Lorenzo:
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony
Sit, Jessica: Look how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:
There's not the smallest orb that thou behold'st
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.
Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn!
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,
And draw her home with music.
Jessica:
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony
Sit, Jessica: Look how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:
There's not the smallest orb that thou behold'st
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.
Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn!
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,
And draw her home with music.
Jessica:
I am never merry when I hear sweet music.
Lorenzo:
The reason is, your spirits are attentive...
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
The reason is, your spirits are attentive...
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.
***
Act V, scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice
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11 comments:
As ever, CB1 - Forefinger On The Pulse of Life's Rich Tapestry. I salute you, and hope Evensong holds
unexpected delights and delicacies.
For reasons I won't go into, this play is known as 'The Merchant of Dennis' in our house.
You chose some lovely lines. Thank you.
x
"Mark the music." Beautiful.
Splendid.
A poem wot I rote
I have a little Beetle,
Betty is her name.
She likes to toot her horn at will;
She's driving me insane.
Ah, National Poetry Day, if only I'd known. Lovely bit of Shakespeare that, thanks.
Mr Can Bass, I wonder if you've heard how that section of "The Merchant" is used by proponents of the Shakspere-was-a-secret-Catholic theory. If you read into the dialogue between Lorenzo and Jessica you'll discover that it bears a structural resemblance to the Exsultet or Easter Proclamation. "Rejoice, Heavenly Powers, sing choirs of angels..."
A certain Cantoris Bass 1
Posts blogs that are witty and fun.
This shy Alto 2
Reads each of them through:
None better, when all's said and done.
Apologies, musicmiss....
Cantoris Bass 1
Posts blogs both witty and fun.
Old son of a gun!
I didnt know either! Id have marked the occasion with a ditty of my own. Loved your MoV tho :)
This is in VW's Serenade to Music isn't it? One of my all time favourites.
OF
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