118 



who did not know so much as Shakspere did, would 

 most probably have introduced some bombastic speech 

 instead ; but the poet left it, hy this pause, to the imagi- 

 nation to fill up what was passing in the speaker's mind : 

 War. See, how the pangs of death do make him grin. 

 Sal. Disturb him not, let him pass peaceably. 

 King Henry. Peace to his soul, if God's good pleasure be I 

 Lord Cardinal, if thou think'st on Heaven's bliss, 

 Hold up thy hand, make signal of thy hope. — [Pause.] 



He dies and makes no sign ; God forgive him I 

 War. So bad a death argues a monstrous life. 

 King Henry. Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all. 

 Close up his eyes, and draw the curtains close ; 

 And let us all to meditation. 



Henry VI. act Hi. sc. 3. 

 The Rev. H. H. Higgins took the natural view of 

 Shakspere's defects, as resembling those which Avere 

 found in the works of other great men. They must be 

 content to see something of inconsistency in those Avhom 

 they most ardently admired. He could not but think 

 that there were blemishes in Shakspere, in the shape of 

 yielding too much to the prevailing taste of the times ; 

 but there was also an undercurrent of high and even 

 religious feeling, something more than mere natural reli- 

 gion — something higher and truer — something of the 

 religion that had come from heaven itself — that imbued 

 a large portion of his works, and was not less true be- 

 cause not obtrusively placed before the reader. 



