Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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6 The Augusta Seminary Annual. Artliiir leaves the fatal battle-field and sails down upon the silent stream — To the island valley of Avilion Where falls not hail or rain or any snow, Nor ever wind blows loudly ; but it lies Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard lawns And bowery hollows, crowned with summer sea. Margaret Lane. Friends in Shakspere. FRIENDSHIP, the purest and noblest of all the benevolent affections, is shown by Shakspere in every phase. The richest, the poorest, master and slave, man and woman, alike feel its power. The plays naturally assumed a different character as the poet ' s sphere of observation w idened and his experience deepened, gaining in his mature years a depth and pathos not to be found in his ealier works. In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Valentine is the example of a true friend. With what confidence he speaks of Proteus to Sylvia as one complete in feature and in mind with all good grace to grace a gentleman ! Even when Proteus has proved faithless by causing his banishment, Valentine does not lay the slightest suspicion upon his friend and his eyes alone could persuade him of his friend ' s treachery. Yet at the end, when Proteus repents, Valentine forgives, making his penance but to hear the story of his love discovered. The unselfish devotion of Rosalind and Celia in As You Like It forms a beautiful and touching picture. The entire difference in the two characters heightens its beauty, Rosalind being bright and gay, with natural tenderness, Celia quiet and retiring. After Frederick has dismissed Rosalind from his house, Celia determines to leave too, for, like Juno ' s swans, they had always gone together and could not live apart. Their journey

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The Augusta Seminary Annual. 5 and the stream moves slowly under its burden of grief, while the breezes gently stir the long, golden tresses of her whose true love has been her death. But, see ! red lights are flashing on the distant mountain peaks and glowing in the sleeping valleys ; and softly, as a benediction, the light brightens, till on a long, quivering beam, the Holy Grail descends, and pure Sir Clalahad, having seen it, vanishes away to be crowned king far in the sj iritual city. Deep in the shadows of the fern-dell walled round by stately beeches lies the newly-knighted Pelleas on a bed of velvet moss, when, looking through tlie leaves, he sees her to whom his heart goes out in the cry, I love thee, tliough I know thee not. And he wins the title of Queen of Beauty for the proud Ettare, but, alas ! in vain ; at last, driven to despair, he wildly rides on and ever on. Softly, sadly through the latticed window creeps the red flush of the sun, slowly dying on the distant hills, and, as if dreading the coming evil, the wind sobs mournfully among the leaves. With love-kindled eyes Tristram swings the ruby carcanet in the waning light, then clasps it round Isolt ' s warm, white neck ; but behind him rises a shadow, and a voice cries ' tis false Mark ' s wa} ' , and Tristram sleeps the sleep that knows no waking. Alas I the bright moon veils her face in misty white, as if ashamed, and refuses to glimmer fortli upon the cloister as of old, for those convent walls shelter the guilty Queen, a traitor to her lord and king. Tlii ' ough the dark forests and over the wild meres has she fled, l)ut the cold wind sighs ' ' too late, the ill-omened raven croaks too late, and echo answers echo too late. But, like the golden glimmer of a star from out the gloomy night, there comes the promise of the king for hope in her despair : Peichauce, and so thou purify thy soul, And so thou lean on our fair father, Christ, Hereafter in that world wliere all are pure. We too may wait before high God. How cold the northern lights shuie on the winter sea ; how shrill the sea-wind slirieks, like the voice of false Gawain, crying, Hollow, hollow, hollow all delight ! the ripple washes in the reeds, and the wild water laps upon tlie crags when King

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The Augusta Seminary Annual. 7 through the Forest of Arden with the clownish Touchstone to protect and cheer them is sprightly, graceful and exquisite. Many times Celia lags behind so worn out as to be unable to go further, but never once regretting her choice. The true devo- tion of a servant for his master is well expressed in the same play when Adam offers all he has to Orlando and is content to depend upon Him who doth the ravens feed to comfort his old age; and full as well does Orlando show the return of this love, as entering the presence of the banished dukes he l)ears the weary servant upon his shoulders, just as JEneas of old bore the aged Anchises. Happiness and contentment pervade the assemblage of Lords around the banished Duke far away from the flattery, the painted pomp, and the peril of the envious court. In The Merchant of Yenice there is more tragic interest, and we are brought to confront the dreadful, actual presence of human anguish. Antonio offers his purse, his person, even all that his credit can do in Yenice to his friend, Bassanio, to assist him in his suit of Portia. Shylock, however, will not lend except for the forfeit of a pound of his fair flesh cut from whatever part of the body it may please the villain Jew. This in jest being agreed to, Antonio dismisses his friend with Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio, but stay the very riping of the time. Soon in the midst of Bassanio ' s joy comes the letter from Antonio saying the ships on which he was depending were all lost, and he longs to see his friend once more. Bassanio puts all thought of self aside, leaving even his bride, to seek his friend. Nothing could be more tender than the farewell scene, when Antonio begs Bassanio not to grieve that he has fallen for him, for in this fortune has shown herself most kind ; and Bassanio answers that life itself, his wife, and all the world, were not esteemed above Antonio ' s life. All the comfort in the life of Hamlet came from his friend, Horatio. He was his helpmate in every trial, one whom Hamlet wore in his heart ' s core, ay in his heart of hearts. So unselfish, so true, so noble in every action and yet so unobtrusive is Horatio that unless we pay especial attention he might entirely escape our notice. In Julius Csesar we see both the falsity and fidelity of friends.