Notes and Queries, Number 191, June 25, 1853 | Page 3

apostles.
"Undertake nothing beyond your Strength" is emblemised by the giants
scaling the heavens: one very fine figure, full of action, in the centre, is
most admirably drawn.
"Education and Habit" is another, full of meaning. Two dogs are
running: one after game, and another to a porringer. Some one has
translated the verses at the bottom on the back of the print as follows.
This has a fine group of figures in it:
"When taught by man, the hound pursues The panting stag o'er hill and
fell, With steadfast eyes he keeps in view The noble game he loves so
well. A mongrel coward slinks away, The buck, the chase, ne'er warms
his soul; No huntsman's cheer can make him stay, He runs to nothing,
but his porridge bowl.
Throughout the race of men, 'tis still the same, And all pursue a
different kind of game. Taverns and wine will form the tastes of some,

Others success in maids or wives undone. To solid good, the wise
pursues his way; Nor for low pleasure ever deigns to stay. Though in
thy chamber all the live-long day, In studious mood, you pass the hours
away; Or though you pace the noisy streets alone, And silent watch
day's burning orb go down; Nature to thee displays her honest page:
Read there--and see the follies of an age."
The taste for emblemata appears to have passed by, but a good
selection would be I think received with favour; particularly if access
could be obtained to a good collection. And I should like to {615} see
any addition to the REV. J. CORSER's list in the Number of the 14th of
May.
WELD TAYLOR.
* * * * *
SHAKSPEARE CRITICISM.
When I entered on the game of criticism in "N. & Q.," I deemed that it
was to be played with good humour, in the spirit of courtesy and
urbanity, and that, consequently, though there might be much worthless
criticism and conjecture, the result would on the whole be profitable.
Finding that such is not to be the case, I retire from the field, and will
trouble "N. & Q." with no more of my lucubrations.
I have been led to this resolution by the language employed by MR.
ARROWSMITH in No. 189., where, with little modesty, and less
courtesy, he styles the commentators on Shakspeare--naming in
particular, KNIGHT, COLLIER, and DYCE, and including SINGER
and all of the present day--criticasters who "stumble and bungle in
sentences of that simplicity and grammatical clearness as not to tax the
powers of a third-form schoolboy to explain." In order to bring me
"within his danger," he actually transposes two lines of Shakspeare; and
so, to the unwary, makes me appear to be a very shallow person indeed.
"It was gravely," says Mr. A., "almost magisterially, proposed by one
of the disputants [MR. SINGER] to corrupt the concluding lines by

altering their the pronoun into there the adverb, because (shade of
Murray!) the commentator could not discover of what noun their could
possibly be the pronoun, in these lines following:
'When great things labouring perish in their birth, Their form
confounded makes most form in mirth;'
and it was left to MR. KEIGHTLEY to bless the world with the
information that it was things."
In all the modern editions that I have been able to consult, these lines
are thus printed and punctuated:
"Their form confounded makes most form in mirth; When great things
labouring perish in the birth:"
and their is referred to contents. I certainly seem to have been the first
to refer it to things.
Allow me, as it is my last, to give once more the whole passage as it is
in the folios, unaltered by MR. COLLIER's Magnus Apollo, and with
my own punctuation:
"That sport best pleases, that doth least know how, Where zeal strives
to content, and the contents Dyes in the zeal of that which it presents.
Their form confounded makes most form in mirth, When great things
labouring perish in the birth." Love's Labour's Lost, Act V. Sc. 2.
My interpretation, it will be seen, beside referring their to things,
makes dyes in signify tinges, imbues with; of which use of the
expression I now offer the following instances:
"And the grey ocean into purple dye." Faery Queene, ii. 10. 48.
"Are deck'd with blossoms dyed in white and red." Ib.., ii. 12. 12.
"Dyed in the dying slaughter of their foes." King John, Act II. Sc. 2.
"And it was dyed in mummy." Othello, Act III. Sc. 4.

"O truant Muse! what shall be thy amends For thy neglect of truth in
beauty dyed?" Sonn. 101.
For the use of this figure I may quote from the Shakspeare of France:
"Mais pour moi, qui, caché sous une autre