[SHIRLEY was born in London about the year 1596, and lived through the Civil War and Commonwealth into the Restoration, dying in 1667. His copious dramatic activity began in 1625, in which year he produced the comedy entitled Love's Tricks. Before this, in 1613, he had published an imitation of Venus and Adonis under the title of Echo. His plays were produced in rapid succession up to 1641. In 1646 he published a volume of poems, chiefly erotic, and two small volumes of Masques, etc., in 1653 and 1659.} BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. 1579-1625. [JOHN FLETCHER was born in December, 1579, at Rye in Sussex, where his father, who ultimately became Bishop of London, was minister. He was admitted pensioner at Benet College, Cambridge, in 1591; and little is known of his life between this date and the period of his connec tion with Beaumont. FRANCIS BEAUMONT was the son of Sir F. Beaumont, of Grace-Dieu in Leicestershire, and was born at that place, probably in 1585. He resided for a short time at Broadgates Hall (now Pembroke College), Oxford, and was entered of the Inner Temple in 1600. Not many years after this we may suppose the friendship between the two poets to have begun. "They lived together on the Bank side,' in Southwark, "not far from the Play-house" (the Globe), and wrote for the theatre. The most celebrated of their joint productions were produced probably between 1608 and 1611. But the common life which has been described by Aubrey, and is itself almost a poem (if partly a comic one), must have been disturbed in 1513, when Beaumont married. In the spring of 1616 he died. So far as is known, Fletcher remained single till his death, which took place in August, 1625.] FROM " THE MAID'S TRAGEDY." [By Beaumont and Fletcher.] LAY a garland on my hearse My love was false, but I was firm LINES ON THE TOMBS IN [By Beaumont.] MORTALITY, behold and fear! Where from their pulpits seal'd with dust They preach, "In greatness is no trust." Since the first man died for sin: Here the bones of birth have cried, died": Here are sands, ignoble things, Dropt from the ruin'd sides of kings: FROM "THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS." I. THE SATYR. HERE be grapes whose lusty blood The head of Bacchus; nuts more brown them; Deign, O fairest fair, to take them! For these black-eyed Dryope Hath oftentimes commanded me Will bring you more, more sweet and strong; Till when, humbly leave I take, Swifter than the fiery sun. II. THE RIVER GOD TO AMORET. I AM this fountain's god. My waters to a river grow, Below And 'twixt two banks with osiers set, In the cool streams shalt thou lie, But, when thou wilt, come gliding by III. THE SATYR. THOU divinest, fairest, brightest, And bring thee coral, making way FROM THE NICE VALOUR." HENCE, all you vain delights, O sweetest melancholy! A look that's fasten'd to the ground, Nothing's so dainty sweet as lovely melancholy. [WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born at Stratford on Avon, in April, 1564; there also he died, April 23d (old style), 1616. The following are the titles of his poems, with the dates of publication: Venus and Adonis, 1993: The Rape of Lucrece, 1594; The Passionate Pilgrim (a miscellany which includes only a few pieces by Shakespeare), 1599; The Phenix and the Turtle (printed with pieces on the same subject by other poets of the time, at the end of Robert Chester's Love's Martyr, or Rosalin's Complaint), 1601; Sonnets, 1609; A Lover's Complaint (in the same volume with the Sonnets), 1609.] Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in, To be, or not to be, that is the ques Bear it, that the opposer may beware of -- tion: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? - To die,- -to sleep, To grunt and sweat under a weary life; But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, - puzzles the will; And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought; And enterprises of great pith and moment, With this regard, their currents turn a-wry, And lose the name of action. HAMLET'S ADDRESS TO HIS FATHER'S GHOST. ANGELS and ministers of grace defend us! Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, That I will speak to thee; I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane: O, answer me: Let me not burst in ignorance! but tell Why thy canoniz'd bones, hearsed in death, Have burst their cerements! why the sepulchre, Wherein we saw thee quietly inurn'd, Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws, To cast thee up again! What may this mean, That thou, dead corse, again, in complete steel, Revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon, Making night hideous; and we fools of nature, So horribly to shake our disposition, With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? HAMLET'S ESTEEM FOR HORATIO. NAY, do not think I flatter: For what advancement may I hope from thee, That no revenue hast but thy good spirits To feed and clothe thee? Why should the poor be flattered? No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp; And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, Where thrift may follow fawning. Dost thou hear? Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice, And could of men distinguish her election, She hath seal'd thee for herself; for . thou hast been As one, in suffering all, that suffers no thing; A man that fortune's buffets and rewards |