Imatges de pàgina
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DOUGLAS'S ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF.
My name is Norval: on the Grampian hills
My father feeds his flock; a frugal swain,
Whose constant cares were to increase his store,
And keep his only son, myself, at home.
For I had heard of battles, and I long'd

To follow to the field some warlike lord;

And heaven soon granted what my sire denied.
This moon, which rose last night, round as my shield,
Had not yet filled her horns, when by her light,
A band of fierce barbarians from the hills,
Rush'd like a torrent down upon the vale,

Sweeping our flocks and herds. The shepherds fled
For safety and for succour. I alone,

With bended bow, and quiver full of arrows,
Hover'd about the enemy, and mark'd

The road he took; then hasted to my friends,
Whom with a band of fifty chosen men,
I met advancing. The pursuit I led,

"Till we o'ertook the spoil encumber'd foe;

We fought, and conquer'd. 'Ere a sword was drawn,
An arrow from my bow had pierc'd their chief,
Who wore that day the arms which now I wear.
Returning home in triumph, I disdain'd

The shepherd's slothful life; and having heard
That our good king had summon'd his bold peers
To lead their warriors to the Carron's side,
I left my father's house, and took with me
A chosen servant to conduct my steps;-

Yon trembling coward, who forsook his master.
Journeying with this intent, I pass'd these towers,
And, heaven-directed, came this day to do
The happy deed, that gilds my humble name.

PORTIA TO BASSANIO,-MERCHANT OF VENICE.

You see me lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am though for myself alone,
I would not be ambitious in my wish,
To wish myself much better; yet, for you,
I would be trebled twenty times myself;

A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich;

That only to stand high on your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account; but the full sum of me
Is sum of something; which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractised:
Happy in this, she is not yet so old

But she may learn; and happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn :
Happiest of all, is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.

ANGER.

ANGER, when not strongly excited, sometimes expresses itself by a sullen silence,-When violent, it expresses itself with rapidity, interruption, noise, harshness and trepidation. The neck stretched out; the head forward, often nodding, and shaken in a menacing manner, against the object of the passion.

"Anger is pride provok'd beyond controul,
When some felt insult fires the smarting soul:
Then marks of menace, air and face deform,

And short thick breathings paint the infelt storm.”

When carried to excess, the eyes become red, inflamed, staring, rolling and sparkling; the eyebrows drawn down over them; and the forehead wrinkled into clouds. The nostrils stretched wide; every vein swelled; every muscle strained; the breast heaving; and breath fetched hard. The mouth open and drawn on each side towards the ears; shewing the teeth in a gnashing posture. The face bloated, pale, red, or sometimes almost black. The feet stamping; the right arm often thrown out, and menacing with the clenched fist shaken, and a general and violent agitation of the whole body.

PERSONIFICATION OF ANGER.
Next Anger rush'd his eyes on fire,
In lightnings own'd their secret stings;
In one rude clash he struck the lyre,
And swept with hurried hand the strings.

KING LEAR BANISHING KENT.

Hear me recreant! on thine allegiance hear me!
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow,
(Which we durst never yet), and with stain'd pride,
To come betwixt our sentence and our power,
(Which nor our nature nor our place can bear);
Our potency make good, take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee, for provision
To shield thee from diseases of the world;
And, on the sixth, to turn thy hated back

Upon our kingdom; if, on the tenth day following,
Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death: Away! by Jupiter,
This shall not be revoked.

HOTSPUR READING A LETTER.

But for mine own part, my lord, I could be well contented to be there, in respect of the love I bear your house. He could be contented! Why is he not then? In respect of the love he bears our house:-he shews in this, he loves his own barn better than he loves our house. Let me see some more. The purpose you undertake, is dangerous;-why, that's certain; 'tis dangerous

to take a cold, to sleep, to drink : but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. The purpose you undertake, is dangerous; the friends you have named, uncertain; the time itself unsorted; and your whole plot too light for the counterpoise of so great an opposition. Say you so, say you so? I say unto you again, you are a shallow cowardly hind, and you lie. What a lack brain is this? By the lord, our plot is a good plot as was ever laid; our friends true and constant; a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation; an excellent plot, very good friends. What a frosty-spirited rogue is this? Why, my lord of York commends the plot, and the general course of the action. 'Zounds, an I were now by this rascal, I could brain him with his lady's fan. Is there not my father, my uncle, and myself? Lord Edmund Mortimer, my lord of York and Owen Glendower? Is there not, besides, the Douglas? Have I not all their letters, to meet me in arms by the ninth of next month? And are they not, some of them, set forward already? What a pagan rascal is this? An infidel? Ha! you shall see now, in very sincerity of fear and cold heart, will he to the king, and lay open all our proceedings. O, I could divide myself, and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of skimm'd milk with so honourable an action! Hang him! let him tell the king: we are prepared : I will set forward to-night.

DUKE OF YORK ON BOLINGBROKE'S REBELLION.

-Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs
Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground?
But then more why;—why have they dared to march
So many
miles upon her peaceful bosom ;

Fright'ning her pale-faced villages with war,

And ostentation of despised arms?

