A Study of Shakespeare's Versification. By M. A. Bayfield. (Cambridge University Press, 168. net.) TAKING this book as a whole we should say that Mr. Bayfield has proved his point. He seems fully prepared to be told that he goes too far: and therefore we have the less scruple in recording that that is, as to certain details, precisely our own opinion. But, on the other hand, we are ready to maintain that his work constitutes a serious and most illuminating contribution to the study of Shakespeare which will have to be taken account of by all future editors. analysed the whole of the plays and worked out the percentages of resolutions in their different places in the line; he sets the whole before us; and from the results, which certainly are striking, he draws a new theory of the chronological order of the plays. We are glad to see him attacking that scheme of Shakespeare's life and work, by which the poet was to have written the great tragedies during a time when his own experience was tragic and bitter, and to have emerged at last into mellow peace to present us with Cymbeline,' theory can hardly have been set up in the The Tempest,' and 'The Winter's Tale.' That may absence of any direct evidence on the subject-by neglected. But Shakespeare's editors were of opinion that blank verse must run in lines of ten syllables. To that Procrustean bed they cut or they stretched-the varying rhythms of his verse. Mr. Bayfield has a great deal to say on these editors-assuming them to have worked on the principle stated above. He brings forward scores of verses spoilt by elision to get them within the The usual formula for the five-foot verse in norm and renders them beautiful simply by which the great mass of poetic drama in English is restoring the resolution. For these emendations written is five iambic feet. Mr. Bayfield contends his chapters are well worth retaining; but about that the trochee if not occupying quite the the middle of the book he is struck with a new position conventionally assigned to the iambus-idea-the true one, as we are inclined to believeis a true, normal, and basic element in it. Next, which renders many of his arguments and much he asserts-or, rather, he demonstrates-that of his censure of editors nugatory. Are we, after Shakespeare loved and used, more than any other all-he suggests-right in assuming that the dramatist of his day, resolutions that is to say, abbreviations in the Folio are true elisions, that the resolving of the two syllables of the iambus they really indicate the slurring of syllables, the (or trochee) into three, or more, syllables. Not dropping out of vowels? Abbreviations-inonly so, but as Shakespeare's skill and power in tended to be read in full-are far more frequent in versification increased, as his ear became more earlier writing than in our own day. Are we not delicate and his range of music in verse more justified in suspecting that a large percentage of extended, so were the resolutions multiplied, and the peccant apostrophes simply represent economy it was largely upon these on their subtle weaving, of fatigue, first on the part of the writer of the together, balancing, rippling in and out of each MS. and then of the printer? We think that Mr. other that the sweetness and majesty of his Bayfield might have developed this afterthought It may, perhaps, be that an addiction to resolutions grows upon most poets. A versewriter becomes increasingly prompt to hold the true rhythm, the fundamental beats of his line against the invasion of multiplied syllables, and delights in doing so. But there is a point at which this power betrays him and we think that Mr. Bayfield, whose sympathetic listening to music Shakespeare's seems almost to have identified his hearing with the poet's, has certainly more than once suffered his ear to be thus betrayed. It must have been either a process of subtle sophistication, or a loss of straightforward judgment from the sheer overstrain of a faculty that could make him re-arrange as he has done the end of Antony and Cleopatra.' This perverse ingenuity illustrates also the perilousness of a too exclusive attention to versification, for these particular lines in our author's setting out are not only hopeless as verse, but inapt as rendering Cæsar's last utterance in the play. We would not, however, conclude on a note of remonstrance: the book is one to which we ourselves owe much enjoyment, and to which, as we said above, the attention of students Shakespeare is certainly due. of Last Verses. By Percy Addleshaw. (Elkin Mathews, 28. 6d. net.) 66 IT is now some four years since the death of William Percy Addleshaw, an occasional contributor to our columns. Mr. Arundel Osborne introduces this collection of his remaining verse by a very sympathetic short biography. He has much to tell of physical suffering and of the repeated checks imposed by ever-increasing bad health to what might have been a brilliant career. "cheeriness" as a Commenting on Addleshaw's friend and correspondent Mr. Osborne remarks that only the poems show the darker side of his spirit." The reader readily understands that this is so; though habitual courage makes itself felt even in the melancholy of these verses. Their chief attraction lies in the interest in the writer which they contrive to arouse. They rarely touch the height of absolute poetry; and once or twice the imagery shows a want of poetical tact: but they have life in them and sincerity and meaning. We liked best one or two of the quartrains, the verses entitled respectively Church Stretton,' In Many Ways,' In the Chiaia,' and 'The Rope Walk.' Notices to Correspondents. EDITORIAL communications should be addressed to "The Editor of Notes and Queries ""-Advertisements and Business Letters to "The Publishers"-at the Office, Printing House Square, London, E.C.4. IT is requested that each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. CORRESPONDENTS repeating queries are requested to head the second communication "Duplicate." WHEN answering a query, or referring to an article which has already appeared, correspondents are requested to give within parentheses immediately after the exact heading the numbers of the series, volume, and page at which the contribution in question is to be found. 