BY WILLIAM SHAKSPERE
William Shakspere (1564-1616): The greatest of English poets. Among his plays are "Hamlet," "Othello," "Julius C?sar," and "The Merchant of Venice." A biographical sketch of Shakspere will be found in the Fifth Book of the "Graded Literature Readers."This song occurs in the play of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona."Who is Silvia? what is she,That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise is she;The Heaven such grace did lend her, That she might admired be.
Is she kind as she is fair,
For beauty lives with kindness? Love doth to her eyes repair,To help him of his blindness; And, being helped, inhabits there.
Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling;She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling:
To her let us garlands bring.