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