"And other angellis with hī (St. Michael) shall bring all the Instrumētis of our lordis passyon; the crosse; the crowne; spere; nayles; hamer; sponge; eyseel; gall, &c."
There is therefore, it appears, ample testimony to show that eysell was used for vinegar; but to prove that it meant wormwood-wine, MR. SINGER'S instances seem insufficient.
13. Before we proceed further, let us, supposing that no bitter or sour potion, but a river, is meant, advert to the consideration what river may be intended? Theobald observed that there was no river of that name in Denmark, nor any resembling it in name but "Yssel, from which the province of Overyssel derives its name in the German Flanders." Steevens, however, is well content to take this Yssel as that which Hamlet had in his thoughts. "But," he adds, "in an old Latin account of Denmark, and the neighbouring provinces, I find the names of several rivers little differing from Esil or Eisill in spelling or pronunciation. Such are the Essa, the Oesil, and some others.... The poet," he further remarks, "might have written the Weisel; a considerable river, which falls into the Baltic Ocean, and could not be unknown to any prince in Denmark." MR. SINGER of 1826 suggests that the Issel is perhaps meant, but that the firth of Iyze is nearest to the scene of action. MR. KNIGHT has little doubt that the Yssell, Issell, or Izel, the most northern branch of the Rhine, and that which is nearest to Denmark, is signified.
MR. HICKSON, indeed, who favours MR. SINGER'S wormwood-wine, says (Vol. iii., p. 119.), that the word cannot mean a river, because the definite article is omitted before it. But this is an assertion of very little weight. H. K. S. C. (Vol. iii., p. 68.) very justly observes, that we may as correctly say,—"Woul't drink up Thames?" without the article, as "Woul't drink up Eisell?" without the article. Let MR. HICKSON call to mind Milton's lines on English rivers:
"And sullen Mole, that runneth underneath
And Severn swift, guilty of maiden's death,"
ending with—
"And Medway smooth, and royal-tower'd Thame,"
and ask himself whether the names of rivers are not with perfect propriety used without the article. Pope has—
"And sails far off, among the swans of Thames."