Chapter 33

“How fairly this lord strives to appear foul!—takes virtuous copies to be wicked; _like those that under hot, ardent zeal would set whole realms on fire. Of such a nature is his politic love_.”

This latter clause I grievously suspect to have been an addition of the players, which had hit, and, being constantly applauded, procured a settled occupation in the prompter’s copy. Not that Shakespeare does not elsewhere sneer at the Puritans; but here it is introduced so _nolenter volenter_ (excuse the phrase) by the head and shoulders!—and is besides so much more likely to have been conceived in the age of Charles I.