879

A DROWNED SOLDIER

among the slaughter'd bodies of their men, which the full-stomach'd sea had cast upon the sands, it was my unhappy chance to light upon a face, whose favour when it lived my astonish'd mind inform’d me I had seen. He lay in his armour, as if that had been his coffin; and the weeping sea (like one whose milder temper doth lament the death of him whom in his rage he slew) runs up the shore, embraces him, kisses his cheek; goes back again and forces up the sands to bury him; and every time it parts, sheds tears upon him; till at last, (as if it could no longer endure to see the man whom it had slain, yet loath to leave him) with a kind of unresolv'd unwilling pace, winding her waves one in another, (like a man that folds his arms, or wrings his hands, for grief) ebb’d from the body and descends, as if it would sink down into the earth, and hide itself for shame of such a deed.

C. TOURNEUR

880 LEONIDAS' ADDRESS TO THE LEADERS OF THE

GREEKS

VENERABLE synod, whose decrees

have called us forth to vanquish or to die, thrice hail! Whate'er by valour we obtain your wisdom must preserve. With piercing eyes each Grecian state contemplate, and discern their various tempers. Animate the cold, and watch the faithless: some there are betray themselves and Greece; their perfidy prevent, or call them back to honour. Let us all be linked in sacred union, and the Greeks shall stand the world's whole multitude in arms. If for the spoil, which Paris bore to Troy, a thousand barks the Hellespont o'erspread shall not again confederated Greece

be roused to battle, and to freedom give,
what once she gave to fame? Behold we haste
to stop the invading tyrant. Till we bleed,
he shall not pour his myriads on your plains.
But, as the gods conceal how long our strength
may stand unconquered, or how soon must fall,
waste not a moment, till consenting Greece
range all her free-born numbers in the field.

R. GLOVER

881

AJAX

REAT Jove, immure my heart, or girt it with

,

and with a flame, contracted from just fury,
set fire on all the world! how am I fallen,
how shrunk to nothing, my fame ravish'd from me,
that this sly talking prince is made my rival
in great Achilles' armour! is it day?
and can a cloud, darker than night, so muffle
your eyes, they cannot reach the promontory,
beneath which now the Grecian fleet rides safe,
which I so late rescu'd from Trojan flames,
when Hector, frightful like a globe of fire,
by his example taught the enraged youth
to brandish lightning? but I cannot talk,
nor knows he how to fight, unless i' th dark
with shadows. I confess, his eloquence
and tongue are mighty, but Pelides' sword
and armour were not made things to be talk'd on,
but worn and us’d; and when you shall determine
my juster claim, it will be fame enough
for him, to boast he strove with Ajax Telamon,
and lost the prize, due only to my merit.

J. SHIRLEY

OW the third and fatal conflict of the Persian

throne was done, and the Moslem's fiery valour had the crowning victory

NOW

won.

Harmosan, the last and boldest the invader to defy, captive overborne by numbers, they were bringing Then exclaimed that noble captive—“Lo! I perish in

my thirst, give me but one drink of water, and let then arrive

the worst." In his hand he took the goblet, but awhile the draught

forbore, seeming doubtfully the purpose of the foemen to ex

plore. Well might then have paused the bravest-for around

him angry foes with an hedge of naked weapons did that lonely man

enclose. “But what fear’st thou ?” cried the Caliph: “is it,

friend, a secret blow? fear it not-our gallant Moslem no such treacherous

dealing know: thou may'st quench thy thirst securely, for thou shalt

not die before thou hast drunk that cup of water, this reprieve is

thine—no more.” Quick the Satrap dashed the goblet down to earth with

ready hand, and the liquid sank for ever, lost amid the burning

sand. “Thou hast said that mine my life is, till the water

of that cup

I have drained—then bid thy servants that spilled

water gather up." For a moment stood the Caliph as by doubtful pas

sions stirred, then exclaimed, “For ever sacred must remain a

monarch's word ! bring another cup, and straightway to the noble Per

sian give: drink, I said before, and perish--now I bid thee drink and live."

R. C. TRENCH

I

SEE a man's life is a tedious one:

I have tired myself; and for two nights together have made the ground my bed. I should be sick, but that my resolution helps me.- Milford,

when from the mountain-top Pisanio show'd thee,
thou wast within a ken: 0 Jove! I think
foundations fly the wretched; such, I mean,
where they should be reliev'd. Two beggars told me
I could not miss my way: will poor folks lie,
that have afflictions on them, knowing 'tis,
a punishment or trial? Yes; no wonder,
when riches once scarce tell true: to lapse in fulness
is sorer than to lie for need; and falsehood
is worse in kings, than beggars.—My dear lord !
thou art one o' the false ones: now I think on thee,
my hunger's gone; but even before, I was
at point to sink for food.—But what is this?
here is a path to 't: 'tis some savage hold:
I were best not call; I dare not call; yet famine,
ere clean it o’erthrow nature, makes it valiant.
Plenty and peace breeds cowards; hardness ever
of hardiness is mother.

W. SHAKESPEARE

884

KING JOHN TO HUBERT
I

the sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,
attended with the pleasures of the world,
is all too wanton and too full of gawds
to give me audience :-if the midnight bell
did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth,
sound one into the drowsy race of night;
if this same were a churchyard where we stand,
and thou possessed with a thousand wrongs;
or if that surly spirit, melancholy,
had baked thy blood, and made it heavy, thick;
(which else runs tickling up and down the veins,
making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes,
and strain their cheeks to idle merriment,
a passion hateful to my purposes);
or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,
hear me without thine ears, and make reply
without a tongue, using conceit alone,
without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words;
then, in despite of brooded watchful day,
I would into thy bosom pour my thoughts:
but, ah, I will not !

W. SHAKESPEARE

885 TYRREL'S SOLILOQUY ON THE MURDER OF THE TWO PRINCES, CHILDREN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH THE tyrannous and bloody act is done;

the most arch deed of piteous massacre that ever yet this land was guilty of. Dighton and Forrest, whom I did suborn to do this piece of ruthless butchery, albeit they were flesh’d villains, bloody dogs, melting with tenderness and mild compassion, wept like two children in their death's sad story. O thus, quoth Dighton, lay the gentle babes,thus, thus, quoth Forrest, girdling one another within their alabaster innocent arms : their lips were four red roses on a stalk, which in their summer beauty kiss'd each other. A book of prayers on their pillow lay; which once, quoth Forrest, almost changed my mind; but, O! the devil,—there the villain stopp'd ; when Dighton thus told on-we smother'd the most replenishéd sweet work of nature, that from the prime creation e'er she framed.Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse they could not speak; and so I left them both, to bear this tidings to the bloody king.

W. SHAKESPEARE

886

CASCA-CASSIUS

Case

. "T!

'IS Cæsar that you mean: is it not, Cassius? Cas.

Let it be who it is; for Romans now
have thewes and limbs like to their ancestors;
but, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,
and we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;

our yoke and sufferance show us womanish. Casc. Indeed, they say the senators to-morrow

mean to establish Cæsar as a king :
and he shall wear his crown by sea and land,

in every place, save here in Italy.
Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger then;

Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius :
therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong:
therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat :