324 Kzse and Progress of Englsh Poetry. 
ing the mirror up to Nature, looked through Nature, up to 
Nature’s God. It is impossible to overrate his merits; of 
all that has been said, of all that numberless panygerists 
have written in praise of Shakespere, none have done ample 
justice to the shrine of one who has left little room for 
literary comment, or critical remark. 
He,the starof the Elizabethan period shone amid the other 
luminaries that surrounded him in the highest planesphere 
of invention. The glorious works of one so extended as our 
author’s, must necessarity entail both long and elaborate 
disquisition to do them justice. This, however, cannot be 
accomplished in the present article, the object of which 
being rather to roam through the fields of poesy quickly, 
to cull the beauty of several flowers, than dwell lenghthily 
upon the fragrance of one. As an instance of the progress 
of style, one or two quotations will sufficiently serve to 
mark it. Nothing in metaphorical beauty can equal the 
apostrophe to mercy, which Shakespere puts into the mouth 
Portia, inthe “Merchant of Venice.” 
“The quality of mercy is not strained, 
It droppeth as ye gentle dew from Heaven 
Upon the earth beneath. It is twice blessed ; 
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes ; 
’Tis mightiest ’mid the mighty, and becomes 
The throned monarch better than his crown ; 
His sceptre shows the force of Temporal power, 
The attribute of awe and majesty, wherein doth sit 
The fear and dread of kings. But mercy 
Is above that sceptered sway, it is enthroned 
In the heart of kings. It is an attribute of God himself, 
And earthly power dost then show likest gods, 
When mercy seasons justice.” 
The following quotation, however, will serve to illustrate 
Shakespere’s insight into humannature, combining as it does 
some of his finest simile, with that which cannot be failed to 
be recognised by all Benedicts, as a piece of very safe ad- 
vice, without being exactly sechnological, it is, at all events, 
decided logical. At the risk, therefore, of offending the 
fairer portion of our readers, we will impartially mention 
that, in the 5th act of the “ Taming of the Shrew,” Katherine 
thus teaches the duty of wives towards their husbands, in 
the following words; graphic and full of force are they, 
commencing thus :— : ; 
“Fie fie; unknit that unkind threatening brow, 
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes, 
