Make a dull silence, till you feel a sudden sadness Evadne implores forgiveness of Amintor for marrying him while she was the King's Mistress. Evad. O my lord. Amin. How now! Evad. My much abused lord! Amin. This cannot be. (Kneels.) Evad. I do not kneel to live, I dare not hope it; The 94 One characteristic of the excellent old poets is their being able to bestow grace upon subjects which naturally do not seem susceptible of any. I will mention two instances: Zelmane in the Arcadia of Sidney, and Helena in the All's Well that Ends Well of Shakspeare. What can be more unpromising at first sight than the idea of a young man disguising himself in woman's attire, and passing himself off for a woman among women? and that too for a long space of time? yet Sir Philip has preserved such a matchless decorum, that neither does Pyrocles' manhood suffer any stain for the effeminacy of Zelmane, nor is the respect due to the princesses at all diminished when the deception comes to be known. In the sweetly constituted mind of Sir Philip Sidney it seems as if no ugly thought nor unhandsome meditation could find a harbour. He turned all that he touched into images of honour and virtue. Helena in Shakspeare, is a young woman seeking a man in marriage. The ordinary laws of courtship are reversed; the habitual feelings are violated. Yet with such exquisite address this dangerous subject is handled, that Helena's forwardness loses her no honour; delicacy dispenses with her laws in her favour, and Nature in her single case seems content to suffer a sweet violation. Aspatia in this Tragedy, is a character equally difficult with Helena of being managed with grace. She too is a slighted woman, refused by the man who had once engaged to marry her. Yet it is artfully contrived that while we pity her, we respect her, and she descends without degradation. So much true poetry and passion can do to confer dignity upon subjects which do not seem capable of it. But Aspatia must not be compared at all points with Helena; she does not so absolutely predominate over her situation but she suffers some diminution, some abatement of the full lustre of the female character; which Helena never does: her character has many degrees of sweetness, some of delicacy, but it has weakness which if we do not despise, we are sorry for. After all, Beaumont and Fletcher were but an inferior sort of Shakspeares and Sidneys. The wrongs I did are greater; look upon me, This is no new way to beget more sorrow? Heaven knows I have too many; do not mock me; Amin. Sure I dazzle: There cannot be a faith in that foul woman, Known, and so known as thine is? O Evadne ! Evad. My lord, Give me your griefs: you are an innocent, you I do appear the same, the same Evadne, Drest in the shames I liv'd in, the same monster. Till you, my dear lord, shoot your light into me, Amin. Rise, Evadne. Those heavenly powers that put this good into thee, Take heed, Evadne, this be serious; Mock not the powers above, that can and dare With thy repentance, the best sacrifice. Evad. I have done nothing good to win belief, My life hath been so faithless; all the creatures Made for heaven's honours have their ends, and good ones, All but the cousening Crocodiles, false women; They reign here like those plagues, those killing sores, Or like another Niobe I'll weep Till I am water. Amin. I am now dissolved: My frozen soul melts: may each sin thou hast, A a Had'st Had'st thou been thus, thus excellently good, Though my embraces must be far from thee. Men's Natures more hard and subtil than Women's. Which love could never know; but we fond women And think all shall go so; it is unjust That men and women should be matcht together. PHILASTER; PHILASTER; OR, LOVE LIES A BLEEDING. A Philaster tells the Princess Arethusa how he first found the boy Bellario. I have a boy sent by the gods, Not yet seen in the court; hunting the buck, Of which he borrow'd some to quench his thirst, Which gave him roots; and of the crystal springs, Exprest his grief: and to my thoughts did read That could be wish'd, so that, methought, I could A a 2 That |