Ossian Collection > Aspects of poetry

III.] THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF POETRY. 83
their thoughts, and while they plead for this, they do
not forget that. This is seen in the famous speech of
Portia, in which she discourses so eloquently to the Jew
of ' the quality of mercy,' ending thus —
' consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation : we do pray for mercy ;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.'
With still greater emphasis Isabel, she whom Shake-
speare calls
*a thing
Ensky'd, and sainted, an immortal spirit,'
pleads for her brother :
' Why, all the souls that were, were forfeit once ;
And He, that might the vantage best have took,
Found out the remedy. How would you be,
If He, which is the top of judgment, should
But judge you as you are .? O, think on that ;
And mercy then will breathe within your lips,
Like man new made.'
Observe that Shakespeare refrains from analysing, as
is common now-a-days, those female characters whom
he loves best, and would have us love; he merely presents
them, true women, yet idealised — moving, speaking,
in the most natural and graceful way. As our great
modern poet has expressed it, he places each before us
in herself,
' A perfect woman, . . .
And yet a spirit still, and bright
With something of an angel light.'
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