prove that Shakspeare never for a moment lost sight of the circumstances he was describing.
I was endeavouring to discover what particular nautical technicality might justify this application of ship in the sense of raft or float, when I recollected that sailors call the little float by which the log-line is held stationary in the water, by the term log-ship; and, by a rather singular coincidence, the origin of this very word log-ship is made the subject of comment in a recent number of "NOTES AND QUERIES" (p. 254.), by a West Indian correspondent, A. L., who thinks the term log-chip.
His story, however, if it be not altogether the offspring of his own ingenuity, appears quite unsupported by evidence; nor, even if authenticated, would it be conclusive of the inference he draws from it. For, surely, the same origin might be attributed to log itself, with equal, or even with greater probability. The very nature of log is, not only to float, but to remain sluggish or stationary in the water: and as it might not be convenient to provide a fresh log (or chip) for every occasion, there would be a clear advantage in tying a string to it, for the purpose of hauling it inboard again, to serve another turn. Moreover, I must remind A. L. that sailors do not say, "Heave the chip," but "Heave the log."
This same passage in the Comedy of Errors suggests another consideration; which is, that Shakspeare appears to have used league and mile synonymously. When Ægeon's "helpful ship" was "splitted in the midst," it was "ere the ships" (approaching to his rescue) "could meet by thrice five leagues;" so that each ship must have been at least five leagues distant when discovered. Now Shakspeare was too good a sailor to suppose that a ship could be visible to a man on the surface of the water a distance of fifteen miles; but at one-third of that distance it might be so. Therefore it would be necessary to take league as synonymous with mile in this instance, even if it were not corroborated by the necessity for a similar understanding in other places.
But wherever Shakspeare uses the word league, its equivalence with mile is not only consistent with the sense, but, in some cases, absolutely necessary to it.
Thus, in the opening scene of the Midsummer Night's Dream, Lysander appoints to meet Hermia "in the wood, a league without the town," but, in the next scene, Quince appoints the same place for the rehearsal, calling it "the palace wood, a mile without the town."
Again, in the Two Gentlemen of Verona, when Silvia escapes with Eglamour, the latter reassures her by reminding her that they will be safe if they can "gain the forest, not three leagues off," which would be but poor comfort if by three leagues the lady was to understand nine miles.
By the way, this forest is described in all the "stage directions," upon what authority I cannot guess, as "a forest near Mantua;" whereas all the circumstances concur to place it in the immediate vicinity of Milan. There is nothing to warrant the supposition that any of the characters had journeyed far from Milan when they were seized upon by the outlaws; and it is to the Duke of Milan that the outlaws apply for pardon for misdeeds done in his territories.
A. E. B.
Leeds.