A mere passing allusion to the same sentiment, a hint respecting it, a single line expressing it, or only a word or two relating to it, may sometimes very decidedly indicate an acquaintance with the author by whom the sentiment has been enunciated in all its fulness. Thus, Shakespeare, in speaking of Benedick, in _Much Ado about Nothing_ (act v. sc. 1, l. 170, vol. ii. p. 75), makes Don Pedro say,— “An if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly: the old man’s daughter told us all.” To which Claudius replies,— “All, all; and, moreover, God saw him when he was hid in the garden.” Now, Whitney (p. 229) has an Emblem on this very subject; the motto, “God lives and sees.” It depicts Adam concealing himself, and a divine light circling the words, “VBI ES?”—_Where art thou?_ _Dominus viuit & videt._ [Illustration: _Whitney, 1586._] “Behinde a figtree great, him selfe did ADAM hide: And thought from GOD hee there might lurke, and should not bee espide. Oh foole, no corners seeke, thoughe thou a sinner bee; For none but GOD can thee forgiue, who all thy ~waies~ doth see.”[172] With the same motto, “VBI ES?” and a similar device, Georgette de Montenay (editions 1584 and 1620) carries out the same thought,— “_Adam pensoit estre fort bien caché, Quand il se meit ainsi souz le figuier. Mais il n’y a cachett[e/] où le peché Aux yeux de Dieu se puisse desnier. Se vante donc, qui voudra s’oublier, Que Dieu ne void des hommes la meschance, Je croy qu’ à rien ne sert tout ce mestier Qu’ à se donner à tout peché licence._” The similarity is too great to be named on Shakespeare’s part an accidental coincidence; it may surely be set down as a direct allusion, not indeed of the mere copyist, but of the writer, who, having in his mind another’s thought, does not quote it literally, but gives no uncertain indication that he gathered it up he cannot tell where, yet has incorporated it among his own treasures, and makes use of it as entirely his own. From Corrozet, Georgette de Montenay, Le Bey de Batilly, and others their contemporaries, we might adduce various Moral and Æsthetical Emblems to which there are similarities of thought or of expression in Shakespeare’s Dramas, but too slight to deserve special notice. For instance, there are ingratitude, the instability of the world, faith and charity and hope, calumny, adversity, friendship, fearlessness,—but to dwell upon them would lengthen our statements and remarks more than is necessary. We will, however, make one more extract from Corrozet’s “HECATOMGRAPHIE” (Emb. 83); to the motto, _Beauty the companion of goodness_; which might have been in Duke Vincentio’s mind (_Measure for Measure_, act iii. sc. 1, l. 175, vol. i. p. 340) when he addressed Isabel,—