a

Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set. (Ess. Of Beauty.) I will set

you neither in gold nor silver, but in vile apparel, and send you back again to your master for a jewel. (2 Hen. IV. i. 2.)

The parts that fortune hath bestowed upon her,
Tell her, I hold as giddily as fortune;
But 'tis that miracle and

queen

of

gems That nature pranks her in, attracts my soul. (Tw. N. ii. 4.) (England) This precious stone set in the silver sea.

(Rich. II. ii. 1.) Never so rich a gem was set in worse than gold.

(Mer. Ven. ii. 7.) The jewel best enamell’d will lose its beauty. (Com. Er. ii. 1.)

The best governments are like precious stones, wherein every flaw or grain are seen and noted. (Speech.) My love to thee is without crack or flaw. (L. L. L. v. 2.)

. He is the very brooch, the gem of the nation. (Ham. iv. 7.) A gem of women! (Ant. Cl. iii. 11.)

O noble fellow !
A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,
Were not so rich a jewel. (Cor. i. 4.)
If heaven would make me such another world
Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,
I'd not have sold her for it. (Oth. v. 2.)

90. A whery man (sic), that looks one way and pulls another.

(Quoted in a letter to Essex, 1593.)

91. Ostrascime.

92. Mors in olla : poyson in.—2 Kings iv. 40.

I have noted that in all God's book I find examples of other offences and offenders in their kinds, but not of impoisonment.

Mors in olla. (Charge against Wentworth, 1616.)
I'll have him poisoned in a pot of ale. (1 H. IV. i. 3.)
Let a cup of sack be my poison. (1 H. IV. ii. 2.)

(See Cymb. vi. 1-5; and Ham. v. 2. Also No. 97.)

93. Fumos vendere. (To sell smoke.)— Eras. Ad. 241 ; Martial, 457.)

Item.—No knight of this order shall give out what gracious words the Prince hath given him.

Contrary to the late inhibition of selling smoke. (Gesta. Graym.)
Sweet smoke of rhetoric! (L. L. L. iii. 1.)
Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye
Persuade my heart to this false perjury?..
My vow was breath, and breath a vapour is, &c.

(L. L. L. iv. 3, sonnet.) 94. Oremus. Let us all to meditation. (2 H. VI. iii. 3.) All lost! To prayers, to prayers ! (Temp. i. 1.)

) Ham. Such as it is : and for mine own poor part I'll go pray. (Ham. i. 5.)

(References to saying prayers about 150 times.)

Folio 85.*

95. Suavissima vita indies meliorem fieri. (The sweetest life is to become daily better.)

You will confess that the greatest delight is 'Sentire te indies fieri meliorem.' (Advice to the Duke of Rutland, 1595.)

And so we leave you to your meditations,
How to live better. (Hen. VIII. iii. 2.)
My desolation does begin to make a better life. (Ant. Cl. v. 2.)

(See Ham. iii. 4. 150-173.)

96. The grace of God is worth a faire.
Ministers of grace defend us ! (Ham. i. 4.)

(
The grace of heaven before, behind thee. (Oth. ii. 1.)
Grace

go

with you. (Lear, v. 2.) Thou art a wicked villain, despite all grace. (M. M. i. 2, rep.) Heaven give thee moving graces! (M. M. ii. 2.) Heaven rain grace. (Temp. iii. 1.) (See No. 37.)

* Upon this sheet is written Promus.'

97. Mors in olla.

(See No. 92.)

98. No wise speech, though easy and voluble.
Voluble in his discourse. (L. L. L. ii. i.)
Are my discourses dull ? barren my wit ?
If voluble and sharp discourse be marred,
Unkindness blunts it. (Com. Er. ii. 2.)
I'll commend her volubility. (Tam. Sh. ii. 1.)

99. Notwithstanding his dialogues (of one that giveth life to his speech by way of question).

So skipping a dialogue. (Tw. N. i. 5.)
And so ere answer knows what question would
Saving in dialogue of compliment
It draws towards supper in conclusion so. (John, i. 1.)
So on the tip of his subduing tongue
All kinds of arguments and questions deep
All replication prompt and reason strong.
Consents bewitched
And dialogued for him. (Lover's Complaint, 120–132.)

