"lapse of thought." It seems to us that here" Upon their faces does not refer so much to the faces of the two bodies now lying before the speaker as to the faces of corses generally, when prepared for burial, and having flowers strewn upon them, or when already in their graves," and having strewings" scattered upon that portion of the

66

66

mound of earth beneath which the head and face lie.

Or I'll be buried in the king's highway,

Some way of common trade where subjects' feet

May hourly trample on their sovereign's head.-R. II., iii. 3.

Johnson's note on this passage contains the singular sentence, Shakespeare is very apt to deviate from the pathetic to the ridiculous;" (!!!) and expresses the wish that the speech of Richard had ended at the line last quoted. The dramatist knew, what the critic could not discern, that lengthy lamentation and diffuse self-pityings are the very characteristics of the weak king's diction.

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.-H. V., iv. 3.

The spirited speech which concludes with the above line is pronounced by Johnson to be "too long"!

Give me another horse: bind up my wounds.

Have mercy, Jesu! Soft! I did but dream.-R. III., v. 3.

Upon the wonderfully conceived speech of a terror-stricken conscience, commencing with these two lines, Johnson observes, "There is in this, as in many of our author's speeches of passion, something very trifling, and something very striking. Richard's debate whether he should quarrel with himself is too long continued."

O proper stuff!

This is the very painting of your fear.—Macb., iii. 4.

At the conclusion of Lady Macbeth's energetic remonstrance, commencing thus, Johnson appends the remark, "This speech is rather too long for the circumstances in which it is spoken." Now, if reference be made to the above-cited four speeches against which Johnson brings the charge that each of them is too long, we think the referrer will agree with us that the fittest response to the commentator is the one made by Hamlet to Polonius :— "It shall to the barber's, with your

beard."

One would not be rough or trenchant with a critic who has so good a claim to our respect in many points as Dr. Johnson; but when we recall some of his own rough and trenchant animadversions upon our beloved Shakespeare, we cannot help feeling somewhat of bitterness. As a vindication of our resentment, and as an apt climax to our present heading, we will quote Johnson's concluding note upon "Cymbeline": "This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but they are obtained at the expense of much incongruity. To remark the folly of the fiction, the absurdity of the conduct, the confusion of names and manners of different times, and the impossibility of the events in any system of life, were to waste criticism upon unresisting imbecility (!!!!), upon faults too evident for detection and too gross for aggravation.' To our thinking, on the

contrary, the incongruities of Druidical, Pagan, and Christian that may be traced in this enchanting romantic drama-among other minor so-called inconsistencies were purposely here co-introduced by the dramatist as essential to his high art-purpose of depicting the existence of purest religion and purest morals amid primitive forms. How should it be objected that Imogen in one single exclamation combines an address to a Pagan god and to a Christian institution ("O Jove! I think, Foundations* fly the wretched") when we perceive the manner in which the poet has made her a perfect exemplar of peerless womanhood, combining the simplicity of Druid times, the nobleness of antique · classical times, and the charity of Christian times? Why should we take exception against the ancient Briton, Posthumus, uttering so Christian a sentiment as this: "Kneel not to me: the power that I have on you is to spare you; the malice towards you to forgive you : live, and deal with others better," when we recall that the speaker's character has been drawn throughout with a view to show how the spirit of Christianity prevails to inspire a man during his gradual growth from Pagan vindictiveness and revenge into tolerance and forbearance, with forgiveness of injury? Need we care that Belarius couples an allusion to Saracenic giants, who "keep their impious turbands on, without good-morrow to the sun," in the same sentence with his admonition to the two princely boys "to adore the heavens with holiest morning worship, when we remember how divinely our Shakespeare has denoted natural piety, reverence of youth to age, instinctive affection, and all generous impulses of innate goodness in these young born princes peasant-bred? We cannot help thinking that "Cymbeline," instead of being one of Shakespeare's least congruously conducted plays, is rather one of those in which he best carries out his own supreme dramatic law of unity in moral design and impression.

ALLITERATION.

Shakespeare satirises the over-use of alliteration in style, which was in his time a fashionable affectation. Holofernes-reading aloud to Sir Nathaniel the verses he has composed in honour of the princess's hunting, which he calls "an extemporal epitaph on the death of the deer" says, "I will something affect the letter, for it argues facility" and then proceeds :

The preyful princess pierc'd and prick'd a pretty pleasing pricket;
Some say a sore, or else sorel, till now made sore with shooting.

The dogs did yell: put 1 to sore, then sorel jumps from thicket;

Or pricket, sore, or else sorel; the people fall a-hooting,

If sore be sore, then 1 to sore makes fifty sores: O sore 1!

Of one sore I a hundred make, by adding but one more 1.-Love's L. L., iv. 2.

• Establishments founded by charitable persons, with a settled revenue, where alms and relief were given.

Again in the specimen which Nick Bottom selects for the showing how well he can spout and rant :

The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
Shall break the locks
Of prison-gates;
And Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far

And make and mar

The foolish fates.-Mid. N. D., i. 2.

purpose of

Shakespeare himself occasionally uses alliteration for a special purpose of effect. As where Biron is railing at love :

This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy;
Th' anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,
Liege of all loiterers and malcontents,
Dread prince of plackets.—Love's L. L., iii. 1.

And where Biondello is heaping up contumelious description on the steed which brings Petruchio to the wedding :—

Sped with spavins . . . stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots, swayed in the back, and shoulder-shotten; two letters for her name fairly set down

in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread.-Tam. of S., iii. 2.

Also, where Mercutio is jeeringly citing some of the noted beauties of antiquity, as compared with Romeo's charmer, Rosaline :

Laura to his lady was a kitchen-wench; . . . Dido, a dowdy; . . . Helen and Hero, hildings and harlots.-R. & Jul., ii. 4.

