GEOFFREY CHAUCER The Canterbury Tales These tales contain many references to the Bible and biblical characters, but only a limited number of direct quotations. Some of the more obvious of these follow. The Milleres Tale The sorwe of Noe with his felaschipe, -Gen. 7. 7. The Prologe of the Wyf of Bathe And therwithal he knew mo proverbes The Freres Tale And right as Judas hadde purses smale And was a theef. -John 12. 6. The Marchaundes Tale Love wel thy wyf, as Crist loveth his chirche. —Eph. 5. 25, 28, 29. The Pardoneres Tale Thapostil wepyng saith ful pitously. -Phil. 3. 18, 19. The Tale of Melibeus For the book saith, that in olde men is the sapience, and in longe tyme the prudence. -Job 32. 9. It hath the primal eldest curse upon it, a brother's murder. -Hamlet: III, iii, 37. Gen. 4. 8. The king, referring to his brother's murder. O, Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou! -Hamlet: II, ii, 422. Judg. 11. 34. Hamlet in dis course with Polonius. A Daniel come to judgment. - -Merchant of Venice: IV, i, 223. History of Susanna, line 46. Daniel is called to judge the case of Susanna. When Jacob grazed his Uncle Laban's sheep. -Merchant of Venice: I, iii, 72. Gen. 30. 31. Shy. lock bargaining with Antonio. The devil can cite scripture for his purpose. Matt. 4. 6. An -Merchant of Venice: I, iii, 98. tonio commenting upon Shylock's speech. -Merchant of Venice: II, v, 36. Gen. 32: 10. Shylock to Jessica. Which blood like sacrificing Abel's cries Tho' some of you with Pilate wash your hands. -King Richard II: IV, i, 239. Matt. 27: 24. King Richard to the lords who demand his resignation. I kissed thee, ere I killed thee. -Othello: V, ii, 358. Matt. 26. 49; 2 Sam. 20. 9-10. Said by Othello after he had killed Desdemona. Who can call him his friend that dips in the same dish? -Timon of Athens: HII,.ii, 72. Matt. 26. 23. I charge thee, fling away ambition; by that sin fell the angels. --Henry VIII: III, ii, 441. Luke 10. 18. Wolsey to Cromwell. Slanderous as Satan. -Merry Wives of Windsor: V, v, 162. Job 1. 9. Poor as Job. -Merry Wives of Windsor: V, v, 163. Job 1. 21. As wicked as his wife. -Merry Wives of Windsor: V, v, 164. Job 2. 9. Goliath with a weaver's beam. -Merry Wives of Windsor: V, i, 21. 1 Sam. 17. 7. Falstaff boasts his lack of fear. Life is a shuttle. -Merry Wives of Windsor: V, i, 22. Job 7. 6. Speech of Falstaff. Thou knowest in the state of innocence Adam fell. -Henry IV: Part I, III, iii, 185. Gen. 3. 6. Falstaff to Prince Hal. Dives that lived in purple. -Henry IV: Part I, III, iii, 35. Luke 16. 19. Falstaff states that Bardolph makes him think of hell fire and Dives. As ragged as Lazarus. -Henry IV: Part I, IV, ii, 27. Luke 16. 20. Falstaff's description of his soldiers. He that doth the ravens feed, yea, providently caters for the sparrow. -As You Like It: II, iii, 44. Matt. 10. 29; Luke 12. 24. Adam, servant, to Orlando when he offers him money. His kisses are Judas's own children. -As You Like It: III, iv, 10. Matt. 26. 49. Celia to Rosalind referring to Orlando. The barbarous Scythian. -King Lear: I, i, 118. Col. 3. 11. Lear expresses. the measure of his affection for Cordelia. He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven, And fire us hence like foxes. -King Lear: V, iii, 22. Judg. 15. 4. Lear's reference to parting with Cordelia. Or memorize another Golgotha. -Macbeth: I, i, 40. Matt. 27. 33. The Sergeant's description of a bloody battlefield. Not till God make man of some other metal than earth. -Much Ado About Nothing: II, i, 64. Gen. 2. 7. Beatrice referring to her antipathy to marriage. As thus: "Come, little ones." And then again: "It is as hard to come as for a camel To thread the postern of a small needle's eye." -Richard II: V, v, 17. Luke 18. 16; Matt. 19. 24. Richard referring to a diversity of thoughts. JOHN MILTON There are no long poems based more directly upon Biblical narratives than "Paradise Lost," "Paradise Regained," and "Samson Agonistes." In the list of special topics written down for those who wish to carry their study of the English Bible further than the lines indicated in this book, it is suggested that those por tions of "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained" which are extra-biblical be separated from those based directly upon the Bible. The passages which have been selected for study are the more obvious quotations from the Bible, especial reference being had to their literary form. In making the selections the notes made by various critics have been freely followed. Paradise Lost BOOK I Siloa's brook that flow'd fast by the oracle of God. -Isa. 8. 6. Dovelike sat'st brooding on the vast abyss. -Gen. 1. 2. |