The above is one of Shakespeare's juft delineations of human nature. That fpirit which could not be fubdued by any perfonal difficulty or danger, becomes fuddenly abated, on the mortification arifing from the fhame and vice of one fo nearly and dearly allied to him.

upon our

I have been much obliged, throughout this Work, to the Commentators, for not having noted many fuch paffages as this. They have rarely touched Author's anatomy of human nature, contenting themselves, like fculptors, or painters, with only marking its outward form, its colours and proportions; the veins, arteries, and finer capillaries of the inward man, remaining often undiffected.

SCENE VII.

Here the good duke, upon the occafion of his wife's ignominy and penance, makes a reflection on the general nature of human life, which he illuftrates with an apt allusion :

Gloucefler. Thus fometimes hath the brighteft day a cloud;
And after fummer evermore fucceeds

The barren winter, with his nipping cold;

So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet,

Juft after this, he fpeaks of the unhappy woman with a moving tenderness; and concludes his fpeech with a defcription frequently given by Shakespeare, of the base nature of the whiffling multitude:

Unneath may the endure the flinty streets,
To tread them with her tender feeling feet-
Sweet Nell, il can thy noble mind a-brook
The abject people gazing on thy face,

With envious looks ftill laughing at thy fhame,
That erft did follow thy proud chariot wheels,
When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets.

ACT III. SCENE

VII.

The following paffage needs no comment.

King. What ftronger breast-plate than a heart untainted?
Thrice is he armed, that hath his quarrel just;

Unneath, hardly, or scarcely; a Saxon or Norman adverb.

And

And he but naked, though locked up in fteel,
Whofe confcience with injuftice is corrupted.

This whole fcene is fo juftly commended by all the critics, that I shall give it to the Reader intire. The King, Salisbury, and Warwick, ftanding by. the Cardinal, on his fick-bed.

King. How fares my lord? Speak, Beaufort, to thy fovereign.
Cardinal, raving.

If thou beeft Death, I'll give thee England's treasure,
Enough to purchafe fuch another island,

So thou wilt let me live, and feel no pain.
King. Ah, what a fign it is of evil life,

Where death's approach is seen so terrible!

Warwick. Beaufort, it is thy fovereign speaks to thee.
Cardinal. Bring me unto my trial, when you will.
Died he not in his bed? Where should he die?
Can I make men live, whether they will or no?
Oh, torture me no more, I will confefs-
Alive again? Then fhew me where he is ;
I'll give a thousand pounds to look upon him-
He hath no eyes, the duft hath blinded them-
Comb down his hair-look! look! it ftands upright,
Like lime-twigs set to catch my winged foul-
Give me fome drink, and bid the apothecary
Bring the ftrong poifon that I bought of him.
King. O thou Eternal Mover of the Heavens,
Look with a gentle eye upon this wretch!
O beat away the bufy meddling fiend,
That lays ftrong fiege upon this wretch's foul,
And from his bofom purge this black despair!

Warwick. See how the pangs of death do make him writhe!
Salisbury. Disturb him not-let him país peaceably.
King. Peace to his foul, if God's good pleasure be !-
Lord Cardinal, if thou think'ft on Heaven's bliss,
Hold up thy hand, make fignal of thy hope-
He dies, and makes no fign!-O God, forgive him.
Warwick. So bad a death argues a monftrous life.
King. Forbear to judge, for we are finners all.
Close up his eyes, and draw the curtain close,
And let us all to meditation.

*Raving of Humphrey, whom he had caufed to be murdered,

The

The above scene clofes, very properly, with a truly Christian fentiment, by the King, who is, all through, represented by Shakespeare as a religious, moral, domeftic, eafy-tempered man;

Famed for mildness, peace, and prayer * :

Juft fuch a prince, whofe very goodness, for want of fenfe and spirit, muft ever render the dupe of Minifters, and the sport of Faction.

No document, no example, are fo effectual a warning to the mind, as the view of a wicked perfon in his last moments. This fpeaks to the heart, as well as to the understanding. We then fee things and actions in their true light, which the falfe glare of gain or pleasure, or the involved and complicated nature of fin, are but too apt to hide from our notice. Vice would difguft even those that practise it, if they did not ufe arts to conceal the vilenefs of it from their own view. We drink liquors out of a cup, which are too foul to bear a glass.

He who has betrayed a friend, deceived a mistress, wronged the orphan, or oppreffed the poor, muft furely never have feen a penitent on his death-bed! What defperate madness, then, muft it be, ever to do a deed, for any advantage in life, which after so fhort-fo very short-a fpace of time, we would give a galaxy of worlds to have undone again!

This is the only way of rendering dramatic deaths profitable to the fpectators. All the pantomime contortions, writhings, and flouncings, of modern representations, cannot poffibly produce fuch an effect on the audience, as this fingle expreffion, He dies, end makes no fign.

King. Was ever king that joyed an earthly throne,
And could command no more content than I?
No focner was 1 crept out of my cradle,

Third Part.

But

But I was made a king at nine months old,
Yet never fubject longed to be a king,
As I do long and wish to be a fubject.

Shakespeare lays hold of every occafion that fairly prefents itself, to put his readers out of conceit with greatnefs. And, in truth, the state of kings in ge neral, even the happiest of them, who are undoubtedly those whofe power is limited, is not much to be envied. Their public care, if they rule alone, or their private hazard, if they depute the helm, must deny them ease, the only foundation for earthly happiness or enjoyment to reft upon. Kings may, in fome fort, be compared to Popish idols, which are worshipped and led about in pageant proceffion, for the purpose of procuring fome partial wifh of the people; which if not obtained, however unreafonable the petition, they are then fcourged, and laid by in difgrace.