SHORT PASSAGES FROM
SHAKESPEARE.
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night,
Become the touches of sweet harmony.
Sit, Jessica : look, how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with 'patines of bright gold;
There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But in his motion like an angel 2 sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubims:
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.
'patine, a small flat plate. 2sings, referring to the "harmony of the spheres." Ancient poets represent the heavenly bodies as producing in their revolutions a beautiful music not audible to human ears.
Jessica. I am never merry, when I hear sweet music.
(Music.)
Lorenzo. The reason is, your spirits are attentive:
For do but note a wild and wanton herd,
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud,
Which is the hot condition of their blood;
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Or any air of music touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze,
By the sweet power of music. Therefore, the poet
Did feign, that 'Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods
Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of rage,
But music for the time doth change his nature :
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as 2 Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.
1 Orpheus, a very ancient poet, who is said to have played so sweetly on the lyre that its music was followed by beasts; and even trees, rocks, and other inanimate objects were enchanted by it. 2 Erebus, a dark region in the lower world.
1 Titania. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricots, and dewberries;
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey bags steal from the humble bees,
And, for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise ;
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes :
Nod to him, 'elves, and do him courtesies.
Midsummer Night's Dream. 'Titania, queen of the fairies. elves, plural of elf; a kind of fairy.
INSTABILITY OF HUMAN THINGS.
Prospero. You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir ;
Our revels now are ended. These, our actors
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial 2 pageant faded,
Leave not a 3rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made of, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
Tempest. 1inherit, hold; possess. 2pageant, show; spectacle. rack, a portion of thin cloud.
PERFECTION CANNOT BE IMPROVED
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to 'garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.
'garnish, adorn, beautify.
THE COMMONWEALTH OF BEES.
So work the honey bees;
Creatures, that by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom.
They have a king, and officers of sorts:
Where some, like magistrates, correct at home;
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad;
Others, like soldiers, armèd in their stings,
Make 2 boot upon the summer's velvet buds ;
Which pillage they with merry march bring home
To the tent royal of their emperor :
Who, busied in his majesty, surveys
The singing masons building roofs of gold ;
The civil citizens kneading up the honey;
The poor mechanic porters crowding in
Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;
The sad-ey'd justice, with his surly hum,
Delivering o'er to 'executors pale
The lazy yawning drone.
VI.-Moffatt's Ex. Reader.
1 sorts, different degrees or ranks. boot, booty; plunder. spillage, booty; spoils. executors, executioners.
THE COURSE OF A STREAM.
The current, that with gentle murmur glides,
Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But, when his fair course is not hindered,
He makes sweet music with the enamell'd stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every 'sedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And so by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing sport, to the wild ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course.
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a pastime of each weary step.
1 sedge, a kind of grass growing in damp and marshy places, or in the bed of a shallow stream.
VIEW FROM DOVER CLIFF.
Come on, sir; here's the place :-stand still.-How fearful
And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low!
The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air,
Show scarce so gross as beetles; half way down,
Hangs one that gathers 2 samphire, -dreadful trade!
Methinks, he seems no bigger than his head :
The fishermen, that walk upon the beach,
Appear like mice and yon tall anchoring bark,
Diminished to her 3 cock; her cock, a buoy,
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