Note 78 — ACT I.
Reading edition
These floods are very frequent in the tragic authors:—
"Near to some murmuring brook I'll lay me down, Whose waters, if they should too shallow flow, My tears shall swell them up till I will drown."—Lee's "Soph." "Pouring forth tears at such a lavish rate, That were the world on fire they might have drown'd The wrath of heaven, and quench'd the mighty ruin."—"Mithridates."
One author changes the waters of grief to those of joy:
"These tears, that sprung from tides of grief, Are now augmented to a flood of joy."—"Cyrus the Great."
Another:
"Turns all the streams of heat, and makes them flow In pity's channel."—"Royal Villain."
One drowns himself:
"Pity like a torrent pours me down, Now I am drowning all within a deluge."—"Anna Bullen."
Cyrus drowns the whole world:
"Our swelling grief Shall melt into a deluge, and the world Shall drown in tears."—"Cyrus the Great."