SHAKSPEARE CORRESPONDENCE.
Shakspearian Parallels.—Searching for Shakspearian parallels, I find the following, which may leave suggested to our bard his Seven Ages. The first is by Solon, extracted from Clemens Alexandrinus (Stromat. vi. p. 685., Paris, 1629), which differs from Philo Judæus (i. p. 25.), the only two authorities to whom we owe the preservation of this ode, as also from the text of the critic Brunck and the grammarian Dalzell. An imitation of the Greek metres is attempted in the paraphrased translation attached. The second is a sonnet from Tusser, who extends the period of life beyond seventy, the age of Solon and David in hotter climes, to eighty-four for hyperboreans, but assigns, with David, the imbecility belonging to such advanced years.
7. Παῖς μὲν ἄνηβος ἐὼν ἔτι νήπιος ἕρκος ὀδόντων
Φύσας, ἐκβάλλει πρῶτον ἐν ἕπτ' ἔτεσιν.
14. Τοὺς δ' ἑτέρους ὅτε δὴ τελέσει Θεὸς ἕπτ' ἐνιαυτοὺς,
Ἥβης ἐκφαίνει σπέρματα γεινομένης.
21. Τῇ τριτατῃ δὲ γένειον ἀεξομένων ἐπὶ γυίων
Λαχνοῦται, χροιῆς ἄνθος ἀμειβομένης.
28. Τῇ δὲ τετάρτῃ πᾶς τις ἐν ἑβδομάδι μέγ' ἄριστος
Ἰσχὺν, ἥντ' ἄνδρες σήματ' ἔχουσ' ἀρετῆς.
35. Πέμπτῃ δ' ὥριον ἄνδρα γάμου μεμνημένον εἶναι.
Καὶ παίδων ζητεῖν εἰς ὀπίσω γενεήν.
42. Τῇ δ' ἕκτῃ περιπάντα καταρτύεται γόος ἀνδρὸς,
Οὐδ' ἐσιδεῖν ἔθ' ὁμῶς ἔργα μάταια θέλει.
49. Ἑπτὰ δὲ νοῦν καὶ[[1]] γλώσσαν ἐν ἑβδομάσι μέγ' ἄριστος·
56. Οκτὼ δ' ἀμφοτέρων τέσσαρα καὶ δέκ' ἔτη,
63. Τῇ δ' ἐνάτῃ ἔτι μὲν δύναται, μετριώτερα δ' αὐτοῦ,
Πρὸς μεγάλην ἀρετὴν σῶμά τε καὶ δύναμις.
70. Τῇ δεκάτῃ δ' ὅτε δὴ τελέσῃ Θεὸς ἕπτ' ἐνιαυτοὺς,
Οὐκ ἂν ἄωρος ἐὼν μοῖραν ἔχοι θανάτου.
7. Youth immature, not a tooth in his jaws, while an infant he slumbers
Growing, shows teeth i' th' first seven years of his life.
14. God, in the next seven years, to him grants ev'ry pow'r of production;
Thus soon commands man, sacred, to look on the sex.
21. Thirdly, his beard, while it roughens his chin; and his limbs, freely playing,
Grow lust'rously-bright, changing their flowery hue.
28. Fourth, in this sev'n-fold older, the man very speedily shoots forth,
Mighty in muscular limbs, proud of his vigour and strength.
35. Fifth, in maturity, glowing in health, with his heart in the right place,
Let him, wisdom-join'd, think upon children to come.
42. Sixth, let him carefully ponder on things of importance to mankind;
Disdaining whate'er, formerly, foolish he sought.
49. Seventh, in mind or in tongue is he best, either one or the other:
56. Eighth, both join'd in excelling, for a term of fourteen.
63. Ninth, he declines in his powers of force, and the deeds of his youthhood;
Shorn of the vigour of manhood, he awaits his recall.
70. God in the tenth of the seven, mature, all his functions develop'd,
Consigns him, full ripe, darkly to sleep in the dust.
So far Solon. Tusser quaintly but wisely:
"Man's age divided here ye have,
By 'prenticeships, from birth to grave.
7. The first seven years bring up as a child,
14. The next to learning, for waxing too wild.
21. The next, keep under Sir Hobbard de Hoy;
28. The next, a man, no longer a boy.
35. The next, let Lusty lay wisely to wive;
42. The next, lay now, or else never to thrive.
49. The next, make sure for term of thy life;
56. The next, save somewhat for children and wife.
63. The next, be stayd, give over thy lust;
70. The next, think hourly, whither thou must.
77. The next, get chair and crutches to stay;
84. The next, to heaven God send us the way!
Who loseth their youth shall rue it in age.
Who hateth the truth in sorrow shall rage."
T. J. Buckton.
Birmingham.
Footnote 1:[(return)]
Read ἢ for καὶ.
"Contents dies"—Love's Labour's Lost, Act V. Sc. 2. (Vol. viii., pp. 120. 169.).—I must be permitted, with all due courtesy, to correct Mr. Arrowsmith's assertion respecting this phrase; because, from its dogmatic tone, it is calculated to mislead readers, and perhaps editors. He maintains that this is a good concord, and pronounces Johnson and Collier (myself, of course, included) to be "unacquainted with the usage of their own tongue, and the universal language of thought," for not discerning it.
Now it may, perhaps, surprise Mr. Arrowsmith to be told that he has proved nothing—that not a single one of his instances is relevant. In this passage the verb is neuter or active; in all of his quotations it is the verb substantive we meet. Surely one so well versed, as we must suppose him to be, in general grammar, requires not to be told that this verb takes the same case after as before it, and that the governing case often follows. Indeed, he has recognised this principle by giving "This is the contents thereof" as one of his instances of "contents" governing a singular verb. Let him then produce an exact parallel to "contents dies," or even such a structure as this, "the contents is lies and calumnies," and then we may hearken to him. Till that has been done, my interpretation is the only one that gives sense to the passage without altering the text.
An exact parallel to the sense in which I take "contents" is found in—
"But heaven hath a hand in these events,
To whose high will we bound our calmly contents."
Rich. II., Act V. Sc. 2.
In conclusion, I must add that I still regard this emendatory criticism as a "game," the Latin ludus, as it gives scope to sagacity and ingenuity, but can rarely hope to arrive at certainty; and it does not, like questions of ethics or politics, involve important interests, and should never excite our angry feelings. As to "cogging and falsification," which Mr. A. joins with it, they can have no just reference to me, as I have never descended to the employment of such artifices.
Thos. Keightley.
P. S.—I have just seen H. C. K.'s observation on "clamour your tongues" in the Winter's Tale, and it really seems strange that he should not have read, or should have forgotten my view of it in "N. & Q.," which is precisely similar to his own. As to suspecting him of pilfering from me, nothing is farther from my thoughts.
Meaning of Delighted.—With reference to the word delighted in Shakspeare, much discussed in "N. & Q.," may I remind you that we call that which carries (or is furnished, or provided with) wings, winged; that which carries wheels, wheeled; that which carries masts, masted; and so on. Why then should not a pre-Johnsonian writer call that which carries delight, delighted? It appears to me that this will sufficiently explain "delighted beauty;" and "the delighted spirit" I would account for in the same way: only remarking that in this case, the borne delights meant are delights to the bearer; in the other case, delights to all whom the bearer approaches.
J. W. F.