Whether those peals of praise be his or no;
So, thrice fair lady, stand I.

HIS THOUGHTS TO THE INARTICULATE JOYS OF A

CROWD.

There is such confusion in my powers,
As, after some oration fairly spoke
By a beloved prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing pleased multitude:
Where every something, being blent* together,
Turns to a wild of nothing save of joy,
Express'd and not express'd.

IMPLACABLE REVENGE.

Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak : I'll have my bond: and therefore speak no more, I'll not be made a soft and dull-ey'd fool, To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield To Christian intercessors.

THE BOASTING OF YOUTH.

I'll hold thee any wager,

When we are both accoutred like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace;
And speak, between the change of man and boy,
With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride; and speak of frays,
Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
I could not do with all; then I'll repent,
And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd them:
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell.

That men shall swear, I have discontinued school Above a twelvemonth.

AFFECTATION IN WORDS.

O dear discretion, how his words are suited!
The fool hath planted in his memory
An army of good words: And I do know
A many fools, that stand in better place,
Garnish'd like him, that for a tricksy word
Defy the matter.

THE JEW'S REASON FOR REVENGE.

You'll ask me why I rather chose to have A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive Three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that: But, say, it is my humour*: Is it answer'd? What if my house be troubled with a rat, And I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats To have it baned? What, are you answer'd yet? Some men there are, love not a gaping pig; Some, that are mad, if they behold a cat; And others, when the bagpipe sings i' the nose, Cannot contain their urine: For affectiont, Mistress of passion, sways it to the mood Of what it likes, or loathes: Now, for your answer; As there is no firm reason to be render'd, Why he cannot abide a gaping pig; Why he, a harmless necessary cat; Why he, a swollen bagpipe; but of force Must yield to such inevitable shame, As to offend, himself being offended; So can I give no reason, nor I will not, More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing, I bear Antonio, that I follow thus A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd? * Particular fancy. + Prejudice. ‡ Crying.

MERCY.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd; It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd; It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above the sceptred sway, It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's, When mercy seasons justice.

FORTUNE.

For herein fortune shows herself more kind
Than is her custom: it is still her use,
To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,
To view with hollow eye, and wrinkled brow,
An age of poverty.

ACT V.

MOONLIGHT.

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,

* A small flat dish, used in the administration of the Eucha

rist.

F

But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young eyed cherubim :
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.

MUSIC.

I am never merry when I hear sweet music. Lor. 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 mov'd by 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 Erebus: Let no such man be trusted.

A GOOD DEED COMPARED.

How far that little candle throws his beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

NOTHING GOOD OUT OF SEASON.

The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark, When neither is attended; and, I think,

The nightingale, if she should sing by day,
When every goose is cackling, would be thought
No better a musician than the wren.

How many things by season season'd are
To their right praise, and true perfection!-
Peace, hoa! the moon sleeps with Endymion,
And would not be awak'd!

MOONLIGHT NIGHт.

This night, methinks, is but the daylight sick,

It looks a little paler; 'tis a day,
Such as the day is when the sun is hid.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

ACT I.

A FATHER'S AUTHORITY.

To you your father should be as a god;
One that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one
To whom you are but as a form in wax,
By him imprinted, and within his power
To leave the figure, or disfigure it.

A RECLUSE LIFE.

Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, Know of your youth, examine well your blood, Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice, You can endure the livery of a nun; For aye* to be in shady cloister mew'd, To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice blessed they, that master so their blood,