Her vine, the merry cheerer of the heart,
Unpruned dies: her hedges even pleach'd,
Like prifoners, wildly over-grown with hair,
Put forth diforder'd twigs: her fallow leas
The darnel, hemloc, and rank fumitory,
Doth root upon; while that the coulter rufts,
That thould deracinate such favagery:
The even mead, that erft brought fweetlyforth
The freckledcow flip,burnet, and greenclover,
Wanting the fcythe, withal uncorrected, rank,
Conceives by idleness; and nothing teems,
But hateful docks, rough thistles, keckfies,
Lofing both beauty and utility. [burs,

22. THE FIRST PART OF HENRY VI. SHAKSPEARL.

thee!

hyfemblance, meagre,pale, and bloodless, | Once by the king, and three times thrice by gall defcended to the labouring heart; 5,in the conflict that it holds with death,'Tis not the land I care for, wert thou hence; afts the fame for aidance'gainit the enemy; A wildernefs is populous enough,

ch with the heart there cools, and ne'er
returneth

lush and beautify the cheek again.
fec, his face is black, and full of blood;
yeballs further out than when he liv'd,
gfull ghaftly, like a firangled man:
air uprear'd, his noftrils ftretch'd with
ftruggling;

So Sulfolk had thy heavenly company:
For where thou art, there is the world i felf,
With every feveral pleafure in the world!
And where thou art not, defolation.
Dying, with the Perfon beloved, preferable to
parting.

ands abroad fifplay'd, as one that grafp'd
tugg'd for life, and was by ftrength fub.
dued.
[ing;
on the fheets: his hair, you fee, is tick-
vell-proportion'd beard made rough and
rugged,

If I depart from thee, I cannot live:
And in thy fight to die, what were it elfe,
But like a pleasant flumber in thy lap?
Here could I breathe my foul into the air,
As mild and gentle as the cradle.babe,
Dying with mother's dug between its lips.
The Death-bed Horrors of a guilty Confcience.
Bring me unto my trial when you will.
Died he not in his bed? Where fhould he die?
Can I make men live, whether they will or no?
O torture me no more, I will confefs-
Alive again? Then thew me where he is;
I'll give a thousand pound to look upon him-
He hath no eyes, the duft hath blinded them.
Comb down his hair; look! look! it stands
upright,

Like lime-twigs fet to catch my winged foul!
Give me fome drink; and bid the apothecary
Bring the ftrong poifon that I bought of him.
Night.

to the fummer's corn by tempeft lodg'd.
not be but he was murder'd here;
eaft of all thefe figns were probable.
A good Confcience.

at ftronger breast-plate than a heart untainted?

e is he arm'd,that hath his quarrel juft;
le but naked, though lock'd up in steel,
e confcience with injuftice is corrupted.
Remorflefs Hatred.

plague upon 'em wherefore fhould I
curfe them?
[groan,
1d.curfes kill, as doth the mandrake's
ild invent as Litter fearching terms,
rs'd, as harth, as horrible to hear,
er'd strongly through my fixed teeth,
full as many figns of deadly hate,
an-fac'd envy in her loathfome cave:
ongue fhould fumble in mine earneft
words;

eyes thould fparkle like the beaten flint; lair be fix'd on end like one diftract; v'ry joint thould feem to curfe and ban; even now, my burden'd heart would break,

dl not curfe them. Poifon be their drink! worfe than gall, the dair teit that they taste ;

fweeteft fhade,a grove of cypress trees! chiefeft profpect, murdering bafilifkst fofteft touch,as fmart as lizard? nings; mufic, frightful as the ferpent's hif; oding ferich-owls make the concert full! e foul terrors in dark-feated neli

|

by the ground that I am banish'd from, Could I curfe away a winter's night,

The gaudy, blabbing, and remorfeful day
Is crept into the bofom of the fea;
And now loud howling wolves aroufe the jades
That drag the tragic melancholy night;
Who with their drowfy, flow, and flagging

wings,

erahundred times to part than die. wfarewell; and farewell life with thee! Thu: isroor Suffolk ten times banished,

Clip dead men's graves, and from their misty
jaws

Breathe foul contagious darkness in the air.
Kent.

Kent, in the commentaries Cæfar writ,
Is term'd the civilit place of all this ife:
Sweet is the country, because full of riches;
Ihe people liber. 1, valiant, active, wealthy.
Lord Say's Apology for hinflf.

|

Juftice, with favour, have I always done; Prayers and tears have mov'd me, gifts could

never.

|

When have I aught exacted at your hands,
Kent to maintain, the king, the realm, and you?
Large gifts have I bestow'd on learned clerks
Because my book preferr'd me to the king:
And-feeing ignorance is the curfe of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to
heaven,

h ftanding naked on a mountain top, = biting coldwould never let grafs grow. Parting Lovers.

