>A nice example of a series of adpositions comes in 'As You Like It' (Act V, sc. iv, ll. 70-102): TOUCHSTONE: . . . As thus, sir. I did dislike the cut of a certain courtier's beard: he sent me word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was: this is called the Retort Courteous. If I sent him word again it was not well cut, he would send me word that he cut it to please himself: this is called the Quip Modest. If again it was not well cut, he disabled my judgement: this is called the Reply Churlish. If again it was not well cut, he would answer I spake not true; this is called the Reproof Valiant. If again it was not well cut, he would say I lie: this is called the Countercheck Quarrelsome: and so to the Lie Circumstantial and the Lie Direct. JAQUES: And how oft did you say his beard was not well cut? TOUCHSTONE: I durst go no further than the Lie Circumstantial, nor he durst give me the Lie Direct; and so we measured swords and parted. JAQUES: Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie? TOUCHSTONE: O sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners. I will name you the degrees. The first, the Retort Courteous; the second, the Quip Modest; the third, the Reply Churlish; the fourth, the Reproof Valiant; the fifth, the Countercheck Quarrelsome; the sixth, the Lie with Circumstance; the seventh, the Lie Direct. All these you may avoid but the Lie Direct; and you may avoid that too with an 'if'. I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an 'if', as, 'If you said so, then I said so;' and they shook hands, and swore brothers. Your 'if' is the only peacemaker; much virtue in 'if.' (This is a telling example of the Fool's wisdom.) Incidentally, the use of 'your' in the last sentence as a generalizing word has disappeared from English, both British and American. See also its use by the Gravedigger in 'Hamlet' (V, I, 176-7): '. . . Your water is a sore decayer of your whoreson dead body'. Edmond Dr. Edmond Wright 3 Boathouse Court Trafalgar Road Cambridge CB4 1DU England Email: [log in to unmask] Website: http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/elw33/ Phone [00 44] (0)1223 350256 To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/