ness to the Scriptural doctrine of Immortality we may turn with profit to the testimony of all his great dramas.

Nowhere does Shakspeare conflict with the glorious assurance of Jesus Christ "who both brought life and immortality to light through

the gospel."

And we may perhaps see a more direct revelation of the mind of the Poet himself in his most noble sonnet:

"Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth,
Fool'd by those rebel powers that thee array,
Why dost thou pine within, and suffer death,
Painting thy onward walls so costly gay?
Why so large cost, having so short a lease,
Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?
Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,
Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body's end?
Then, soul, live thou upon thy servant's loss.
And let that pine to aggravate thy store;
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Within be fed, without be rich no more:

So shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,

And, Death once dead, there's no more dying then."

Sonnet 146.

Indeed, this inspiring theme is everywhere. As Shakspeare is the mirror of the universal mind so he reflects the universal hope in his works, while his own absolute faith is declared in the opening words of his Will:

"I commend my soul into the hands of God my creator, hoping, and assuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting.”

8

BOOK FOURTH

Scripture Themes in Shakspeare

CONSISTING OF NUMEROUS QUOTATIONS FROM SHAKSPEARE OF MORAL AND RELIGIOUS TRUTHS, ARRANGED UNDER SEPARATE HEADINGS

I

SCRIPTURE THEMES IN SHAKSPEARE

This part of our work partakes of the character of a cyclopedia of Biblical and moral texts found in the dramas and poems of Shakspeare. It must not, however, be understood as embracing all the moral sayings of the great author's works. Only those passages have been selected which are, in the mind of the writer, directly, or indirectly, related in thought, spirit, or figure to the doctrine and morals of the Bible, or to the accepted teachings of the Christian religion. A much larger volume than this would be necessary for a classification of the numerous wise, philosophic and moral sayings of Shakspeare.

In all such quotations there is a danger of reading into the author's words and making current, a meaning that is not justified by the whole text and context. Every reader of the Bible is aware of this danger; it is therefore, only necessary to point it out in order to avoid the mis

take here.

In preparing these pages the writer has had to face the difficult task of placing the quotations, under right headings, without frequent repetition. The genius of Shakspeare presents truths so many-sided that often, in a few lines, several subjects are included.

In a few instances passages are repeated under separate headings. Thus, for example, in II Hen. VI. 3:2 we have this: "Thrice is he arm'd that hath his quarrel just," which with a slight addition is placed under the topic "Conscience" as well as "Justice," and the passage from Measure for Measure which opens:—

"He who the sword of Heaven will bear
Should be as holy as severe,"

seems to be as appropriate to the subject of "Christian Ministry" as to "Justice" and has been placed under both heads.

On the other hand, in some cases, two or more topics have been placed together because it is found that the quotations so directly refer to more than one subject that they are inseparable; as for example