31 



Before following Lucius, Imogen, as Fidele purposing to bury 

 Postbumus, says — 



" I'll follow, Sir. But first, an't please tbe Gods, 

 I'll bide mj^ master from tbe flies, as deep 

 As tbese poor pickaxes can dig." — Cymbeline, iv., 2. 



Ferdinand, when be avows his passion for Miranda, says — 



" Would no more endure 

 This wooden slavery, than I would suffer 

 The fiesb-fly blow my mouth." — 'Tempest, iii., 1. 



And again Biron, when making love to Rosalind, forswears at 

 length the long drawn-out " figures pedantical," which he had 

 uttered, and asserts that — 



" Tbese summer flies 

 Have blown me full of maggot ostentation." 



Love's Labour Ijost, v., 2, 



When Florizel, the Prince of Bohemia, is undecided whither to 

 flee, he uses tbe simile of tbe habit of flies at emergence, to rush 

 into tbe air and disperse whither the chance breeze takes them — 



"So we profess 

 Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies 

 Of every wind that blows." — Winter s Tale, iv., 3. 



In Sbakspere's time tbe "blow-fly" was equally an object of 

 detestation, for we find Doll Tearsheet reviles the beadle, who has 

 arrested her, as — 



" A blue-bottle rogue." — 2 Henri/ IV., v., 4. 

 When the noble Gloucester reflects upon tbe cruel fortunes of 

 those who remain faithful to Lear in his banishment, he says — 



" As flies to wanton boys, so we to tbe Gods ; 

 They kill us for their sport." — Lear, iv., 1. 



When in Titus' house, Marcus savagely strikes tbe dish with a 

 knife, his host at once exclaims — 



T. " What dost thou strike at, Marcus, with thy knife ? 



M. At that that I have killed, my lord — a fly. 



T. Out on thee, murderer ! thou kill'st mine heart ; 



Mine eyes are cloy'd with view of tyranny. 



A deed of death done on tbe innocent 



Becomes not Titus' brother. Get thee gone ; 



I see thou art not for my company. 

 M. Alas ! my lord, I have but kill'd a fly. 

 T. Poor harmless fly ! 



