But evil on itself shall back recoil, and mix no more with goodness, when at last, it shall be in eternal restless change J. MILTON 1039 Const. CONSTANCE-ARTHUR-SALISBURY T is not so; thou hast misspoke, misheard; Ies well advis'd, tell o'er thy tale again: it cannot be; thou dost but say, 'tis so: oppress'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fears; a woman, naturally born to fears: and though thou now confess, thou didst but jest, what means that hand upon that breast of thine? why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum, like a proud river peering o'er his bounds? Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words? then speak again; not all thy former tale, but this one word, whether thy tale be true. 1040 Arth. I do beseech, you, madam, be content. Const. If thou, that bidd'st me be content, wert grim, ugly, and slanderous to thy mother's womb, full of unpleasing blots, and sightless stains, lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious, patch'd with foul moles and eye-offending marks, I would not care, I then would be content; for then I should not love thee; no, nor thou become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown. But thou art fair; and at thy birth, dear boy, 1041 K. Phi. The yearly course, that brings this day about, shall never see it but a holiday. Const. A wicked day, and not a holy day! what hath this day deserv'd? what hath it done, among the high tides in the kalendar? Nay, rather turn this day out of the week, this day of shame, oppression, perjury: or, if it must stand still, let wives with child pray that their burdens may not fall this day, lest that their hopes prodigiously be cross'd; but on this day let seamen fear no wrack; no bargains break that are not this day made: this day, all things begun come to ill end; yea, faith itself to hollow falsehood change! K. Phi. By heaven, lady, you shall have no cause to curse the fair proceedings of this day; have I not pawn'd to you my majesty? Const. You have beguil'd me with a counterfeit, resembling majesty; which, being touch'd and tried, proves valueless: you are forsworn, forsworn ; you came in arms to spill mine enemies' blood, but now in arms you strengthen it with yours: the grappling vigour and rough frown of war, is cold in amity and painted peace, and our oppression hath made up this league.— Arm, arm, you heavens, against these perjur'd kings! a widow cries; be husband to me, heavens! 1042 let not the hours of this ungodly day DOROTHEA-ANGELO W. SHAKESPEARE HY voice sends forth such music, that I never Dor. was ravished with a more celestial sound. Were every servant in the world like thee, so full of goodness, angels would come down and like that name thou art; get thee to rest, thy youth with too much watching is opprest. Ang. No, my dear lady, I could weary stars, and force the wakeful moon to lose her eyes, Therefore, my most lov'd mistress, do not bid Dor. Be nigh me, still, then; in golden letters down I'll set that day P. MASSINGER 1043 Man. MANOA TO SAMSON I CANNOT praise thy marriage-choices, son, rather approved them not: but thou didst plead divine impulsion prompting how thou might'st find some occasion to infest our foes. I state not that; this I am sure, our foes deposited within thee; which to have kept great pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud, 1044 THE LADY TO COMUS MPOSTOR, do not charge most innocent Nature as if she would her children should be riotous with her abundance. She, good cateress, means her provision only to the good, If every just man, that now pines with want, and she no whit encumbered with her store; F. S. III. 26 ne'er looks to Heaven amidst his gorgeous feast, but with besotted base ingratitude crams, and blasphemes his feeder. Shall I go on? or have I said enow? To him that dares arm his profane tongue with contemptuous words fain would I something say; yet to what end? and thou art worthy that thou shouldest not know AY but I know, J. MILTON Duke. what dost thou know? Vio. Too well what love women to men may owe; Duke. And what's her history? but let concealment, like a worm i' the bud, she sat like patience on a monument, We men may say more, swear more; but, indeed, W. SHAKESPEARE 1046 THANATOPSIS VET a few days, and thee YET the all-beholding Sun shall see no more in all his course; nor yet in the cold ground, where thy pale form was laid, with many tears, nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist |