Lafeu. “They say miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons to make modern and familiar, things supernatural and causeless.  Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear.”

Lafeu apparently is speaking somewhat sarcastically of those who say miracles are past, and who endeavour to explain away the wonderful into something common and well-known.  Subsequently I found that Mr. Coleridge, in his Literary Remains (vol. ii. p. 121.), had adduced the above-mentioned passage, placing the comma after “familiar.”  He does not, however, make any observation on the other pointing; but remarking, that Shakspeare often uses “modern” for “common,” proceeds thus: 

“Shakspeare, inspired, as it might seem, with all knowledge, here uses the word causeless in its strict philosophical sense; cause being truly predicable only of phenomena,—­that is, things natural, and not of noumena, or things supernatural.”

It is, perhaps, rather curious, that although Mr. Collier, in his note on Lafeu’s speech, has quoted the above from Mr. Coleridge, the improved pointing should have escaped that gentleman’s notice.

Looking into Theobald’s Shakspeare, I find that he also had placed the comma as Mr. Coleridge has.  Mr. Theobald adds this note: 

“This, as it has hitherto been printed, is directly opposite to our poet’s and his speaker’s meaning.  As I have stopped it, the sense quadrates with the context:  and surely it is one unalterable property of philosophy to make seeming strange and preternatural phenomena familiar and reducible to cause and reason.”

Does not Mr. Theobald, in his closing remark, turn what in Lafeu is really an ironical outburst on would-be philosophers, into something like a serious common-place?

A. ROFFE.

Query, In a work entitled Philosophy of Shakspeare, by W.H.  Roukin, Lafeu’s speech is quoted, and one word changed; “and we have our philosophical persons,” &c., becomes “yet we have,” &c.  Is there any authority for such a change?

A.R.

* * * * *

FOLK LORE.

The bigger the Ring, the nearer the Wet.—­On Sunday evening, the 20th Oct., the moon had a {435} very fine ring round it, which apparently was based near the horizon, and spread over a considerable area of the heavens.  This was noticed by myself and others as we returned home from church; and upon my mentioning it to my man-servant, who is a countryman, he said he had been noticing it, and that it reminded him of the old saying, “the bigger the ring, the nearer the wet.”  On the next day, however, it was fine and windy, and my faith began to be shaken as to the truth of the saying; but the almost incessant rain of the four or five subsequent days fully proved its correctness.