[Footnote 1: Phraortes, in the Captives, seems to have been acquainted with King Arthur: Proclaim a festival for seven days' space, Let the court shine in all its pomp and lustre, Let all our streets resound with shouts of joy; Let musick's care-dispelling voice be heard; The sumptuous banquet and the flowing goblet Shall warm the cheek and fill the heart with gladness. Astarbe shall sit mistress of the feast. ] [Footnote 2: Repentance frowns on thy contracted brow.--_Sophonisba_. Hung on his clouded brow, I mark'd despair.--_Ibid_. --A sullen gloom Scowls on his brow.--_Busiris_. ] _Queen_. [1]Excess of joy, my lord, I've heard folks say, Gives tears as certain as excess of grief. [Footnote 1: Plato is of this opinion, and so is Mr Banks: Behold these tears sprung from fresh pain and joy. --_Earl of Essex_. ] _King_. If it be so, let all men cry for joy, [1]Till my whole court be drowned with their tears; Nay, till they overflow my utmost land, And leave me nothing but the sea to rule. [Footnote 1: These floods are very frequent in the tragick authors: Near to some murmuring brook I'll lay me down, Whose waters, if they should too shallow flow, My tears shall swell them up till I will drown. --_Lee's Sophonisba_. Pouring forth tears at such a lavish rate, That were the world on fire they might have drown'd The wrath of heaven, and quench'd the mighty ruin. --_Mithridates_. One author changes the waters of grief to those of joy: ----These tears, that sprung from tides of grief, Are now augmented to a flood of joy.--_Cyrus the Great_. Another: Turns all the streams of heat, and makes them flow In pity's channel.--_Royal Villain_. One drowns himself: ----Pity like a torrent pours me down, Now I am drowning all within a deluge.--_Anna Sullen_. Cyrus drowns the whole world: Our swelling grief Shall melt into a deluge, and the world Shall drown in tears.--_Cyrus the Great_. ] _Dood_. My liege, I a petition have here got. _King_. Petition me no petitions, sir, to-day: Let other hours be set apart for business. To-day it is our pleasure to be [1]drunk. And this our queen shall be as drunk as we. [Footnote 1: An expression vastly beneath the dignity of tragedy, says Mr D--s, yet we find the word he cavils at in the mouth of Mithridates less properly used, and applied to a more terrible idea: I would be drunk with death.--_Mithridates_. The author of the New Sophonisba taketh hold of this monosyllable, and uses it pretty much to the same purpose: The Carthaginian sword with Roman blood Was drunk. I would ask Mr D--s which gives him the best idea, a drunken king, or a drunken sword? Mr Tate dresses up King Arthur's resolution in heroick: Merry, my lord, o' th' captain's humour right, I am resolved to be dead drunk to-night. Lee also uses this charming word: Love's the drunkenness of the mind.--_Gloriana_. ]