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I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel, and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat.

Rosalind has not the impressive eloquence of Portia, nor the sweet wisdom of Isabella. Her longest speeches are not her best; nor is her taunting address to Phebe, beautiful and celebrated as it is, equal to Phebe's own description of her. The latter, indeed, is more in earnest.*

Celia is more quiet and retired; but she rather yields to Rosalind, than is eclipsed by her. She is as full of sweetness, kindness, and intelligence, quite as susceptible, and almost as witty, though she makes less display of wit. She is described as less fair and less gifted; yet the attempt to excite

Rousseau could describe such a character as Rosalind, but failed to represent it consistently. "Nest-ce pas de ton cœur que viennent les graces de ton enjouement? Tes railleries sont des signes d'interêt plus touchants que les compliments d'un autre. Tu caresses quand tu folâtres. Tu ris, mais ton rire pénetre l'ame; tu ris, mais tu fais pleurer de tendresse, et je te vois presque toujours serieuse avec les indifférents."-Heloise.

VOL. I.

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in her mind a jealousy of her lovelier friend, by

placing them in comparison—

Thou art a fool; she robs thee of thy name;

And thou wilt show more bright, and seem more virtuous,
When she is gone-

fails to awaken in the generous heart of Celia any other feeling than an increased tenderness and sympathy for her cousin. To Celia, Shakspeare has given some of the most striking and animated parts of the dialogue; and in particular, that exquisite description of the friendship between her and Rosalind:

If she be a traitor,

Why, so am I; we have still slept together,
Rose at an instant, learned, played, eat together,
And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans,

Still we were coupled and inseparable.

The feeling of interest and admiration thus excited for Celia at the first, follows her through the whole play. We listen to her as to one who has made herself worthy of our love; and her silence expresses more than eloquence.

Phebe is quite an Arcadian coquette; she is a piece of pastoral poetry. Audrey is only rustic. A very amusing effect is produced by the contrast between the frank and free bearing of the two princesses in disguise, and the scornful airs of the real shepherdess. In the speeches of Phebe, and in the dialogue between her and Sylvius, Shakspeare has anticipated all the beauties of the Italian pastoral, and surpassed Tasso and Guarini. We find two among the most poetical passages of the play, appropriated to Phebe; the taunting speech to Sylvius, and the description of Rosalind in her page's costume ;-which last is finer than the portrait of Bathyllus in Ana

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O LOVE! thou teacher- O Grief! thou tamerand Time, thou healer of human hearts !-bring hither all your deep and serious revelations !And ye too, rich fancies of unbruised, unbowed youth-ye visions of long perished hopes-shadows of unborn joys-gay colourings of the dawn

of existence! whatever memory hath treasured up of bright and beautiful in nature or in art; all soft and delicate images--all lovely formsdivinest voices and entrancing melodies-gleams of sunnier skies and fairer climes-Italian moonlights, and airs that "breathe of the sweet south" -now, if it be possible, revive to my imagination-live once more to my heart! Come, thronging around me, all inspirations that wait on passion, on power, on beauty;-give me to tread, not bold, and yet unblamed, within the inmost sanctuary of Shakspeare's genius, in Juliet's moonlight bower, and Miranda's enchanted isle!

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It is not without emotion, that I attempt to touch on the character of Juliet. Such beautiful things have already been said of her-only to be exceeded in beauty by the subject that inspired them!-it is impossible to say any thing better; but it is possible to say something more. Such in fact is the simplicity, the truth, and the loveliness of Juliet's character, that we are not at first aware of its complexity, its depth, and its variety.

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