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John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.

697 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 John Bartlett

 
NUMBER:697
AUTHOR:William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
QUOTATION:How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here we will sit and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony.
Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:
There ’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins.
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.
ATTRIBUTION:The Merchant of Venice. Act. v. Sc. 1.  [text]
WORKS:William Shakespeare Collection.