THE MIND OF SHAKESPERE
and devils, and a more certain dread of ghosts and of being alone in the dark.
The other fact of Shakspere's equipment which needs no proof is his gift of language. Distinction must be made of course between his natural endowment and the felicitous word-play which he shared with his contemporaries. It was a languaged age. What Shakspere owed to Euphuism is known to all students of his style. The fashion of fine cadences helped him to many a much-commentaried line, sounding and shallow, like
"And peace proclaims olives of endless age,"
or taught him such a flawless stretch of song as satisfies us though we forget the allusion—
"And the imperial votaress passed on
In maiden meditation fancy-free,"
or shorter phrases, now proverbial, like
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