Pebruaky 1, 1898.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



37 



Venus seems to be the only planet mentioned other than 

 in an astrological sense. In Miihtiminer Niyht's Dream 

 occurs the following — 



" Yet Tou, the murderer, look as bright, as clear 

 As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere." 



Stars and constellations are pretty frequently brought 

 in, or referred to. The north star is held up as an 

 example of fixedness and constancy. Cassar says of 

 himself — 



'■ But I am constant as the northern star, 



Of whose true -fixed and resting quality 



There is no fellow in the firmament : 



The skies are painted with unnumbered spark?. 



They are all fire, and every one doth shine ; 



But there's but one in all doth hold his place." 



In another play we note the comparison " Strong as the 

 axle-tree on which the heavens ride." A tempest at sea 

 is described in the following graphic words — 



" The wind-shated surge, with high and monstrous mane, 

 Seems to c&st water on the burning bear. 

 And quench the guards of the ever-fixed pole." 



Ursa major is mentioned in the following, and it is 

 e\'ident that country people used to note the stars some- 

 times, to give them an idea of the hour. A carrier, on the 

 early morning before departing from Rochester on the 

 journey when they were attacked by Falstaft' and his bogus 

 highwajTnen, says — 



" Heigh ho ! An't be not four by the day, I'll be hanged : 

 Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horse not packed. 

 What, ostler ! " 



Here is another constellation mentioned. The expression 

 seems to be another form of our modern proverb, " Cany 

 coals to Newcastle.' In Troihis and Cressida Ulysses 

 observes — 



" And add more coals to Cancer, when he burns 

 With entertaining great H;-perion." 



The reference is evidently to the sun, when in Cancer. 



The " seven stars" are occasionally referred to, by which 

 expression I presume we may include the sim, moon and 

 planets, unless it means the Pleiades. Falstafi' says — 



" Indeed, you come near me now, Hal : for we, that take purses, go 

 by the moon and seven stars, and not by Phcebus." 



The same expression occurs in a comic dialogue between 

 Lear and Fool. 



Comets are pretty often mentioned, almost always as 

 objects of dread and foreboding fearfxil disaster's. Probably 

 no celestial object was so much stared at in the old days 

 as a comet — see the well-known picture from the Bayeux 

 tapestry of men gazing upwards in wonder at one of these 

 strange visitors. Petruchio, in Tamint) of the Shrew, says — 

 ■■ And wherefore gaze this goodly company ; 

 As if they saw some wondrous mouument. 

 Some comet, or unusual prodigy ? " 

 Then we have the well-kno^^"n introduction to Kimi 

 Henrij VI. — 



'■ Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night ! 

 Com.ets, importing change of times and states. 

 Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky ; 

 And with them scourge the bad revolting stars 

 That have consented unto Heuiys death !" 



In Pericles we read ' ' But have been gazed on Uke a comet. ' ' 

 And again in another play, a clown, speaking of the rarity 

 of good women, says — 



"One in ten, quoth a' ■ an' we might have a good woman born but 

 one every blazing star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottcrv 

 well." 



Blazing star would here probably refer to a comet, as 

 meaning a rare event. We have the expression " blaze star'' 

 in modern astronomy to denote one of those temporary stars 

 which from time to time — but at very long intervals — 

 bm-st out iu the heavens and astonish mankind. It is 

 doubtful if the expression bears this meaning in the 

 passage quoted ; comet would be more probable. 



In another place we find Biron, in a speech the drift of 

 which is to depreciate the advantages of study, observing — 



"' These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights 

 That give a name to every fixed star. 

 Hare no more profit of their shining nights 

 Than those that walk, and wot not what they are." 



Ii is a curious expression in the first line, and might 

 now-a-days be well applied to those who have introduced 

 their names and the names of their contemporaries into 

 the geography of Mars. 



Sometimes we find what may be called mu-aculous or 

 wonderful meteorological signs described, as in Henry VI., 

 ! Part III., where Richard and Edward see what seem to 

 have been mock suns on either side of the true sun. 



" Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun ; 

 Xot separated with the rocking clouds. 

 But sever'd in a pale clear-shining sky. 

 See, see ! they join, embrace, and seem to kiss, 

 As if they vowed some league inviolable. 

 Now are they but one lamp, one light, one sun ; 

 In this the heaven figures some event." 



Shortly afterwards Edward observes — 



'■ Whate'er it bodes, henceforward will I bear 

 Upon my target three fair-shining suns." 



In Eoiiun and ■Tuliet we have what has bsen supposed to 

 be an allusion to the Zodiacal hght. Juliet says — 

 '■ Yon light is not daylight, I know it. I ; 

 It is some meteor that the sun exhales. ' 



At the same time Romeo seems to be pretty certain that 

 the day is coming on, or perhaps that it may be moonlight, 

 for he says — 



" I'U say, yon gray is not the morning's eye, 

 'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow." 



The powerful influence supposed to be exerted by the 

 moon on mortal men is expressed by OtheUo — 



■' It is the very error of the moon ; 

 She comes more nearer earth than she was wont. 

 And makes men mad. " 



Her influence on the vegetable world is also mentioned — 



" As true as steel, as plautage to the moon," ifcc. 



The word " astronomer," which is rare, comes in, spoken 

 by Imogen — 



" O. learn'd indeed were that astronomer 

 That knew the stars as I liis characters ; 

 He'd lay the future open." 



We now come to the astrological passages. A glance 

 over them will show how deeply the idea of the influence of 

 the heavenly bodies on men was ingrained in the popular 

 mind, as it comes out in so many different ways. Even 

 now, many astrological expressions survive and are in daily 

 use; such as "disaster,'' "in the ascendant," "mercm-ial," 

 "jovial," &c. But thi'ee hundred years ago the " skiey 

 influences," it was generally thought, were in^■incible and 

 fatal, hanging over men and women in such a way that 

 nothing could change them. Hence, the stars and planets 

 are referred to in two senses, favom-able and unfavom'able. 

 In the former sense we have " truer stars," "good stars," 

 and " constellation right apt '" ; while in the latter we have 

 •' some Ul planet,'' "planets of mishap,'' "adverse planets," 

 •' malignant and ill-boding stars," " thwarting stars," etc. 

 Two planets are actually mentioned in the astrological 

 sense. In Miuh Ado, Don -lohn observes — 



"I wonder that thou, being (as thou say' st thou art) born under 

 Saturn, goest about to apply a moral medicine to a mortifving 

 mischief." 



Autolycus in -J H7h^/'>- Tfi/f describes himself as " httered 

 under MerciuT," and "a snapper up of unconsidered 

 trifles." 



In All's Will Helena soliloquizes — 



" Our remedies oft in oiu'selves do he. 

 Which we ascribe to Heaven : the fated sky 

 trives us free scope ; only, doth backward pull 

 Oui- slow designs, when we ourselves are dull." 



