How to parse. ...

324 INFINITI VE, GERUND. [Par. 590-593.

But in course of time the two usages became
confused.
* 590 1. Hence, Ben Jonson, while carefully selecting the
(then) archaic termination in -and, with the intention
of representing the old Participle, places "of" after
it, just as though it were a Verbal Noun:"With all the barkand parish-tikes set at her,
While I sat whyrland of my brazen spindle."
Sad Shepherdess, i. 2 ad fin.
59I 2. On the other hand, Shakspeare, while inserting -a, as though he were using the Verbal Noun
nevertheless omits" oJ;" using the Verbal just like the
Active Participle, even after "is" and "was" in
Active signification: -
" He's a-birding; " " When green geese are a-breeding."
"The slave that was a-hanging thee."1
592 3. Again, sometimes the "of" is inserted, but the
a- omitted:" The shepherd blowing of his nails."
593 4. Again, sometimes both -a and " of" are
1 See Schmidt's admirable Shakspeare Lexicon for these and
many other instances.