210 " THE LABOURING SPIDER," 



to some of those passages in which Shakspeare 

 evinces his knowledge of the habits of spiders, and 

 his cognizance of the general feeling of mankind 

 concerning them. 



When, in the " Merchant of Venice," Bassanio 

 has opened the leaden casket containing "fair Por- 

 tia's counterfeit," and is giving vent to the admira- 

 tion which so excellent a delineation of her beauty 

 excites, his words allude to the destruction which 

 the spider's web promotes : — 



" Here, in her hairs, 



The painter plays the spider, and hath woven 

 A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men 

 Faster than gnats in cobwebs." — Act III. Sc. II. 



To the same insect, Plantagenet compares the state 

 of his own mind : — 



" My brain, more busy than the labouring spider. 

 Weaves tedious snares to trap mine enemies." 



Second Part King Henry VI., Act III. Sc. I. 



The epithets "labouring" and "tedious," are applied 

 with peculiar felicity, for they denote the protracted 

 labours, the industry and perseverance, evinced in 

 the fabrication of the snare. 



When Queen Margaret is hurhng imprecations on 

 her enemies, she is turned from her encounter with 

 Gloster, by a remark made by the Queen : and while 



il 