.

100. He can tell a tale well (of those courtly gifts of speech which are better in describing than in considering).

I tell this tale vilely. (M. Ado. iii. 3.)
I can mar a curious tale in the telling. (Lear, i. 4.)

101. A good comediante (of one that hath good grace in his speech).

Are you a comedian?

No, my profound heart · But this is from my commission. I will on with my speech in your praise. . . . I took great pains to study it. (Tw. N. i. 5.)

Sometimes, great Agamemnon,
Thy topless deputation he puts on;
And, like a strutting player. .
He acts thy greatness. (Tr. C'r. i. 3.)

a

102. To commend judgments.

Cle. He's very knowing, I do perceive't:
The fellow has good judgment. (Ant. Cl. iii. 3.)
Be not angry ...

.. that I have adventured To try your taking of a false report : which hath Honoured with confirmation your great judgment. (Cymb. i. 7.)

(About a hundred instances in which good judgment is commended and defect of judgment condemned.)

103. To commend sense of law.

If you deny me, fie

upon your law. (Mer. Ven. iv. 1.) I stand here for law. ..

... I charge you by the law.

(Mer. Ven. iv. 1.) You know the law; your exposition bath been most sound.

(Mer. Ven. iv. 1.) Let your haste commend your sense of duty. (Ham. i. 2.)

(Frequent.)

104. Cunning in the humours of persons, but not in the conditions of actions.

It is one thing to understand persons, and another to understand matters; for

many are perfect in men's humours that are not greatly capable of the real part of business, &c. (Ess. Cunning.) Will you bide within ? I

go
tell

my lord the Emperor
How I have governed our determined jest.
Yield to his humour, smooth and speak him fair.

Tit. (aside) I know them all, though they sụppose me mad, And will o'er-reach them in their own devices. (Tit And. v. 2.)

Shame that they wanted cunning, in excess hath broke their hearts. (Tim. Ath. v. 4.) Falstaff will learn the humour of the age. (Mer. Wiv. i. 3.)

I see men's judgments are A parcel of their fortunes ; and things outward Do draw the inward quality after them, &c. (Ant. Cl. iii. 11.)

(See also Oth. iii. 3; Lear, i. 1, 2, iii. 1, 20; Cymb. v. 5, 180-209 ; Per. iii. 2, 27, &c. &c.)

2

105. Stay a little that we may make an end the

sooner.

(Quoted as a saying of Sir Amyas Paulet, Apothegms.)

106. A fool's bolt is soon shot.

A fool's bolt is soon shot. (H. V. iii. 7 ; As Y. L. v. 4.) I will shoot my fool's bolt since you will have it so. (Letter to Essex, 1597.)

A bolt of nothing, shot at nothing,

Which the brain makes of fumes. (Cymb. iv. 2.)

107. His lippes hang in his light.

108. Best we lay a straw here.

Two thousand souls, and twenty thousand ducats,
Will not debate the question of this straw. . . .
Rightly to be great,

Is, not to stir without great argument;

But greatly to find quarrel in a straw. (Ham. iv. 4.)

She spurns enviously at straws.

iii. 4, 128.)1

(Ham. iv. 5; and John,

109. A myle post thwitten (sic) to a pudding pricke. (? From Dis to Daedalus, from post to pillar.-Tw. N. Kins. iii. 6.)

110. One swallo (sic) maketh no summer.

Sec. Lord. The swallow follows not summer

More willingly than we your Lordship.

Tim. Nor more willingly leaves winter.

Such summer birds are men. (Tim. Ath. iii. 6.)

King. O Westmoreland! thou art a summer bird,
Which ever in the haunch of winter sings

The lifting up of day. (2 Hen. IV. iv. 4.)

1 These passages are only introduced because they all show a straw' to be used as expressive of a very trifling thing or obstacle. Perhaps the note may mean- 'Here we must raise a small objection,' or 'Here we must throw out a slight hint.'