Cleremond. And I should gild my misery with false comforts,
If I compared it with an Indian slave's,
That with incessant labour to search out
Some unknown mine, dives almost to the centre.[327]
On this passage I make two remarks: first, such similarity of thought as is found here may be due to imitation or unconscious reminiscence of The Two Noble Kinsmen. A man who constantly repeats himself is surely the sort of person who would delight to borrow thoughts and phrases from other writers, and to imitate whole scenes and incidents. [pg 093] Are we to suppose that Massinger confined his studies to Shakspere?
Secondly, let us judge the passage as a whole; it runs thus:
He that will all the treasure know o' th' earth
Must know the centre too; he that will fish
For my least minnow, let him lead his line
To catch one at my heart.