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,—
thus his good melancholy oft began,

on the catastrophe and heel of pastime,
when it was out,-Let me not live, quoth he,
after my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff

of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses
all but new things disdain; whose judgements are
mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies
expire before their fashions:'--this he wish'd:
I, after him, do after him wish too,

since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home,
I quickly were dissolvéd from my hive,

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.
Tir. Best citizens are least for private gayne.

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. I pray thee keep full close this secret greefe.
Tir. I neither ought ne will keepe it so close.
Cre. Shal I be then the murtherer of mine owne?
Tir. Ne blame not me, but blame the starres for thys.
Cre. Can heavens condemne but hym alone to die?
Tir. We ought believe the cause is good and just.
Cre. Unjust is he condemns the innocent.
Tir. A fool is he accuseth heaven of wrongs.

Cre. There can no ill thing come from heavens above.
Tir. Then this that heaven commands cannot be ill.
Cre. I not believe that thou hast talkt wyth God.
Tir. Because I tell thee that dooth thee displease.
Cre. Out of my sight, accursed lying wretch.

G. GASCOIGNE

775

Bol.

BOLINGBROKE-YORK-KING RICHARD II

SEE,

EE, see king Richard doth himself appear,
as doth the blushing discontented sun
from out the fiery portal of the east,

when he perceives the envious clouds are bent
to dim his glory, and to stain the track
of his bright passage to the occident.

York. Yet looks he like a king: behold, his eye,
as bright as is the eagle's, lightens forth
controlling majesty:-alack, alack, for woe,
that any harm should stain so fair a show!
K. R. We are amaz'd; and thus long have we stood
to watch the fearful bending of thy knee,

because we thought ourselves thy lawful king:
and if we be, how dare thy joints forget
to pay their awful duty to our presence?
if we be not, show us the hand of God

776

that hath dismiss'd us from our stewardship;
for well we know, no hand, of blood and bone
can gripe the sacred handle of our sceptre,
unless he do profane, steal or usurp.

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.
The language I have learn'd these forty years,
my native English, now I must forego
and now my tongue's use is to me no more
than an unstringéd viol or a harp;

or like a cunning instrument cas'd up,
or, being open, put into his hands

that knows no touch to tune the harmony:
within my mouth you have engaol'd my tongue,
doubly portcullis'd with my teeth and lips;
and dull unfeeling barren ignorance
is made my gaoler to attend on me.
I am too old to fawn upon a nurse,

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
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,—
thus his good melancholy oft began,

on the catastrophe and heel of pastime,
when it was out,-Let me not live, quoth he,
after my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff

of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses
all but new things disdain; whose judgements are
mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies
expire before their fashions:'--this he wish'd:
I, after him, do after him wish too,

since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home,
I quickly were dissolvéd from my hive,

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?
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.