2. Again: the context, as I observed, leads us to this meaning. The poet in v. 42. had been giving his opinion of the nature and effect of method, or orderly disposition in the conduct of a fable. The course of his ideas carries him to apply the observation to words; which he immediately does, only interposing v. 46. by way of introduction to it. On the whole then junctura is a word of large and general import, and the same in expression, as order or disposition, in a subject. The poet would Instead of framing new words, I recommend to you any kind of artful management by which you may be able to give a new air and cast to old ones." say, Having now got at the true meaning of the precept, let us see how well it may be exemplified in the practice of Shakespear. 1. The first example of this artful management, if it were only in complaisance to former commentators, shall be that of compound epithets; of which sort are, High-sighted Tyranny Flower-soft hands Lazy-pacing clouds J. C. A. II. S. 2. A. IV. S. 1. A. C. A. I. S. 6. A. II. S. 3. R. J. A. 11. S. 2. and a thousand instances more in this poet. But this is a small part of his craft, as may be seen by what follows. For this end is attained, VOL. I. F REESE BRAND CA 2. By another form of composition; by compound verbs as well as compound adjectives. To candy and limn are known words. The poet would express the contrary ideas, and he does it happily, by compounding them with our English negative dis, "The hearts That pantler'd me at heels, to whom I gave "That which is now a horse, ev'n with a thought The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct As water is in water Though here we may dier acceptation of these subjoins the explanation. A. C. A. IV. S. 10. observe, that for the reacompounds, he artfully 3. By a liberty he takes of converting substan tives into verbs; A glass that featur'd them. Simon's weeping Did scandal many a holy tear Cymb. A. 1. S. 1. A. III. S. 4. A. IV. S. 5. Great griefs, I see, medicine the less. that kiss I carried from thee, Dear; and my true lip Hath virgin'd it e'er since- Cor. A. v. S. 3. Or verbs into substantives; Then began A stop i' th' chaser, a Retire- Cymb. A. v. S. 2. Still waving, as the fits and stirs of's mind -Sextus Pompeius Could best express Cymb. A. 1. S. 5. Hath giv'n the dare to Cæsar A. C. A. I. S. 3. 4. By using active verbs neutrally, He hath fought to-day. As if a god in hate of mankind had Destroy'd, in such a shape- A. C. A. IV. S. 6. It is the bloody business, that informs Thus to mine eyes— And neutral verbs actively, Macb. A. 11. S. 2 never man Sigh'd truer breath; but that I see thee here, Bestride my threshold Cor. A. IV. S. 4. like smiling Cupids, With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool A. C. A. II. S. 3. 5. By converting Adjectives into Substantives. I do not think So fair an outward and such stuff within Cymb. A. 1. S. 1. 6. By converting Participles into Substantives. He would have well become this place, and grac'd The thankings of a King- Cymb. A. v. S. 5. The herbs, that have in them cold dew o' th' night, Are strewings fitt'st for Graves-- A. IV. S. 5. "Then was I as a tree Whose boughs did bend with fruit. But, in one night, A storm, or robbery, call it what you will, Shook down my mellow hangings Cymb. A. III. S. 3. Comes in my father, And like the tyrannous breathing of the North Cymb. A. 1. S. 5. Which last instance I the rather give for the sake of proposing an emendation, which I think restores this fine passage to its Integrity. Before the late edition of Shakespear it stood thus, And like the tyrannous breathing of the North Shakes all our Buds from growing But the sagacious Editor saw that this reading was corrupt, and therefore altered the last word, growing, for unanswerable reasons, into blowing. See Mr. W's note opon the place. This slight change gives propriety and beauty to the passage, which before had no sort of meaning. Yet still all is not quite right. For, as the great Critic himself observes, "Breathing is not a very proper word to express the rage and bluster of the north wind." Besides, one does not see how the shaking of these Buds is properly assign'd as the cause of their not blowing. The wind might shake off the blossoms of a fruit tree, i. e. the Buds when they were fullblown; but so long as the blossom lies folded up in the Bud, it seems secure from shaking. At least the shaking is not the immediate cause of the effect, spoken of; it is simply the cold of the north-wind that closes the Bud and keeps it from blowing. I am therefore tempted to propose another alteration of the text, and to read thus, And like the tyrannous Breathing of the North Shuts all our Buds from blowing If this correction be allowed, every thing is perfectly right. It is properly the breathing, the cold breath of the North, that shuts up the Buds when they are on the point of blowing. Whence the epithet tyrannous will be understood not as implying the idea of blust ring (an idea indeed necessary if we retain the word shakes) but simply of cruel, the tyranny of this wind consisting in imprisoning the flower in its Bud and denying it the liberty of coming out into Blossom. The application too of this comparison, which required the change of growing into blowing, seems also to require the present alteration of shakes. For there was no manner of violence in the father's coming in upon the lovers. All the effect was, that his presence restrained them from that interchange of tender words, which was going to take place between them. |