Society and the World

Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds.

The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins Remorse from power.

The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins Remorse from power.

O! he sits high in all the people’s hearts: And that which would appear offense in us, His countenance, like richest alchemy, Will change to virtue and to worthiness.

So every bondman in his own hand bears The power to cancel his captivity.

So every bondman in his own hand bears The power to cancel his captivity.

Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, That he is grown so great?

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus; and we petty men Walk under his huge legs, and peep about To find ourselves dishonorable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Have you not made a universal shout, That Tiber trembled underneath her banks, To hear the replication of your sounds Made in her concave shores?

Grow like savages—as soldiers will, That nothing do but meditate on blood.

The naked, poor, and mangled Peace, Dear nurse of arts, plenties, and joyful births.

’Tis not the balm, the scepter and the ball, The sword, the mace, the crown imperial, The intertissued robe of gold and pearl, The farced title running ’fore the king, The throne he sits on, nor the tide of pomp That beats upon the high shore of this world, No, not all these, thrice-gorgeous ceremony, Not all these, laid in bed majestical, Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave, Who with a body fill’d and vacant mind Gets him to rest, cramm’d with distressful bread.

What infinite heart’s ease Must kings neglect that private men enjoy! And what have kings that privates have not too, Save ceremony, save general ceremony? And what art thou, thou idol 22 ceremony? What kind of god art thou, that suffer’st more Of mortal griefs than do thy worshippers? What are thy rents? what are thy comings-in? O ceremony! show me but thy worth.

There is some soul of goodness in things evil, Would men observingly distill it out.

The hum of either army stilly sounds, That the fix’d sentinels almost receive The secret whispers of each other’s watch: Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames Each battle sees the other’s umber’d face: Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs Piercing the night’s dull ear; and from the tents The armorers, accomplishing the knights, With busy hammers closing rivets up, Give dreadful note of preparation.

And sheath’d their swords for lack of argument.

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot: Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge Cry “God for Harry! England and Saint George!”

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot: Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge Cry “God for Harry! England and Saint George!”

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead! In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Disguise fair nature with hard-favor’d rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect.

O England! model to thy inward greatness, Like little body with a mighty heart, What mightst thou do, that honor would thee do, Were all thy children kind and natural!

Now all the youth of England are on fire, And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies.

Therefore doth heaven divide The state of man in divers functions, Setting endeavor in continual motion; To which is fixed, as an aim or butt, Obedience: for so work the honeybees, Creatures that by a rule in nature teach The act of order to a peopled kingdom.

Turn him to any cause of policy, The Gordian knot of it he will unloose, Familiar as his garter; that, when he speaks, The air, a charter’d libertine, is still.

Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs, You would say it hath been all in all his study.