. . .at the table, however, and proceeded to fulfill the command he had received, not without difficulty, for the duke's writing, though large and bold, was not very distinct.

To will and not to do, Alas! how sad! Man and his passions too Are mad--how mad! Oh! could the heart but break The heavy chain That binds it to this stake Of earthly pain, And see for joys all pure, And hopes all bright, For pleasures that endure, And wells of light, And purge away the dross With life allied, I ne'er had mourn'd love's loss, Nor ever cried. To will and not to do, Alas! how sad! Man and his passions too Are mad--how mad!

"Read it, read it," said the Duke of Orleans; and, with some timidity, the young secretary obeyed, feeling instinctively how difficult it is to give in reading the exact emphasis intended by the. . . Read More