into disuse, and, being regarded as archaic, was naturally adopted (4) in the higher poetic style and in the language of solemn prayer. Fathers almost always address their sons with thou; sons their fathers with you. In the high Roman style, Brutus and Portia use you. When the appellative 'sir' is used, even in anger, thou generally gives place to you." — Abbott. Thou is often used in statements and requests, while you is used in sentences where there is no direct appeal to the person addressed :— "Give me thy hand, Messala; Be thou my witness that against my will... You know that I held Epicurus strong."- V., 1. 72–76. In Elizabethan English ye is the plural pronoun, and is generally used, according to Abbott, in questions, entreaties, and rhetorical appeals; in other cases, you is found :— "I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard." — III., 1, 157. Most of the cases in which these pronouns occur in Julius Cæsar can be accounted for by the above principles. 7. The relative pronoun who is often equivalent to "and he," or "for he": "Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar hard Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey." m. Who is often used of animals and inanimate objects: "That carries anger as the flint bears fire, Who to Philippi here consorted us."-V., 1, 83. n. As was used with that where we use which: "I have not from your eyes that gentleness As I was wont to have." -I., 2, 34. "Under these hard conditions as this time."-I., 2, 174. o. What is used for why : "What need we any spur but our own cause?"-II., 1, 123. p. The which is sometimes found where the antecedent is repeated or could be readily supplied :— "According to the which, thou shalt discourse."— III., 1, 295. IV. VERBS AND VERBALS. - The peculiarities of the verb in Elizabethan English are largely due to the process of change from the forms of Early English. a. Auxiliaries did not then always have the same force as to-day. Were is subjunctive and expresses concession in : "If it were so it was a grievous fault.". - III., 2, 81. Do was used in the sense of "cause,' "make," etc., in this case it was often transitive:— "To do you salutation from his master."—IV., 2, 5. May originally meant "to be able" : "That by no means I may discover them."-II., 1, 75. and -Should is frequently used to express contingent futurity :— "Cæsar should be a beast without a heart." — II., 2, 42. also in direct questions about the past: "What should be in that Cæsar?"— I., 2, 142. b. "In Early English, there were three forms of the plural inflection of verbs, - the Northern in es, the Midland in en, and the Southern in eth."- ABBOTT. Shakespeare frequently uses the first form, as in :— "Three parts of him is ours." -I., 3, 154. "There is" is frequently followed by a plural subject:- "Neither... nor" takes a plural verb : "Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace."— II., 2, 1. c. What is called "confusion of proximity," where the verb is made to agree with the nearest noun, is not un common: "The posture of your blows are yet unknown.” — V., 1, 33. d. The verb in a relative clause is often singular when the antecedent is plural, and in the third person, although the antecedent be in the first or second person : "You are the first that rears your hand." - III., 1, 30. e. The sequence of tenses is not always observed: "To think that or our cause or our performance Did need an oath."— II., 1, 136, f. The subjunctive is sometimes used conditionally by placing the verb before the subject: "Live a thousand years."- III., 1, 159. Be is used for are in : g. "Such men as he be never at heart's ease." -I., 2, 208. "The infinitive active is often found where we use the passive."-Abbott. "What's to do ?"-II., 1, 326. h. Owing to the tendency to drop the inflection en, the Elizabethan authors frequently used the curtailed forms of past participles, as "have took," — II., 1, 50; "have mistook," I., 2, 48; tract," - IV., 3, 155; - -- .III., 2, 270; "dis “are rid," "writ," -IV., 3, 183; "have beat," - V., 5, 23; "You've stole,” — II., 1, 238. i. Shakespeare sometimes uses the ending of the present participle for that of the past participle: "I am much beholding to you."-III., 2, 67. j. To was originally the sign of the gerund, and though it, in time, came to serve as the sign of the infinitive, we find the infinitive construction where modern usage would require the gerund with some other preposition : "To think that," — II., 1, 135; "to be thus waited for," - II., 2, 119; "to mourn for him," III., 2, 105; "To walk abroad," — III., 2, 252; "to tell you of it," " — III., 2, 152. V. ADVERBS. "Some adverbs ending in 's' are formed 22 - ABBOTT, from the possessive case of nouns. แ That needs must light on this ingratitude." -I., 1, 58. After is used as we use afterward :— "And after scandal them." -I., 2, 76. Much was used as an adverb: "I am much forgetful." -IV., 3, 255. Nothing is often used adverbially : "I am nothing jealous."—I., 2, 162. So is used for also: "So to most noble Cæsar." - II., 2, 118. "What and when are often used as exclamations of impa- ABBOTT. tience." "What, Lucius, ho!"-II., 1, 1. "When, Lucius, when?"— II., 1, 5. VI. CONJUNCTIONS. a. And is sometimes used in the sense of "yes." "And so it is."—I., 2, 307. b. And or an is used in the sense of "if. " C. "An't please you." - IV., 3, 258. "An I had been a man of any occupation."—I., 2, 268. “As appears to be (though it is not) used by Shakespeare for 'as if.' The 'if' is implied in the subjunctive.” - ABBOTT. "As it were doomsday.' - III., 1, 98. "As rushing out of doors."— III., 2, 180. d. "As is apparently used redundantly with definitions of time."- ABBOTT. "This is my birthday, as this very day Was Cassius born."— V., 1, 72. |