Suit the Action to the Word & the Word to the Action; with this special observance, that you oerftep not the Modefty of Nature. Shakespeare. ELEGANT EXTRACTS, IN VERSE. BOOK THE THIRD. DRAMATIC, CHIEFLY FROM SHAKESPEARE. §1. ALL's WELL THAT ENDS WELL. The Remedy of Evils generally in ourselves. Advice. SHAKESPEARE. BE thou bleft, Bertram, and fucceed thy father, In manners as in fhape; thy blood and virtue Contend for empire in thee, and thy goodness Share with thy birth-right. Love all; truft a few ; Do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy Too ambitious Love. I am undone; there is no living, none, If Bertram be away. It were all one, That I fhould love a bright particular star, And think to wed it, he is fo above me! In his bright radiance and collateral light Muft I be comforted, not in his sphere. Th' ambition in my love thus plagues itfelf: The hind, that wou'd be mated by the lion, Muft die for love. 'Twas pretty, tho' a plague, To fee him every hour; to fit and draw His arched brows, his hawking eye, his curls, In our heart's table: heart, too capable Of every line and trick of his sweet favour! But now he's gone, and my adolatrous fancy Muft fanctify his relics. A parafitical, vain Coward. I know him a notorious liar; Think him a great way fool, folely a coward; Yet these fix'd evils fit to fit in him, That they take place, when virtue's fteely bones Look bleak in the cold wind with all full oft we fee : Cold wisdom waiting on fuperfluous folly. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, Which we afcribe to Heav'n. The fated sky Gives us free fcope; only, doth backward pull Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull. now King. I would I had that corporal soundness As when thy father and myself in friendship First tried our foldierfhip! He did look far Into the fervice of the time, and was Difcipled of the braveft. He lafted long; But on us both did haggish age fteal 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 obferve To-day in our young Lords; but they may jeft, Till their own fcorn return to them unnoted, Ere they can hide their levity in honour, So like a courtier; no contempt or bitterness Were in him: pride and fharpnefs if there were, His equal had awak'd them and his honour, Clock to itself, knew the true minute, when Exception bid him speak, and at that time His tongue obey'd the hand. Who were below He us'd as creatures of another place, [him And bow'd his eminent tops to their low ranks, Making them proud of his humility, In their poor praise he humbled: fuch a man. Might be a copy to these younger times; Which, followed well, would demonftrate them But goers backward. Would I were with him!-He would always fay [now (Methinks I hear him, now; his plaufive words b He He scatter'd not in ears; but grafted them Of the none-fparing war? And is it I [thou To grow there, and to bear) 'Let me not live-That drive thee from the fportive court, where 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 fnuff Of younger fpirits, whole apprehenfive fenfes All but new things difdain; whofe judgments [ftancies Mere fathers of their garments, whole conExpire before their fashions'-This he withed. I, after him, do after him with too, are Walt hot at with fair eyes, to be the mark -Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home,-I met the rav'ning lion, when he roar'd I quickly were diffolved from my hive, To give fome labourer room. Idolatrous Worship. -Thus, Indian like Religious in mine error, I adore The fun that looks upon his worshipper, Mean Inftruments often fuccessful. From fimple fources; and great seas have dry'd; When rather from our acts we them derive Self Accufation of too great Love. That chafe thee from thy country, and expofe With fharp constraint of hunger: better 'twere 1 Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great, I beseech your majefty to make it What's loft moft valued. Makes the remembrance dear. Against Delay. Let's take the inftant by the forward top For we are old, and on our quick'ft decrees Th' inaudible and noifelefs foot of time Steals, ere we can effect them. |
