DESCRIPTION OF A LOVER. FROM AS YOU LIKE IT.' O, thou didst then ne'er love so heartily: Or if thou hast not sat as I do now, Or if thou hast not broke from company LOVE. FROM THE 'MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.' Things base and vile holding no quantity, Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, For aught that ever I could read, The course of true love never did run smooth: But either it was different in blood; Or else misgraffed in respect of years; Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; IMAGINATION. FROM THE 'MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.’ The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold; Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt; The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven: And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing One other citation from the above Comedy, equal to those already produced, must not be omitted. SINGLE BLESSEDNESS. Fair Hermia, question your desires; Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn, Lor. LORENZO AND JESSICA. FROM THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.' The moon shines bright:-In such a night as this, And they did make no noise; in such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls, And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night. Jes. In such a night Did This be fearfully o'ertrip the dew, Lor. In such a night Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Upon the wild sea-banks, and waved her love, To come again to Carthage. Jes. In such a night Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs, That did renew old son. Lor. In such a night Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew; And with an unthrift love did run from Venice As far as Belmont. Jes. In such a night Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well; Stealing her soul with many vows of faith, And ne'er a true one. Lor. In such a night Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew PARTING LOVERS. FROM CYMBELINE.' Imogen. Thou shouldst have made him To after-eye him. Pisanio. Madam, so I did. Imogen. I would have broke mine eye-strings; crack'd them, but To look upon him, till the diminution Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle; Nay, followed him, till he had melted from The smallness of a gnat to air; and then Have turn'd mine eye and wept.-But, good Pisanio, When shall we hear from him? Pisanio. Be assured, madam, With his next vantage. Imogen. I did not take my leave of him, but had Such thoughts and such; or I could make him swear Mine interest and his honour; or have charged him, At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight, To encounter me with orisons; for then I am in Heaven for him: or, ere I could Give him that parting kiss, which I had set |