1 Lo! thus by day my limbs, by night my mind, Cp. Romeo and Juliet, i. 1, 186-200. Mr. Staunton says: "This is the great crux of the play. No passage in Shakespeare has occasioned more speculation; and on none has speculation proved less happy." In such a passage the first point is to examine the text of the original editions. In this passage the early editions agree even in the punctuation, and only differ in the spelling of the word 'lest' or 'least,' which is merely a matter of orthography(1) Most busy lest, when I doe it. (2) Most busy least, when I doe it. (1) Is the reading of the first of the complete editions of Shakespeare (1623), generally called the folios, from their size, as opposed to the quarto editions which exist of some single plays, though not of the Tempest; (2) is the reading of the other folios, the second (1632), third (1663), and fourth (1685). The first interpretation given above alters neither words nor punctua tion, I am least most busy,' &c. (ii.) Mr. Hunter alters the punctuation, and reads, 'Most busy, least when I do it.' He says the construction is, 'Most busy when I do it least,' the inversion, 'least when I do it,' being quite in Shakespeare's manner. Cp. in Ariel's song→→ "Courtsied when you have and kissed." It may be added that there would be a special reason for the transposition here, to bring 'least" into more direct contrast with most.' (iii.) It once occurred to me that 'lest' or 'least' might be another form of "'less;' i.e. 'unless.' 'Most busy, least' (i.e. 'less, or unless) 'when I do it;' i.e. 'Most busy at all times, except when I do it' (my laborious work); his care for Miranda being so intense that he is never really occupied except when he has leisure to think of her. [For 'least' in this sense, cp. Marlow, Jew of Malta, iii. 4— And, least thou yield to this that I entreat, 66 I cannot think but that thou hat'st my life." The word 'unless' is 'on-less,' Fr. 'a moins que;' as in "That may not be, upon-less-than (i.e. 'unless') we falle toward hevene from the erthe, where we ben."-MAUNDEVILLE. 'Lest' ('quo minus') is A.S. 'läst,' Lat. 'minime,' O.E. 'least,' 'leste;' probably the superlative of 'less.' "Less' is often used for unless ;' as in "(He), 'less you fly beyond the seas, And apparently for 'lest' in H "But yet lest thou do worsè, take a wyfe; -L'Envoy de Chaucer a Bukton, r. 17, 18. (iv.) Theobald conjectures, 'Most busieless when I do it ;' i.e. My mind being least occupied when I am at work.' See S. Walker, vol. ii. p. 286, for adjectives compounded with 'less.' (v.) As a small excess of ink on the types would turn 'busiest' into 'buslest,' another change has been suggested by Mr. Holt White "But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours, Most busiest when I do it ;" i.e. Even when my labour is at the hardest, these thoughts are sweet enough to refresh it.' For this the adverb 'busiliest ' would be better. (vi.) The Cambridge editors (the highest modern authority) retain the old text, but say it is manifestly corrupt, and approve a conjecture, 'Most busy left, when idlest;' the meaning being, 'When idlest' (as regards labour), 'I am left most busy' (with thoughts of Miranda). The old form of 's' is so like 'f,' that the change of 'lest' into 'left' is very slight; but 'idlest' for 'I doe it' changes two letters, and seems unlikely. 33 'Tis fresh morning with me. An echo of the 43rd Sonnet. 46 And put it to the foil; i.e. 'defeat it,' 'disparage it.' There is difficulty in making out clearly the various senses of the word 'foil.' When Hamlet says, "I'll be your foil, Laertes," he means, 'I will be like the worthless leaf which sets off a jewel.' This first is from Fr. feuille, Lat. folium, a leaf.' The 'foil' with which Hamlet fights is of course a blunted weapon, and with it he hopes to 'foil' Laertes. We can, perhaps, account for both these latter senses from the O. Fr. 'De tes commandenenz ne foliai' (I did not go astray from thy commandments); whence also 'affoler' is said of a compass-needle which will 'not point true;' so that 'a foil' is not an unnatural name for that which has had its point blunted, and therefore cannot accurately point at anything. 'To foil a lance-thrust' is, in the same way, 'to turn it aside,' 'to make it go astray;' and the word, when generalised, comes to mean, 'to defeat the attacks of an adversary.' Wedgwood compares Fr. fouler, 'trample on.' 52 Feature. Often used of the whole person; Lat. 'factura.' "Which the fair feature of her limbs did hide."-SPENSER. Cp. the limitation of 'figure' in French to the 'face' only. 57 To like of. The 'of' after 'to like' is perhaps a result of the old impersonal use of the verb, 'me liketh,' him liketh,' which might seem to disqualify the verb from taking a direct object. 70 Invert. .. to mischief. For the idea of inverting a thing into its opposite, cp. Virgil's Æneid, ii. 131— "Assensere omnes; et quæ sibi quisque tenebat the meaning being, 'they carried all their fears for themselves over into zeal for my death.' Cp. also the fine lines in the Angel in the House "The wrong we rate and measure by So low in hell thy bed shall be !" 72 Of what else in the world. Cp. So beauty blemished once [is] for ever lost." For 'what else' ('whatever') cp. the Ger. 6 was auch.' 74 Fair encounter of two most rare affections! What a meeting between such tears and such joy! May the heavens rain grace upon the love which grows between them.' This may be compared with the Homeric " delighting in tears." It is a poet's masterpiece thus to reconcile incongruous feelings, such as joy and sorrow; and as such it is peculiarly dear to Shakespeare. Cp. in King Lear, iv. 3, 18, the unparalleled description of Cordelia "Patience and sorrow strove Who should express her goodliest. You have seen 84 I'll be your servant. Cp. Catullus, lxiv. 158-163— 87 Thus humble ever. ACT III. SCENE 2. I Trinculo was entrusted with the bottle (ii. 2, 180), and proposes to put it in his pocket. 