Page images
PDF
EPUB

"He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

"He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and DRY GROUND into watersprings." Psalm cvii. 31, 33, 35. Again, in Psalm cxiv.:—

["Great seas have dry'd, when miracles have by the greatest been denied."]—" When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

"Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. "The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. "Tremble thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob."

["Great floods have flown from simple sources."]— "Which turned the rock into a standing water, THE FLINT into a fountain of waters." Psalm cxiv. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8.

ACT IV. SCENE V.

Lafeu, an old lord, thus speaks of Helena, who has been deserted by Bertram, Count of Rousillon:

[ocr errors]

Lafeu. 'Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady: we may pick a thousand salads ere we light on such another herb.

Clown. Indeed, sir, she was the sweet-marjoram of the salad, or, rather, the herb of grace.

Lafeu. They are not salad-herbs, you knave, they are nose-herbs.

Clown. I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir, I have not much skill in grass."

["No great Nebuchadnezzar, I have not much skill in grass."]-An allusion to the punishment inflicted by the Almighty upon this haughty king for his pride:

"The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

66

While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee:

"And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

"The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

"And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.

*

*

"Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, and extol, and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his

ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase." Dan. iv. 30-37.

Again

ACT IV. SCENE V.

CLOWN to LAFEU, an old Lord.

"Clown. Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a prince as you are.

Lafeu. Who's that? a Frenchman?

Clown. Faith, sir, he has an English name; but his phisnomy is more hotter in France, than there.

Lafeu. What prince is that?

Clown. The black prince, sir; alias the prince of darkness; alias the devil.

Lafeu. Hold thee, there's my purse: I give thee not this to suggest thee from thy master thou talk'st of; serve him still.

Clown. I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire; and the master I speak of, ever keeps a good fire. But, sure, he is the prince of the world, let his nobility remain in his court. I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too little for pomp to enter: some, that humble themselves, may; but the many will be too chill and tender; and they'll be for the flowery way, that leads to the broad gate, and the great fire."

These words of the servant are very tart-show the wide gap between men of high and low degreeand the feelings that are awaked in the heart of the latter class, if they think that they are held in contempt by those that sit in high places.

["But, sure, he is the prince of the world."]-From the 14th chapter of St. John. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." John xiv. 27, 30.

["I am for the house with the narrow gate; but the many, they'll be for the flowery way, that leads to the broad gate, and the great fire."]—" Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt. vii. 13, 14.

["The many will be too chill and tender; and they'll be for the flowery way."]—These thoughts seem to have sprung from some recollection of passages in the 2nd chapter of the Wisdom of Solomon: the words of the ungodly are there said to be-"Let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth.

"Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us." ii. 6, 7.

As it is not our intention to investigate any of the plays of Shakespeare which have been pronounced doubtful, six more of them, viz., Love's Labour Lost; Much Ado About Nothing; As

You Like It; Taming of the Shrew; Measure for Measure; and Comedy of Errors-will complete the list of those which are universally allowed to be emanations of his genius.

THE PLAY OF LOVE'S LABOUR LOST.

The King of Navarre, and the Lords Biron, Dumain, and Longaville, make a vow that no woman shall approach them at the court of Navarre till they have passed three years in deep and painful study. They are soon, however, all forsworn; for the King makes love to the Princess of France, a short time after he and his lords have subscribed their names to the schedule touching their oath, and the three lords become suitors to the ladies who attend the princess. Thus Biron sues Rosaline, Longaville sues Maria, and Dumain Katharine. Yet in this play Shakespeare intersperses, besides other biblical examples, several characters that are connected with sacred history. The characters are these-Adam, Eve, Cain, Judas Iscariot, Holofernes, Nathaniel, Judas Maccabeus, Samson, and Solomon.

« PreviousContinue »