I. VIOLA. 39 



loving temper in Shakspeare's maids and wives, from tlie 

 greatest to the least. 



iS. 1. Isabel. All earthly love, and the possibilities of 

 it, held in absolute subjection to the laws of God, and the 

 judgments of His will. She is Shakspeare's only 'Saint/ 

 Queen Catherine, whom you might next think of, is only 

 an ordinary woman of trained religious temper: her 

 maid of honour gives Wolsey a more Christian epitaph. 



2. Cordelia. The earthly love consisting in diffused 

 compassion of the universal spirit ; not in any conquer- 

 ing, personally fixed, feeling. 



' Mine enemy's dog, 



Though he had bit me, should have stood that night 

 Against my fire." 



These lines are spoken in her hour of openest direct ex- 

 pression ; and are all Cordelia. 



Shakspeare clearly does not mean her to have been 

 supremely beautiful in person ; it is only her true lover 

 who calls her i fair ' and i f aire&t ' and even that, I 

 believe, partly in courtesy, after having the instant be- 

 fore offered her to his subordinate duke ; and it is only 

 his scorn of her which makes France fully care for her. 



" Gods, Gods, 'tis strange that from their cold neglect 

 My love should kindle to inflamed respect !" 



Had she been entirely beautiful, he would have honoured 

 her as a lover should, even before he saw her despised ; 



