Follow the noble genius that inspires ye ;
Follow this train of wise and valiant leaders,
Follow in me, your brother, prince and friend,
Draw, fellow-soldiers; catch the inspiring name!
We fight for England, liberty, and fame!
AFFIRMING, especially with a judicial oath, is expressed by lifting the open right hand, and eyes, toward heaven; or if conscience is appealed to, by laying the right hand upon the breast.
HERMIA SWEARING TO MEET LYSANDER.
I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow;
By his best arrow with the golden head;
By the simplicity of Venus' doves;
By that which knitteth souls, and prospers loves;
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen,
When the false Trojan, under sail, was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever woman spoke;
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
To morrow, truly, will I meet with thee.
DESDEMONA AFFIRMING HER FAITHFULNESS TO OTHELLO.
-By this light of heaven,
I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:-(kneeling.)
If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love,
Either in discourse of thought, or actual deed;
Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense,
Delighted them on any other form;
Or that I do not yet, and ever did,
And ever will, though he do shake me off
To beggarly divorcement, love him dearly,
Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may
do much;
And his unkindness may defeat my life,
But never taint my love.
Is expressed by pushing the open right hand from one; and turning the face the contrary way. (See Aversion).
OLIVIA DENYING ORSINO'S SUIT.
Your lord does know my mind, I cannot love him;
Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble,
Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth,
In voices well divulged, free, learn'd and valiant,
And, in dimension, and the shape of nature,
A gracious person: but yet I cannot love him;
He might have took his answer long ago.
PROMISING is expressed with benevolent looks, the nod of consent, and the open hands gently moved towards the person to whom the promise is made the palms upwards. The sincerity of the promise may be expressed by laying the right hand gently on the breast.
PRINCE JOHN PROMISING REDRESS TO THE REBELS.
I like them all, and do allow them well;
And swear here by the honour of my blood,
My father's purposes have been mistook;
And some about him have too lavishly,
Wrested his meaning and authority;
My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd;
Upon my soul they shall. If this may please you,
Discharge your powers unto their several counties,
As we will ours: and here, between the armies,
Let's drink together friendly, and embrace;
That all their eyes may bear those tokens home,
Of our restored love and amity.
CATESBY, ON SEEING RICHARD III. IN DANGER.
Rescue, my Lord of Norfolk, rescue! rescue!
The king enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an opposite to every danger;
His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death;
Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost!
LADY RANDOLPH HURRYING AWAY DOUGLAS.
Fly to the camp, my son !
That winding path conducts thee to the river,
'Cross where thou see'st a broad and beaten way,
Which, running eastward, leads thee to the camp.
Instant demand admittance to Lord Douglas,
Show him these jewels, which his brother wore,
Thy look, thy voice, will make him feel the truth,
Which I, by certain proof, will soon confirm.
GRAVITY.
GRAVITY, or Seriousness, when the mind is fixed upon some important subject, draws down the eyebrows a little; casts down, or shuts, or raises the eyes to heaven; shuts the mouth, and pinches the lips close. The posture of the body and limbs is composed, and without motion. The speech, if any, slow and solemn; the tone unvarying.
ON THE BEING OF A GOD.
Retire; the world shut out; thy thoughts call home,
Imagination's airy wings repress;
Lock up thy senses;-let no passion stir ;-
Wake all to reason;-let her reign alone ;-
Then, in thy soul's deep silence, and the depth
Of nature's silence, midnight, thus enquire,
As I have done; and shall inquire no more.
In nature's channel, thus the questions run.
AUTHORITY.
AUTHORITY opens the countenance, but draws down the eyebrows a little, so as to give the look of gravity. (See Gravity.)
DUKE OF VENICE TO SHYLOCK.
Make room, and let him stand before our face,-
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought,
Thou'lt shew thy mercy and remorse, more strange,
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty;
And where thou now exact'st the penalty,
(Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,)
Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture,
But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal,
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,
That have of late so huddled on his back,
Enough to press a royal merchant down,
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms, and rough hearts of flint;
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtesy,-
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.
COMMANDING requires an air a little more peremptorily, with a look a little severe or stern. The head is held out, and moved towards the person to whom the order is given, with the palm upwards, and the head nods towards him.
PRINCE ENJOINING PEACE TO CAPULET AND MONTAGUE.
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains, issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil broils, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet and Montague,
Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets;
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partizans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate;
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away;
You Capulet, shall go along with me;
And Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,-
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
FORBIDDING, on the contrary, draws the head backwards, and pushes the hand from one, with the palm downwards, as if going to lay it upon the person, to hold him down immoveable, that he may not do what is forbidden him.
THE DUKE OF MILAN FORBIDDING VALENTINE HIS COURT.
Go, base intruder! Over-weening slave!
Bestow thy fawning smiles on equal mates;
And think, my patience, more than thy desert,
Is privilege for thy departure hence;
Thank me for this, more than for all the favours
Which, all too much, I have bestow'd on thee.
But if thou linger in my territories,
Longer than swiftest expedition
Will give thee time to leave our royal court,
By heaven, my wrath shall far exceed the love
I ever bore my daughter or thyself.
Begone, I will not hear thy vain excuse,
But, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence.
COMMENDATION.-PRAISE.
ORATION IN PRAISE OF CORIOLANUS.
I shall lack voice; the deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter'd feebly,-
When Tarquin made a head from Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others; our then dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The bristled lips before him: He bestrid
An o'er press'd Roman, and i̇' the consul's view,
Slew three oppressors: Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee. In that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He proved best man i' the field, and for his meed
Was brow bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man enter'd thus, he waxed like a sea;
And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since,
He lurch'd all swords o' the garland, for this last,
Before and in Corioli, let me say,
I cannot speak him home; he stopp'd the fliers;
And, by his rare example, made the coward
Turn terror into sport; as waves before
A vessel under sail, so men obey'd,
And fell below his stem; his sword (death's stamp).
-Alone he enter'd,
The mortal gate o' the city, which he painted
With shunless destiny, aidless came off,
And with a sudden re-inforcement struck
Corioli, like a planet; now all's his;
-And 'till we call'd
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.
PERSUASION puts on the looks of moderate love, (See Love).
Its accents are soft, flattering, emphatical, and articulate.
ZANGA WORKING ON THE JEALOUSY OF ALONZO.
That's truly great. What think you 'twas set up
The Greek and Roman name in such lustre,
But doing right, in stern despite to nature,
Shutting their ears to all her little cries,
When great, august, and godlike justice call'd?
At Aulis, one pour'd out a daughter's life,
And gain'd more glory than by all his wars;
Another slew a sister in just rage;
A third, the theme of all succeeding times,
Gave to the cruel axe a darling son.
Nay more, for justice some devote themselves,
As he at Carthage, and immortal name!
Yet there is one step left above them all,
Above their history, above their fable,
A wife, bride, mistress unenjoy'd-do that,
And tread upon the Greek and Roman glory.
TEMPTING.
TEMPTING, or wheedling, expresses itself much in the same way; only carrying the fawning part to excess.
Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropp'd,
Forbidden there, it seems as only fit
For gods; yet able to make gods of men;
And why not gods of men, since good the more
Communicated more abundant grows,
The author not impaired, but honored more?
Here, happy creature! fair angelic Eve!
Partake thou also; happy though thou art,
Happier thou may'st be, worthier canst not be ;
Take this, and be henceforth among the gods,
Thyself a goddess, not to earth confined.
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