This  habitual  Melancholy  assumed  many  shapes.   Fan-
tastic in  Vendice  apostrophising  his  dead  lady's  skull  :


MELANCHOLY.  57


Does  the  silkworm  expend  her  yellow  labours
For  thee  ?     For  thee  does  she  undo  herself  ?  .  ..
Thou  mayst  lie  chaste  now  !  it  were  fine,  methinks,
To  have  thee  seen  at  revels,  forgetful  feasts.
And  unclean  brothels.
Tender  in  Palador's  bewilderment :

Parthenophil  is  lost,  and  I  would  see  him  !
For  he  is  like  to  something  I  remember
A  great  while  since,  a  long  long  time  ago.
Exquisite  in  the  Dirge  for  Chrysostom  :

Sleep,  poor  youth,  sleep  in  peace,
Relieved  from  love  and  mortal  care  ;

Whilst  we,  that  pine  in  life's  disease.
Uncertain-blessed,  less  happy  are.
Close  to  this  melancholy,  is  religion.     Though  rarely

touched  on  by  our  playwrights,  the  cardinal  points  of

Christian  doctrine  were  present  to  their  minds ;    and

when  they  struck  that  chord  of  piety,   it  was  with  a

direct  and  manly  hand  :

The  best  of  men
That  e'er  wore  earth  about  him  was  a  sufferer  ;
A  soft,  meek,  patient,  humble,  tranquil  spirit ';
The  first  true  gentleman  that  ever  breathed.
This  is  no  conventional  portrait  of  the  Founder  of  our

faith.     Nor  are  these  solemn  words,  in  which  an  injured

husband  absolves  his  penitent  and  dying  wife,  spoken

from  the  lips  merely  :

As  freely  from  the  low  depths  of  my  soul

As  my  kedeemer  hath  forgiven  His  death,

I  pardon  thee.
Even  as  I  hope  for  pardon  at  that  day

When  the  great  Judge  of  heaven  in  scarlet  sits,

So  be  thou  pardoned


58  SHAKSPERE'S  PREDECESSORS.
XII.
