VIOLA. 191 



woman of trained religious temper : her maid of honour 

 gives Wolsey a more Christian epitaph. 



2. Cordelia. The earthly love consisting in diffused com- 

 passion of the universal spirit ; not in any conquering, per- 

 sonally 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 expres- 

 sion ; and are all Cordelia. 



Shakspeare clearly does not mean her to have been su- 

 premely beautiful in person ; it is only her true lover who 

 calls her ' fair ' and ' fairest ' and even that, I believe, partly 

 in courtesy, after having the instant before 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 ; nor would 

 she ever have been so despised or by her father, misunder- 

 stood. Shakspeare himself does not pretend to know where 

 her girl-heart was, but I should like to hear how a great 

 actress would say the " Peace be with Burgundy ! " 



3. Portia. The maidenly passion now becoming great, and 

 chiefly divine in its humility, is still held absolutely subordi- 

 nate to duty ; no thought of disobedience to her dead father's 

 intention is entertained for an instant, though the temptation 

 is marked as passing, for that instant, before her crystal 

 strength. Instantly, in her own peace, she thinks chiefly of 

 her lover's ; she is a perfect Christian wife in a moment, 

 coming to her husband with the gift of perfect Peace, 



" Never shall you lie by Portia's side 

 With an unquiet soul." 



She is highest in intellect of all Shakspeare's women, and 

 this is the root of her modesty ; her ' unlettered girl ' is like 



