1452 she cried not-stop your noses: would she give us so sweet a quire of winged musicians to have us deaf? or when she placed us here, here in a paradise, where such pleasing prospects, so many ravishing colours, entice the eye, was it to have us wink? all pleasures, and at full, Not to enjoy guilty of that she ne'er was guilty of,- T. RANDOLPH LUXURY IN DRESS from ONCE, I do remember, coming fed spent itself in those unprofitable toys thou speak'st of,—- my outside, would have cloathed, and left myself. a habit as becoming: to encrease this new consideration, there came one clad in a garment plain and thrifty, made BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER 1453 THE FOOL'S BEATITUDE VEN in that, note a fooles beatitude: E he is not capable of passion; wanting the power of distinction, he bears an unturned sayle with every winde: blowe east, blowe west, he steers his course alike. I never saw a foole leane; the chub-fac't fop shines sleeke with full cramm'd fat of happinesse, whil'st studious contemplation sucks the juyce laughes them to scorne, as man doth busie apes, a goode poore foole, I should want sense to feele 1454 TIMON OF ATHENS TIMON-APEMANTUS ET thee gone.— Tim. That the whole life of Athens were in this! thus would I eat it. Apem. Here; I will mend thy feast. [eating a root Tim. First mend my company, take away thyself. Apem. So I shall mend mine own, by the lack of thine. Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; if not, I would it were. Apem. What would'st thou have to Athens? Tim. If thou wilt, tell them there I have gold; look, so I have. Apem. Here is no use for gold. Tim. The best, and.truest: for here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Apem. Where ly'st o'nights, Timon? Tim. Under that's above me. Where feed'st thou o'days, Apemantus? Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it. Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where would'st thou send it? Tim. To sauce thy dishes.. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends: when thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for 1455 too much curiosity; in thy rags thou knowest none, but art despised for the contrary. SORDIDO W. SHAKESPEARE 'LL instantly set all my hinds to thrashing I'LL of a whole reek of corn, which I will hide that done, I'll have them empty all my garners, my house and I can feed on peas and barley; B. JONSON 1456 WHAT SORDIDO'S REPENTANCE HAT curses breathe these men! how have my made my looks differ from another man's, for my foul errors past, and twenty fold restore to all men, what with wrong I robbed them: my barns and garners shall stand open still to all the poor that come, and my best grain be made alms-bread, to feed half-famished mouths. yet now my gathered heaps being spread abroad, I am by wonder changed: come in with me B. JONSON 1457 Alc. Tim. WH ALCIBIADES-TIMON HAT art thou there? speak. A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart, for showing me again the eyes of man! Alc. What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee, that art thyself a man? Tim. I am misanthropos, and hate mankind. Alc. For thy part I do wish thou wert a dog, I know thee well; but then renew I could not, like the moon; Tim. Alc. I have heard in some sort of thy miseries. 1458 Al THE W. SHAKESPEARE APOLOGY FOR THIEVERY HE world's a theatre of theft. Great rivers rob smaller brooks, and them the ocean. And in this world of ours, this microcosm, guts from the stomach steal, and what they spare the meseraicks filch, and lay i̇' the liver: Ro. where, lest it should be found, turn'd to red nectar, and hid in flesh, nerves, bones, muscles and sinews, Ha. I thought these parts had lent and borrow'd mutual. 1459 ne'er to restore, and that's flat robbery. Be watchful, have as many eyes as Heaven, ADDRESS TO THE AUDIENCE J. TOMKIS WHO is so patient of this impious world, Asper WH that he can check his spirit, or rein his tongue? Who can behold such prodigies as these, to flatter vice and daub iniquity: but with an arméd and resolvéd hand I fear no mood stampt in a private brow, no broker's, usurer's, or lawyer's gripe, the easy flexure of his supple hams. Tut, these are so innate and popular, that drunken custom would not shame to laugh in scorn at him, that should not dare to tax 'em. B. JONSON |