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TALES FROM SHAKESPEAR

PAGE Preface 1 The Tempest 3 A Midsummer Night's Dream 13 The Winter's Tale 23 Much Ado About Nothing 33 As You Like It 44 The Two Gentlemen of Verona 58 The Merchant of Venice 69 Cymbeline 81 King Lear 92 Macbeth 106 All's Well that Ends Well 115 The Taming of the Shrew 126 The Comedy of Errors 136 Measure for Measure 148 Twelfth Night; or, What You Will 161 Timon of Athens 173 Romeo and Juliet 184 Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 199 Othello 213 Pericles, Prince of Tyre 225

THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES

MRS. LEICESTER'S SCHOOL

Dedication 316 Elizabeth Villiers: The Sailor Uncle 319 Louisa Manners: The Farm House 328 Ann Withers: The Changeling 334 Elinor Forester: The Father's Wedding Day 350 Margaret Green: The Young Mahometan 354 Emily Barton: Visit to the Cousins 360 Maria Howe: The Witch Aunt 368 Charlotte Wilmot: The Merchant's Daughter 375 Susan Yates: First Going to Church 378 Arabella Hardy: The Sea Voyage 384

THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS 389

POETRY FOR CHILDREN

Envy 404 The Reaper's Child 404 The Ride 405 The Butterfly 406 The Peach 407 Chusing a Name 408 Crumbs to the Birds 408 The Rook and the Sparrows 409 Discontent and Quarrelling 410 Repentance and Reconciliation 411 Neatness in Apparel 412 The New-born Infant 412 Motes in the Sun-beams 413 The Boy and the Snake 413 The First Tooth 415 To a River in which a Child was Drowned 416 The First of April 416 Cleanliness 417 The Lame Brother 418 Going into Breeches 419 Nursing 420 The Text 421 The End of May 422 Feigned Courage 424 The Broken Doll 425 The Duty of a Brother 426 Wasps in a Garden 427 What is Fancy? 428 Anger 429 Blindness 429 The Mimic Harlequin 430 Written in the First Leaf of a Child's Memorandum Book 430 Memory 431 The Reproof 432 The Two Bees 432 The Journey from School and to School 434 The Orange 435 The Young Letter-Writer 436 The Three Friends 437 On the Lord's Prayer 442 "Suffer little Children, and Forbid them not, to come unto Me" 443 The Magpye's Nest; or, A Lesson of Docility 445 The Boy and the Sky-lark 447 The Men and Women, and the Monkeys 449 Love, Death, and Reputation 449 The Sparrow and the Hen 450 Which is the Favourite? 451 The Beggar-Man 451 Choosing a Profession 452 Breakfast 453 Weeding 454 Parental Recollections 455 The Two Boys 455 The Offer 456 The Sister's Expostulation on the Brother's learning Latin 456 The Brother's Reply 457 Nurse Green 459 Good Temper 460 Moderation in Diet 460 Incorrect Speaking 462 Charity 462 My Birthday 463 The Beasts in the Tower 464 The Confidant 466 Thoughtless Cruelty 466 Eyes 467 Penny Pieces 468 The Rainbow 469 The Force of Habit 470 Clock Striking 470 Why not do it, Sir, To-day? 471 Home Delights 471 The Coffee Slips 472 The Dessert 473 To a Young Lady, on being too Fond of Music 474 Time Spent in Dress 475 The Fairy 476 Conquest of Prejudice 476 The Great-Grandfather 478 The Spartan Boy 479 Queen Oriana's Dream 480 On a Picture of the Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter 481 David 483 David in the Cave of Adullam 486

THREE POEMS NOT IN "POETRY FOR CHILDREN"

Summer Friends 488 A Birthday Thought 488 The Boy, the Mother, and the Butterfly 489

PRINCE DORUS 490

NOTES 499 INDEX 523 INDEX OF FIRST LINES 529

FRONTISPIECE

CHARLES AND MARY LAMB

From the Painting by F.S. Cary, in 1834, now in the National Portrait Gallery.

TALES FROM SHAKESPEAR

PREFACE The following Tales are meant to be submitted to the young reader as an introduction to the study of Shakespear, for which purpose, his words are used whenever it seemed possible to bring them in; and in whatever has been added to give them the regular form of a connected story, diligent care has been taken to select such words as might least interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote: therefore words introduced into our language since his time have been as far as possible avoided.

