Notes and Queries, Number 197, August 6, 1853 | Page 5

least know how. Where Zeale striues to content, and
the contents Dies in the Zeale of that which it presents: Their forme
confounded, makes most forme in mirth When great things labouring
perish in their birth." Act IV. p. 141.
With this the Folio '32 exactly corresponds, save that the speaker is
Prin., not Qu.; ore-rules is written as two words without the hyphen,
and strives for striues. I have been thus precise, because criticism is to
me not "a game," nor admissive of cogging and falsification.
I must now show the hackneyed use of contents as a singular noun. An
anonymous correspondent of "N. & Q." has already pointed out one in
Measure for Measure, Act IV. Sc. 2.:
"Duke. The contents of this is the returne of the Duke."
Another:
"This is the contents thereof."--Calvin's 82nd Sermon upon Job, p. 419.,
Golding's translation.
Another:
"After this were articles of peace propounded, y^e contents wherof was,
that he should departe out of Asia."--The 31st Booke of Justine, fol.
139., Golding's translation of Justin's Trogus Pompeius.
Another:

"Plinie writeth hereof an excellent letter, the contents whereof is, that
this ladie, mistrusting her husband, was condemned to die,"
&c.--Historicall Meditations, lib. iii. chap. xi. p. 178. Written in Latin
by P. Camerarius, and done into English by John Molle, Esq.: London,
1621.
Another:
"The contents whereof is this."--Id., lib. v. chap. vi. p. 342.
Another:
"Therefore George, being led with an heroicall disdaine, and
nevertheless giuing the bridle beyond moderation to his anger,
vnderstanding that Albert was come to Newstad, resolued with
himselfe (without acquainting any bodie) to write a letter vnto him, the
contents whereof was," &c.--Id., lib. v. chap. xii. p. 366.
If the reader wants more examples, let him give himself the trouble to
open the first book that comes to hand, and I dare say the perusal of a
dozen pages will supply some; yet have we two editors of Shakspeare,
Johnson and Collier, so unacquainted with the usage of their own
tongue, and the universal logic of thought, as not to know that a word
like contents, according as it is understood collectively or distributively,
may be, and, as we have just seen, in fact is, treated as a singular or
plural; that, I say, contents taken severally, every content, or in gross,
the whole mass, is respectively plural or singular. It was therefore
optional with Shakspeare to employ the word either as a singular or
plural, but not in the same sentence to do both: here, however, he was
tied {121} to the singular, for, wanting a rhyme to contents, the
nominative to presents must be singular, and that nominative was the
pronoun of contents. Since, therefore, the plural die and the singular it
could not both be referable to the same noun contents, by silently
substituting die for dies, MR. COLLIER has blinded his reader and
wronged his author. The purport of the passage amounts to this: the
contents, or structure (to wit, of the show to be exhibited), breaks down
in the performer's zeal to the subject which it presents. Johnson very
properly adduces a much happier expression of the same thought from

A Midsummer Night's Dreame:
"Hip. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharged; And duty in his
service perishing."
The reader cannot fail to have observed the faultless punctuation of the
Folios in the forecited passage, and I think concur with me, that like
many, ay, most others, all it craves at the hands of editors and
commentators is, to be left alone. The last two lines ask for no
explanation even to the blankest mind. Words like contents are by no
means rare in English. We have tidings and news, both singular and
plural. MR. COLLIER himself rebukes Malone for his ignorance of
such usage of the latter word. If it be said that these two examples have
no singular form, whereas contents has, there is means, at any rate
precisely analogous. On the other hand, so capricious is language, in
defiance of the logic of thought, we have, if I may so term it, a merely
auricular plural, in the word corpse referred to a single carcase.
I should here close my account with "N. & Q." were it not that I have
an act of justice to perform. When I first lighted upon the two examples
of chaumbre in Udall, I thought, as we say in this country, it was a
good "fundlas," and regarded it as my own property. It now appears to
be but a waif or stray; therefore, suum cuique, I cheerfully resign the
credit of it to MR. SINGER, the rightful proprietary. Proffering them
for the inspection of learned and unlearned, I of course foresaw that
speedy sentence would be pronounced by that division, whose
judgment,