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I

sence.

STUDIES OF THE POETS.

BY GEORGE PACKER.

SHAKSPERE.-(concluded.)

N describing the ideal poet, Tennyson tells us he is dowered with the "hate of hate, the scorn of scorn, and love of love." His swift and piercing vision sees right through the accidental embellishments of a thing into its very esHence so far as a man is a poet he is a true teacher. Many of the utterances of Shakspere constitute the perfection of human wisdom, and in a free and familiar way denote the high-water mark of practical philosophy. A few examples will show the rich mine that any of our readers may work for himself.

Intemperance is a subject now widely discussed, for it is believed to be the greatest sin of our nation. In Othello, Cassio, alluding to that riotous hospitality still too common, and which acts as a strong provocative to drunkenness, says, "I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment." And after he had succumbed to temptation he mourns, "O that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! That we should with joy, revel, pleasure and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!" And in his remorse he addresses the source of his wretchedness, "O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee-devil." The effects of temperance are described by an old man in a well-known passage in "As you like it :"

Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty;
For in my youth I never did apply

Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood;
Nor did not with unbashful forehead woo

The means of weakness and debility:
Therefore my age is as a lusty winter,
Frosty, but kindly.”

Of the danger and impolicy of procrastination Shakspere often writes. Two or three passages I will give which are worth a place in our memories.

On our quick'st decrees

The inaudible and noiseless foot of time

Steals ere we can effect them."

The friends of education are now doing their best to end the deplorable ignorance which like a protracted night has so long rested on thousands of our people. As Lord Brougham said, "The Schoolmaster is abroad," and more is to be expected from his labours than from the recruiting-sergeant. Echoing the sentiment of Solomon "Wisdom is more precious than rubies," Shakspere tells us

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And again,

"Ignorance is the curse of God,
Knowledge the wing with which we fly to heaven."

"Virtue and knowledge are endowments greater
Than nobleness and riches: careless heirs

May the two latter darken and expend;
But immortality attends the former."

On the duty of actively exerting ourselves to do good to others there is many a noble passage.

"Heaven doth with us as we with torches do;
Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not."

(Though in and of him there be much consisting,)

Till he communicate his parts to others:

Nor doth he of himself know them for aught,

Till he behold them formed in the applause

Where they are extended: which like an arch reverberates

The voice again; or like a gate of steel,

Fronting the sun, receives and renders back

His figure and his heat."

Of the variety and yet unity of all human duties there probably has never been a finer passage than the following,-—

"Heaven doth divide

The state of man in divers functions
Setting endeavour in continual motion;
To which is fixed as an aim or butt,
Obedience: for so work the honey bees;
Creatures that, by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom,
They have a king, and officers of sorts;
Where some, like magistrates, correct at home;
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad;

Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,
Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds;
Which pillage they with merry march bring home
To the tent-royal of their emperor;
Who, busied in his majesty, surveys

The singing masons building roofs of gold;
The civil citizens kneading up the honey;
The poor mechanic porters crowding in
Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;
The sad-eyed justice with his surly hum,
Delivering o'er to executors pale

The lazy yawning drone. I this infer-
That many things having full reference
To one consent may work contrariously;
As many arrows loosed several ways
Fly to one mark;

As many several ways meet in one town;

As many fresh streams run into one self sea;
As many lines close in the dial's centre;
So may a thousand actions once afoot
End in one purpose."

Shakspere frequently speaks of the benefits of adversity. He teaches that this life is but a probation for another, and that afflictions are great helps to the development and formation of that character which will make us happy hereafter.

"There is some soul of goodness in things evil
Would men observingly distil it out.

For our bad neighbours make us early stirrers
Which is both healthful and good husbandry;
Besides they are our outward consciences,
And preachers to us all; admonishing
That we should dress us fairly for our end.
Thus may we gather honey from the weed,
And make a moral of the devil himself."

We are warned against forming uncharitable judgments from the afflictions of other people in a fine passage in "Troilus and Cressida."

"Why then

Do you with cheeks abash'd behold our works ;

And think them shames, which are, indeed, nought else

But the protractive trials of great Jove

To find persistive constancy in men?

