Successful Lover compared to a Conqueror. Like one of two contending for a prize, That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes, Hearing applause and universal shout, Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubt Whether those peals of praise be his or no; So, thrice fair lady, stand I even so. An amiable Bride.
Portia. Though for myself alone I would not be ambitious, in my wish, To wish myself much better: yet for you I would be trebled twenty times myself; A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;
That only to stand high in your account, I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends, Exceed account: but the full sum of me Is sum of nothing, which, to term in gross, Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd: Happy in this: she is not yet so old But she may learn; happier than this, in that She is not bred so dull but she can learn ; Happiest of all is, that her gentle spirit Commits itself to yours to be direct, As from her lord, her governor, her king. Lover's Thoughts compared to the inarticulate Joys of a Crowd.
Bass. Madani, you have bereft me of all words;
Only my blood speaks to you in my veins : And there is such confusion in my powers, As, after some oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear Among the buzzing, pleased multitude; Where every something, being blent together, Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy Exprest and not exprest.
Por. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?
[man, Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest The best condition'd and unwearied spirit In doing courtesies, and one in whom The ancient Roman honor more appears Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What sum owes he the Jew? Bass. For me three thousand ducats. Por. What, no more?
Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond; Double six thousand, and then treble that, Before a friend of this description Should lose a hair through my Bassanio's fault. Implacable Revenge.
I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak,
I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no
How true a gentleman you send relief, How dear a lover of my lord your husband, I know you would be prouder of the work Then customary bounty can enforce you.
Por. I never did repent for doing good, Nor shall not now: for in companions That do converse and waste the time together, Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love, There must be needs a like proportion Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit; Which makes me think that this Antonio, Being the bosom lover of my lord, Must needs be like my lord; if it be so, How little is the cost I have bestow'd In purchasing the semblance of my soul From out the state of hellish cruelty! This comes too near the praising of myself: Therefore no more of it."
A pert, bragging Youth. I'll hold thee any wager, When we are both accoutred like young men, I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two, And wear my dagger with a braver grace; And speak, between the change of man and boy,
With a reed voice: and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride; and speak of frays, Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lies,
How honorable ladies sought my love, Which I denying, they fell sick and died; I could not do with all; then I'll repent, And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd 'em!
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell; That men shall swear I've discontinued school Above a twelvemonth: I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging jacks Which I will practise.
Affectation in Words.
O dear discretion, how his words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of good words; and I do know A many fools that stand in better place, Garnish'd like him, that for a tricksy word Defy the matter.
Portia's Merit. It is very meet The lord Bassanio live an upright life; For, having such a blessing in his lady, He finds the joys of heaven here on earth; And, if on earth he do not mean it, it Is reason he should never come to heaven. Why, if two gods should play some heav'nly
If you deny it, let the danger light Upon your charter and your city's freedom. You'll ask me, why I rather choose to have A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive Three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that; But, say, it is my humor. Is it answer'd? What if my house be troubled with a rat, And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats To have it ban'd? What, are you answer'd yet?
Some men there are, love not a gaping pig ; Some that are mad if they behold a cat; And others, when the bag-pipe sings i' th' nose, Cannot contain their urine for affection: Masters of passion sway it to the mood Of what it likes, or loathes. Now for your
As there is no firm reason to be render'd, Why he cannot abide a gaping pig; Why he, a harmless necessary cat; Why he, a woollen bag pipe; but of force Must yield to such inevitable shame As to offend, himself being offended; So can I give no reason, nor I will not, More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing I bear Antonio, that I follow thus
A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd?
You may as well go stand upon the beach, And bid the main flood bate his usual height; You may as well use questions with the wolf, Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb; You may as well forbid the mountain pines To wag their high tops, and to make no noise When they are fretted with the gusts of heaven; You may as well do any thing most hard, As seek to soften that (than which what's His Jewish heart. [harder?)
Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none?
Shyl. What judgement shall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd slave, Which, like your asses, and your dogs and You use in abject and in slavish parts, [mules, Because you bought them: shall I say to you, Let them be free, marry them to your heirs; Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds Be made as soft as yours, and let their palates Be season'd with such viands: you will answer, The slaves are yours. So do I answer you: The pound of flesh, which I demand of him, Is dearly bought, is mine, and I will have it: If you deny me, fie upon your law! There is no force in the decrees of Venice:
I stand for judgement: answer: shall I have it?
Jew's wolfish Spirit, an Argument for Transmigration.
