We may indeed regard Whitney as the prototype of Hood’s world-famous “Miss Kilmansegg, with her golden leg,”—
“And a pair of Golden Crutches.” (vol. i. p. 189.)
Shakespeare is scarcely more sparing in this respect than the Cheshire Emblematist; he mentions for us “golden tresses of the dead,” “golden oars and a silver stream,” “the glory, that in gold clasps locks in the golden story,” “a golden casket,” “a golden bed,” and “a golden mind.” Merchant of Venice (act ii. sc. 7, lines 20 and 58, vol. ii. p. 312),—
“A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross.
. . . . . .
But here an angel in a golden bed
Lies all within.”
And applied direct to Cupid’s artillery in Midsummer Night’s Dream (act i. sc. 1, l. 168, vol. ii. p. 204), Hermia makes fine use of the epithet golden,—
“My good Lysander!
I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,