Far be it we should honour such as these
With humble suit: no, rather let my head
Stoop to the block than these knees bow to any
Save to the God of heaven and to my king.

2 Henry VI., Act iv. Sc. 1.

And the reader will perceive that Suffolk uses the word knees and any in connection with the word king, and that Puttenham says any, being divided, sounds a nie, or neere person to the king.

Biron. But love, first learned in a ladyes eyes,
Lives not alone immured in the brain;

But, with the motion of all elements,
Courses as swift as thought in every power,
And gives to every power a double power,
Above their functions and their offices.
It adds a precious seeing to the eye:

A lover's eyes

will gaze an eagle blind.

Love's Labour's Lost, Act iv. Sc. 3.

For lovers eyes more sharply sighted bee
Then other mens, and in cleare loes delight
See more than other eyes can see,
Through mutual receipt of beames bright,
Which carrie privie message to the spright,
And to their eyes that inmost faire display,
As plaine as light discovers dawning day.

SPENSER, An Hymne in Honour of Beautie.

Bassanio. If you be well pleased with this
And hold your fortune for your bliss,

SPENSER.

Turn you where your lady is
And claim her with a loving kiss.

Arragon.

Merchant of Venice, Act iii. Sc. 2.

What is here ?

[Reads] The fire seven times tried this:

Seven times tried that judgement is,

That did never choose amiss.

Some there be that shadows kiss ;
Such have but a shadow's bliss:
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er; and so was this.
Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your head:

So be gone: you are sped.

Morocco.

Merchant of Venice, Act. ii. Sc. 9.

O hell! what have we here?

A carrion Death, within whose empty eye

There is a written scroll! I'll read the writing.
All that glisters is not gold;

[Reads]

Often have you heard that told :
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms infold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
you well; your suit is cold.
Merchant of Venice, Act ii. Sc. 7.

Fare

37

Cor. Here comes young Master Ganymede, my new mistress's brother.

Enter ROSALIND, with a paper, reading.

Ros.

From the east to western Ind,

No jewel is like Rosalind.

Her worth, being mounted on the wind,
Through all the world bears Rosalind.
All the pictures fairest lined
Are but black to Rosalind.

Let no fair be kept in mind

But the fair of Rosalind.

Touch. I'll rhyme you so eight years together, dinners and suppers and sleeping-hours excepted: it is the right butter-women's rank to market.

They that

reap must sheaf and bind;

Then to cart with Rosalind.

Sweetest nut hath sourest rind,

Such a nut is Rosalind.

He that sweetest rose will find

Must find love's prick and Rosalind.

This is the very false gallop of verses: why do you infect yourself with them?

As You Like It, Act iii. Sc. 2.

In these passages Shakespeare probably refers to Omoioteleton or the Like loose, thus described by Puttenham:

The Greekes used a manner of speech or writing in their proses that went by clauses, finishing in words of

OMOIOTELETON, OR THE LIKE LOOSE.

39

like tune, and might be by using like cases, tenses, and other points of consonance, which they called Omoioteleton, and is that wherein they neerest approched to our vulgar ryme, and may be thus expressed:

Weeping creeping beseeching, I wan
The love at length of Lady Lucian.

Or thus, if we speake in prose and not in meetre :
Mischaunces ought not to be lamented,
But rather by wisedome in time prevented :
For such mishappes as be remedilesse,
To sorrow them it is but foolishnesse :
Yet are we all so frayle of nature,

As to be greeved with every displeasure.

The craking Scotts as the Chronicle reportes at a certaine time made this bald rime upon the English

men:

Long beards hartlesse,

Painted hoodes witlesse:

Gay coates gracelesse,

Make all England thriftlesse.

Which is no perfit rime in deed, but clauses finishing in the self same tune: for a rime of good simphonie should not conclude his concords with one and the same terminant sillable, as less, less, less, but with divers and like terminants, as les, pres, mes, as was before declared in the chapter of your cadences, and your clauses in prose should neither finish with the same nor with the like terminants, but with the contrary as hath bene shewed before in the book of proportions; yet many use it otherwise, neglecting the Poeticall harmonie and skill. And th' Earle of Surrey with Syr Thomas Wyat the most excellent makers of their time, more peradventure

respecting the fitnesse and ponderositie of their wordes then the true cadence or simphonie, were very licencious in this point. We call this figure following the originall the like loose, alluding to th' archers terme who is not said to finish the feate of his shot before he give the loose, and deliver his arrow from his bow, in which respect we use to say marke the loose of a thing for marke the end of it.—The Arte of English Poesie, Lib. iii. Chap. 16.

For the reader will see that 'it is no perfect rhyme indeed, but clauses finishing with the self same tune.'

Nor gods nor I delights in perjured men.

Love's Labour's Lost, Act v. Sc. 2.

Come I will fasten on this sleeve of thine:
Thou art an elm my husband, I a vine.

Comedy of Errors, Act iii. Sc. 1.

In these passages Shakespeare uses the figure Sillepsis or Double Supply, conceiving, and as it were comprehending under one a supplie of two natures, and may be likened to the man that serves many masters at once, being of strange countries or kindreds, as in these

verses:

Judge ye lovers, if it be strange or no :
My ladie laughs for joy and I for wo.

Where ye see a third person supplie himselfe and a first person.-The Arte of English Poesie, Lib. iii. Chap. 12.