Imatges de pàgina
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ACT V.

HOPE.

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings, Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

A FINE EVENING.

The weary sun hath made a golden set, And, by the bright track of his fiery car, Gives token of a goodly day to-morrow.

DAYBREAK.

The silent hours steal on,

And flaky darkness breaks within the east.

RICHMOND'S PRAYER.

O Thou! whose captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye;
Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
The usurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory!
To thee I do commend my watchful soul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes;
Sleeping, and waking, O defend me still!

RICHARD STARTING OUT OF HIS DREAM.

Give me another horse,-bind up my wounds,-
Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream.—
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!
The lights burn blue,-It is now dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What do I fear? myself?

CONSCIENCE.

Conscience is but a word that cowards use, Devis'd at first to keep the strong in awe.

RICHARD'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE BATTLE.

A thousand hearts are great within my bosom :
Advance our standards, set upon our foes;
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms.

RICHARD'S BEHAVIOUR AFTER AN ALARUM. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, And I will stand the hazard of the die : I think, there be six Richmonds in the field; Five have I slain to-day, instead of him:A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

KING HENRY VIII.

To climb steep hills,

ACT I.

ANGER.

Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like
A full hot-horse; who being allow'd his way,
Self-mettle tires him.

ACTION TO BE CARRIED ON WITH RESOLUTION.

If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither know My faculties, nor person, yet will be

The chronicles of my doing, let me say,

"Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake *

Thicket of thorns.

That virtue must go through. We must not stint *
Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope † malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes do a vessel follow

That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd §; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up

For our best act. If we shall stand still,
In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.

New customs,

NEW CUSTOMS.

Though they be never so ridiculous,
Nay, let them be unmanly, yet are follow'd.

ACT II.

THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM'S PRAYER FOR THE KING.

May he live

Longer than I have time to tell his years!

Ever belov'd and loving may his rule be!

And, when old time shall lead him to his end,

Goodness and he fill up one monument!

DEPENDENTS NOT TO BE TOO MUCH TRUSTED BY GREAT MEN.

This from a dying man receive as certain : Where you are liberal of your loves, and counsels, Be sure, you be not loose: for those you make friends, And give your hearts to, when they once perceive The least rub in your fortunes, fall away

Like water from ye, never found again

But where they mean to sink ye.

* Retard. + Encounter.

+ Sometime. ? Approved.

A GOOD WIFE.

A loss of her,
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre ;
Of her, that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will bless the king.

THE BLESSINGS OF A LOW STATION.

"Tis better to be lowly born,

And range with humble livers in content,

Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief,

And wear a golden sorrow.

QUEEN KATHARINE'S SPEECH TO HER HUSBAND. Alas, sir,

In what have I offended you? what cause

Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure,

That thus you should proceed to put me off,

And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness, I have been to you a true and humble wife,

At all times to your will conformable:

Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,

Yea, subject to your countenance: glad, or sorry,
As I saw it inclin'd. When was the hour,

I ever contradicted your desire,

Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends
Have I not strove to love, although I knew
He were mine enemy? what friend of mine
That had to him deriv'd your anger, did I
Continue in my liking? nay, gave notice

He was from thence discharged? Sir, call to mind
That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
Upward of twenty years, and have been blest
With many children by you: If, in the course
And process of this time, you can report,
And prove it too, against mine honour aught,
My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty,
Against your sacred person, in God's name,

Turn me away; and let the foul'st contempt
Shut door upon me, and so give me up

To the sharpest kind of justice.

QUEEN KATHARINE'S SPEECH TO CARDINAL WOLSEY.

You are meek, and humble mouth'd;

You sign your place and calling, in full seeming
With meekness and humility: but your heart
Is cramm'd with arrogancy, spleen, and pride.
You have, by fortune, and his highness' favours,
Gone slightly o'er low steps; and now are mounted
Where powers are your retainers; and your words,
Domestics to you, serve your will, as't please
Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell
you,
You tender more your person's honour, than
Your high profession spiritual.

KING HENRY'S CHARACTER OF QUEEN KATHARINE.
That man i' the world, who shall report he has
A better wife, let him in nought be trusted,
For speaking false in that; Thou art, alone
(If thy rare qualities, sweet gentleness,
Thy meekness saint-like, wife-like government,-
Obeying in commanding, and thy parts
Sovereign and pious else, could speak thee out t),
The queen of earthly queens.

ACT III.

QUEEN KATHARINE ON HER OWN MERIT.

Have I liv'd thus long-(let me speak myself,
Since virtue finds no friends), a wife, a true one?
A woman (I dare say, without vainglory),
Never yet branded with suspicion?

Have I with all my full affections

Still met the king? lov'd him next heaven? obey'd him?

* Appearance.

+ Speak out thy merits.

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