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Both Courses are given entirely by correspondence, and the instruction is under the personal direction of Mr. Max Pemberton, who has secured the collaboration of many brilliant contributors and assistants. The training is thus of a very thorough and practical character, and every endeavour is made to ascertain the degree and the direction of each student's natural abilities in order that the most appropriate field of literature may be chosen. The number of students being necessarily limited, in view of the individual character of the instruction, applications for enrolment can only be accepted from those who show some aptitude for Journalism or Authorship. Applicants may send a specimen MS. for Mr. Pemberton's criticism, in which case a small reading fee is charged, but this will be deducted subsequently from the enrolment fee. Contributors to the Courses: SIR W. ROBERTSON MR. HAROLD CHILD. The late MR. CHARLES SIR ARTHUR QUILLERCOUCH, M.A.. Litt.D. (King Edward VII. Professor of English Literature, Cambridge). MR. HAMILTON FYFE. MR. NEWMAN FLOWER. MR. PETT RIDGE. MR. BARRY PAIN. MR. S. J. PRYOR. MR. LIONEL VALDAR. MRS. W. K. CLIFFORD. MISS MARY BILLINGTON. MR. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL. Full information regarding the School's Courses of Instruc tion is given in the Prospectus, which also contains a complete Synopsis of the Lessons comprising each Course. A copy of the Prospectus may be had upon application to the Assistant Secretary, MR. J. M. BULLOCH. London School of Journalism, Ltd., 110 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDON, W.C.I. ป LONDON, MAY 15, 1920 CONTENTS.- No. 109. in ye village named Mackabe upon weh stone was engraven these words. Blessed is he yt turneth me and ye people yt saw ye same endavoured to turn ye same stone but their labour was in vain, for they could not by any means move it, and NOTES:-A Seventeenth-Century Charm, 201-Latin as an they saw they could not prevail they prayed & International Language, 202-The De Gorges, 203-1zaak desired of God yt they might understand what ye Walton's Nightingale A Seventeenth-Century BookAnd there se ler's Label-Maudrill, 205-The Last Cavalier-Venedi meaning of that writing should be. and Veneti, 206. came a little Child betwixt ye age of six & seaven QUERIES:-Was Dr. Johnson a Smoker? 206-Ramage-years old which turned ye stone without any Astronomical Table-Torphichen: Torfeckan-Unannotated Marriages at Westininster, 207-Browne: Small: Wrench: Macbride-Prints Illustrating Irish History— Gilbert, Bishop of Lisbon-Miss Price-Roe FamilyScottish Bishops-Jeanne of Flanders, 208-Invention of the Holy Cross-Fitz Henry-Wearing a Cross on St. Patrick's Day-Timothy Perry Ovey-Louisa de Bosch Turkey Merchants-Sir W. Blackstone-Rev. John Boultree-"White Wine"-John De Burgo, 209-Hyphenated Surnames-Bibliography: Foreigu Reprints and Translations-Reference Wanted-Author Wanted, 210. REPLIES:-Aaron Baker, 210-Custom as Part of Rent, 211-Burton's Anatomy-Van Balen: Charles Lamb"Derby Blues":"Oxford Blues," 212-Principal London Coffee-houses, &c. - Kev. John Gutch-"The Beautiful Mrs. Conduitt"A New View of London, 213-Maule Martin-Prince Charles in North Devon, 214-The Three Westminster Boys'-Raymond-Wm. Allingham and a Folk-Song-No Man's Land-Jenner Family, 215-Tubus: a Christian Name-Monkshood-Gender of Dish" in Latin-"Diddykites" and Gipsies-The Caveac TavernSlates and Slate Pencils-Stature of Pepys, 216-Marten Arms-Clergy men: Church of England: Roman Catholic David Humphreys-Clerk of the Crown, 217-Darnell and Thorp-Fani Parkas-Bibliography of Lepers in England Portuguese Embassy Chapel-Silver Punch Ladle Grosvenor Place, 218. NOTES ON BOOKS:- Samuel Pepys and the Royal Notes. A SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY CHARM. worldly help to the great admiration of ye be- are "THE following document I found several years ago among some old papers that came into my hands. It purports to have been copied in 1722 and the style of the handwriting is of that period. It is not without interest, as the blessing invoked on whoever shall copy and publish it, and the curse pro-writing and causeth it to be read & published he nounced on those who do not teach it to others, seem to foreshadow the "endless chain" letters that have troubled many persons in these latter years. It also holds itself out as a charm, or protective amulet, and a copy was no doubt valued as such. GODS MESSAGE FROM HEAVEN A Coppy of a letter written by Gods hands as it is said and found under a stone in a village named Mackabe near the Town of Isunday in the year of our Lord God: 1603: this letter by y commandment of Jesus Christ, and was found under a great stone red and large it was at ye foot shall be blessed of me And if he have sinned as often as there is stars fixed in the sky his sinns them, Asking forgiveness for them of me contrary shall be forgiven him, if he be hartyly sory for as yt man yt doeth write a coppy of this writing with his own hands & keepeth it without teaching to others shall be cursed. Again if you do not these things and keepeth not my commandements, I will unto you black storms & great snows which shall destroy you & your Cattle your goods & whatsoever you have. Also more if a man write a Coppy of this writing & keep it in his house no evil spirit shall anoy him, also if a woman be great with child labour thereof If she have a Coppy of this writing about her she shall be delivered of her |