FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   >>   >|  
urs; and fall to that you must do, not that you would do. Thus she sets him aside. Poor Apelles, alone, in a later scene laments his fate in loving her whom Alexander desires, ending his mournful soliloquy with a song, the most beautiful of all that Lyly has scattered so lavishly through his plays. Cupid and my Campaspe played At cards for kisses; Cupid paid. He stakes his quiver, bow, and arrows, His mother's doves, and team of sparrows; Loses them too; then, down he throws The coral of his lip, the rose Growing on 's cheek, (but none knows how) With these the crystal of his brow, And then the dimple of his chin: All these did my Campaspe win. At last he set her both his eyes; She won, and Cupid blind did rise. O love! has she done this to thee? What shall (alas!) become of me? But when the picture is nearly finished, when the sittings are almost over and with them the intimacy of artist and model, then we discover that the tender sighs of Apelles have sweetened the friendship of Campaspe into love, and the secret of each soul is known to the other. _Apelles._ I have now, Campaspe, almost made an end. _Campaspe._ You told me, Apelles, you would never end. _Apelles._ Never end my love, for it shall be eternal. _Campaspe._ That is, neither to have beginning nor ending. _Apelles._ You are disposed to mistake: I hope you do not mistrust. _Campaspe._ What will you say if Alexander perceive your love? _Apelles._ I will say it is no treason to love. _Campaspe._ But how if he will not suffer thee to see my person? _Apelles._ Then will I gaze continually on thy picture. _Campaspe._ That will not feed thy heart. _Apelles._ Yet shall it fill mine eye: besides, the sweet thoughts, the sure hopes, thy protested faith, will cause me to embrace thy shadow continually in mine arms, of the which by strong imagination I will make a substance. _Campaspe._ Well, I must be gone. But of this assure yourself, that I had rather be in thy shop grinding colours than in Alexander's court, following higher fortunes. By a happy stroke of wit Alexander, guessing the truth of the matter, makes Apelles confess indirectly and unconsciously what discretion would enjoin him to keep concealed. Apelles and Alexander are talking together when a servant rushes up, cry
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Apelles

 

Campaspe

 

Alexander

 
continually
 

picture

 

ending

 

thoughts

 

perceive

 
beginning
 

disposed


eternal

 
mistake
 

treason

 
suffer
 

mistrust

 

person

 

embrace

 
matter
 

confess

 

indirectly


guessing

 
fortunes
 

stroke

 

unconsciously

 

servant

 

rushes

 
talking
 

discretion

 
enjoin
 

concealed


higher

 

strong

 

imagination

 

shadow

 
protested
 
substance
 
grinding
 

colours

 

assure

 

sweetened


laments

 

sparrows

 
mother
 

throws

 

Growing

 

arrows

 
scattered
 

lavishly

 

desires

 

soliloquy