Here I cannot help taking notice that as the poet's want of art made it neceffary to fet the queen to prate of her former crimes, to let us into the fable; fo ignorance of human nature betrayed him, in a fucceeding scene, into the enormous abfurdity of making both Rodogune and the queen without hesitation, the one advise the lover to murder his miftrefs, the other the fon to murder his mother. Here again an inftance offers itself of our Shakespear's fuperior knowledge of the heart of man. King John wishes to inftigate Hubert to kill Prince Arthur, but obferve with what difficulty he expreffes his horrid purpofe. King JOHN. Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert, By By heaven, Hubert, I'm almost asham'd To say what good respect I have of thee. HUBERT. I am much bounden to your majesty. King JOHN. Good friend, thou haft no cause to say so yet,- Yet it shall come for me to do thee good. The fun is in the heav'n, and the proud day, Sound one unto the drowfy race of night; If this fame were a church-yard where we ftand, And thou poffeffed with a thousand wrongs; Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy-thick, Making that idiot laughter keep mens eyes, (A paffion hateful to my purposes) Or if thou could'ft fee me without eyes, Hear me without thine ears, and make reply Without Without a tongue, ufing conceit alone, Without eyes, ears, and harmful found of words; ON THE PRETERNATURAL BEINGS. The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to fhape, and gives to airy nothing Midfummer Night's Dream. |