The "Aizo-q Aejoiitva in Shaksjjere. 173 



continue so to think who has once perceived how much pains our 

 dramatist takes in delineating every one of his fools, and that in 

 showing forth their minutest follies he works by wit and not by 

 witchcraft. 



The result of Shakspere's curious verbal felicity, is that while 

 other authors satiate and soon tire us, his speech forever breathes 

 an indescribable freshness. 



"Age cannot wither 

 Nor custom stale his infinite variety." 



In the last line I have quoted there is a '^Anaq Aeyojusvou, but it 

 is a word which I think you would hardly guess. It is the last 

 word, — namely, " variety." ^ 



In order to make sure of the thing he refused to repeat the 

 word. Indeed, he calls "iteration damnable." 



On every average page of Shakspere you are greeted and glad- 

 dened by at least five words that you never saw before in his 

 writings and that you will never see again, speaking once and 

 then forever holding their peace, — each not only rare but a none- 

 such, — five gems just shown, then snatched away. Bach page is 

 studded with five stars, each as unique as the century flower, and 

 like the night-blooming cereus, 



" The perfume and suppliance of a minute." 



The mind of Shakspere was bodied forth as Montezuma was 

 appareled, whose costume, however gorgeous, was never twice the 

 same, and so like- Shakspere's own "robe pontifical, ne'er seen 

 but wondered at." 



Hence the Shaksperian style is fresh as morning dews and 

 changeful as evening clouds, so that we remain forever doubtful 

 in relation to his manner and his matter, which of them owes the 

 o-reater debt to the other. 



' Though this instance [Ant. and Cleop., 3, 2, 241j is the only occurrence of 

 variety in the plays, we meet the word once more in Shakspere's poems, 

 name'y, in the twenty-first line of Venus and Adonis: 



"Making them red and pale in endless variety." 



Not a few other words which appear once only in the plays,, are also re- 

 peated in the poems. But it was the aitai Xey6/.i£va in the plays, and not ia 

 other Shaksperian writings, of which it was my aim to treat. 



