"Jussit et ambītæ circumdare littora terræ."

Ovid, Metam. i. 37.

"Fallit et ambītos a principe vendit honores."

Claudian. in Rufinum, 180.

If "circitor" be ever long, it is probably to be taken as a contraction of "circuitor." Compare

See Facciol. in v.; Zumpt Lat. Gramm., ss. 228, 551, 218. The elision of the m of the supine offers little difficulty, though the insertion of the r in its place may cause more hesitation. In "prodesse" and "prodire” the letter selected for insertion in this manner is d, which was at one time occasionally interchanged with r. See Buttmann, Lexilogus, b. ii. s. 112, note on 'Laurus,' and b. i. s. 126.

(G.)

EXTRACTS FROM SHAKSPERE ILLUSTRATIVE OF HIS USE OF 66 SHALL" AND 66 WILL."

I SHALL begin with a passage from 'Love's Labour's Lost' (act v. sc. 2), which exhibits upwards of twenty instances of the use of "shall" and "will," all in perfect conformity with modern usage. To comment on them separately would be to repeat what has been already said in the text:

Boyet.

"Under the cool shade of a sycamore

"I thought to close mine eyes some half-an-hour;
"When lo! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
"Toward that shade I might behold addrest
"The king and his companions: warily
"I stole into a neighbour thicket by,

"And overheard what you shall overhear:

66

That, by and by, disguised they will be here.

"Their herald is a pretty knavish page,

"That well by heart hath conn'd his embassage:

Princess.

Boyet.

Princess.

"Action and accent did they teach him there;
"Thus must thou speak, and thus thy body bear:
"And ever and anon they made a doubt,
"Presence majestical would put him out;
"For, quoth the king, an angel thou shalt see:
"Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.
"The boy replied, An angel is not evil;

"I should have fear'd her had she been a devil.'

"With that all laugh'd and clapp'd him on the shoulder,
66 Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.

"One rubb'd his elbow, thus, and fleer'd, and swore
"A better speech was never spoke before:
"Another with his finger and his thumb

66

"Cried Via! we will do't, come what will come:'
"The third he caper'd and cried All goes well:'
"The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
"With that, they all did tumble on the ground,
"With such a zealous laughter, so profound,
"That in this spleen ridiculous appears,
"To check their folly, passion's solemn tears.
"But what, but what-come they to visit us?
They do, they do; and are apparell'd thus-
"Like Muscovites, or Russians, as I guess.
"Their purpose is to parle, to court, and dance:
"And every one his love-feat will advance
"Unto his several mistress: which they'll know
"By favours several, which they did bestow.
"And will they so? the gallants shall be task❜d:
'For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd;
"And not a man of them shall have the grace,
"Despite of suit, to see a lady's face.

66

66

Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear;

"And then the king will court thee for his dear:

66

Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me thine, "So shall Biron take me for Rosaline.

"And change your favours too, so shall your loves
"Woo contrary, deceived by these removes.

Rosaline. "Come on then, wear the favours most in sight.
Katharine. "But in this changing what is your intent?
Princess, "The effect of my intent is to cross theirs :
66 They do it but in mocking merriment;
"And mock for mock is only my intent.

Rosaline.

Princess.

Boyet.

Princess.

"Their several counsels they unbosom shall
"To loves mistook; and so be mock'd withal,
"Upon the next occasion that we meet,
"With visages display'd, to talk and greet.
"But shall we dance if they desire us to't?
"No; to the death we will not move a foot:
"Nor to their penn'd speech render we no grace;
"But while 'tis spoke each turn away her face.
Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's heart,
"And quite divorce his memory from his part.
"Therefore I do it, and I make no doubt
"The rest will ne'er come in if he be out.
"There's no such sport as sport by sport o'erthrown;
"To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own:
"So shall we stay, mocking intended game

66

"And they well mock'd depart away with shame."

The passage in ‘Coriolanus' (act iii. sc. 1) which is quoted at p. 32 is remarkable for dwelling on the compulsory sense of "shall" throughout a whole speech. Coriolanus has been rating the people and their representatives the tribunes. Sicinius, one of the latter, takes up the words "By Jove 'twould be my mind," and exclaims

Coriolanus.

66

It is a mind
"That shall remain a poison where it is,
"Nor poison any further.

"Shall remain !

"Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you
"His absolute shall?

Cominius.

Coriolanus.

"""Twas from the canon.

"Shall!

"O good but most unwise patricians, why,
"You grave but reckless senators, have you thus
"Given Hydra leave to choose an officer,

"That with his peremptory shall, being but

"The horn and noise o' the monsters, wants not spirit

"To say he'll turn your current in a ditch,

"And make your channel his?"

A little after he adds

"Shall" is taken as the type and token of absolute command. I proceed now to select an extract which exemplifies the full prophetic power of "shall as stated at p. 22. It is Cranmer's supposed prediction of Elizabeth's future greatness. The reader will find in it also instances of "will" for the simple future with the third person, and of the contingent or conditional use of "shall."

Cranmer.

"Let me speak, sir,
"For Heaven now bids me; and the words I utter
“Let none think flattery, for they'll find them truth.
"This royal infant (Heaven still move about her!)
Though in her cradle, yet now promises

"Upon this land a thousand thousand blessings,
"Which time shall bring to ripeness: She shall be

66

(But few now living can behold that goodness)

"A pattern to all princes living with her,
"And all that shall succeed. Saba was never
"More covetous of wisdom, and fair virtue,
"Than this pure soul shall be: all princely graces,
"That mould up such a mighty piece as this is,

"With all the virtues that attend the good,

"Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,

"Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:

"She shall be loved and fear'd: her own shall bless her:

"Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

"And hang their heads with sorrow: Good grows with her:

"In her days every man shall eat in safety,
"Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing
"The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours:
"God shall be truly known; and those about her
"From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
"And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.
"Nor shall this peace sleep with her," &c.

Hen. VIII. act v. sc. 4.

Another example in which "should" expresses a condi

It occurs in Troilus and

tional prophecy is remarkable. Cressida' (act i. sc. 3). I think a modern writer in an analogous case would prefer "would," but the object of Ulysses is to expose what he considers the certain and necessary results of destroying due subordination and constituted authority. He says

"Take but degree away, untune that string,

66

And, hark, what discord follows! each thing meets
"In mere oppugnancy: The bounded waters

"Should lift their bosoms higher than the shores,
"And make a sop of all this solid globe:

66

Strength should be lord of imbecility,

"And the rude son should strike his father dead:

"Force should be right; or, rather, right and wrong

66

(Between whose endless jar justice resides)

"Should lose their names, and so should justice too."

When the king in Hamlet' (act iv. sc. 7) is trying to stimulate Laertes to avenge his father's death with all speed, he speaks as follows

"We should do when we would, for this would changes,

"And hath abatements and delays as many

"As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents;
"And then this should is like a spendthrift sigh
"That hurts by easing."

"Would" here stands for inclination, and "should" for duty. The meaning is "If we wish to do a thing, we ought to do "it whilst we wish it; for the will may be diminished by "persuasion, the acts of others, or circumstances; and if this 'happens, then the duty becomes painful to discharge." It is unnecessary to point out the fallacy of an assumption that a duty can be created by a wish, but the play upon the words suits the sophistry of the speaker.

66

The following passage is not quite satisfactory, inasmuch as "should" and "would" at first sight appear to be used indifferently.