The King has gone beyond me: all my glories No sun shall ever usher forth my honours, To be thy lord and master. Seek the king, Some little memory of me will stir him, (I know his noble nature) not to let Thy hopeful service perish too. Good Cromwell, Neglect him not; make use now, and provide For thine own future safety. Crom. O my lord, Bear witness, Must I then leave you? Must I needs forego Wol. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear well, me, Crom And when I am forgotten, as I shall be, thee; Corruption wins not more than honesty. Still in thy right hand carry gentle Peace, To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not. Thou fall'st a blessed martyr. Serve the king- There take an inventory of all I have, To the last penny, 'tis the king's. My robe, I dare now cali my own. O Cromwell, Cromwell! I serv'd my king, he would not in mine age Wol. So I have. Farewell The hopes of court! my hopes in Heaven do dwell. CHA P. XXI. Lear. SHAKESPEARE. Brow winds, and crack your cheeks; rage, You, cataracts, and hurricanoes, spout blow! Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks! You sulph'rous and thought-executing fires, der, Strike flat the thick rotundity o' th' world! Crack Nature's mould, all germins spill at once That make ungrateful man Rumble thy belly full, spit fire, spout rain Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters. I tax not you, ye elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdoms, call'd you children; You owe me no subscription. Then let fall Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand your brave, A poor, infirm, weak, and despis'd old man; But yet I call you servile ministers, Pa That have with two pernicions daughters join'd That keep this dreadful pudder o'er our heads, SHAKESPEARE. CHA P. XXII. Macbeth's Soliloquy. Is this a dagger which I see before me The handle tow'rd my hand? come, thee. let me clutch I have thee not, and yet I see thee still, As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; Mine eyes are made the fools o' th' other senses It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now, o'er one half the world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; now Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings: and wither'd Murther, (Alarm'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch) thus with his stealthy pace, With Tarquin's ravishing strides, tow'rds his de sign Moves like a ghost. earth Thou sound and firm-set Hear not my steps, which way they walk for fear I lives go, and 'tis done; the bell invites me, Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heav'n or to hell! he SHAKESPEARE. CHAP. XXIII. Macduff, Malcolm, and Rosse. Macd. SEE, who comes here! Mal. My countryman; but yet I know him not. Macd My ever-gentle cousin, welcome hither. Mal. I know him now. Good God, move The means that makes us strangers! Macd. Stands Scotland where it did? Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot betimes re Be call'd our mother but our grave; where nothing, But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile; Where sighs and groans, and shrieks that rend the air, Are made, not mark'd; where violent sorrow seems A modern ecstacy; the dead man's knell Is there scarce ask'd for whom: and good men's lives Expire before the flowers in their caps; Macd. Oh, relation Too nice, and yet too true! Mal. What's the newest grief? Rosse. That of an hour's age doth hiss the speaker, Each minute teems a new one. Rosse. Why, well Macd. And all my Rosse. Well too. children? Macd. The tyrant has not batter'd at their peace? Rosse. No, they were at peace when I did leave 'em. Macd. Be not a niggard of your speech: how Soes it? Rosse. When I came hither to transport the tidings, Which I have heavily borne, there ran a rumour Now is the time of help: your eye in Scotland Mal. Be't their comfort We're goming thither: gracious England hath That Christendom gives out. Rosse. Would I could answer This comfort with the like; but I have words The gen'ral cause? or is it a free grief, Rosse. No mind that's honest 9 But in it shares some woe; tho' the main part |