3 Bear up [i.e. close with '] and board 'em. Stephano thinks his ship is boarding the foe. 10 Set, (1) of the sun, (2) 'placed.' Cp. the puns on 'standard,' 'run,' 'lie,' and 'natural,' which follow. 20 No standard; i.e. 'drunk.' 30 Deboshed. 'Baucher' is to lay rows of bricks; hence 'Deboshed' is the spelling in ' debaucher' is to disorder them. Scotland even now. 55 This Thing. 71 Pied ninny. Trinculo. Trinculo, as jester, in motley. Patch. The regular name of a fool, probably from his dress. Cp. "Man is but a patched fool.”—Midsummer Night's Dream, iv. I, 207. 79 Stock-fish. (Ger. 'stocken,' Eng. 'to stick.') 'Dried fish.' 83 Beat him too. Cp. the courage of the populace in Juvenal"Dum jacet in ripâ, calcemus Cæsaris hostem." 99 Wezand, or 'weasand;' 'windpipe' (‘wheeze'). 106 And that [that] most deeply, &c. The relative is often omitted, especially where the antecedent clause is emphatic and evidently incomplete. Cp. Measure for Measure, ii. 2, 33: "I have a brother [who] is condemned to die." In these cases, and often in Shakespeare, it is the nominative which is omitted. Modern usage mostly confines the omission to the objective: "A man [whom] I saw told me," &c. 136 Picture of nobody. As represented on signboards, &c. One was found on an old pavement with this scroll— "Nobody is my name That beyreth everybodye's blame." 156 By and by; directly.' Used like 'presently' is in Shakespeare. A doubled form of 'by,' 'near.' 160 Taborer. 'Tabour,' 'timbrel,' or 'tabret' (Psalms), is a hoop with parchment on it. Cp. the Venetian voyager's description of the desert of Lop, in Asia: "You shall heare in the year the sound of tabers and other instruments to put travellers in feare of evill spirites that make these soundes, and also do call diverse of the travellers by their names."-MARCO POLO (translated 1579). In I By'r lakin; our little lady.' Like 'marry,' 'by Mary,' as now in 'Marry, come up ;' i.e. Get out of that, by Mary.' Shakespeare's time such minced oaths were common: "zounds,' "sblood,' "sdeath,' for 'God's wounds,' meaning 'Christ's death,' &c. So in Ophelia's song: "By Gis and by Saint Charity;" i.e. O Jesu.'-Hamlet, iv. 2. So our 'lor' is 'by the Lord; the Scotch 'faiks,' or 'gude faikins,' 'by my faith,' &c. 3 Forth-rights. 'Paths at right angles' in one of the labyrinths common in old gardens. 5 Attach and 'attack' were the same (cp. Lat. 'tango,' and Ang. 'take,' 'tack on to'). "Attach' is still used legally for 'to take up,' 'arrest.' 21 A living drollery. The figures on a Christmas masque realised. (Fr. 'drole,' 'wag;' Eng. 'to drivel or be childish.') Properly, 'show of puppets.' 'Living' is emphatic. 22 Unicorns. Such as Cæsar tells of in Germany. Phoenix. As related by Herodotus and Clement of Rome. See Mr. Aldis Wright's note. 36 Muse such shapes. 'Muse' is very rarely transitive. It is (1) properly from Lat. 'mussare,' 'to mutter,' 'grumble;' hence (2) to brood over.' We see the transition in "My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus musing [Heb. ' moaning'] the fire kindled and at the last I spake with my tongue.”—Psalm xxxix. 3. 66 39 Praise in departing. Wait till you see all.' 48 Each putter-out of five for one. 'Every traveller.' Cp. I intend to travel, and because I will not altogether go upon expence, I will put forth some £5000, to be paid me 5 for 1, upon the return of my wife, myself, and my dog from the Turk's court at Constantinople. If all or either of us miscarry, 'tis gone; if we be successful, why there will be £2500 to entertain time with."-BEN JONSON. This insurance reversed became a popular mode of adventurous betting. One gentleman writes a Defence of Adventures upon Returnes. He confesses he travelled solely for the gain, but complains that when 66 They tooke a broke worth twelve pence, and were bound nearly half his 1600 debtors did not pay. 'Of five for one,' an abbreviated expression for 'of [money at] five for one,' 'taking the odds of five to one.' Cp. an epigram of Ben Jonson "Who gave, to take at his return from hell, His three for one. 52 A quaint device (of theatre machinists) to make it appear that Ariel devoured the banquet. Cp. 84. 53 Whom Destiny, that hath this world to [as her] instrument, hath caused the sea to belch up; 'you' being added for clearness, because the relative is so far from its verb. 63 Bemocked-at. 'At' is superfluous, as 'be-' ('by;' i.e. 'near,' 'about') means ‘at,' and, when prefixed to an intransitive verb, makes it practically transitive. Cp. 'to belie' and 'byword' with the force of κará in кaтα-Opηvéw, 'be-wail;' from θρηνέω, ‘I wail.’ 65 Dowle. (Fr. 'douillet,' 'soft,' 'delicate.') 'A feather, or single particles of down.' Cp. Plowman's Tale, v. 3202"And swore by cock 'is herte and blode, He would tear him every doule." 80 Falls has wraths' for its subject. Cp. "What cares these roarers?" (Act i. 1, 17, n.) 82 Mocks and mows. Often printed 'mops and mows' (conjectured by Theobald), as being the more usual combination. Cp. iv. I, 47; but 'mock' is very common as a noun in Shakespeare. 86 With good life and observation strange. 'With liveliness, and yet with remarkable attention.' Cp. "strangely stood the test," (iv. I, 7.) |