A perfon fometimes is agitated at once by different paffions. The mind in this cafe vibrating like a pendulum, vents itself in / fentiments which partake of the fame vibration. This I give as a third obfervation : Queen. 'Would I had never trod this English Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it! Ye've angels faces, but Heav'n knows your hearts. Alas! poor wenches, where are now your fortunes? [To ber women. Henry VIII. at 3. fc. 1. Othello. Oh devil, devil! If that the earth could teem with woman's tears, Desdemona. I will not stay t'offend you. [going. I do befeech your Lordship, call her back. A Oth. Miftrefs Def. My Lord. VOL. II. Y Oth. Oth. What would you with her, Sir? Lod. Who, I, my Lord? Oth. Ay; you did wish that I would make her turn: Sir, fhe can turn and turn, and yet go on; ས And turn again. And fhe can weep, Sir, weep; I'll fend for you anon- Sir, And will return to Venice. I obey the mandate, Hence, avaunt! [Exit De/demona. Othello, act 4. sc. 6. Emilia. Oh! my good Lord, I would speak a word with you. Othello. Yes, 'tis Emilia-by and by- fhe's dead. 'Tis like, fhe comes to fpeak of Caffio's death; I think fhe ftirs again - No-what's the best? Othello, at 5. fc. 7. A A fourth obfervation is, that nature, which gave us paffions, and made them extremely beneficial when moderate, intended undoubtedly that they should be fubjected to the government of reafon and confcience*. It is therefore against the order of nature, that paffion in any case should take the lead in contradiction to reason and confcience. Such a ftate of mind is a fort of anarchy, which every one is afhamed of, and endeavours to hide or diffemble. Even love, however laudable, is attended with a confcious fhame when it becomes immoderate it is covered from the world, and difclosed only to the beloved object: Et que l'amour fouvent de remors combattu Paroiffe une foibleffe, et non une vertu. Boileau, L'art poet. chant. 3. l. 101. O, they love least that let men know their love. Two Gentlemen of Verona, alt 1. fc. 3. . Hence a capital rule in the representation of ftrong paffions, that their genuine fentiments See chap. 2. part 7. Y 2 ought ought to be hid or diffembled as much as poffible. And this holds in an especial manner with respect to criminal paffions. One never counfels the commiffion of a crime in plain terms. Guilt must not appear in its native colours, even in thought: the propofal must be made by hints, and by reprefenting the action in some favourable light. Of the propriety of fentiment upon such an occafion, Shakespear, in the Tempest, has given us a beautiful example. The subject is a propofal made by the ufurping Duke of Milan to Sebaftian, to murder his brother the King of Naples. Antonio. What might no more. Worthy Sebastian O, what might And yet, methinks, I fee it in thy face, What thou should'ft be: th'occasion speaks thee, and My strong imagination fees a crown Dropping upon thy head. At 2. Sc. I. There cannot be a finer picture of this fort, than that of King John foliciting Hubert to murder the young Prince Arthur. K. John. K. John. Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle We owe thee much; within this wall of flesh But thou shalt have-and creep time ne'er fo flow, I had a thing to fay-but, let it go: The fun is in the heav'n, and the proud day, Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy-thick, Making |