And, like bright metal on a sullen ground,
My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,
Shall show more goodly, and attract more eyes,
Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
I'll so offend, to make offence a skill;
Redeeming time, when men think least I will.
K. HENRY IV., Part II., a. 1, s. 2.
BEGGING A PARENT'S PRAYERS. O THOU, the earthly author of my blood,Whose youthful spirit, in me regenerate, Doth with a two-fold vigour lift me up To reach at victory above my head,Add proof unto mine armour with thy prayers; And with thy blessings steel my lance's point.
K. RICHARD II., a. 1, s. 3.
BETTER FOR THE HEART TO RELIEVE THE HEAD, THAN FOR THE LATTER TO BREAK THE FORMER.
I PRAY thee, cease thy counsel, Which falls into mine ears as profitless
As water in a sieve: give not me counsel;
Nor let no comforter delight mine ear,
But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine.
Bring me a father, that so lov'd his child,
Whose joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine,
And bid him speak of patience;
Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it answer every strain for strain;
As thus for thus, and such a grief for such,
In every lineament, branch, shape, and form:
If such a one will smile, and stroke his beard: Cry-sorrow, wag! and hem, when he should
Patch grief with proverbs; make misfortune drunk
With candle-wasters; bring him yet to me,
And I of him will gather patience.
But there is no such man: For, brother, men
Can counsel, and speak comfort to that grief
Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it,
Their counsel turns to passion, which before
Would give preceptial medicine to rage,
Fetter strong madness in a silken thread,
Charm ache with air, and agony with words:
No, no; 'tis all men's office to speak patience
To those that wring under the load of sorrow;
But no man's virtue, nor sufficiency,
To be so moral, when he shall endure
The like himself: therefore give me no counsel:
My griefs cry louder than advertisement.
I will be flesh and blood;
For there was never yet philosopher,
That could endure the tooth-ache patiently;
However they have writ the style of gods,
And made a push at chance and sufferance.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, A. 5, s. 1.
BETTER NEVER TO RISE, THAN HAVE TO FALL.
HERE'S the pang that pinches. His highness having liv'd so long with her and
So good a lady, that no tongue could ever
Pronounce dishonour of her,-by my life,
She never knew harm-doing ;-O now, after
So many courses of the sun enthron'd,
Still growing in a majesty and pomp,--the which
To leave is a thousand-fold more bitter than
'Tis sweet at first to acquire,-after this process,
To give her the avaunt! it is a pity
O, God's will! much better, She ne'er had known pomp: though it be temporal,
Yet, if that quarrel, fortune, do divorce
It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance, panging
As soul and body's severing.
Must pity drop upon her. Verily,
I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born,
And range with humble livers in content,
Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief,
And wear a golden sorrow.
K. HENRY VIII., A. 2, s. 3.
BETTER TAKE THE EVIL WITH THE GOOD, THAN INCREASE THE FORMER BY FURTHER STRIFE.
ARCHBISHOP. No, no, my lord; Note this,the king is weary
Of dainty and such picking grievances;
For he hath found,-to end one doubt by death,
Revives two greater in the heirs of life.
And therefore will he wipe his tables clean;
And keep no tell-tale to his memory,
That may repeat and history his loss
To new remembrance: For full well he knows,
He cannot so precisely weed this land,
As his misdoubts present occasion:
His foes are so enrooted with his friends,
That, plucking to unfix an enemy,
He doth unfasten so, and shake a friend.
So that this land, like an offensive wife,
That hath enrag'd him on to offer strokes ;
As he is striking, holds his infant up,
And hangs resolv'd correction in the arm
That was uprear'd to execution.
HASTINGS. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods
On late offenders, that he now doth lack
instruments of chastisement :
So that his power, like to a fangless lion,
May offer, but not hold.
K. HENRY IV., PART II., A. 4, s. 1.
BEWARE OF CREATING JEALOUSY IN YOUR SUPERIORS.
I have done enough: a lower place, note well,
May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius;
Better to leave undone, than by our deed acquire
Too high a fame, when him we serve's away.
Cæsar, and Antony, have ever won
More in their officer, than person: Sossius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,
Which he achiev'd by the minute, lost his favour.
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can,
Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain, which darkens him.
I could do more to do Antonius good,
But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
Should my performance perish.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, A. 3, s. 1.
BIG HEARTS CANNOT DESCEND TO
FLATTERY.
WELL said, my noble Scot: If speaking truth,
In this fine age, were not thought flattery,
Such attribution should the Douglas have,
As not a soldier of this season's stamp
Should go so general current through the world.
By heaven, I cannot flatter; I defy
The tongues of soothers; but a braver place
In my
heart's love, hath no man than yourself:
Nay, task me to the word; approve me, lord.
K. HENRY IV., PART I., A. 4, s. 1.
BITTERNESS OF PARTING.
HARK! you are call'd: Some say, the Genius so Cries, Come! to him that instantly must die.Bid them have patience; she shall come anon. Where are my tears? rain, to lay this wind, or my heart will be blown up by the root?
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, A. 4, s. 4.
BITTERNESS OF PARTING.
CRESSIDA. O you immortal Gods!—I will
I will not, uncle: I have forgot my father;
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