I have wished to make these Tales easy reading for very young children. To the utmost of my ability I have constantly kept this in my mind; but the subjects of most of them made this a very difficult task. It was no easy matter to give the histories of men and women in terms familiar to the apprehension of a very young mind. For young ladies too it has been my intention chiefly to write, because boys are generally permitted the use of their fathers' libraries at a much earlier age than girls are, they frequently having the best scenes of Shakespear by heart, before their sisters are permitted to look into this manly book; and therefore, instead of recommending these Tales to the perusal of young gentlemen who can read them so much better in the originals, I must rather beg their kind assistance in explaining to their sisters such parts as are hardest for them to understand; and when they have helped them to get over the difficulties, then perhaps they will read to them some passage which has pleased them in one of these stories, in the very words of the scene from which it is taken; and I trust they will find that the beautiful extracts, the select passages, they may chuse to give their sisters in this way, will be much better relished and understood from their having some notion of the general story from one of these imperfect abridgments:--which if they be fortunately so done as to prove delightful to any of you, my young readers, I hope will have no worse effect upon you, than to make you wish yourselves a little older, that you may be allowed to read the Plays at full length . When time and leave of judicious friends shall put them into your hands, you will discover in such of them as are here abridged many surprising events and turns of fortune, which for their infinite variety could not be contained in this little book, besides a world of sprightly and cheerful characters, both men and women, the humour of which I was fearful of losing if I attempted to reduce the length of them.

What these Tales have been to you in childhood, that and much more it is my wish that the true Plays of Shakespear may prove to you in older years--enrichers of the fancy, strengtheners of virtue, a withdrawing from all selfish and mercenary thoughts, a lesson of all sweet and honourable thoughts and actions, to teach you courtesy, benignity, generosity, humanity: for of examples, teaching these virtues, his pages are full.

THE TEMPEST

There was a certain island in the sea, the only inhabitants of which were an old man, whose name was Prospero, and his daughter Miranda, a very beautiful young lady. She came to this island so young, that she had no memory of having seen any other human face than her father's.

They lived in a cave or cell, made out of a rock: it was divided into several apartments, one of which Prospero called his study; there he kept his books, which chiefly treated of magic, a study at that time much affected by all learned men: and the knowledge of this art he found very useful to him; for being thrown by a strange chance upon this island, which had been inchanted by a witch called Sycorax, who died there a short time before his arrival, Prospero, by virtue of his art, released many good spirits that Sycorax had imprisoned in the bodies of large trees, because they had refused to execute her wicked commands. These gentle spirits were ever after obedient to the will of Prospero. Of these Ariel was the chief.

The lively little sprite Ariel had nothing mischievous in his nature, except that he took rather too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban, for he owed him a grudge because he was the son of his old enemy Sycorax. This Caliban Prospero found in the woods, a strange misshapen thing, far less human in form than an ape: he took him home to his cell, and taught him to speak; and Prospero would have been very kind to him, but the bad nature, which Caliban inherited from his mother Sycorax, would not let him learn any thing good or useful: therefore he was employed like a slave, to fetch wood, and do the most laborious offices; and Ariel had the charge of compelling him to these services.

When Caliban was lazy and neglected his work, Ariel would come slyly and pinch him, and sometimes tumble him down in the mire; and then Ariel, in the likeness of an ape, would make mouths at him. Then swiftly changing his shape, in the likeness of a hedgehog he would lie tumbling in Caliban's way, who feared the hedgehog's sharp quills would prick his bare feet. With a variety of such-like vexatious tricks Ariel would often torment him, whenever Caliban neglected the work which Prospero commanded him to do.

"Be not so amazed, daughter Miranda," said Prospero; "there is no harm done. I have so ordered it, that no person in the ship shall receive any hurt. What I have done has been in care of you, my dear child. You are ignorant who you are, or where you came from, and you know no more of me, but that I am your father, and live in this poor cave. Can you remember a time before you came to this cell? I think you cannot, for you were not then three years of age."

"Certainly I can, sir," replied Miranda.

Miranda said, "It seems to me like the recollection of a dream. But had I not once four or five women who attended upon me?"

Prospero answered, "You had, and more. How is it that this still lives in your mind? Do you remember how you came here?"

"No, sir," said Miranda, "I remember nothing more."

