Notes and Queries, Number 46, September 14, 1850

Оглавление

Various. Notes and Queries, Number 46, September 14, 1850

NOTES

THE MEANING OF "DRINK UP EISELL" IN HAMLET

AUTHORS OF THE ROLLIAD

NOTES AND QUERIES

JAMES THE SECOND, HIS REMAINS

FOLK LORE

MINOR NOTES

QUERIES

QUOTATIONS IN BISHOP ANDREWES' TORTURA TORTI

MINOR QUERIES

REPLIES

COLLAR OF SS

SIR GREGORY HORTON, BART

SHAKSPEARE'S WORD "DELIGHTED."

AËROSTATION

REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES

MISCELLANEOUS

NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS

Отрывок из книги

Few passages have been more discussed than this wild challenge of Hamlet to Laertes at the grave of Ophelia:

The sum of what has been said may be given in the words of Archdeacon Nares:

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Now numerous passages in our old dramatic writers show that it was a fashion with the gallants of the time to do some extravagant feat, as a proof of their love, in honour of their mistresses; and among others the swallowing some nauseous potion was one of the most frequent; but vinegar would hardly have been considered in this light; wormwood might.

In Thomas's Italian Dictionary, 1562, we have "Assentio, Eysell" and Florio renders that word by vinegar. What is meant, however, is Absinthites or Wormwood wine, a nauseously bitter medicament then much in use; and this being evidently the bitter potion of Eysell in the poet's sonnet, was certainly the nauseous draught proposed to be taken by Hamlet among the other extravagant feats as tokens of love. The following extracts will show that in the poet's age this nauseous bitter potion was in frequent use medicinally.

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