making them proud of his humility, 772 in their poor praise he humbled. Such a man might be a copy to these younger times; which, follow'd well, would demonstrate them now but goers backward. 'Would, I were with him! He would always say, (methinks, I hear him now; his plausive words he scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them, to grow there, and to bear,)-'Let me not live,— on the catastrophe and heel of pastime, of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home, to give some labourers room. W. SHAKESPEARE 773 Cre. Tir. CREON-TIRESIAS WHY thou HY wouldest thou that he should not be here? I would not have him heare, what I should say. Cre. He is my sonne, ne will he it reveale. Tir. And shall I then while he is present speake? Cre. Yea, be thou sure that he no lesse than I doth wish ful well unto this commonweale. Tir. Then, Creon, shalt thou know: the meane to save this citie, is that thou shalt slea thy sonne hath ordered once and needes it must ensue. Cre. How many evils hast thou knit up in one? Tir. Though evil for thee, yet for thy countrey good. Cre. And let my countrey perish, what care I? Tir. Above all things we ought to hold it deare. Cre. Cruel were he that would not love his child. Tir. For common weale were well that one man wayle. Cre. To lose mine owne, I list none other save. Cre. Depart for now with all thy prophecies. 774 Tir. Lo thus the trueth doth alwayes hatred get. Cre. Yet pray I thee by these thy silver heares. Tir. The harme that comes from heaven cannot be scapte. Cre. And by thy holy spirit of prophecie. Tir. What heaven hath done, that cannot I undoe. Cre. That to no moe this secret thou reveale. Tir. And wouldst thou have me learne to make a lie? Cre. There can no ill thing come from heavens above. G. GASCOIGNE 775 Bol. BOLINGBROKE-YORK-KING RICHARD II SEE, EE, see king Richard doth himself appear, when he perceives the envious clouds are bent York. Yet looks he like a king: behold, his eye, because we thought ourselves thy lawful king: 776 that hath dismiss'd us from our stewardship; W. SHAKESPEARE A LOVER'S BANISHMENT DUKE OF MILAN-VALENTINE-LAUNCE-PROTEUS Duke. Val. EGONE, I will not hear thy vain excuse; BEGO but, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence. And why not death, rather than living torment? to die, is to be banish'd from myself; and Silvia is myself: banish'd from her, is self from self; a deadly banishment! What light is light, if Silvia be not seen? what joy is joy, if Silvia be not by? unless it be to think that she is by, and feed upon the shadow of perfection. Except I be by Silvia in the night, there is no music in the nightingale ; unless I look on Silvia in the day, there is no day for me to look upon: she is my essence; and I leave to be, if I be not by her fair influence foster'd, illumin'd, cherish'd, kept alive. I fly not death, to fly his deadly doom: tarry I here, I but attend on death; but, fly I hence, I fly away from life. 777 Pro. Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. Laun. So-ho! so-ho! Pro. What seest thou? Laun. Him we go to find: there's not a hair on's head Laun. Can nothing speak? master, shall I strike? Pro. Whom would'st thou strike? Laun. Nothing. Pro. Villain, forbear. F. S. III 15 have I deservéd at your highness' hands. or like a cunning instrument cas'd up, that knows no touch to tune the harmony: too far in years to be a pupil now: what is thy sentence, then, but speechless death, which robs my tongue from breathing native breath? W. SHAKESPEARE .771 CHARACTER OF A NOBLE COURTIER BY AN OLD CONTEMPORARY I THE KING OF FRANCE TO BERTRAM WOULD I had that corporal soundness now, as when thy father and myself, in friendship first tried our soldiership! He did look far into the service of the time, and was discipled of the bravest: he lasted long; but on us both did haggish age steal on, and wore us out of act. It much repairs me to talk of your good father. In his youth he had the wit, which I can well observe to-day in our young lords; but they may jest, till their own scorn return to them unnoted, ere they can hide their levity in honour. So like a courtier, contempt not bitterness were in his pride or sharpness; if they were, his equal had awak'd them; and his honour, clock to itself, knew the true minute when exception bid him speak, and at this time his tongue obey'd his hand: who were below him he used as creatures of another place; and bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks, making them proud of his humility, 772 in their poor praise he humbled. Such a man might be a copy to these younger times; which, follow'd well, would demonstrate them now 'Would, I were with him! He would always say, to grow there, and to bear,)—' Let me not live,— on the catastrophe and heel of pastime, of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home, to give some labourers room. W. SHAKESPEARE 773 Cre. Tir. CREON-TIRESIAS HY wouldest thou that he should not be here? WHY heare, what I should say. Cre. He is my sonne, ne will he it reveale. Tir. And shall I then while he is present speake? doth wish ful well unto this commonweale. Tir. Then, Creon, shalt thou know: the meane to save this citie, is that thou shalt slea thy sonne hath ordered once and needes it must ensue. Cre. How many evils hast thou knit up in one? Tir. Though evil for thee, yet for thy countrey good. Cre. And let my countrey perish, what care I? Tir. Above all things we ought to hold it deare. Cre. Cruel were he that would not love his child. Tir. For common weale were well that one man wayle. |