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I must up-fill this osier cage of ours,
with baleful weeds, and precious-juicéd flowers.
The earth, that's nature's mother, is her tomb;
what is her burying grave, that is her womb:
and from her womb children of divers kind
we sucking on her natural bosom find;
many for many virtues excellent,

none but for some, and yet all different. 516 O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies

517

in herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
for naught so vile, that on the earth doth live,
but to the earth some special good doth give;
nor aught so good, but, strain'd from that fair use,
revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:
virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;
and vice sometimes by action dignified.
Within the infant rind of this small flower

poison hath residence, and medicine power:

for this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.
Two such opposéd kings encamp them still

in man as well as herbs,-grace, and rude will,
and where the worser is predominant,

full soon the canker death eats up that plant.

W. SHAKESPEARE

THESEUS GOING A HUNTING

ND since we have the vaward of the day,

AND

my love shall hear the musick of my hounds: uncouple in the western valley; let them go:dispatch, I say, and find the forester.

We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
and mark the musical confusion

of hounds and echo in conjunction.

My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
so flewed, so sanded; and their heads are hung
with ears that sweep away the morning dew;
crook-knee'd, and dew-lapped like Thessalian bulls;
slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells,
each under each. A cry more tuneable

was never holla'd to, nor cheer'd with horn,

in Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.

W. SHAKESPEARE

518

I

ANTONY OVER THE BODY OF CESSAR

COME not, friends, to steal away your hearts;
I am no orator, as Brutus is:

but, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
that love my friend: and that they know full well
that gave me publick leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
to stir men's blood: I only speak right on:

I tell you that, which you yourselves do know;
shew you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor dumb
mouths,

and bid them speak for me: But were I Brutus,
and Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
in every wound of Cæsar, that should move
the stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

W. SHAKESPEARE

519 THEN he grew proud, yet gentle in his pride, and full of tears, which well became his youth, as showers do spring. For he was quickly moved, and joy'd to hear sad stories that we told

of what we saw on earth, of death and woe,
and all the waste of time. Then would he swear
that he would conquer time; that in his reign
it never should be winter; he would have

no pain, no growing old, no death at all:

and that the pretty damsels, whom we said

he must not love, for they would die and leave him,

should evermore be young and beautiful;

or, if they must go, they should come again,
like as the flowers did. Thus he used to prate,
till we almost believed him.

520 LEONATO LAMENTING HIS DAUGHTER HERO'S

D%

SHAME

not live, Hero; do not ope thine eyes;

for did I think thou wouldst not quickly die,

thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames, myself would, on the rearward of reproaches,

strike at thy life. Grieved I, I had but one?
chid I for that at frugal nature's frame?

O, one too much by thee! Why had I one?
why ever wast thou lovely in my eyes?
why had I not, with charitable hand,
took up a beggar's issue at my gates;
who smirchéd thus, and mired with infamy,
I might have said, No part of it is mine,
this shame derives itself from unknown loins.

W. SHAKESPEARE

521

THE APPROACH OF MACBETH'S FATE

MACBETH-SEYTON

WHAT is that noise?

M. W

S. It is the cry of women, my good lord. M. I have almost forgot the taste of fears:

S.

the time has been, my senses would have cool'd
to hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hair

Iwould at a dismal treatise rouse and stir

as life were in 't: I have supp'd full with horrors; direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me.-Wherefore was that cry? The Queen, my lord, is dead.

M. Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
that struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
and then is heard no more: it is a tale

told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing.

522 A

GRIM old king,

W. SHAKESPEARE

whose blood leapt madly when the trumpets brayed to joyous battle 'mid a storm of steeds,

won a rich kingdom on a battle-day;

but in the sunset he was ebbing fast,

ringed by his weeping lords. His left hand held
his white steed, to the belly splashed with blood,
that seemed to mourn him with its drooping head;
his right, his broken brand; and in his ear
his old victorious banners flap the winds.
He called his faithful herald to his side,-
'Go! tell the dead I come!' With a proud smile,

the warrior with a stab let out his soul,

which fled and shrieked through all the other world, 'Ye dead! my master comes!' And there was pause till the great shade should enter.

A. SMITH

523

Cal.

CALANTHA, DAUGHTER TO THE KING OF LACONIA, PLACING A CHAPLET UPON ITHOCLES

HRISTALLA, Philema, the chaplet-Ithocles,

CHRISTALLA,

and chosen fortune of an high attempt,

is borne to past the view of common sight,

that I myself, with mine own hands, have wrought to crown thy temples, this provincial garland;

accept, wear, and enjoy it as our gift

deserved, not purchased.

Ith. Let me blush,

acknowledging how poorly I have served,

what nothings I have done, compared with the honours heaped on the issue of a willing mind;

in that lay mine ability, that only:
for who is he so sluggish from his birth,
that owes not out of gratitude for life
a debt of service, in what kind soever
safety or counsel of the commonwealth
524 requires, for payment?-Whom heaven

is pleased to style victorious, there, to such,
applause runs madding, like the drunken priests
in Bacchus' sacrifices, without reason,

voicing the leader-on a demigod;

whenas, indeed, each common soldier's blood

drops down as current coin in that hard purchase,

as his, whose much more delicate condition

hath sucked the milk of ease: judgment commands, but resolution executes. I use not,

before this royal presence, these fit slights,

as in contempt of such as can direct;

my speech hath other end; not to attribute

all praise to one man's fortune; for, in a word,

all there did strive their best, and 'twas our duty.

J. FORD

525

Ca.

N

WOT kill her? Rack me,

ye powers above, with all your choicest torments, if I not practise cruelty upon her,

and wreak revenge some way yet never known. Mo. That task myself have finished, I shall die

526

before we part: I have drank a healing draught
for all my cares, and never more shall wrong thee.
When I am laid low in the grave, and quite forgotten,
mayest thou be happy in a fairer bride;

when I am dead, as presently I shall be,
for the grim tyrant grasps my heart already,
speak well of me; and if thou find ill tongues
too busy with my fame, don't hear me wronged;
'twill be a nobler justice to the memory

of a poor wretch once honoured with thy love.

DESCRIPTION OF PARADISE

HUS was this place

THU

a happy rural seat of various view;

groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm;
betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
grazing the tender herb, were interposed,
or palmy hillock, or the flowery lap

of some irriguous valley spread her store,
flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose.
Another side, umbrageous grots and caves
of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine
lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
luxuriant. Meanwhile murmuring waters fall
down the slope hills dispersed, or in a lake,
that to the fringéd bank, with myrtle crowned,
her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.

J. MILTON

527 The eldest of our valiant father's hopes,
HEN secret let it be: I urge no further.

so sadly orphaned, side by side we stood,
like two young trees, whose boughs in early strength
screen the weak saplings of the rising grove,
and brave the storm together.

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