Earth, let not thy envious shade Cynthia's shining orb was made Lay thy bow of pearl apart, And thy crystal-shining quiver; Space to breathe, how short soever: Thou that mak'st a day of night, ORPHEUS WITH HIS LUTE. From KING HENRY VIII. William Shakespeare. ORPHEUS with his lute made trees, Every thing that heard him play, Hung their heads, and then lay by. In sweet music is such art, Fall asleep, or hearing, die. HARK! HARK! THE LARK! From CYMBELINE. William Shakespeare. HARK, hark! the lark at heaven's gates sings, And Phoebus 'gins arise, His steeds to water at those springs On chaliced flowers that lies; And winking Mary-buds begin UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE. From As YOU LIKE IT. William Shakespeare. UNDER the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. Who doth ambition shun, And loves to live i' the sun, Seeking the food he eats, And pleased with what he gets, Come hither, come hither, come hither: No enemy But winter and rough weather. BLOW, BLOW, THOU WINTER WIND. From As YOU LIKE IT. William Shakespeare. BLOW, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude. Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly, Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly. Then, heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, That dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot; Though thou the waters warp, Thy sting is not so sharp As friend remember'd not. Heigh-ho! sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly: This life is most jolly. MODERN GALLANTRY. Charles Lamb. In comparing modern with ancient manners, we are pleased to compliment ourselves upon the point of gallantry; a certain obsequiousness, or deferential respect, which we are supposed to pay to females, as females. I shall believe that this principle actuates our conduct when I can forget that in the nineteenth century of the era from which we date our civility, we are but just beginning to leave off the very frequent practice of whipping females in public, in common with the coarsest male offenders. I shall believe it to be influential when I can shut my eyes to the fact that in England women are still occasionallyhanged. I shall believe in it when actresses are no longer subject to be hissed off a stage by gentlemen. I shall believe in it when Dorimant hands a fish-wife across the kennel; or assists the apple-woman to pick up her wandering fruit, which some unlucky dray has just dissipated. I shall believe in it when the Dorimants in humbler life, who would be thought in their way notable adepts in this refinement, shall act upon it in places where they are not known, or think themselves not observed - when I shall see the traveller for some rich tradesman part with his admired box-coat, to spread it over the defenceless shoulders of the poor woman who is passing to her parish on the roof of the same stage-coach with him, drenched in the rain-when I shall no longer see a woman standing up in the pit of a London theatre till she is sick and faint with the exertion, with men about her, seated at their ease, and jeering at her distress; till one, that seems to have more manners or conscience than the rest significantly declares "she would be welcome to his seat, if she were a little younger and handsomer." Place this dapper warehouseman, or that rider, in a circle of his own female acquaintance, and you shall confess you have not seen a politer-bred man in Lothbury. Lastly, I shall begin to believe that there is some such principle influencing our conduct when more than one-half of the drudgery and coarse servitude of the world shall cease to be performed by women. Until that day comes I shall never believe this boasted point to be anything more than a conventional fiction; a pageant got up between the sexes, in a certain rank, and at a certain time of life, in which both find their account equally. I shall be even disposed to rank it among the salutary fictions of life when in polite circles I shall see the same attentions paid to age as to youth, to homely features as to handsome, to coarse complexions as to clear,—to the woman, as she is a woman, not as she is a beauty, a fortune, or a title. I shall believe it to be something more than a name when a well-dressed gentleman in a well-dressed company can advert to the topic of female old age without exciting, and intending to excite, a sneer: - when the phrases "antiquated virginity," and such a one has "overstood her market," pro |