1 banished I am, if but from thee.
beak not to me, even now be gone-

otyet! even thus two friends condemn'd-Do
ce, and kifs, and take ten thoufand
leaves.

Unless you be poffefs'd with devilish spirits,
You cannot but forbear to murder me.
$24 THE THIRD PART OF HENRY VI.
SHAKSPEARE.

The Transports of a Crown.
but think

How fweet a thing it is to wear a crown;
Within whofe circuit is Elysium,
And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.
A hungry Lion.
Se looks the pent-up lion o'er the wretch
Rra
That

And full as oft came Edward to my fide,
With purple faulchion painted to the hilt
In blood of those that had encounter'd him:
And when the hardieft warriors did retire,
Richard cried, "Charge! and give no foot of
ground!"

And cried, "A crown,or elfe a glorious tomb!
"A fceptre, or an earthly fepulchre !"
With this we charg'd again: but out, alas!
We bodg'd again; as I have feen a fwan
With bootlefs labour fwim against the tide,
And spend her strength with over-matching

boy,

And I with tears do wafh the blood away.
Keep thou the napkin, and go boaft of this:
And, if thou tell'it the heavy story right,
Upon my foul, the hearers will fhed tears;
Yea, even my foes will fhed faft falling tears,
And fay, "Alas, it was a piteous deed!"
The Duke of York in Battle.
Methought, he bore him in the thickeft
As doth a lion in a herd of neat ; [troop,
Or as a bear, encompass'd round with dogs,
Who having pinch'da few, and made them cry,
The reft ftand all aloof, and bark at him.
The Morning.

See how the morning opes her golden gates,
And takes her farewell of the glorious fun!
How well refembles it the prime of youth,
Trimm'd like a yonker prancing to his love!
The Morning's Dawn.

This battle fares like to the morning's war, When dying clouds contend with growing light;

What time the shepherd,blowing of his nails,
Can neither call it perfect day or night,

The Bleffings of a Shepherd's Life.
O God! methinks it were a happy life,
To be no better than a homely fwain;

To fit upon a hill, as I do now,

To carve out dials quaintly, point by point,
Thereby to fee the minutes how they run:
How many make the hour full complete,
How many hours bring about the day,
How many days will finish up the year,
How many years a mortal man may live:
When this is known, then to divide the times:
So many hours must I tend my flock;
So many hours muft I take my reft;
So many hours must I contemplate;
So many hours must I fport myfelf;
So many days, my ewes have been with young
So many weeks, ere the poor fools will year:
So many months, ere I fhall fhear the fleece:
So minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, 2nd

years,

Pafs'd over to the end they were created,
Would bring white hairs unto a quiet grave.
Ah what a life were this! how fweet! how
lovely!

Gives not the hawthorn bush a sweeter fhade
To thepherds, looking on their filly fheep,
Than doth a rich embroider'd canopy
To kings, that fear their fubjects' treachery
O, yes, it doth ; a thousand fold it doth.
And to conclude-the fhepherd's home'
curds,

His cold thin drink out of his leather bott
His wonted fleep under a fresh tree's fhade,
All which fecure and fweetly he enjoys,
Is far beyond a prince's delicates,
His viands fparkling in a golden cup,
His body couched in a curious bed,
When care, iniftruft, and treafon wait on him.
Mob.

Look, as I blow this feather from my fact,
And as the air blows it to me again,
Obeying with my wind, when I do blow,
And yielding to another when it blows,
Cominanded always by the greater guft;
Such is the lightnefs of your common me

A Smile on ambitious Thoughts.

Like one that ftands upon a promontory,
Why, then I do but dream on fov'reign
And fpies a far-off fhore where he would tre
Withing his foot were equal with his eye!
And chides the fea that funders him fr
thence,

Saying-he'll lade it dry, to have his way.
Gloucefter's Deformity.
Why, love forfwore me in my mother'sworb
And, for I fhould not deal in her foft laws,
She did corrupt frail nature with fome bribe
To fhrink mine arm up like a wither'd fhrab.
To make an evious mountain on my back,
Where fits deformity to mock my body; !
To fhape my legs of an unequal fize;
To difproportion me in every part:
Like to a chaos, or an unlick'd bear-whelp,
That carries no impreffion like the dam.
And am I then a man to be belov'd?

3

Gloucester's

Gloucefler's Diffimulation.