The fineness of which metal is not found

In fortune's love; for then, the bold and coward,

The wise and fool, the artist and unread,

The hard and soft, seem all affinned and kin:
But, in the wind and tempest of her frown,
Distinction, with a broad and powerful fan,
Puffing at all, winnows the light away;
And what hath mass, or matter, by itself
Lies rich in virtue, and unmingled."

Shakspere's teaching on destiny is that of common sense and the Bible. Passages like the following are common—

"Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we ascribe to Heaven; the fated sky
Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull
Our slow designs, when we ourselves are dull."

But I must stop. I have only plucked a flower or two from this wonderful garden. Not only poetic_beauty, but true philosophy abounds on every page of Shakspere. I will conclude with a splendid passage from "Hamlet on the dignity of man.

"What is a man,

If his chief good, and market of his time,
Be but to sleep, and feed? a beast, no more.
Sure, He, that made us with such large discourse,

Looking before and after, gave us not

That capability and godlike reason

To fust in us unused. Now, whether it be

Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple

Of thinking too precisely on the event,

A thought, which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom,

And ever three parts coward,-I do not know

Why yet I live to say, 'This thing's to do;'

Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means,
To do it."

DAISY BANK; OR, SISTER ELLEN'S MINISTRY.

:

BY J. CAPES STORY.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THAT SLEEPY CAB.

HE afternoon is bright and clear, Joe, and the heat is not too great would you like a drive?" said Ellen to her brother one day, when the summer had come round again. "Yes, sister, I should like it much," answered Joe, who had been listening to Ellen reading a new book of adventures in the southern seas.

“Come, then, we'll put the book away and get out into the sunshine. It is a pity not to enjoy the sweet light and beauty of a day like this."

Ellen ordered the carriage, and then, having made a few slight changes in her own dress, she busied herself in preparing Joe for the drive.

"Ellen

'Mary, will you please tell James that Joe is ready? said to one of the servants. And presently James appeared. But lest he should not be recognised under that name, let us say that Jimmy Jortin appeared.

For on entering upon his new employment, Jimmy was asked by Mrs. Walton what was his proper name.

Jimmy, Ma'am, is the only name I ever had, so far as I know," said the lad.

A

"Who gave you that name ?" asked Mrs Walton, as though about to go through the catechism.

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If you please ma'am, I don't know: I don't remember my father and mother: and I niver heerd as I was kusned at church."

The likelihood was that, if christened at all, it was in the gutter. 66 Well, it does not matter," said Mrs. Walton, kindly;'" you are not a child now, and as you having a change of situation you shall also have a change of name: we shall call you James." "Thank you ma'am: " Jimmy answered; and he went about his work that day with as much satisfaction as if a crown a week had been added to his wages. inio

James Jortin then it was who came into the room, with clean face, short-cropped and well-brushed hair, and wearing a coachman's coat with bright buttons,.

Taking up Joe into his arms like a baby, James carried him to the carriage, which was a light open vehicle, both elegant and comfortable.

Ellen took her place by the side of her brother. Richie at that moment returning from school placed his books in the hands of Mrs. Walton and sprang to the seat beside the driver; and Tip, being set free from his chain at Joe's request, went bounding after the carriage as it made its first movement towards the gate. They drove away in great glee: Tip running forward at a racing speed and then back to meet the carriage, barking all the while.

It required all Jimmy's, we beg his pardon,-James's strength to prevent the pony running away with them all: it was so full of spirit and power to draw after standing in the stable too long, with nothing to do but eat the corn, The sunlight was so clear, and the breeze so fresh, the sense of rapid motion so pleasant too, that the little party could not but be full of joy.

"Isn't it fine, to-day !" exclaimed Joe to his sister, as they turned into the road which skirted the wood, the trees of which were now dappling the road with light and ever-changing shadows, and as they caught a glimpse of the river flowing smoothly at the foot of the hill. But as he looked at Ellen he saw that there was a sudden change in her countenance: she had assumed a quiet and thoughtful mood.

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'Why, Ellen, you look quite serious; what are you thinking of ?" "Oh nothing Joe," said his sister, with a start, as though roused from a reverie.

"Yes, I am sure there was something to trouble you in your thoughts just then."

Well, there was something, I confess. But not anything you need be alarmed about. You see that path there under the trees;