Elson Grammar School Literature Part 24

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he, that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.

HELPS TO STUDY.

Words and Phrases for Discussion.

"immediate jewel of their souls"

"Who steals my purse steals trash"

7. WOLSEY AND CROMWELL

KING HENRY VIII, ACT III, SCENE 2.

WOLSEY: Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness!

This is the state of man: Today he puts forth The tender leaves of hope; tomorrow blossoms, And bears his blus.h.i.+ng honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And--when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening--nips his root; And then he falls, as I do. I have ventured, Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders, This many summers, in a sea of glory; But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride At length broke under me, and now has left me, Weary and old with service, to the mercy Of a rude stream, that must forever hide me.

Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye: I feel my heart new opened. O, how wretched Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favors!

There is, betwixt that smile we would aspire to, That sweet aspect of princes, and their ruin, More pangs and fears than wars or women have; And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer, Never to hope again.--

Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear In all my miseries; but thou hast forced me, Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman.

Let's dry our eyes; and thus far hear me, Cromwell; And--when I am forgotten, as I shall be, And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention Of me more must be heard of--say, I taught thee; Say, Wolsey--that once trod the ways of glory, And sounded all the depths and shoals of honor-- Found thee a way, out of his wreck, to rise in; A sure and safe one, though thy master missed it.

Mark but my fall, and that that ruined me.

Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition: By that sin fell the angels: how can man, then, The image of his Maker, hope to win by't?

Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee; Corruption wins not more than honesty: Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace, To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not.

Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, Thy G.o.d's, and truth's; then, if thou fall'st, O Cromwell, Thou fall'st a blessed martyr! Serve the king; And--Prithee, lead me in: There take an inventory of all I have, To the last penny; 'tis the king's; my robe, And my integrity to Heaven, is all I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell, Had I but served my G.o.d with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies!

HELPS TO STUDY.

Notes

"This many summers"--this nineteen years.

"Like Lucifer"--See Isaiah XIV, 12.

"To play the woman"--to shed tears.

8. Ca.s.sIO AND IAGO

OTh.e.l.lO. ACT II. SCENE III.

_Iago_. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?

_Ca.s.sio_. Ay, past all surgery.

_Iago_. Marry, heaven forbid!

_Cas_. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is b.e.s.t.i.a.l. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!

_Iago_. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: you are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in policy than in malice; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog to affright an imperious lion: sue to him again, and he's yours.

_Cas_. I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk?

and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow? O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!

_Iago_. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you?

_Cas_. I know not.

_Iago_. Is't possible?

_Cas_. I remember a ma.s.s of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. O G.o.d, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!

_Iago_. Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus recovered?

_Cas_. It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give place to the devil wrath: one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself.

_Iago_. Come, you are too severe a moraler: as the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.

_Cas_. I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange! Every inordinate cup is unblessed and the ingredient is a devil.

_Iago_. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used: exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.

_Cas_. I have well approved it, sir. I drunk!

_Iago_. You or any man living may be drunk at a time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general: I may say so in this respect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces: confess yourself freely to her: importune her help to put you in your place again: she is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested: this broken joint between you and her husband entreat her to splinter; and my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before.

_Cas_. You advise me well.

_Iago_. I protest in the sincerity of love and honest kindness.

_Cas_. I think it freely; and betimes in the morning I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am desperate of my fortunes if they check me here.

_Iago_. You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I must to the watch.

_Cas_. Good night, honest Iago.

HELPS TO STUDY. Notes