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G. MacDonald (Phantastes).

O weary time, O life,

Consumed in endless, useless strife

To wash from out the hopeless clay

Of heavy day and heavy day

Some specks of golden love, to keep

Our hearts from madness ere we sleep!

W. Morris (The Earthly Paradise).

To an Australian, a metaphor taken from alluvial gold-mining is interesting.

(Dr. Slop has been uttering terrible curses against Obadiah) I declare, quoth my Uncle Toby, my heart would not let me curse the devil himself with so much bitterness.—He is the father of curses, replied Dr. Slop.—So am not I, replied my uncle.—But he is cursed and damned already to all eternity, replied Dr. Slop.

I am sorry for it, quoth my Uncle Toby.

Laurence Sterne (Tristram Shandy).

Faust. If heaven was made for man, ’twas made for me.

Good Angel. Faustus, repent; yet heaven will pity thee.

Bad Angel. Thou art a spirit, God cannot pity thee.

Faust. Be I a devil, yet God may pity me.

Marlowe (Doctor Faustus).

But fare-you-well, Auld Nickie-Ben!

O, wad ye tak a thought and men’!