HENRY THE FOURTH'S SOLILOQUY How FROM ON SLEEP. SHAKESPEAR. many thousands of my pooreft fubjects Are at this hour afleep! O gentle Sleep, Nature's foft nurse, how have I frighted thee, That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down, And steep my senses in forgetfulness! Why rather, Sleep, ly'ft thou in fmoaky cribs, Upon uneafy pallets ftretching thee, And hush'd with buzzing night-flies to thy flumber; Than in the perfum'd chambers of the great, Under the canopies of costly state, And lull'd with founds of sweetest melody? O thou IN SOM NU M. Q UOT mihi regnatos jam nunc complectitur almâ, Quot miferos, requie Somnus! vis mellea Somni, Quæ res grata foves! quonam depulfa timore, Ponderibus defeffa tuis non lumina condis, Nec mihi permulces Lethæo flumine fenfus ?— Heu! quid pauperibus gaudes concumbere lecto Heu! quid tecta citis pedibus regalia vitas, Que, O thou dull god, why ly'ft thou with the vile In loathfome beds, and leav'ft the kingly couch, A watch-cafe to a common larum bell? Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast, Seal up the fhip's-boy's eyes, and rock his brains, In cradle of the rude imperious furge; And in the vifitation of the winds, Who take the ruffian billows by the top, Curling their monftrous heads, and hanging them With deaf'ning clamours in the flipp'ry shrouds; To the wet fea boy, in an hour fo rude, And, in the calmeft, and the stillest night, With all appliances and means to boot, Deny it to a king? then happy, lowly clown! Uneafy lies the head that wears a crown. WOLSEY Quæ, malefane, tuum fuadent faftidia numen Queîs tonat affiduâ tanquam cuftodia voce? Nautæ, quando agitur pinus, ludibria ponti, O fortunati nimiùm, fua fi bona nôrint Agricolæ nobis eft irrequieta corona: O caput infelix, quod tu premis, aurea cura! CARDI WOLSEY AND CROMWELL. FROM SHAKESPEAR. WOL. AREWELL, a long farewell to all my greatnefs! FARE This is the state of man: to day he puts The tender leaves of hope; to-morrow bloffoms, The third day comes a froft, a killing frost, But far beyond my depth: my high blown pride Of a rude ftream, that muft for ever hide me. forth |