How Sad a Passage

COUNTESS "This young gentlewoman had a father,--O, that 'had'! how sad a passage 'tis!--whose skill was almost as great as his honesty; had it stretched so far, would have made nature immortal, and death should have play for lack of work." -Act I scene i, All's Well that Ends Well.

Friday, May 25, 2007

The very butcher of a silk button

BENVOLIO
Why, what is Tybalt?

MERCUTIO
More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O, he is
the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as
you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and
proportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and
the third in your bosom: the very butcher of a silk
button, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the
very first house, of the first and second cause:
ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso! the
hai!

BENVOLIO
The what?

MERCUTIO
The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting
fantasticoes; these new tuners of accents! 'By Jesu,
a very good blade! a very tall man! a very good
whore!' Why, is not this a lamentable thing,
grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with
these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these
perdona-mi's, who stand so much on the new form,
that they cannot at ease on the old bench? O, their
bones, their bones!

.."Who stand so much on the new form, that they cannot at ease on the old bench". Simply marvelous. A veritable bevy of phrases has the master. And it is a delight to see. The postcards travel as quick from Toronto to Halifax as they do a Paris. If only the cheap flights. But time enough for that. And the waiting makes it more exciting. Friday night in Halifax with the attendant companion shall be one of smiles and enjoyment. And a relaxing weekend of bliss.

For without, we note this with alack, our man impeded. Let last year not be your last Indyfield, good sir. Next May may prove the one.

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