Likewise, where the insolent Iago is coarsely goading Brabantio into alarm at his daughter's elopement with the Moor :

You'll have your nephews neigh to you; you 'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans.-Oth., i. I.

And, again, where he is rollickingly describing the powers of the English in drinking, as an incitement to Cassio to get drunk :

:

I learned it in England, where, indeed, they are most potent in potting.—Ibid., ii. 3.

ANTITHETICAL STYLE.

Shakespeare, among the many varied resources of expressive style, has availed himself of antithesis in several forms. He sometimes introduces words, antithetical to each other, in the same sentence :

I forget:

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours;
Most busy, least when I do it.*—Temp., iii. 1.

Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity

In least speak most, to my capacity.-Mid. N. D., v. I.

The Folio prints "lest" for "least" in this passage; and many substitutions have been made for this word by various commentators. But we think that the other instances here cited by us of passages similarly constructed, serve to prove that the antithesis of "most" and "least' was intended by Shakespeare in the present

instance.

Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy.-As You L., iv. 3.
Hold little faith, though thou hast too much fear.—Tw. N., v. 1.
Then poor Cordelia !

And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's

More richer than my tongue--Lear, i. 1.

I could have given less matter a better ear.—Ant. & C., ii. 1.
The scriptures of the loyal Leonatus,

All turn'd to heresy ?-Cym., iii. 4.

But to win time, to lose so bad employment.-Ibid., iii. 4.

Sometimes he uses an epithet that is antithetical with the noun to which it is appended. [See LOVE-EXAGGERATIONS]:—

This senior-junior, giant-dwarf, Dan Cupid.-Love's L. L., iii. I.
According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such dulcet diseases.-As You L., v. 4»
Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost.—R. III., iv. 4.
Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears.—Timon, iii. 6.
O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce

'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler.—Ibid., iv. 3.
And come down with fearful bravery.—Jul. C., v. I.

Such a holy witch, that he enchants societies.-Cym., i. 7.
O most delicate fiend!

Who is 't can read a woman ?—Ibid., v. 5.

How now, wholesome iniquity.—Per., iv. 6.

And he sometimes links antithetical terms together in a sentence :Thy speaking of my tongue, and I thine, most truly falsely, must needs be granted to be much at one.-H. V., v. 2.

Ignorance itself knows is so abundant scarce.-Tr. & Cr., ii. 3.
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits

To laughter and contempt.-Lear, i. 4.

:

Sometimes he has entire passages of antithetical diction :

The king's a beggar, now the play is done :
All is well ended, if this suit be won,

That you express content; which we will pay,
With strife to please you, day exceeding day:

Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts;

Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts.—All's W., v. 3.

Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp'd,

Brief abstract and record of tedious days,

Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth,

Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood !-R. III., iv. 4.

Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea,

Or swell the curled waters 'bove the main.*-Lear, iii. 1.

But that your royalty

Holds idleness your subject, I should take you

For idleness itself.

The borders maritime

Lack blood to think on 't, and flush youth revolt.—Ibid., i. 4.
The breaking of so great a thing should make

A greater crack: the round world

Should have shook lions into civil streets,
And citizens to their dens.-Ibid., v. I.

* "Main" here used for the mainland.

There are several instances of Shakespeare using the words "general and "particular" antithetically; in the same way that he uses "beast" and " man [See BEAST AND MAN]:—

My brother general, the commonwealth,
To brother born a household cruelty,

I make my quarrel in particular.—2 H. IV., iv. 1.
Where's our general?

Here I am, thou particular fellow.—2 H. VI., iv. 2.
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To cease!-Ibid., v. 2.

For the success,

Although particular, shall give a scantling

Of good or bad unto the general.—Tr. & Cr., i. 3.
Our general doth salute you with a kiss.

Yet is the kindness but particular;

'Twere better she were kiss'd in general.—Ibid., iv. 5.
You hear what he hath said,

Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him
In a most dear particular.—Coriol., v. 1.

Of him that, his particular to foresee,
Smells from the general weal.-Timon, iv. 3.

Though in general part we were oppos'd,

Yet our old love made a particular force,
And made us speak like friends.—Ibid., v. 3.
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault.—Hamlet, i. 4.
Nor doth the general care

Take hold of me; for my particular grief

Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature. Oth., i. 3.

Shakespeare has some passages where there is an effect given of an intended antithesis, but where there is no real antithesis existing

If you be not mad, be gone; if you have reason, be brief.-Tw. N., i. 5.
Are you not mad indeed? or do you but counterfeit ?—Ibid., iv. 2.

But let him say so then, and let him go;

But let him swear so, and he shall not stay.-W. T., i. 2.

-

If I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would not do't: I hold it the more knavery to conceal it; and therein am I constant to my profession.— Ibid., iv. 3.

Then say at once if I maintained the truth;

Or else was wrangling Somerset in error ?—1 H. VI., ii. 4.

Speak, Prince of Ithaca; and be 't of less expect
That matter needless, of importless burden,

Divide thy lips than we are confident,

When rank Thersites opes his mastiff jaws,

We shall hear music, wit, and oracle-Tr. & Cr., i. 3.

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?—

No, nor a man that fears you less than he,
That's lesser than a little.-Coriol., i. 4.

Promise me friendship, but perform none: if thou wilt not promise, the gods plague thee, for thou art a man! if thou dost perform, confound thee, for thou art a man !— Timon, iv. 3.

If thou hadst not been born the worst of men,
Ťhou hadst been a knave and flatterer.—Ibid., iv. 3.

If I bring you no sufficient testimony that I have enjoyed the dearest bodily part of