Gra. Oh, be thou damn'd, inexorable dog! And for thy life, let justice be accus'd. Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith, To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselves
The quality of mercy is not strain'd; It droppeth as a gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed; It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes. 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings : But mercy is above the sceptred sway: It is enthroned in the hearts of kings: It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider thisThat in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy.
Justice must be impartial.
I beseech you, Wrest once the laws to your authority: To do a great right, do a little wrong; And curb this cruel devil of his will.
Por. It must not be; there is no power in Can alter a decree established; [Venice "Twill be recorded for a precedent; Will rush into the state: it cannot be. And many an error, by the same example, Cheerful Resignation, with friendly Tenderness. Ant. I am arm'd and well prepar'd—
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you; me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well! For herein fortune shows herself more kind Than is her custom.-It is still her use To let the wretched man outlive his wealth, To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow An age of poverty; from which ling'ring pe Commend me to your honorable wife: Of such a misery doth she cut me off. [nance Tell her the process of Antonio's end! Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death : · And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge, Whether Bassanio had not once a love.
Repent not you that you shall lose your friend, And he repents not that he pays your Ample Payment. He is well paid that is well satisfied. Description of a Moon-light Night, with fine Music.
Lor. The moon shines bright: in such a
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
And they did make no noise; in such a night, | A good Deed compared to a Candle, and the
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall, And sigh'd his soul towards the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night,
Jes. In such a night,
Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere.himself, And ran away dismay'd.
Lor. In such a night,
Stood Dido, with a willow in her hand, Upon the wild sea-banks, and waft her love To come again to Carthage.
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica; look, how the floor of heav'n Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold; There's not the smallest orb which thou be- But in his motion like an angel sings, [hold'st, Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubims: Such harmony is in immortal souls ; But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.- Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn; With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear, And draw her home with music.
Jes. I am never merry when I hear sweet music.
Lor. The reason is, your spirits are attentive: For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,
Which is the hot condition of their blood; If they perchance but hear a trumpet sound, Or any air of music touch their ears, You shall perceive them make a mutual stand, Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze By the sweet pow'r of music. Therefore the poet Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and foods;
Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of rage, But music for the time doth change his nature. The man that hath not music in himself, Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted.
Effects of Time, Circumstances, &c. Por. How far that little candle throws his
So shines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon shone we did not see the candle.
Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less: A substitute shines brightly as a king, Until a king be by; and then his state Empties itself, as doth an inland brook Into the main of waters. Music! hark!
Ner. It is your music, madamı, of the house. Por. Nothing is good, I see, without respect; Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day.
Ner. Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam. Por. The crow does sing as sweetly as the lark When neither is attended; and, I think, The nightingale, if she should sing by day, When ev'ry goose is cackling, would be thought No better a musician than the wren. How many things by season season'd are To their right praise, and true perfection! Peace, ho! the moon sleeps with Endymion, And would not be awak'd!
This night methinks, is but the day-light It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, [sick; Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Professions needless, where Intentions are sincere.
Sir, you are very welcome to our house: It must appear in other ways than words, Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy. Elegant Compliment.
Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people.
§ 7. MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. SHAKSPEARE. Description of Spendthrifts, who seek to better their Fortunes by rich Wives.
HE doth object, I am too great of birth; And that, my state being gall'd with my exI seek to heal it only by his wealth: [pense, Beside these, other bars he lays before me→→ My riots past, my wild societies; And tells me, 'tis a thing impossible I should love thee but as a property.
A valuable Woman loved for her own sake. -Wooing thee, I found thee of more value Than stamps in gold, or sums in sealed bags; And 'tis the very riches of thyself That now I aim at.
Fairies: their Rewards and Punishments. Cricket, to Windsor chimneys shalt thou leap: Where fires thou find'st unrak'd, and hearths unswept,
There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry. Our radiant queen hates sluts and sluttery. Go you; and where's Pede? you find a maid That ere she sleep hath thrice her prayers said, Rein up the organs of her fantasy; Sleep she as sound as careless infancy But those that sleep, and think not on their sins, Pinch them, arms, legs, back, shoulders, sides,
68. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. SHAKSPEARE.
Tediousness of Expectation.
Thes How slow
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager, Long withering out a young man's revenue. The Witchcraft of Love. My gracious duke,
This man hath witch'd the bosom of my child: Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
And interchang'd love tokens with my child : Thou hast by moon-light at her window sung, With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; And stol'n the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, con- [sengers Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, mes- Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth: With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's
Thrice blessed they, that master so their blood, To undergo such maiden pilgrimage! But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd, Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn, Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness. Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin-patent up Unto his lordship, to whose unwish'd yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty. True Love ever crossed.