Com'st thou because the anointed King is hence?
Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind,

And in my loyal bosom lies his power,

Were I but now the lord of such hot youth,

As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself,

Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,
From forth the ranks of many thousand French;

O, then, how quickly should this arm of mine,
Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee,
And minister correction to thy fault!

SIR ANTHONY ABSOLUTE.

-Can't you be cool, like me? What the devil good can passion do? passion is of no service, you impudent, insolent, overbearing reprobate! There you sneer again! don't provoke me! but you rely upon the mildness of my temper; you do, you dog! you play upon the meekness of my disposition! Yet, take care, the patience of a saint may be overcome at last. But mark! I give you six hours and a half to consider this; if you then agree, without any condition, to do everything on earth that I choose, whyconfound you! may in time forgive you. If not, zounds! don't enter into the same hemisphere with me! don't dare to breathe the same air, or use the same light with me; but get an atmosphere and a sun of your own! I'll strip you of your commission; I'll lodge a five and threepence in the hands of trustees, and you shall live upon the interest. I'll disown you, I'll disinherit you, I'll unget you! and, d- n me, if ever I call you Jack again!·

RAGE,

(Which is an excess of anger,) is similarly expressed, but with more violence.

KING LEAR ON BEING DRIVEN OUT BY HIS DAUGHTERS. Blow wind, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!

You cataracts and hurricanes spout,

Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks!

You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,

'Vaunt couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts

Singe my white head! And thou, all shaking thunder,
Strike flat the thick rotundity o' the world!

Crack nature's moulds, all germens spill at once,
That make ungrateful man!

-Spit fire! Spout rain!

Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters.
CORIOLANUS ON BEING TAUNTED BY AUFIDIUS.
Cor.-Hear'st thou, Mars?

Auf.-Name not the god, thou boy of tears,
Cor.-Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart

Too great for what contains it. Boy! slave!

-Cut me to pieces, Volces; men and lads,
Stain all your edges on me.-Boy! false hound!
If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there,
That like an eagle in a dove-cot, I

Flutter'd your voices in Corioli,

Alone I did it-boy!

-O, that I had him,

With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,

To use my lawful sword!

THE QUARREL OF GLENALVON AND NORVAL.
Nor. If I were chain'd, unarm'd, and bed-rid old,

Perhaps I should revile; but, as I am,

I have no tongue to rail. The humble Norval
Is of a race, who strive not but with deeds,
Did I not fear to freeze thy shallow valour,
And make thee sink too soon beneath my sword,
I'd tell thee,-what thou art, I know thee well.

Glen. Dost thou not know Glenalvon, born to command
Ten thousand slaves like thee?

Nor. Villain, no more.

Draw, and defend thy life. I did design
To have defy'd thee in another cause;

But heav'n accelerates its vengeance on thee,
Now, for my own, and lady Randolph's wrongs.
LEAR ON REGAN'S DENYING HERSELF.
Vengeance! plague! death! confusion!
Fiery what quality? Why Glo'ster, Glo'ster,
I'd speak with the Duke of Cornwall, and his wife ;—
Dost thou understand me, man?

The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father

Would with his daughter speak, commands her service :
Are they informed of this? My breath and blood !—
Fiery? the fiery duke ?-tell the hot duke, that-
Now presently; bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their chamber door I'll beat the drum
"Till it cry-sleep to death.

SCORN.

Scorn is cold anger, careless and at ease,
Calm sense of wrong, too harmless to displease;
Bold in undoubted safety, 't would disclaim.
Defiance, and with proud remissness flame.
Now smiles, now frowns,-yet both with eye serene,
And lets the nerves play loose with painless spleen.
CASSIUS IN SCORN OF CÆSAR.

I cannot tell, what you and other' men
Think of this life; but, for my single self'
I had as lief not' be, as live to be

In awè of such a thing as I myself.

I was born as free as Cæsar'; so were you';
We both have fed' as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold', as well as he :
For once, upon a raw and gusty' day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores',
Cæsar said to me, Dārest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point? Upon the word',
Accoutre'd' as I was, I plunged in',

And bade him follow': so indeed he did',
The torrent roar'd'; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews'; throwing it asidé
And stemming it with hearts of controversy,
But ere we could arrivé the point proposed,
Cæsar cried, Help' me, Cassius, or I sink`,
I, as Æneas', our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy', upon his shoulders
The old Anchisés bear, so, from the waves of Tyber'

Did I' the tired Cæsar': and this' man

Is now become a God'; and Cassius' is

A wretched creaturè, and must bend his body',
If Cæsar carelessly but nod' on him,

He had a fever' when he was in Spain',

And, when the fit' was on him, I did mark

How he did shake': 'tis true', this god did shake:
His coward lips did from their colour' fly;

And that same eye', whose bend doth awe the world',
Did lose his lustre': I did hear him groan';

Ay, and that tongue' of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speechés in their books,
Alas! it cried, give me some drink', Titinius,

As a sick girl. Ye gods', it doth amaze` me,
A man of such a feeblé temper should
So get the start, of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone'.

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