I asked the ancient, venerable dead, I asked a dying sinner, ere the tide Of life had left his veins: "Time!" he replied; DUKE S. What fool is this? JAQUES. O worthy fool! - One that hath been a courtier ; "I've lost it! ah, the treasure!”—and he died. | And says, if ladies be but young and fair, I asked the golden sun and silver spheres, I asked the Seasons, in their annual round, "Tis Folly's blank, and Wisdom's highest prize!" I asked a spirit lost, but O the shriek They have the gift to know it: and in his brain— ! After a voyage- he hath strange places crammed SHAKESPEARE THE JESTER'S SERMON. That pierced my soul! I shudder while I speak. THE Jester shook his hood and bells, and leaped It cried, "A particle! a speck! a mite I asked old Father Time himself at last; upon a chair, The pages laughed, the women screamed, and tossed their scented hair; The falcon whistled, staghounds bayed, the lapdog barked without, The scullion dropped the pitcher brown, the cook railed at the lout! The steward, counting out his gold, let pouch and money fall, And why? because the Jester rose to say grace in with might and main ; "Mortal!" he cried, "the mystery now is o'er; The grooms beat on their metal cans, and roared Time was, Time is, but Time shall be no more!" 66 MARSDEN. FOOL MORALIZING ON TIME. JAQUES. FROM AS YOU LIKE IT." "Good morrow, fool," quoth I. "No, sir," quoth he, till they were red, But still the Jester shut his eyes and rolled his witty head; And when they grew a little still, read half a yard of text, And, waving hand, struck on the desk, then frowned like one perplexed. "Dear sinners all," the fool began, "man's life is but a jest, Call me not fool, till heaven hath sent me for- A dream, a shadow, bubble, air, a vapor at the best, Thus may we see," quoth he, "how the world wags: The fool that eats till he is sick must fast till he 'T is but an hour ago since it was nine; That fools should be so deep contemplative; is well; The wooer who can flatter most will bear away the belle. "Let no man halloo he is safe till he is through the wood; He who will not when he may, must tarry when he should. |