OT: ffolliott

[Mark Mandel]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
At 2/11/2010 09:15 AM, Amy West wrote:
>The other strike against my long-s hypothesis is that the words
>themselves often make it clear whether it's f or long-s. There's
>actually few opportunities for real ambiguity.

Except by the ditsy verger in "Vicar of Dibley".

Joel


Verging off topic...

When I was at St. John's College (Annapolis, MD), as an undergrad, I
participated in tryouts for a production of *A Midsummer Night's Dream*.
Library copies in editions ranging over centuries.

And, inevitably, someone unfamiliar with s longa came to Bottom's line near
the end of I:ii:

      BOTTOM
 78   I grant you, friends, if that you ſhould fright the
 79   ladies out of their wits, they would have no more
 80   diſcretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my
 81   voice ſo that I will roar you as gently as any
 82   ſucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any
 83   nightingale.

m a m

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