THE STRENGTH OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE. WHAT stronger breastplate than a heart untainted! Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just, And he but naked, though locked up in steel, Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted. Second Part of King Henry VI., iii. 2, 232. THE DIGNITY OF GOOD ACTIONS. STRANGE is it that our bloods, Of color, weight, and heat, poured all together, Would quite confound distinction, yet stand off In differences so mighty. If she be The place is dignified by the doer's deed: none, It is a dropsied honor. Good alone All's Well that Ends Well, ii. 3, 126. THE LESSON OF WOLSEY'S FALL. Thomas Cromwell (Confidential Servant of Must I, then, leave you? must I needs forego Forever and forever shall be yours. Wolsey. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear In all my miseries; but thou hast forced me, Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman. Let's dry our eyes: and thus far hear me, Cromwell; And, when I am forgotten, as I shall be, And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention Of me more must be heard of, say, I taught thee; Say, Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory, And sounded all the depths and shoals of honor, Found thee a way, out of his wreck, to rise in: A sure and safe one, though thy master missed it. Mark but my fall, and that that ruined me. Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition : Corruption wins not more than honesty. Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, Thou fall'st a blessed martyr! Have I not strove to love, although I knew That I have been your wife, in this obedience, For. AVARICE. The quality of mercy is not strained, It droppeth as the 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 this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; An earthly power doth then show likest God's When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That, 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. I have spoke thus much To mitigate the justice of thy plea; Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice Must needs give sentence 'gainst the mer chant there. Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law. The penalty and forfeit of my bond. No ceremony that to great ones 'longs, Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods? AVARICE. DESPAIR to gain doth traffic oft for gaining; And when great treasure is the meed proposed, Though death be adjunct, there's no death supposed. 397 With honor, wealth, and ease, in waning age, Honor for wealth; and oft that wealth doth cost The death of all, and all together lost. In having much, torments us with defect OPPORTUNITY. Lucrece, 131 UNRULY blasts wait on the tender spring: Unwholesome weeds take root with precious flowers; The adder hisses where the sweet birds sing; Or kills his life or else his quality. O Opportunity, thy guilt is great! 'Tis thou that executest the traitor's treason: Thou set'st the wolf where he the lamb may j get: Whoever plots the sin, thou 'point'st the sea son; 'Tis thou that .spurn'st at right, at law, at reason; And in thy shady cell, where none may spy him, Sits sin, to seize the souls that wander by him. . . . Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief! Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast ; Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name; Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste; Thy violent vanities can never last. How comes it then, vile Opportunity, Being so bad, such numbers seek for thee? When wilt thou be the humble suppliant s friend, Those that much covet are with gain so fond, And bring him where his suit may be ob The patient dies while the physician sleeps; The orphan pines while the oppressor feeds; Justice is feasting while the widow weeps; Advice is sporting while infection breeds; Thou grant'st no time for charitable deeds; Wrath, envy, treason, rape, and murder's rages, Thy heinous hours wait on them as their When Truth and Virtue have to do with thee, To all sins past, and all that are to come, Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal K. John. Hadst thou but shook thy head Where you are liberal of your loves and coun sels Be sure you be not loose; for those you make friends And give your hearts to, when they once perceive The least rub in your fortunes, fall away Pray for me! I must now forsake ye: the last hour Of my long weary life is come upon me. And when you would say something that is sad, SELF-INDULGENCE. O GENTLEMEN, the time of life is short! First Part of King Henry IV., v. 2, 82. Now 't is the spring, and weeds are shallowrooted; Suffer them now, and they 'll o'ergrow the garden And choke the herbs for want of husbandry. With less respect than we do minister Measure for Measure, ii. 2, 85. |