The Best Elizabethan Plays ...

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William Roscoe Thayer
Ginn & Company, 1895 - 609 pages

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Page 574 - Of what is't fools make such vain keeping? Sin their conception, their birth weeping, Their life a general mist of error, Their death a hideous storm of terror. Strew your hair with powders sweet, Don clean linen, bathe your feet, And (the foul fiend more to check) A crucifix let bless your neck : 'Tis now full tide 'tween night and day ; End your groan, and come away.
Page 575 - What would it pleasure me to have my throat cut With diamonds ? or to be smothered With cassia? or to be shot to death with pearls? I know death hath ten thousand several doors For men to take their exits...
Page 574 - Twas to bring you By degrees to mortification. Listen. Hark, now every thing is still The screech-owl and the whistler shrill Call upon our dame aloud, And bid her quickly don her shroud...
Page 15 - I have ever truly cherished my good opinion of other men's worthy labours ; especially of that full and heightened style of Master Chapman ; the laboured and understanding works of Master Jonson ; the no less worthy composures of the both worthily excellent Master Beaumont and Master Fletcher...
Page 158 - Some do believe hermaphrodeity, That both do act and suffer. But these two Make the rest ductile, malleable, extensive. And even in gold they are ; for we do find Seeds of them by our fire, and gold in them; And can produce the species of each metal More perfect thence, than nature doth in earth.
Page 610 - O, this gloomy world ! In what a shadow, or deep pit of darkness, Doth womanish and fearful mankind live ! Let worthy minds ne'er stagger in distrust To suffer death or shame for what is just : Mine is another voyage.
Page 581 - While with vain hopes our faculties we tire, We seem to sweat in ice and freeze in fire. What would I do, were this to do again? 330 I would not change my peace of conscience For all the wealth of Europe.
Page 160 - Would burst a man to name ? Sub. And all these named, Intending but one thing: which art our writers Used to obscure their art. Mam. Sir, so I told him — Because the simple idiot should not learn it. And make it vulgar. Sub. Was not all the knowledge Of the .(Egyptians writ in mystic symbols ? Speak not the scriptures oft in parables ? Are not the choicest fables of the poets, That were the fountains and first springs of wisdom, Wrapp'd in perplexed allegories ? Mam.
Page 25 - And in his house heap pearls like pebble-stones, Receive them free, and sell them by the weight; Bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts, Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds, Beauteous rubies, sparkling diamonds, And seld-seen costly stones of so great price, As one of them indifferently rated, And of a carat of this quantity, 30 May serve in peril of calamity To ransom great kings from captivity.
Page 146 - Do we succeed? Is our day come? and holds it? Face. The evening will set red upon you, sir; You have colour for it, crimson : the red ferment Has done, his office; three hours hence prepare you To see projection. Mam. Pertinax, my Surly, Again I say to thee aloud, Be rich. This day thou shalt have ingots; and to-morrow Give lords th

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