Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people. Por. It is almost morning, And yet, I am sure, you are not satisfied Gra. Let it be so. The first inter'gatory [Exeunt. Or the Merchant of Venice the style is even and easy, with few peculiarities of diction, or anomalies of construction. The comic part raises laughter, and the serious fixes expectation. The probability of either one or the other story cannot be maintained. actions in one event is in this drama eminently happy. The union of two Dryden was much pleased with his own address in connecting the two plots of his Spanish Friar, which yet, I believe, the critic will find excelled by this play. JOHNSON. AS YOU LIKE IT. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. DR. GREY and Mr. Upton asserted that this play was certainly borrowed from the Coke's Tale of Gamelyn, printed in Urry's Chaucer; but it is hardly likely that Shakspeare saw that in manuscript, and there is a more obvious source from whence he derived his plot, viz. the pastoral romance of "Rosalynde, or Euphues' Golden Legacy," by Thomas Lodge, first printed in 1590. From this he has sketched his principal characters, and constructed his plot; but those admirable beings, the melancholy Jaques, the witty Touchstone, and his Audrey, are of the poet's own creation. Lodge's novel is one of those tiresome (I had almost said unnatural) pastoral romances, of which the Euphues of Lyly and the Arcadia of Sidney were also popular examples. It has, however, the redeeming merit of some very beautiful verses interspersed; * and the circumstance of its hav *The following beautiful stanzas are part of what is called "Rosalynd's Madrigal,” and are not unworthy of a place even in a page devoted to Shakspeare : Love in my bosom like a bee Doth suck his sweet: Now with his wings he plays with me, Now with his feet. Within mine eyes he makes his nest, His bed amidst my tender breast; My kisses are his daily feast; And yet he robs me of my rest Ah, wanton, will ye? And if I sleep, then percheth he And makes a pillow of my knee The livelong night. Strike I my lute, he tunes the string; He music plays, if so I sing; He lends me every lovely thing; Yet, cruel, he my heart doth sting. Whist, wanton, still ye? |