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WHEN IGNORANCE IS BLISS 'TIS
FOLLY TO BE WISE.

How bless'd am I

In my just censure! in my true opinion!-
Alack, for lesser knowledge!-How accurs'd,
In being so blest!-There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drank, he cracks his gorge, his sides,
With violent hefts:-I have drank, and seen the
spider.

Camillo was his help in this, his pander :-
There is a plot against my life, my crown;
All's true that is mistrusted:-that false villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He has discover'd my design, and I

Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will.

WINTER'S TALE, A. 2, s. 1.

WHEN VALOUR PREYS ON REASON,
IT EATS THE SWORD IT FIGHTS

WITH.

ANTONY.

I am satisfied.

Cæsar sits down in Alexandria; where

will oppose

his fate. Our force by land

Hath nobly held: our sever'd navy too

Have knit again, and fleet, threat'ning most sea

like.

Where hast thou been, my heart?-Dost thou hear, lady?

If from the field I shall return once more
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;
I and my sword will earn our chronicle ;
There is hope in it yet.

I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breath'd,
And fight maliciously; for when mine hours
Were nice and lucky, men did ransome lives
Of me for jests; but now, I'll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me.-Come,
Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me
All my sad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

We'll yet do well.

CLEOPATRA. my lord.

Call all his noble captains to

ANT. Do so, we'll speak to them; and tonight I'll force

The wine peep through their scars.—Come on,

my queen;

There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight, I'll make death love me; for I will contend Even with his pestilent scythe.

[Exeunt ANTONY and CLEOPatra. ENOBARBUS. Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,

Is, to be frighted out of fear: and in that mood, The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still, A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart: When valour preys on

reason,

It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, A. 3, s. 11.

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WHERE INEQUALITY EXISTS
SAFETY LIES IN FEAR.

THEN if he says, he loves you,

It fits
your wisdom so far to believe it,
As he in his particular act and place

May give his saying deed; which is no further,
Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain,
If with too credent ear you
list his songs;

Or lose
your heart; or your chaste treasure open
To his unmaster'd importunity.

Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister;
And keep you in the rear of your affection,
Out of the shot and danger of desire.
The chariest maid is prodigal enough,
If she unmask her beauty to the moon:
Virtue itself scapes not calumnious strokes :
The canker galls the infants of the spring,
Too oft before their buttons be disclos'd;
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
Contagious blastments are most imminent.
Be wary, then: best safety lies in fear;
Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.
HAMLET, A. 1, s. 3.

WHERE NATURE HAS BEEN BOUN

TIFUL FAITH SHOULD

MORE URGENTLY.

PRAY

ROSALIND. What shall be our sport then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife, Fortune, from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally.

Ros. I would, we could do so; for her bene

fits are mightily misplaced: and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to

women.

CEL. 'Tis true for those, that she makes fair, she scarce makes honest; and those, that she makes honest, she makes very ill-favour'dly.

Ros. Nay, now thou goest from fortune's office to nature's: fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature.

CEL. No? When nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by fortune fall into the fire?

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ANGELO. We must not make a scare-crow

of the law,

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

And let it keep one shape, till custom make it Their perch, and not their terror.

ESCALUS.

Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruise to death: Alas! this gentleman,

Whom I would save, had a most noble father. Let but your honour know,

(Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue,) That, in the working of your own affections, Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing,

Or that the resolute acting of your blood

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Could have attain'd the effect of your own
purpose,

Whether you had not sometime in your life
Err'd in this point which now you censure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

ANG. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,
May, in the sworn twelve, have a thief or two
Guiltier than him they try: What's open made
to justice,

That justice seizes. What know the laws,
That thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very
pregnant,

The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it,
Because we see it; but what we do not see,
We tread upon, and never think of it.

You may not so extenuate his offence,

For I have had such faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that censure him, do so offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.
ESCAL. Be it as your wisdom will.
ANG.
Where is the provost ?
PROVOST. Here, if it like your honour.
ANG.
See that Claudio
Be executed by nine to-morrow morning:
Bring him his confessor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.
[Exit Provost.

ESCAL. Well, heaven forgive him! and for-
give us all!

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall:
Some run from brakes of vice, and answer none;
And some condemned for a fault alone.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE, A. 2, s. 1.

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