republication of valuable and scarce
books and papers having a bearing upon Shakespeare and the literary
history of his time. We have no such material in this country. Whoever
wishes to go profoundly into the study of Shakespearian, or rather of
Elizabethan literature, would do well to obtain a set of the old
Shakespeare Society's publications, and to become a subscriber to the
other Shakespeare society, which is doing good thorough work. Clubs
might well be formed for the obtaining of these books and others, for
the use of their members who cannot afford or who do not care to buy
them for their own individual property; although a book really owned is,
I cannot say exactly why, worth more to a reader than one belonging to
some one else. But all other Shakespeare clubs are mere vanity. The true
Shakespeare lover is a club unto himself.

RICHARD GRANT WHITE.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] _I. e._, gifted, endowed with parts.

[10] See "Shakespeare's Scholar," _passim._

[11] Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and one of the editors of the
Cambridge edition.

THE PHILTER.

A LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR'S TIME.

Dying afar in Brittany,
The gallant Tristram lay;
His gentle bride's sweet ministry,
Her tender touch and way,
That erstwhile brought the rest he sought,
No more held soothing sway.

The naming of her tuneful name,
Isoude--so sweet to hear
Because its music was the same
With one long holden dear--
Now, like a bell discordant, fell,
And brought but mocking cheer.

Her eyne so blue, with lids so white,
Her tresses from their snood,
That rippling ambered all the light
About her where she stood,
Served only now to cloud his brow
Who longed for lost Isoude--

Isoude, who charmed him once when storm
Had blown his ship ashore
On Ireland's coast; Isoude, whose form
Bewitched him more and more,
As mem'ry came, his love to flame,
When hope, alas! was o'er:

Isoude, who sailed with him the sea
Across to Cornwall land,
To marry Mark, whose treachery
Did Tristram's faith command
To win her grace for kingly place,
And his own heart withstand.

On sultry deck becalmed they pine;
Careless, their thirst to ease,
A philter--mixt for bridal wine--
Her lip beguiles, and his:
O subtle draught unconscious quaffed!