As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last,

Writ in remembrance, more than things long past.

King Richard II. Act ii. Scene 1.

Antony. What our contempts do often hurl from us, We wish it ours again: the present pleasure,

By revolution lowering,* does become

The opposite of itself.

Antony and Cleopatra. Act i. Scene 2.

Octavius Cæsar. It hath been taught us from the primal

state

That he, which is, was wish'd, until he were:

And the ebb'd man, ne'er lov'd, till ne'er worth love, 'Comes dear'd by being lack'd.

Ibid. Act i, Scene 4.

* By change of time and circumstance,

TRUTH.

NOT TO BE SPOKEN AT ALL TIMES.

Gonzalo. The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness, And time to speak it in: you rub the sore,

When you should bring the plaster.

Tempest. Act ii. Scene 1.

TRUTH IN ACTIONS.

Proteus. Truth hath better deeds, than words, to grace it.

Two Gentlemen of Verona. Act ii. Scene 2.

Norfolk.

TRUTH PEACEFUL.

Truth hath a quiet breast.

King Richard II. Acti. Scene 3.

TRUTH PERENNIAL.

Prince. Is it upon record? or else reported Successively from age to age?

.

Buckingham. Upon record, my gracious lord.
Prince. But say, my lord, it were not register'd:
Methinks the truth should live from age to age
As 'twere retail'd to all posterity.

King Richard III. Act iii. Scene 1.

TRUTH has always been so difficult to find, that men have been extremely fond of speculating as to the locality of its residence, and "prating of its whereabouts." It was generally considered a settled fact that it lived somewhere very much out of the way; and with this notion in his head we all know that one writer has declared "it lies hid at the bottom of a well!"

I am happy to say, however, that Mr. Browning has at length discovered its snug domicile; and that we have not so far to travel to meet with it, as has been imagined. I make no apology for giving my readers the benefit of the whole passage. Its talented author, having found out truth, will not object to its spread in all directions.

"Truth is within ourselves: it takes no rise
From outward things, whate'er you may believe;
There is an inmost centre in us all,

Where Truth abides in fullness; and, around,
Wall within wall, the gross flesh hems it in;
Perfect and true Perception-which is Truth:
A baffling and perverting carnal mesh,

Which blinds it, and makes Error: and,' to know,'
Rather consists in opening out a way

Whence the imprison'd splendour may dart forth,
Then in effecting entry for the light."

Paracelsus.

VARIETIES OF CHARACTER.

SWEET AND sour.

Salanio. Nature hath fram'd strange fellows in her time: Some that will evermore peep through their eyes,

And laugh, like parrots, at a bagpiper;

And others of such vinegar aspèct,

That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Merchant of Venice. Act i. Scene 1.

ORACLES.

Gratiano. There are a sort of men, whose visages

Do cream and mantle, like a standing pond;
And do a wilful stillness entertain,
With purpose to be dress'd in an opinion
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit;
As who should say, 'I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips, let no dog bark!'
Oh, my Antonio, I do know of these,
That therefore only are reputed wise,
For saying nothing; who, I am very sure,

If they should speak, would almost damn those ears,
Which, hearing them, would call their brothers, fools.

Ibid.

Cæsar.

THE SERIOUS MAN.

He reads much;

He is a great observer, and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music;
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort,
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be moved to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease, &c. &c.
Julius Cæsar.

Act i. Scene 2.

Kent.

THE COURTIER.

Such smiling rogues as these,

Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain

Which are too intrinse to unloose: smooth every passion
That in the natures of their lords rebels,

Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks
With every gale and vary of their masters,
As knowing nought, like dogs, but following.

Who having been prais'd for bluntness, doth affect

A saucy roughness; and constrains the garb,
Quite from his nature: he cannot flatter, he!—
An honest mind and plain, he must speak truth:
An they will take it, so; if not, he's plain.

These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness
Harbour more craft and more corrupter ends,
Than twenty silly ducking observants,
That stretch their duties nicely.

Ibid.

THE QUARRELSOME MAN.

Mercutio. Thou! why thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more, or a hair less, in his beard, than