Page:Shakespeare and astrology, from a student's point of view (IA sheakespeareastr00wils).pdf/7

 “Jove and my stars he praised; Jove, I thank thee; I will smile, I will do everything that thou wilt have me;” wherein is expressed the delight of the oppressed Saturnian at finding himself in the Benefic’s favour after all; he will even forego the one privilege that was afforded him at birth, his rueful countenance; there is to be no holding back; “up to this,” he says, “I had thought your gracious benefits rather grudgingly bestowed, but there is no mistake about it now, here is munificence indeed; abject slavery is the very least that can be offered in return; do with me what you will.” That Shakespeare was aware of the qualities attributed to Jupiter is evident from this, as well as from Act 3, Se, 1, where Viola says to the Clown:&mdash;“Hold, here’s expenses for thee,” an, astrologically speaking. eminently Jovial impulse which elicits the response:&mdash;“Now Jove, in his next conmmodity of hair, send thee a beard,” from the observant Clown, who knew he was dealing with a Jupiterian and recognised the influence of the planet in her behaviour. The successor to thal admirable Viola (and Sagitiarian) Miss Ellen Terry will therefore (if Astrology’s prediction about itself be true) not require to be informed that Shakespeare saw his Viola with blonde or light brown hair, she being a Sagittarian, not only in her relations to others, but in her own career throughout the play. No one who has interested himself in this phase of the subject can fail to be impressed with the grasp of it possessed by Shakespeare. There is scarcely an utterance in the play that is not significant.

As an illustration of the consistent way in which he worked, it is worthy of note that Viola’s twin has similar character ties; he also is under the Lord of Sagittarius, although he says, in Act 2, Sc. 1:

“My stars shine darkly o’er me. Myself and sister both born in an hour. If the heavens had been pleased, would we had so ended.”

This however was a passing shadow; the fortunate Sagittarian is maintained throughout the comedy; neither suffers want at any time; even the shipwrecked Viola is treated with consistent poetic license, and seems to have preserved, not only her presence of mind, but her gold as well, at a time when the loss of both would have been excusable. As for the brother, her twin, whose career is similar to her own, he also is within the text book limits; for, so soon as he me danger, in the form of a tussle with the fighter par excellence, Sir Toby Taurus, a