"Twelve years ago, Miranda," continued Prospero, "I was duke of Milan, and you were a princess and my only heir. I had a younger brother, whose name was Antonio, to whom I trusted every thing; and as I was fond of retirement and deep study, I commonly left the management of my state affairs to your uncle, my false brother . I, neglecting all worldly ends, buried among my books, did dedicate my whole time to the bettering of my mind. My brother Antonio being thus in possession of my power, began to think himself the duke indeed. The opportunity I gave him of making himself popular among my subjects, awakened in his bad nature a proud ambition to deprive me of my dukedom; this he soon effected with the aid of the king of Naples, a powerful prince, who was my enemy."

"Wherefore," said Miranda, "did they not that hour destroy us?"

"My child," answered her father, "they durst not, so dear was the love that my people bore me. Antonio carried us on board a ship, and when we were some leagues out at sea, he forced us into a small boat, without either tackle, sail, or mast: there he left us as he thought to perish. But a kind lord of my court, one Gonzalo, who loved me, had privately placed in the boat, water, provisions, apparel, and some books which I prize above my dukedom."

"O my father," said Miranda, "what a trouble must I have been to you then!"

"No, my love," said Prospero, "you were a little cherub that did preserve me. Your innocent smiles made me to bear up against my misfortunes. Our food lasted till we landed on this desert island, since when my chief delight has been in teaching you, Miranda, and well have you profited by my instructions."

"Heaven thank you, my dear father," said Miranda. "Now pray tell me, sir, your reason for raising this sea-storm." "Know then," said her father, "that by means of this storm my enemies, the king of Naples, and my cruel brother, are cast ashore upon this island."

Having so said, Prospero gently touched his daughter with his magic wand, and she fell fast asleep; for the spirit Ariel just then presented himself before his master, to give an account of the tempest, and how he had disposed of the ship's company; and, though the spirits were always invisible to Miranda, Prospero did not choose she should hear him holding converse with the empty air.

"Well, my brave spirit," said Prospero to Ariel, "how have you performed your task?"

Ariel gave a lively description of the storm, and of the terrors of the mariners; and how the king's son, Ferdinand, was the first who leaped into the sea; and his father thought he saw this dear son swallowed up by the waves, and lost. "But he is safe," said Ariel, "in a corner of the isle, sitting with his arms folded sadly, lamenting the loss of the king his father, whom he concludes drowned. Not a hair of his head is injured, and his princely garments, though drenched in the sea-waves, look fresher than before."

"That's my delicate Ariel," said Prospero. "Bring him hither: my daughter must see this young prince. Where is the king, and my brother?"

"I left them," answered Ariel, "searching for Ferdinand, whom they have little hopes of finding, thinking they saw him perish. Of the ship's crew not one is missing; though each one thinks himself the only one saved: and the ship, though invisible to them, is safe in the harbour."

"Ariel," said Prospero, "thy charge is faithfully performed: bur there is more work yet."

"Is there more work?" said Ariel. "Let me remind you, master, you have promised me my liberty. I pray, remember, I have done you worthy service, told you no lies, made no mistakes, served you without grudge or grumbling." "How now!" said Prospero. "You do not recollect what a torment I freed you from. Have you forgot the wicked witch Sycorax, who with age and envy was almost bent double? Where was she born? Speak; tell me."

"Sir, in Algiers," said Ariel.

"O was she so?" said Prospero. "I must recount what you have been, which I find you do not remember. This bad witch Sycorax, for her witchcrafts, too terrible to enter human hearing, was banished from Algiers, and here left by the sailors; and because you were a spirit too delicate to execute her wicked commands, she shut you up in a tree, where I found you howling. This torment, remember, I did free you from."

"Pardon me, dear master," said Ariel, ashamed to seem ungrateful; "I will obey your commands."

"Do so," said Prospero, "and I will set you free." He then gave orders what farther he would have him do, and away went Ariel, first to where he had left Ferdinand, and found him still sitting on the grass in the same melancholy posture.

"O my young gentleman," said Ariel, when he saw him, "I will soon move you. You must be brought, I find, for the lady Miranda to have a sight of your pretty person. Come, sir, follow me." He then began singing,

"Full fathom five thy father lies: Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell: Hark, now I hear them, ding-dong--bell."

This strange news of his lost father soon roused the prince from the stupid fit into which he had fallen. He followed in amazement the sound of Ariel's voice, till it led him to Prospero and Miranda, who were sitting under the shade of a large tree. Now Miranda had never seen a man before, except her own father.

"Miranda," said Prospero, "tell me what you are looking at yonder."

"O father," said Miranda, in a strange surprise, "surely that is a spirit. Lord! how it looks about! Believe me, sir, it is a beautiful creature. It is not a spirit?"

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