Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume VI. Fancy. 1904. | | | | Poems of Sentiment: V. The Arts | | Music | | William Shakespeare (1564–1616) |
| | From “The Merchant of Venice,” Act V. Sc. 1.
LORENZO.—How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! | |
| Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music | |
| Creep in our ears: soft stillness, and the night, | |
| Become the touches of sweet harmony. | |
| Sit, Jessica: look, how the floor of heaven | 5 |
| Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold: | |
| There ’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st, | |
| But in his motion like an angel sings, | |
| Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins; | |
| Such harmony is in immortal souls: | 10 |
| But whilst this muddy vesture of decay | |
| Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it. * * * * * | |
| JESSICA.—I am never merry when I hear sweet music. | |
| LORENZO.—The reason is your spirits are attentive. * * * * * | |
| Therefore the poet | 15 |
| Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods; | |
| Since naught so stockish, hard, and full of rage, | |
| But music for the time doth change his nature. | |
| The man that hath no music in himself, | |
| Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, | 20 |
| Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; | |
| The motions of his spirit are dull as night, | |
| And his affections dark as Erebus: | |
| Let no such man be trusted. | | | | |
|
|
