Glapthorne, Lady's [Ladies'] Privilege, i. 1, Old English Drama, 1825, vol. ii. p. 3 of the play, "That fatal music rapp'd [i.e., rapt] his sprightful sense, Like jovial hymns at nuptials." Massinger, Bondman, ii. 1, init., "So, so, 'tis well: how do I look ? Marullo. Most sprightfully." Chapman, Il. xiii. Taylor, vol. ii. p. 22, 1. 25,— "The Phthian and Epeian troops did spritefully assail ii. vol. i. p. 62, antepenult., spiritful, 66 that with their spiritful cry The meadow shrieks again;" but xii. p. 258, 1. 6, as a trisyllable, the man, so late so spiritful, Fell now quite spiritless to earth.” Dedicatory Sonnet to Lord Southampton, high and spiritful alarms.” Sylvester, i. iii. p. 23, col. 1, ed. 1641, "Our sprighful pulse the tide doth well resemble, Whose outside seems more than the midst to tremble." I notice also sprightless, Shirley, Witty Fair One, iv. 3, 1. 3,-"The world and the devil are tame and sprightless temptations, poor traffic, to this staple commodity of whoring." Sylvester, i. vi. p. 55, col. 2, "The spirit is spright-less if it want discourse." Merry Wives of Windsor, i. 4,-" A softly-sprighted man, is he not?" Since the above note was written, I have met with the following passages:-Malone, note on M. N. D. iii. 2, Var. Shakespeare, vol. v. 272,-" In the old editions of these plays many words of two syllables are printed at length, though intended to be pronounced as one. Thus spirit is almost always so written, though often used as a monosyllable." Id., note on K. John, v. 2, Var. Shakespeare, vol. xv. p. 353,-" Many dissyllables are used by Shakespeare and other writers as monosyllables, as whether, spirit, &c., though they generally appear at length in the original editions of these plays." Gifford, note on Jonson's Penates, Jonson, vol. vi. p. 491,—“It may not be amiss to notice here, once for all, that our old poets, with few ex ceptions, pronounced this word (spirit) as if it were written sprite. It rarely occurs as a dissyllable in the writers of Jonson's age." Perhaps it would be desirable, wherever the word occurs as a monosyllable, to write it spright, in order to ensure the proper pronunciation of the line. I prefer spright to sprite; inasmuch as the latter invariably carries with it a spectral association; although the old writers, in those passages where they write the word monosyllabically, use sometimes the one form, sometimes the other. Fairfax, Tasso, B. xvi. St. xxix., - "His noble sprite awaked at that sight;" where spright would manifestly be inadmissible. XXXII. Please as a personal and impersonal verb. All's Well that Ends Well, ii. 3,— "To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress Is not the construction when please Love, quando placuerit Cupidini, ἐπὴν δόξῃ τῷ Ερωτι? Both this and the other were indeed in use. Twelfth Night, v. 1, Olivia. Even what it please my lord, that shall become him." Much Ado, &c. ii. 3,-" her hair shall be of what colour it please God." Winter's Tale, iv. 3, "If you may please to think I love the king, And, through him, what is nearest [near'st] to him," &c. Here si tibi placeat is the more suitable meaning. "Where every horse bears his commanding rein, Taming of the Shrew, iii. 2, the editions 68 have, I will not go to-day, No, nor to-morrow, nor till I please myself. . For me, I'll not be gone till I please myself." And so the folio. Read, however, metri gratia, "till please myself." What you please would thus be originally ö Ti av σoɩ ȧpéσky and so of if you please. As You Like It, Epilogue,-"I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please you." 68 This is true only of the folios, Rowe's, and the more recent editions, for, in the last verse of the quotation, Pope coolly altered be gone to go, and was followed by all the earlier editors but Capel, who, like Walker, omitted I, and restored be gone. In the verse above, this omission is not absolutely necessary for the metre, but it is not likely that the poet varied the phrase. In the quotation from Fairfax, O seems a misprint for So.-Ed. Perhaps there is a double meaning here; as may be acceptable to you. Fairfax's Tasso, C. ii. St. lxxv., "Thy ships to bring it [i.e., your provision] are, perchance, assign'd: O! that you live as long as please the wind!" Drayton, Idea, Sonnet li., 66 Calling to mind, since first my love begun, As 't please the fates, by their resistless force;" &c. Massinger, Bondman, iv. 2, Moxon, p. 89, col. 2, Grac. That leads you to this desperate course, which must end That as please the Fates ; " &c. Sidney, Arcadia, B. iii. p. 304, 1. 32; see context, " and thereof is indeed (when it please you) more counsel to be taken." Dekker, Old Fortunatus, O. E. Drama, 1831, p. 79 your pains [i.e., punishments] shall ring Through both your ears to terrify your souls, As please the judgment of this mortal king." i.e., as he shall determine your sentence. Instances of the other syntax with please in the subjunctive. 1 K. Henry IV. i. 2,— "Yet herein will I imitate the sun, Who doth permit the base contagious clouds That they are not a pipe for fortune's finger King Henry VIII. ii. 2, all men's honours Lie in one lump before him, to be fashion'd 1 King Henry VI. iii. 2,— "Now, quiet soul, depart when Heaven please," &c. 2 King Henry VI. iii. 1,— "By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts; 'Tis to be fear'd, they all will follow him." Marlowe, Translation of B. i. of Lucan, Dyce, vol. iii. p. 285, Here every band applauded, And, with their hands held up, all jointly cried They'll follow where he please." Jonson, Entertainment at Althorpe, Gifford, vol. vi. p. 471, Silent Woman, ii. 1, Gifford, vol. iii. p. 370,-"Then you must keep what servants she please, what company she will." Beaumont and Fletcher, King and No King, i. 1, Moxon, vol. i. p. 53, col. 1, "But let him freely send for whom he please;" &c. Monsieur Thomas, ii. 5, vol. i. p. 475, col. 1,"She is not married? Val. Not yet. Cel. Nor near it? Val. When she please. |