Why, I can fmile, and murder while I fmile;
d cry, content, to that which grieves my
heart;

d wet my cheeks with artificial tears;
frame my face to all occafions:
drown more failors than the mermaidhall:
lay more gazers than the bafilifk;
play the orator as well as Neftor,
eive more flily than Ulyffes could,
, like a Sinon, take another Troy :
madd colours to the cameleon;
nge fhapes with Proteus, for advantages,
fet the murd'rous Machiavel to fchool.
■ I do this, and cannot get a crown?

Henry VI. on his own Lenity. [mands,
have not ftopp'd mine ears to their de-
pofted off their fuits with flow delays;
pity hath been balm to heal their wounds,
mildnefs hath allay'd their fwelling griefs,
mercy dried their water-flowing tears.
ve not been defirous of their wealth,
much opprefs'd them with great fubfidies,
forward of revenge. tho' they much err'd.
The Earl of Warwick's dying Speech.
h,who is nigh? Come to me, friend or foe,
d tell me who is victor, York or Warwick?'Tis
yak I that? My mangled body fhews;
blood, my want of frength, my fick heart
at I muft yield my body to the earth. [thews
d, by my fall, the conqueft to my foe.
Thus yields the cedar to the axe's edge,
ofe arms gave fhelter to the princely eagle,
der whofe fhade the ramping lion flept;
ofe top-branch overpeer'd Jove's
ing tree,

d kept low fhrubs from winter's powerful
efe eyes, that now are dimm'd with death's
black veil,
ve been as

piercing as the mid-day fun, fearch the fecret treafons of the world. wrinkles in my brows, now fill'd with reliken'd oft to kingly fepulchers;[blood, who liv'dking, but I could dig his grave? d who durft fmile, when Warwick bent

his brow?

Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempefts shook down

trees;

now my glory fmear'd in duft and blood! parks, my walks, my manors that I had, 'n now forfake me; and, of all my lands, nothing left me, but my body's length. en Margaret's. Speech before the Battle of Tewkesbury. ords, Knights, and Gentlemen, what I fhould fay,

7 tears gainfay; for every word I speak, fee, I drink the water of my eyes. [reign, erefore,no more but this: Henry, your foveprifoner to the foe, his ftate ufurp'd,

realm a flaughter-houfe, his fubjects flain, 5 ftatutes cancell'd, and his treafure fpent; ad yonder is the wolf that makes this fpoil: ou fight injuftice:then, in God's name, Lords, Valiant, and give fignal to the fight.

Omens on the Birth of Richard III. The owl thriek'd at thy birth, an evil fign; he night.crow cried,a boding lucklefs tune;

The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top,
And chattering pyes in difmal difcords lung:
Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain,
And yet brought forth lefs than a mother's
To wit-an indigest, deformed lump, [hope.
Not like the fruit of fuch a goodly tree. [born,
Teeth hadft thou in thy head when thou wast
To fignify-thou cam'it to bite the world:
And, if the reft be true which I have heard,
Thou cam'ft" into the world with thy legs
forward."

25. THE LIFE OF HENRY VIII. SHAKSPEARE.

Action to be carried on with Refolution.
-If I am

Traduc'd by ignorant tongues,which neither
My faculties, nor perfon, yet will be [know
The chronicles of my doing-let me fay,

but the fate of place, and the rough brake That virtue muft go through. We must not stint Our neceffary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious cenfurers; which ever,
As rav'nous fishes, do a veffel follow
That is new-trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do beft,
By fick interpreters, once weak ones, is
fpread-Not ours, or not allow'd; what worlt, as oft
[wind. Hitting a groffer quality, is cried up
For our best act. If we shall stand still,
In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We fhould take root here,where we sit, or fit
State-ftatues only.

Anger.
To climb fteep hills,

Requires flow pace at first. Anger is like
A full-hot horfe; who, being allow'd his way,
Self-mettle tires him.

New Cuftoms.
New customs,
Though they be never so ridiculous,
Nay, let 'em be unmanly, yet are follow'd.
The Duke of Buckingham's Prayer for the King.
-May he live

Longer than I have time to tell his years!
Ever belov'd, and loving, may his rule be!
And, when old time fhall lead him to his end,
Goodness and he fill up one monument !
Dependents not to be too much trusted by great Men.
This from a dying man receive as certain:
Where you are liberal of your loves, and coun.
fels,
[friends,
Be fure you be not loofe: for thofe you make
And give your hearts to, when they once
perceive

The least rub in your fortunes, fall away
Like water from ye, never found again
But where they mean to fink ye.
A good Wife.

