespeare occasionally makes a verb do double or multiplied duty in a sentence [See ELLIPTICAL STYLE]::

And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife

Where he himself was lost; Prospero [found] his dukedom

In a poor isle; and all of us [found] ourselves

When no man was his own.-Temp., v. 1.

To be in love, where scorn is bought with groans;

Coy looks [bought] with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth
[Bought] With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights.-Tw. G. of V., i. 1.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;

Our bruised arms [are] hung up for monuments;

Our stern alarums [are] chang'd to merry meetings,

Our dreadful marches [are changed] to delightful measures.—R. III., i. 1.
Wrong hath but wrong, and blame [hath but] the due of blame.-Ibid., v. 1.
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten

A long time out of play, may bring his plain-song,
And have an hour of hearing; and by 'r lady,

[Have it] Held current music too.-H. VIII., i. 3.

One fire drives out one fire; one nail [drives out] one nail;

Rights by rights fouler [do fail], strengths by strengths do fail.—Coriol., iv. 7. In this last-cited passage various alterations have been made by various commentators, who believe the line to be incorrect; but we think that if it be compared with the several other instances here collectively quoted of Shakespeare's mode of allowing a verb to perform double and even multiplied duty in a phrase, it will be found to be quite

correct.

But passion lends them power [to meet], time [lends them] means, to meet.R. & Jul.. i. 5 (Chorus).

Thus much of this will make black, white; [make] foul, fair; [make] wrong, right; [make] base, noble; [make] old, young; [make] coward, valiant.-Timon, iv. 3.

Thou wouldst have plung'd thyself

In general riot; [wouldst have] melted down thy youth

In different beds of lust; and never [wouldst have] learn'd

The icy precepts of respect, but [wouldst have] follow'd

The sugar'd game before thee. But myself,

Who had the world as my confectionary;

[Who had] The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, and hearts of men

At duty, more than I could frame employment.-Ibid., iv. 3.

As fire drives out fire, so pity [drives out] pity.-Jul. C., iii. 1.

As sparrows [dismay] eagles, or the hare [dismays] the lion.-Macb., i. 2.

This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,

Was once thought honest: you have lov'd him well;

He hath not touch'd you yet. I am young; but something

You may discern of him through me; and [discern] wisdom

To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb

To appease an angry god.-Ibid., iv. 3.

"Discern" is the word given by the Folio in this passage, and we believe it to have been Shakespeare's word, though altered to 'deserve' by Theobald and every editor since his time excepting ourselves. The alterers of the word complain that there is no verb to which "wisdom"

can refer; but if the original word "discern" be retained, we have a verb doing double duty in a sentence, according to Shakespeare's frequent practice in this respect; and the sense of the whole passage is then consistent, thus: I am young, but something you may perceive of Macbeth in me [Malcolm has stated that Macbeth" was once thought honest," and afterwards taxes himself with vices], and also you may perceive the wisdom of offering up, &c.'

Why day is day, night [is] night, and time is time.—Hamlet, ii. 2.

Do not look upon me;

Lest with this piteous action you convert

My stern effects: then what I have to do

Will want true colour; [will want] tears, perchance for blood.—Ibid., iii. 4. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor;

[Art] Most choice, [being] forsaken; and [art] most loved, [being] despis'd!—Lear, i. 1. Let there be no honour,

Where there is beauty; [let there be no] truth, where [there is] semblance; [let there be no] love,

Where there's another man.-Cym., ii. 4.

'Tis wonder,

That an invisible instinct should frame them

To royalty unlearn'd; [should frame them to] honour untaught;

[Should frame them to] Civility not seen from other; [should frame them to] valour, That wildly grows in them, but yields a crop

As if it had been sow'd!Ibid., iv. 2.

Thy name well fits thy faith; thy faith [well fits] thy name.—Ibid., iv. 2.

Take that life, beseech you,

Which I so often owe: but [take] your ring first;

And here [take] the bracelet of the truest princess.—Ibid., v. 5.

Here have you seen a mighty king

His child, I wis, to incest bring;

[Here have you seen] A better prince, and benign lord,

That will prove awful both in deed and word.-Per., ii. (Gower).

He will repent the breadth of his great voyage;

[He will] Blame both my lord and me.—Ibid., iv. 1.

Shakespeare occasionally uses a verb peculiarly and arbitrarily in reference to its accompanying pronouns :

No? hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love.

Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one.—As You L., i. 3.

The use of "am" here gives succinctly the effect of the speaker's saying, which should teach thee, as it teaches me, that thou and I are (or "am") one.' It should always be remembered, in judging Shakespeare's phraseology, that the great art of a dramatist is to give promptly conveyed impression to his sentences; and in this art Shake speare is eminently an adept.

And, I beseech you, hear me, who professes
Myself your loyal servant, your physician,
Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dares
Less appear so, in comforting your evils,

Than such as most seem yours.—W. T., ii. 3.

By putting the verbs "professes" and "dares" in the third person. the effect is conveyed of Paulina's speaking of another, while she thus confidently asserts her own fidelity to the king.

Even so myself bewails good Gloster's case
With sad unhelpful tears; and with dimm'd eyes
Look after him, and cannot do him good,-

So mighty are his vowed enemies.-2 H. VI., iii. 1.

"Bewails" gives the effect of Henry's speaking of himself in the third person as a helpless being; while "look" allows I' to be elliptically understood before the latter verb, and produces the more directly forcible effect of personal feeling.

Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.-Jul. C., iii. 1.

Either you are the first that rear your hand' or 'you are the first that rears his hand' would be more accordant to usual construction; but the sentence, as written by the dramatist, gives the effect of hurried speaking, and is expressively consistent with the stage situation.

In the following passage Shakespeare uses a verb (as he frequently uses a pronoun: See RELATIVELY USED PRONOUNS) with reference to an implied particular; this implied particular being the circumstance of "two boys, an old man, &c." :

Two boys, an old man twice a boy, a lane,

Preserv'd the Britons, was the Romans' bane.-Cym., v. 3.

In the following passage he uses a verb in the plural, referring to an antecedent in the singular :

Priam's six-gated city,

Dardan, and Tymbria, Ilias, Chetas, Trojan,

And Antenorides, with massy staples,

And corresponsive and fulfilling bolts,

Sperr up the sons of Troy.—Tr. & Cr. (Prologue).

He sometimes uses neuter and passive verbs actively :-
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd.-Jul. C., i. 2.

Those powers that the queen

Hath rais'd in Gallia have arriv'd our coast.-3 H. VI., v. 3.

And now, arriving a place of potency.-Coriol., ii. 3.

That gallant spirit hath aspir'd the clouds.-R. & Jul., iii. 1.
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,

Particularities and petty sounds

To cease-2 H. VI., v. 2.

Take an oath to cease this civil war.-3 H. VI., i. 1.

A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would cease

The present power of life.-Cym., v. 5.

Be not ceas'd with slight denial.-Timon, ii. 1.

And afterward consort you till bed-time.-Com. of E., i. 2.

Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace!-Love's L. L., ii. 1.
Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here.-R. & Jul., iii. 1.
Who to Philippi here consorted us.-Jul. C., v. I.

What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords?—3 H. VI., i. 1.
That do conspire my death with devilish plots.—R. III., iii. 4.
And expire the term of a despised life.-R. & Jul., i. 4.

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall* and bruise to death.-M. for M., ii. 1.

Here did she fall a tear.-R. II., iii. 4.

Fall" is here used for strike down,' 'fell to the earth,' as a tree is felled.