The ^Atzo.^ Asyo/Mva in ShaJcspere. 169 



service, sly-slow, snail-slow, softly -spririhted, soft-slow, trumpet-tongued, 

 temj^est-iossed,, tongue-tied, true-tellirtg, travel- tainted, virgin- violator, 

 loant-wit, water-io ailed, luaveworn, war-ioorn, ivoohoard, loell-ioiller, 

 well-toon, water-ivorh, ivonder -wounded. 



These words, and four or five thousand more equally excellent, 

 which have been the golden language of the English-speaking 

 world for three centuries since Shakspere, and which, belonging 

 to the immortal part of their vernacular, will be so forever, we 

 are apt to think he should have worn in their newest gloss, not 

 cast aside so soon. Why was he as shy of repeating them as 

 Hudibras was oE showing his wit, 



" Who bore it not about 



As if afraid to wear it out, 

 Except on holidays or so, 



As men their best apparel do ? " 



This question, why a full fourth of Shakspere's verbal riches 

 was never brought to light more than once, is probably one which 

 nobody can at present answer, even to his own satisfaction. 

 Yet, the phenomenon is so remarkable that every one will try 

 after his own fashion to account for it. My own attempt at a pro- 

 visional explanation I will present in the latter part of this paper. 

 Let us first notice another question concerning the'' Jnag hyojusva, 

 namely that which respects their origin. Where did they come 

 from? How far did Shakspere make them, and how far were 

 they ready to his hand? No approach to answering this inquiry 

 can be made for some years. Yet as to this matter let us rejoice 

 that the dictionary of the British Philological society is now near 

 publication. This work, slowly elaborated by thousands of co- 

 workers in many devious walks of study on both sides of the 

 Atlantic, aims to exhibit the first appearance in a book of every 

 English word. In regard to the great bulk of Shakspere's dic- 

 tion, it will enable us ten years hence to see how much of it was 

 known to literature before him, and how much of it he, himself 

 a snapper up of unconsidered trifles, gathered or gleaned in high- 

 ways and byways, or caused to ramify and effloresce from Saxon 

 or classical roots and trunks, thus endowing his purposes with 

 words to make them known. 