A lofs of her,
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never loft her luftre;
Of her, that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her

That

That when the greatest stroke of fortune falls, [ Still met the king? lov'd him next Heaven! Will blefs the king.

The Bleffings of a low Station.

-'Tis better to be lowly born,
And range with humble livers in content,
Than to be perk'd up in a glitt'ring grief,
And wear a golden forrow.

Queen Catharine's Speech to her Hufband.
-Alas, Sir,

In what have I offended you? What cause
Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure,
That thus you should proceed to put me off,
And take your good grace from me? Heaven
witnefs,

I have been to you a true and humble wife,
At all times to your will conformable:
Ever in fear to kindle your dislike, [forry
Yea, fubject to your count'nance; glad or
As I faw it inclin'd. When was the hour,
I ever contradicted your defire, ffriends
Or made it not mine too? Which of your
Have I not strove to love, although I knew
He were mine enemy? What friend of mine,
That had to him deriv'd your anger, did I
Continue in my liking? nay, gave notice,
He wasfrom thencedifcharg'disir, call to mind
That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
Upward of twenty years; and have been bless'd
With many children by you. If, in the course
And procefs of this time, you can report,
And prove it too, against mine honour aught,
My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty,
Against your facred perfon, in God's name
Turn me away; and let the foul'ft contempt
Shut door upon me, and fo give me up
To the harpest kind of justice.

Queen Catharine's Speech to Cardinal Wolfey.

-You are meek, and humble mouth'd;
You fign your place and calling, in full feem-
ing
With meekness and humility: but your heart
Is cramm'd with arrogancy,fpleen, and pride.
You have, by fortune,and his highness' fa

vours,

|

obey'd him?

Been, out of tondnefs, fuperftitious to him?
Almoft forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'Tis not well,lords,
Bring me a conftant woman to her husband,
One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his plea.
fure;

And to that woman, when he has done molt,
Yet I will add an honour-a great patient.
Queen Catharine compared to a Lily.
Like the lily,
frish'd,
That once was miftrefs of the field, and fou.
I'll hang my head, and perish.
Obedience to Princes,

The hearts of princes kifs obedience,
So much they love it: but to stubborn fpirits
They fwell, and grow as terrible as formi.
Horror, its outward Effects.

Is in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts;
-Some ftrange commotion
Stops on a fudden, looks upon the ground,
Then lays his finger on his temple; straight
Springs out into faft gait; then stops again,
Strikes his breaft hard; and anon he cafts
His eye against the moon: in moft ftrange pol
We've seen him fet himself.

Firm Allegiance.
-Though perils did
Abound as thick as thought could make'em
Appear in forms as horrid; yet my duty, [and
As doth a rock against the chiding flood,
And stand unshaken yours.
Should the approach of this wild river break

Anger, its external Effects.
What fudden anger's this? How have Ired
He parted frowning from me, as if ruin (
Leap'd from his eyes: fo looks the chafed
lion

Chim
Upon the daring huntsman that has gall
Then makes him nothing.

Falling Greatnefs.

Nay, then farewell! [greatne [mounted,I have touch'd the highest point of all And, from that full meridian of my glory, I hate now to my fetting. I fhall fall, Like a bright exhalation in the evening, And no man fee me more.

Gone flightly o'er low fteps; and now are
Where pow'rs are your retainers: and your
words,

Domeftics to you, ferve your will, as't pleafe
Yourself pronouncetheir office. I must tellyou,
You tender more your perfon's honour, than
Your high profeffion fpiritual.

King Henry's Character of Queen Catharine.
That man 'the world who thall report he has
A better wife, let him in nought be trusted,
For fpeaking falfe in that: Thou art, alone,
(If thy rare qualities, fweet gentleness,
Thy meeknefs faint-like, wife-like govern-
Obeying in commanding, and thy parts[ment,
Sovereign and pious elfe, could but fpeak thee
The queen of earthly queens.
[out)

On her own Merit.

Have I liv'd thus long (let me fpeak myfelf,
Since virtue finds no friends)a wife, a true one?
woman (I dare fay without vainglory)
Never yet branded with fufpicion}
Havel with all my full affection

The Viciffitudes of Life.

So farewell to the little good youbear me Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatnefi This is the state of man: To day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blo

fonis,

[him

And bears his blushing honours thick o
The third day comes a frost, ak lling fro
And when he think, good eafy man,full furly
His greatnefs is a ripening, nips his root,
And then he falls, as I do. I have ventur
Like little wanton boys, thatfwim on bladder
This many fummers in a fea of glory i
But far beyond my depth; my high
pride

At length broke under met and now
Weary, and old

Of a rude fu