Lys. Ah me! for aught that ever I could read, Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth: But either it was different in blood, Or else misgrafted in respect of years; Or else it stood upon the choice of friends: Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness, did lay siege to it; Making it momentary as a sound, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night, That, in a spleen, unfolds both heav'n and earth:
And, ere a man hath pow'r to say-Behold! The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion !
More tunable than lark to shepherd's ear, When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds
Sickness is catching: Q, were favor so! Yours I would catch, fair Hermia, ere I go : My ear should catch your voice, my eye your [melody.
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The rest I'll give to be to you translated. O teach me how you look! and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart. Moon.
When Phoebe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass. Love.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind; Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste: Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste; And therefore is Love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguil'd: As waggish boys in games themselves forswear; So the boy Love is perjur'd every where.
Cowslips, and Fairy Employment. The cowslips tall her pensioners be; In their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favors; In those freckles live their savors; I must go seek some dew-drops here, And hang a pearl in every cowslip's car.
Puck, or Robin Good-fellow.
I am that merry wand'rer of the night. I jest to Oberon, and make him smile, When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, Neighing in likeness of a filly foal; And sometimes lurk I in a gossip's bowl, In very likeness of a roasted crab; And when she drinks, against her lips I bob,
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale; The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, Sometime for three-foot-stool mistaketh me; Then slip I from her bum, down topples she, And rails or cries, and falls into a cough: And then the whole quire hold their hips and loffe; [swear And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and A merrier hour was never wasted there.
Fairy Jealousy, and the Effects of it. These are the forgeries of jealousy ; And never, since the middle summer's spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By paved fountain, or by rushy brook, Or on the beached margent of the sea, To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport:
Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea Contagious fogs; which, falling in the land, Have every pelting river made so proud, That they have overborne their continents. The ox has therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain, The ploughman lost his sweat: and the green
Hath rotted, ere its youth attain'd a beard; The fold stands empty in the drowned field, And crows are fatted with the murrain stock; The nine men's morris is filled up with mud, And the quaint mazes in the wanton green, For lack of tread is undistinguishable. The human mortals want their winter here; No night is now with hymn or carol blest ; Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, washes all the air, That rheumatic diseases do abound. And, thorough this distemperature, we see The seasons alter; hoary-headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; And on old Hyems' chin, and icy crown, An od'rous chaplet of sweet suminer-buds Is, as in mock'ry, set: the spring, the summer, The chilling autumn, angry winter, change Their wonted liveries, and the 'mazed world By their increase now knows not which is which.
Thou remember'st Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back, Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath That the rude sea grew civil at her song; And certain stars shot madly from their spheres To hear the sea-maid's music.
That very time I saw (but thou couldst not) Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid, all arm'd: a certain aim he took At a fair vestal, throned by the west; And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts. But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft Quench'd in the chaste beams of the wat'ry And the imperial vot'ress passed on, [moon; In maiden meditation, fancy free. Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
It fell upon a little western flow'r, [wound, Before milk-white; now purpled with love's And maidens call it, "Love in Idlenesss."
Virtuous Love's Protection and Reliance. Your virtue is my privilege for that. It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night; Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company; For you in my respect are all the world. Then how can it be said, I am alone, When all the world is here to look on me?
I know a bank, whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows; Quite over-canopy'd with luscious woodbine, There sleeps Titania, sometime of the night, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine; Lull'd in these flow'rs with dances and delight.
Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Be kind and courteous to this gentleman: Feed him with apricots and dewberries; With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; The honey-bags steal from the humble bees, And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes; And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs, To have my love to bed, and to arise; And pluck the wings from painted butterflies, To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes; Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
Swiftness of Fairy's Motion.
I go, I go, look how I go: Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.
Sense of Hearing quickened by Loss of Sight. Dark night, that from the eye his function
Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense, The ear more quick of apprehension makes. It pays the hearing double recompense.
Is all the council that we two have shar'd,' The sister vows, the hours that we have spent, When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us: O! and is all forgot? All school-days' friendship, childhood inno- We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, [cence? Have with our needles created both one flower, Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion; Both warbling of one song, both in one key; As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds, Had been incorporate; so we grew together, Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, But yet an union in partition:
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; So with two seeming bodies, but one heart: Two of the first like coats in heraldry, Due but to one, and crowned with one crest. And will you rend our ancient love asunder, To join with men in scorning your poor friend? It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:
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