ARTICLE III. A SHAKSPEARIAN GLOSSARY FOR OUR ENGLISH BIBLE. BY REV. LEMUEL S. POTWIN, BRIDGEWATER, CONN. THERE are but two books, we believe, in the English language, which have been honored with a complete concordance. These books Shakspeare and our English Bible happily originated at nearly the same time; and the comparison of their words, therefore, for which we have such facilities, is a valuable means of clearing up the language of both. The immense range of Shakspeare's vocabulary, and the fact that his writings were finished, though but just finished, before the version of 1611, make his works peculiarly useful as a standard to which to bring the language of the Bible. His topics are indeed largely unlike those of scripture, but this, while it diminishes the number of words used in common, enhances the value of the rest; for it shows that the words thus employed were not technically religious, but used in every-day life. Our Bible, does not admit of a perfectly satisfactory collation, in respect to vocabulary, with other works of its time. For this there are two prominent causes: 1. It is a translation; and no translation represents with correctness and copiousness the language in which it appears. E. g. "Judge," in the sense of rule, is not English, but Hebrew masked as English, and must therefore not be looked for in indigenous English works. In some instances, however, a translation contains the best possible clue to a successful collation of its words, for the original serves as a kind of Glossary for that age. E. g. "Take no thought," as a version of μn μеρiμvâтe, never could have meant "take no reflection." Nothing in the Greek word would have suggested "thought" to the translator, unless thought familiarly meant "anxiety." Carry the word thus explained to contemporary authors, and numerous parallel passages are brought to light. 2. This translation is affected in its vocabulary by previous translations. The discussions of our time respecting "Bible Revision," show how the religious mind will tolerate only those deviations from a "received version" which are imperatively required. Many a word continues to flourish in the sheltered seclusion of religious fervor, when no trace of it can be found in the cold worldliness without. We know that our translators were cautioned against making unnecessary changes. These two causes bring to us a large number of words which find their parallels only in an uncertain age or in a a foreign tongue. Let us now just glance at the peculiarities in our version, arising from the change of vocabulary since 1611. The words that we first think of are, of course, the obsolete. But these, because they convey no intelligible idea, merely obstruct, but do not pervert, the meaning. They send the reader to his unabridged dictionary. More injurious to the sense are those familiar words, which have partially changed their meaning, and, like wellexecuted counterfeits, escape detection because they are not suspected. These may be put into two classes, comprising: 1. Those which convey an obvious but erroneous meaning; e. g. "quick into hell;" "Take no thought;" "Let your conversation," etc. 2. Those which produce a certain obscurity, or infelicity of expression, without leading into positive error; e. g. "Endure hardness;" "The former treatise." Now the difficulties arising from these words the mere reader of English imputes to the sacred writers, while the student of the original, with better piety perhaps, but with no more justice, charges the same to King James's translators. With these few remarks, we present the following Table of scriptural words illustrated in Shakspeare. All but seven are words now in common use, which, indeed, except two or three, had in the time of Shakspeare the same meaning as now, but had additional meaning, since lost. The original word has been added, in almost every case, to show what the translators ought to have meant, while the passages from Shakspeare will show what they did mean. ALLow, approve. (συνευδοκέω, γινώσκω, δοκιμάζω.) That allow the deeds of your fathers. - Luke xi. 48. Rom. vii. 15. .... Ford (to Falstaff). You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, ally allowed for your many warlike, court-like, and learned preparations. gener Merry Wives, ii. 2. That will allow me very worth his service. - Twelfth Night, i. 2. P. John. I like them all and do allow them well.-2nd Hen. IV. iv. 2. ANON, immediately. (cvéws.) Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. Mark i. 30. Ford. Up, gentlemen, you shall see sport anon. Merry Wives, iii. 3. ATONEMENT, (at-one-ment), reconciliation. (Karaλayń.) By whom we have now received the atonement. — Rom. v. 11. ..... Desdemona. A most unhappy one; I would do much To atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio. - Othello iv. 1. Buckingham (to Q. Eliz.). Ay, madam ; he desires to make atonement Between the duke of Gloster and your brothers. BASE, low in rank. (p, ayevýs.) The base against the honorable. — Is. iii. 5. Rich. III. i. 3. Base things of the world ..... hath God chosen. - 1 Cor. i. 28. Pistol. Discuss unto me; Art thou officer Or art thou base, common, and popular? - Hen. V. iv. 1. BESOм, broom. (N.) I will sweep it with the besom of destruction. — Is. xiv. 23. Cade. ..... I am the besom that must sweep the court clean of such filth as thou art. 2nd Hen. VI. iv. 7. BOWELS, seat of the affections. (, onλáyxvα.) The sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies. Hector. There is no lady of more softer bowels Is. lxiii. 15. CAREFUL, anxious. (μepváw.) Queen. O, full of careful business are his looks- - Rich. III. i. 3. CHARITY, love of the highest kind. (ayánη) Biron. Now abideth faith, hope, charity. - 1 Cor. xiii. 13. See Rom. xiii. 10, as quoted below. It is religion to be thus forsworn, For charity itself fulfils the law And who can sever love from charity. - Love's Labor Lost, iv. 3. Longaville. Dumain; thy love is far from charity, That in love's grief desir'st society. - Love's Labor Lost, iv, 3. CLEAN, entirely. (ovтws.) Aegeon. Cicero. - Com. of Err. i. 1. Five summers have I spent in farthest Greece Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia. But men may construe things after their fashion, Clean from the purpose of the things themselves. —J. Caesar, i. 3. CLEAVE, adhere. (797, κολλάω, προσμένω.) ..... Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. That they would cleave unto the Lord. - Acts xi. 23. Clifford. ..... And this, thy son's blood, cleaving to my blade, Ariel. Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleasure?—Temp. iv. 1. COMMEND, commit. (aparinμ.) They commended them to the Lord. — Acts xiv. 23. Northumberland. .... His glittering arms he will commend to rust, COMMUNICATION, sharing, communion. (Kowvwvía.) Adriana. Thou art an elm, my husband, I a vine; CONSCIENCE, consciousness, belief. (ovveídnoris.) Should have had no more conscience of sins Heb. x. 2. K. Hon. By my troth, I will speak my conscience of the king; I think he would not wish himself anywhere but where he is. Hen. V. iv. 1. CONVENIENT, proper. (ἀνῆκον, καθήκον.) M. Wives, iv. 5. To do those things which are not convenient. Rom. i. 28. ..... To him that ordercth his conversation aright. Ps. 1. 23. 1 Pet. i. 15. Octavia is of a holy, cold, and still conversation. His wonted followers Shall all be well provided for; Ant. and Cleo. ii. 6. But all are banished, till their conversations Appear more wise and modest to the world. — 2nd Hen. IV. v. 5. COUSIN, relative not in direct line. (σvyyevýs.) - Luke i. 58. Her neighbors and her cousins heard, etc. Sir Toby. What a plague means my niece (Olivia) to take the death of her brother thus ? Maria. By troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o' nights. Your cousin, my lady, takes great exception to your ill hours. Olivia (to Sir Toby). Cousin, cousin, how have you come so early by this lethargy? Twelfth Night, i. 3, 5. CUMBER, spoil, distress. (καταργέω, περισπάω. Why cumbereth it the ground? - Luke xiii. 7. Martha was cumbered about much serving. Luke x. 40. Antony...... A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; Domestic fury and fierce civil strife Shall cumber all the parts of Italy. -J. Caesar, iii. 1. CUNNING, knowing, skilful. (2) That were instructed in the songs of the Lord, even all that were cunning. 1 Chron. xxv. 7. Gremio...... I freely give unto you this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages as the other in mathematics. - Taming the Shrew, ii. 1. Capulet. ... Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks. DISHONEST, dishonorable. (aloyúvn.) Romeo and Juliet, iv. 2. Have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. — 2 Cor. iv. 2. Touchstone. To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; to-morrow will we be married. Audrey. I do desire it with all my heart; and I hope it is no dishumest desire. As you Like it, v. 3. O, you beast! Isabella. O, faithless coward! O, dishonest wretch! Meas. for Meas. iii. 1. |