Folk-lore of Shakespeare Part 104

_Almanacs._ In Shakespeare's day these were published under this t.i.tle: "An Almanack and Prognostication made for the year of our Lord G.o.d, 1595." So, in the "Winter's Tale" (iv. 3), Autolycus says: "the hottest day prognostication proclaims;" that is, the hottest day foretold in the almanac. In Sonnet xiv. the prognostications in almanacs are also noticed:

"Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck; And yet methinks I have astronomy, But not to tell of good or evil luck, Of plagues, of dearths, or season's quality; Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell, Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind: Or say with princes if it shall go well, By oft predict that I in heaven find."

In "Antony and Cleopatra" (i. 2) En.o.barbus says: "They are greater storms and tempests than almanacs can report;" and in "2 Henry IV." (ii.

4), Prince Henry says: "Saturn and Venus this year in conjunction! what says the almanac to that?"

_Amulets._ A belief in the efficacy of an amulet or charm to ward off diseases and to avert contagion has prevailed from a very early period.

The use of amulets was common among the Greeks and Romans, whose amulets were princ.i.p.ally formed of gems, crowns of pearls, necklaces of coral, sh.e.l.ls, etc. The amulet of modern times has been of the most varied kinds; objects being selected either from the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdom, pieces of old rags or garments, sc.r.a.ps of writing in legible or illegible characters, in fact, of anything to which any superst.i.tious property has been considered to belong.[938] This form of superst.i.tion is noticed in "1 Henry VI." (v. 3), in the scene laid at Angiers, where La Pucelle exclaims:

"The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen fly.

Now help, ye charming spells and periapts"

-periapts being charms which were worn as preservatives against diseases or mischief. Thus Cotgrave[939] explains the word as "a medicine hanged about any part of the bodie."

[938] Pettigrew's "Medical Superst.i.tions," p. 48.

[939] "French and English Dictionary;" see Dyce's "Glossary to Shakespeare," p. 316; Nares describes it as "a bandage, tied on for magical purposes, from pe???pt?;" see Brand's "Pop.

Antiq.," 1849, vol. iii. pp. 324-326; Douce's "Ill.u.s.trations of Shakespeare," 1839, pp. 305-307.

_Ceremonies._ These, says Malone, were "omens or signs deduced from sacrifices or other ceremonial rites." Thus, in "Julius Caesar" (ii. 1), Ca.s.sius says of Caesar, that-

"he is superst.i.tious grown of late, Quite from the main opinion he held once Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies."

And in the next scene Calpurnia adds:

"Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, Yet now they fright me."

_Charms._ These, as Mr. Pettigrew[940] has pointed out, differ little from amulets, the difference consisting in the manner in which they are used rather than in their nature. Thus, whereas the amulet was to be suspended on the person when employed, the charm was not necessarily subjected to such a method of application. In days gone by, and even at the present day, in country districts, so universal has been the use of this source of supposed magical power that there is scarcely a disease for which a charm has not been given. It is not only to diseases of body and mind that the superst.i.tious practice has been directed; having been in popular request to avert evil, and to counteract supposed malignant influences. As might be expected, Shakespeare has given various allusions to this usage, as, for example, in "Cymbeline" (v. 3), where Posthumus says:

"To day, how many would have given their honours To have sav'd their carcases! took heel to do't, And yet died too! I, in mine own woe charm'd, Could not find death where I did hear him groan, Nor feel him where he struck"

-this pa.s.sage referring to the notion of certain charms being powerful enough to keep men unhurt in battle.

[940] "Medical Superst.i.tions," p. 55.

Oth.e.l.lo (iii. 4), speaking of the handkerchief which he had given to Desdemona, relates:

"That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give; She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people."

And in the same play (i. 1), Brabantio asks:

"Is there not charms, By which the property of youth and maidhood May be abus'd?"

Again, in "Much Ado About Nothing" (iii. 2), Bened.i.c.k, who is represented as having the toothache, after listening to the banter of his comrades, replies: "Yet is this no charm for the toothache."

Perfect silence seems to have been regarded as indispensable for the success of any charm; and Pliny informs us that "favete linguis" was the usual exclamation employed on such an occasion. From this circ.u.mstance it has been suggested that the well-known phrase "to charm a tongue" may have originated. Thus we have the following dialogue in "Oth.e.l.lo" (v.

2):

"_Iago._ Go to, charm your tongue.

_Emilia._ I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak."

Thus, on the appearance, amid thunder, of the first apparition to Macbeth, after the witches have performed certain charms (iv. 1), Shakespeare introduces the following dialogue:

"_Macbeth._ Tell me, thou unknown power-

_First Witch._ He knows thy thought: Hear his speech, but say thou nought."

Again, in "The Tempest" (iv. 1), Prospero says:

"hush, and be mute, Or else our spell is marr'd."

_Metrical Charms._ There was a superst.i.tion long prevalent that life might be taken away by metrical charms.[941] Reginald Scot, in his "Discovery of Witchcraft" (1584), says: "The Irishmen addict themselves, etc.; yea, they will not sticke to affirme that they can _rime_ a man to death." In "1 Henry VI." (i. 1), the Duke of Exeter, referring to the lamented death of Henry V., says:

"Shall we think the subtle-witted French Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him, By magic verses have contrived his end?"

[941] See, under _Rat_, a similar superst.i.tion noticed.

These "magic verses," to which the death of Henry V. is here attributed, were not required to be uttered in his presence; their deadly energy existing solely in the words of the imprecation and the malevolence of the reciter, which were supposed to render them effectual at any distance.

Again, the alphabet was called the Christ-cross-row; either because a cross was prefixed to the alphabet in the old primers, or, more probably, from a superst.i.tious custom of writing the alphabet in the form of a cross by way of a charm. In "Richard III." (i. 1), Clarence relates how King Edward-

"Hearkens after prophecies and dreams; And from the cross-row plucks the letter G."

_Dreams._ These, considered as prognostics of good or evil, are frequently introduced by Shakespeare. In "Troilus and Cressida" (v. 3), Andromache exclaims:

"My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day."

While Romeo ("Romeo and Juliet," v. 1) declares:

"My dreams presage some joyful news at hand."

It is chiefly as precursors of misfortune that the poet has availed himself of their supposed influence as omens of future fate. Thus, there are few pa.s.sages in his dramas more terrific than the dreams of Richard III. and Clarence; the latter especially, as Mr. Drake says,[942] "is replete with the most fearful imagery, and makes the blood run chill with horror."

[942] "Shakespeare and his Times," p. 355.

Dreaming of certain things has generally been supposed to be ominous either of good or ill luck;[943] and at the present day the credulous pay oftentimes no small attention to their dreams, should these happen to have referred to what they consider unlucky things. In the same way Shylock, in the "Merchant of Venice" (ii. 5), is a victim to much superst.i.tious dread:

"Jessica, my girl, Look to my house. I am right loath to go: There is some ill a brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money-bags to-night."

[943] See Brand's "Pop. Antiq.," 1849, vol. iii. pp. 127-141.

In "Julius Caesar," dreaming of banquet is supposed to presage misfortune.

It was also supposed that malicious spirits took advantage of sleep to torment their victims;[944] hence Macbeth (ii. 1) exclaims:

"Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!"[945]