All's Well, &c. i. 2,

"But on us both did haggish age steal on,” &c.

Webster, Funeral Elegy on Prince Henry, Dyce, vol. iv. p. 270,

"On such a broken column we lean on."

Massinger, I think, rather affects this idiom. Roman Actor, iv. 1, Moxon, p. 160, col. 1,—

To make me know that, of which if again

I could be ignorant of, I would purchase it
With the loss of empire."

Beaumont and Fletcher, Valentinian, i. 2, near the end,

of all

The sins I covet, but this woman's beauty,

With much repentance now I could be quit of."

Laws of Candy, iv. 2, Moxon, vol. i. p. 382, col. 2,as the world goes,

66

Debtors are very slaves to those to whom
They have been beholding to."

Humorous Lieutenant, iv. 8, p. 258, col. 2,

"Go, ask your father's conscience what I suffer'd,
And through what seas of hazards I sail'd through."
In the Double Marriage, iv. 3, vol. ii. p. 118, col. 2,-
“Though I confess, equal with your desires

My wishes rise, as covetous of your love,
And to as warm alarums spur my will to,
Yet pardon me," &c.

Weber has emended, too; at least I find it so in Moxon.49 Jonson, Epistle to Sir Edward Sackville, Gifford, vol. viii. p. 361,

"O, is it so? knows he so much, and will

Feed those, at whom the table points at still?"

* See Mr. Dyce's note on this passage, and the references in it.

Underwoods, Elegy beginning, ""Tis true, I'm broke!” p. 403,

"I will not stand to justify my fault,

Or go about to countenance the vice,
By naming in what company 'twas in,
As I would urge authority for sin."
Daniel, Letter of Octavia, St. xxxii.,—

"For in what case shall wretched I be in,
Set betwixt both, to share with both your ill?"

St. xxxviii.,

"In what confused state is thy soul in,

Rack'd betwixt pity, sorrow, shame and sin!"

r

Timon of Athens, ii. 2,-" and, generally, in all shapes that man goes up and down in, from fourscore to thirteen, this spirit walks in." Massinger, Virgin Martyr, v. 2, p. 25, col. 1,

"As ever I deserv'd your favour, hear me,

And grant me one boon; 'tis not for life I sue for," &c. Harrington, Ariosto, B. xxii. St. xxviii., marginal note,—

he knew not in what danger his master was in.” Herrick, Hesperides, Clarke, vol. ii. p. 164, ccclxxvi.,— "For one so rarely tun'd to fit all parts;

For one to whom espous'd are all the arts;
Long have I sought for; but could never see
Them all concenter'd in one man, but thee."

The following is curious, but seems to be a mere piece of hasty writing; Ford and Dekker, Sun's Darling, iv., near the beginning,

I have smelt perfumes of roses,

And every flower, with which the fresh-trimm'd earth
Is mantled in."

Note, too, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, ii., towards the end of the act," Signior Florio, I thank you for your 50 free recourse you gave for my admittance; and to you, fair maid, that jewel I will give you against your marriage.”

LXVI.

Note the not unfrequent occurrence in our old dramatists of the figure, so familiar to the ancients, whereby a predicate, which properly indicates effect, is made to express

cause.

Heywood, Silver Age, Lamb's Specimens, vol. ii. p. 229 (Ceres is threatening the Earth),

the stormy gusts of winter's day,

And barren rage of death's eternal cold."

Beaumont and Fletcher, Mad Lover, iii. 4, Moxon, vol. ii.

p. 301, col. 2,-

"Live till the mothers find [?] you, read your story,
And sow their barren curses on your beauty."

As You Like It, ii. 7,—

..

"51

Opprest with two weak evils, age and hunger."

The first of

For your read the; confusion of yr and ye.-Ed. This passage is quoted at length in Art. xliii. the two verses quoted here is no doubt corrupt, not merely find you having crept in from below.-Ed.

but

Spenser, F. Queene, B. vi. C. xi. St. xvii. (speaking of dogs),

The greatest portion of the greedie pray [prey]."

LXVII.

Note wou'd or woo'd, shou'd, also wud, wu'd, shoo'd (for instances of the three last, see Rowley's Noble Soldier), in our old poets. Wou'd and shou'd (add cou'd), the common mode of writing this contraction, were not obsolete even in Pope's days. In some poetry in the Gent. Mag. 1735, I notice, p. 412, col. 2, shou'd, passim; while in p. 429, col. 2, we have could and would. I notice this form of the words in question, because it was intended to denote the omission of the / in pronunciation; for this letter was sometimes pronounced, as is evident from the rhyme. Venus and Adonis, St. lxv.,

thy palfrey, as he should, Welcomes the warm approach of sweet desire. Affection is a coal that must be cool'd;

Else, suffer'd, it would set the heart on fire." Drayton, Epistle of Queen Isabel to King Richard II., mould-could. Duke Humphrey to Elinor Cobham, hold -could. Legend of Robert Duke of Normandy, 1619, p. 326, mould-would. Daniel, Musophilus, edit. 1623, p. 105, alternate rhymes,

"No marvel then, though th' overpester'd state
Want room for goodness, if our little hold

Be lessen'd into such a narrow rate,

That Reverence cannot sit, fit as it should:

And yet what need we thus for rooms complain,

That shall not want void rooms if this course hold ?"

Civil wars, B. i. St. ciii. rhymes, would-should-hold. Jonson, Alchemist, i. ad fin.,—

He will make

Nature asham'd of her long sleep: when art,
Who's but a step-dame, shall do more than she
In her best love to mankind, ever could:
If his dream last, he'll turn the age to gold."

Drayton, Barons' Wars, C. v. St. xxxv. ad fin.,—

"Water and tears contending, whether should
The mast'ry have, the hot ones, or the cold."

C.iv. St. lxii.,

behold-control'd—should.

ed. 1630, p. 139; Jethro's daughters,

Returning sooner than their usual hour,

Moses, B. i.

All that had happen'd to their father told;
That such a man reliev'd them by his power,
As one all civil courtesy that could."

(Could, i.e. knew, understood.) Beaumont, Translation of the Story of Salmacis, Moxon, vol. ii. p. 695, col. 1, would -gold; ; p. 699, col. 2, could-behold. Ford, Broken Heart, ii. 1, Moxon, p. 54, col. 1,

"But all are false: on this truth I am bold,

No woman but can fall, and doth or would."

Chapman, Il. x., Taylor, vol. i. p. 224, 1. 29,

“This said, he threw his javelin forth: which miss'd (as Diomed would)

Above his right arm making way, the pile [pilum] stuck in the mould."

Fletcher, Faithful Shepherdess, iv. 5, vol. i. p. 281, col. 2,

Thou dost but try me, if I would

Forsake thy dear embraces, for
Love's, though he were alive."

my old