NUN,-continued.

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,

Chaunting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
Thrice blessed they, that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;
But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,
Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness.

M. N. i. 1.

I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks.

J.C. i. 3.

AGED.

Under an oak whose boughs were moss'd with age.
And high top bald with dry antiquity.

OATHS (See also LOVERS' Vows).

No, not an oath: If not the face of men,

The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,

If these be motives weak, break off betimes,

And every man hence to his idle bed;
So let high-sighted tyranny range on,

Till each man drop by lottery: But if these,
As I am sure they do, bear fire enough
To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour

A. Y. iv. 3.

The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen,
What need we any spur, but our own cause,
To prick us to redress? what other bond,

Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word,
And will not palter? and what other oath
Than honesty to honesty engag'd,

That this shall be, or we will fall for it?
Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls
That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise.

OATIIS,-continued.

Nor the unsuppressive metal of our spirits,

To think, that, or our cause, or our performance,
Did need an oath; when every drop of blood,
That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a several bastardy,

If he do break the smallest particle

Of any promise that hath pass'd from him.

'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth;
But the plain single vow, that is vow'd true.

J.C. ii. 1.

A. W. iv. 2.

Not yours, in good sooth! 'Heart, you swear like a comfit-maker's wife! Not you, in good sooth; and, As true as I live; and, As God shall mend me; and, As sure as day; And giv'st such sarcenet surety for thy oaths, as if thou never walk'dst further than Finsbury. Swear me, Kate, like a lady as thou art, a good mouth-filling oath; and leave in sooth, and such protest of pepper gingerbread, to velvetguards, and Sunday citizens. H. IV. PT. I. iii. 1.

Trust none;

For oaths are straws, men's faiths are wafer-cakes,
And hold-fast is the only dog, my duck;

Therefore, caveto be thy counsellor.

Myself, myself confound!

Heaven, and fortune, bar me happy hours!

Day, yield me not thy light; nor night, thy rest!

Be opposite, all planets of good luck,

To my proceeding, if, with pure heart's love,

Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

H.V. ii. 3.

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter. R. III. iv. 4

An oath, an oath; I have an oath in heaven:
Shall I lay perjury upon my soul?

No, not for Venice.

M. V. iv. 1.

I'll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath :
Who shuns not to break one, will sure crack both.

P. P. i. 2.

Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers,
Not of that die which their investments show,
But mere implorators of unholy suits,
Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds,
The better to beguile.

Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your name,
That his own hand may strike his honour down,
That violates the smallest branch herein.

H. i. 3

L. L. i 1

Come, swear it, damn thyself,
Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves

OATIIS,-continued.

Should fear to seize thee: therefore be double-damn'd,
Swear-thou art honest.

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Look thou be true; do not give dalliance

Too much the rein; the strongest oaths are straw
To the fire i' the blood; be more abstemious,
Or else good night your vow.

Thou see'st that all the grace that she hath left,
Is that she will not add to her damnation
A sin of perjury. She not denies it.

0. iv. 2.

R. J. ii. 2.

T. iv. 1.

M. A. iv. 1.

I have no cunning in protestation; only downright oaths, which I never use till urged, nor never break for urging.

He professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking them, he is stronger than Hercules.

It is a great sin, to swear unto a sin;
But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath.
Who can be bound by any solemn vow
To do a murderous deed, to rob a man,
To force a spotless virgin's chastity,
To 'reave the orphan of his patrimony,
To wrong the widow from her custom'd right;
And have no other reason for this wrong,
But that he was bound by a solemn oath?

A. W. iv. 3.

H.VI. PT. II. v. 1.

By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let

me turn monster.

A. Y. i. 2.

honour, for he

But if you swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn;
no more was the knight, swearing by his
never had any.

By all pretty oaths that are not dangerous.

OBJECT.

A mote it is, to trouble the mind's eye.
OLD AND FAMILIAR.

A. Y. i. 2.

A. Y. iv. 1.

H. i. 1.

Now he thanks the old shepherd, which stands by, like a weather-bitten conduit of many kings' reigns.

OBLIVION.

In the swallowing gulf

Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion.

And all the clouds that lowr'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

W. T. v. 2.

R. III. iii. 7.

R. III. i. 1.

OBLIVION,-continued.

When time is old and hath forgot itself,

When water-drops have worn the stones of Troy,
And blind oblivion swallow'd cities up,

And mighty states characterless are grated
To dusty nothing.

The dark backward and abysm of Time.

T. C. iii. 2.

T. i. 2.

He no more remembers his mother now, than an eight year old horse.

OBSEQUIOUSNESS.

So play the foolish throngs with one that swoons,
Come all to help him, and so stop the air

C. v. 4.

By which he should revive: and even so,

The general, subject to a well-wish'd king,

Quit their own part, and in obsequious fondness

Crowd to his presence, where their untaught love
Must needs appear offence.

M. M. ii.4.

OBSERVATION.

For he is but a bastard to the time,
That doth not smack of observation.
There is a history in all men's lives
Figuring the nature of the times deceas'd:
The which observ'd, a man may prophecy,
With a near aim, of the main chance of things
As yet to come to life; which in their seeds,
And weak beginnings, lie intreasured.
Squandering glances.

ODDITY.

What a Herod of Jewry is this!

K. J. i. 1.

H. IV. PT. II. iii. 1.

A. Y. ii. 7.

M. W. ii. 1.

I have lived four score years and upward; I never heard of a man of his place, gravity, and learning, so wide of his own respect. M. W. iii. 1.

How oddly he is suited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour every where. M. V. i. 2.

OFFENCE,-continued.

What is my offence?

Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?

What lawful quest have given their verdict up
Unto the frowning judge.

In such a time as this, it is not meet

R. III. i. 4.

That every nice offence should bear its comment. J. C. iv. 3.

OFFICE.

Having both the key of officer and office.

He was a fool;

For he would needs be virtuous: That good fellow,
If I command him, follows my appointment;

I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother,

T. i. 2.

We live not to be grip'd by meaner persons. H. VIII. ii. 2.
. Fear not your advancement; I will be the man yet that
shall make you great.
H. IV. PT. II. v. 5.

OFFICE, ITS EVILS.

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

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.

INSOLENCE OF.

H. VIII. i. 2

I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within.

OMENS, (See also PORTENTS).

C. iv. 5.

The bay trees in our country are all wither'd,
And meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven;

The pale-faced moon looks bloody on the earth,

And lean-look'd prophets whisper fearful change;

Rich men look sad, and ruffians dance and leap. R.II. ii. 4.
There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

M. V ii. 5.