Notes and Queries, Number 42, August 17, 1850 | Page 9

Death is a fearful thing!
"_Isa._ And shamed life a hateful."
The meaning here is not _life ashamed_, but life covered with shame. In this sense MR. HALLIWELL, apparently without knowing why, has adopted the term _delightful_; but then the two succeeding words of his explanation, "sweet, pleasant", he would appear to have taken at random from a dictionary, forgetting that he was not using the word in its ordinary sense; for it is not possible that he can suppose Shakspeare to have used the word in the sense of the active participle. Now, though I do not think this at all the expression that Shakspeare would use, it is undoubtedly allowable as a general characteristic; but the word actually used would appear to imply the result of a particular action, which would have been productive of anything but delight. In short, as we are agreed that the word delighted in the passage in question in its present sense is unintelligible, so also are we, I think, agreed that the substitute, if any, must be used in a passive sense.
Now, with regard to the first instance furnished by MR. HALLIWELL of the use of the passive for the active participle, if I were sure that the delinquent were well out of hearing, and not likely "to rise again and push us from our stools," I should be disposed to repeat the charge of impertinence against the editor who altered "professed" to "professing". The word professed is one of common use, and in the present instance perfectly intelligible. "To your bosom, professed to entertain so much love and care for our father, I commit him," seems to express the sense of the passage: a doubt is implied by the expression, but there is a directness of insult in the term professing quite inconsistent with the character of Cordelia.
"Becomed love" is love suited or fitted to the occasion. The use of the passive participle is every way more appropriate than that of the active, though the latter is more common now.
In the next instance, I have to observe that there is no such verb as to guile. Guile is a noun; and "guiled shore" is _guile-covered_, or charactered shore. According to this rule, the modern word _talented_, that is, _talent-endowed_, has been formed, it not having been considered that licences are allowed in poetry that are unsuited to ordinary language.
The passage next referred to is conditional, and I regard the use of the passive participle here, too, as correct.
I have thus reduced MR. HALLIWELL'S list to that number which usually forms the exception rather than the rule; and if accident, misprint, error in copying, or other special circumstance be not held sufficient to account for the single remaining instance, I have then only to say that I prefer deformed to _deforming_, as an epithet applied disparagingly to Time's hand as more in accordance with Shakspeare's practice, who was not in the habit of repeating the same idea, which, in the latter case, would occur again in the word "defeatures" in the following line.
MR. HALLIWELL may, doubtless find other instances, perhaps more felicitous than these; at present, all I can say is that he has failed to show that the use of the passive for the active participle was common with Shakspeare. As to other variations between the grammatical usage of Shakspeare's day and that of our own, I call assure him that I am not quite so ignorant of the fact as he imagines.
SAMUEL HICKSON
August 1. 1850.
* * * * *
ENGLISH COMEDIANS IN GERMANY.
I am glad to be enabled to reply to MR. BOLTON CORNEY'S Query (Vol. i., p. 439.) respecting a German book of plays.
The learned illustrator of the Curiosities of Literature would find the information he desires in the Vorrath zur Geschichte der deutschen dramatischen Dichtkunst of the formerly celebrated J. Christoph Gottsched (Leipzig, 1767-69, 2 vols. 8vo.). But as this book, now somewhat neglected, would perhaps be difficult to be found even in the British Museum, I will transcribe the contents of the _Schau-B��hne englischer und franz?sischer Com?dianten auff welcher werden vorgestellt die sch?nsten und neuesten Com?dien, so vor wenig Jahren in Frankreich, Teutschland und andern Orten ... seynd agirt und pr?sentirt worden_.--_Frankfurt_, {185} 1670, 3 vols. 8vo.
Vol. I.--
1. Amor der Arzt. 2. Die Com?dia ohne Com?dia. 3. Die k?stliche L?cherlichkeit. 4. Der Hahnrey in der Einbildung. 5. Die Hahnreyinn nach der Einbildung. 6. Die Eyfreude mit ihr Selbst. 7. Antiochus, ein Tragicom?dia. 8. Die buhlhaffte Mutter. 9. Damons Triumph-Spiel.
Vol. II.--
10. Von Sidonia und Theugene. 11. Der Verliebtell Kllnstgriffe. 12. Lustiges Pickelharings-Spiel, darum er mit einem Stein gar artige Possen macht. 13. Von Fortunato seinem W��nschh��tlein und Seckel. 14. Der unbesonnene Liebhaber. 15. Die grossm��thige Thaliklea.
Vol. III.--
16. Vom K?nige Ahasvero und Esther und dem hoffartigen Hamon. 17. Vom verlohrnen Sohn, in