Mira. Certainly, sir, I can. Pro. By what? by any other house, or person! Of any thing the image tell me, that Hath kept with thy remembrance. Mira. "Tis far off; And rather like a dream than an assurance Pro. Thou hadst, and more, Miranda: But how is it, That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? If thou remember'st aught, ere thou cam'st here, How thou cain'st here, thou may'st. Mira. But that I do not. Pro. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since, Thy father was the duke of Milan, and A prince of power. Mira. Sir, are not you my father? Pro. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was duke of Milan; and his only heir And princess no worse issued.' Mira. O, the heavens! What foul play had we, that we came from thence? Or blessed was't, we did? Pro. Both, both, my girl. Abysm was the old mode of spelling abyss; from its French original abisme. This line is usually printed thus: "A princess; no worse issued: ". - which might indeed be admitted, but that there is no authority for it in the original; nor any need of the change, the sense being clear enough without it. H Nor shall I e'er believe or think thee dead, Or till I hear a scene more nobly take, Than when thy half-sword parleying Romans spake :^ Shall with more fire, more feeling, be express'd, L. DIGGES. To the Memory of MR. W. SHAKESPEARE. Can die, and live to act a second part: This a re-entrance to a plaudite. I. M." Upon the Lines and Life of the famous Scenic Poet, MASTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Those hands, which you so clapp'd, go now and wring, You Britons brave; for done are Shakespeare's days: His days are done, that made the dainty plays, Which made the Globe of heaven and earth to ring. Dried is that vein, dried is the Thespian spring, The sense of this line is more clearly expressed in some versca by the same author, prefixed to an edition of Shakespeare's Po ems in 16-40. "So have I seen, when Cæsar would appear, And on the stage at half-sword parley were Brutus and Cassius, O, how the audience Were ravish'd! with what wonder they went thence!" Turn'd all to tears, and Phoebus clouds his rays; Which crown'd him poet first, then poet's king All those he made would scarce make one to this HUGH HOLLAND. ADDITIONAL COMMENDATORY VERSES, Prefixed to the folio of 1632. Upon the Effigies of my worthy Friend, the Author, MASTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, and his Works. Spectator, this life's shadow is: - to see This truer image, and a livelier he, Turn reader. But observe his comic vein, Laugh; and proceed next to a tragic strain, Then weep: so, when thou find'st two contraries, An Epitaph on the admirable Dramatic Poet, W. SHAKESPEARE 6 What needs my Shakespeare, for his honour'd bones The labour of an age in piled stones; Or that his hallow'd reliques should be lud Under a star-ypointing pyramid ? Dear son of Memory, great heir of Fame, What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name? The authorship of these lines was ascertained by their appear ing in an edition of Milton's Poems, published in 1645. H. Thou, in our wonder and astonishment, For whilst, to the shame of slow-endeavouring art, On worthy MASTER SHAKESPEARE, A mind reflecting ages past, whose clear In that deep dusky dungeon to discern -- A royal ghost from churls; by art to learn Yet so to temper passion, that our ears To strike up and stroke down both joy and ire Calliope, whody, the most fair These ose praise the heavenly body chants. And Th Br i green, and pleasant yellow, red most brave. constant blue, rich purple, guiltless white, lowly russet, and the scarlet bright: nch'd and embroider'd like the painted spring; Eh leaf match'd with a flower, and each string |