as that of Johnson, it is not true.  For instance, the scene of Buckingham led to execution is one of the most affecting and natural in Shakespeare, and one to which there is hardly an approach in any other author.  Again, the character of Wolsey, the description of his pride and of his fall, are inimitable, and have, besides their gorgeousness of effect, a pathos, which only the genius of Shakespeare could lend to the distresses of a proud, bad man, like Wolsey.  There is a sort of child-like simplicity in the very helplessness of his situation, arising from the recollection of his past overbearing ambition.  After the cutting sarcasms of his enemies on his disgrace, against which he bears up with a spirit conscious of his own superiority, he breaks out into that fine apostrophe: 

     Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness! 
     This is the state of man; to-day he puts forth
     The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms,
     And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
     The third day, comes a frost, a killing frost;
     And—­when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
     His greatness is a ripening—­nips his root,
     And then he falls, as I do.  I have ventur’d,
     Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders,
     These many summers in a sea of glory;
     But far beyond my depth:  my high-blown pride
     At length broke under me; and now has left me,
     Weary and old with service, to the mercy
     Of a rude stream, that must for ever hide me. 
     Vain pomp and glory of the world, I hate ye! 
     I feel my heart new open’d; O how wretched
     Is that poor man, that hangs on princes’ favours! 
     There is betwixt that smile we would aspire to,
     That sweet aspect of princes, and our ruin,
     More pangs and fears than war and women have;
     And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
     Never to hope again!—­

There is in this passage, as well as in the well-known dialogue with Cromwell which follows, something which stretches beyond commonplace; nor is the account which Griffiths gives of Wolsey’s death less Shakespearian; and the candour with which Queen Katherine listens to the praise of ’him whom of all men while living she hated most’ adds the last graceful finishing to her character.

Among other images of great individual beauty might be mentioned the description of the effect of Ann Boleyn’s presenting herself to the crowd at her coronation.

     —­While her grace sat down
     To rest awhile, some half an hour or so,
     In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
     The beauty of her person to the people. 
     Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
     That ever lay by man.  Which when the people
     Had the full view of, ’such a noise arose
     As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
     As loud and to as many tunes’.