The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

dustry. A short time back, when brutal invec-
tive was lavished on everything Russian,
Haxthausen's book would scarcely have re
ceived the attention it deserves; but now we
may hope the public are in a temper to
appreciate the candid and careful results of
his travels and researches. We are indebted
to Mr. Robert Farie for the judicious manner
in which he has given the work to the public.

The Inwks of John MarBton. Reprinted from
the Earliest Editions: With Notes, and
some Account of his Life and Writings, by
J. 0. Halliwell, F.R.S , F.S.A. Three Vols.
London : John Russell Smith.
(First Notice.)

THE best point of sight for a true survey of
Shakespeare is the surrounding base of con-
temporary dramatists. It is not enough to
estimate him by his own works alone, but also
by the works of others, and his influence upon
them. All poets should be read by the light
of the age in which they lived ; and this
general canon bears with particular force upon
the dramatic writings of the latter part of the
sixteenth, and the beginning of the seven-
teenth century, when the English theatre was
not only created, but raised at once to a height
of excellence from whence it has been ever
since descending, with many vicissitudes in
its downward course. Not merely, therefore,
on account of their intrinsic claims, which are
high and distinctive, but because they occupy
an important place in the stage literature of
the period, the plays of Marston will be
welcome to all students and lovers of Shake-
speare.
Of Marston personally very little is known.
He was the son of a councillor of the Middle
Temple ; was educated at Oxford ; married a
daughter of one of King James's chaplains ;
wrote new plays, and altered old ones for
Henslowe; was mixed up in Dekker's quar-
rels with Ben Jonson, and had a quarrel of his
own with Hall, the satirist ; made some money
by his writings ; lived pleasantly in the com-
pany of the wits who frequented the Mermaid
and the Devil; and died in 1634. His plays
were originally published singly at various
dates, ranging from 1602 to 1613, 4ume of
them afterwards running into new editions ;
and in 1633, with two exceptions, they were
gathered into a volume. Dodsley preserved
one of thorn, and Dilke admitted two or three
more into his dreary and ill-edited series of
old plays. The whole are now collected for
the first time in the volumes before us, and
the works of Marston completed by the addi-
tion of the satires and minor poems, and a
pageant from a MS in the British Museum.

Shakespeare had produced most of his plays
when Marston began to write for the stage.
In any attempt to estimate the influence of
Shakespeare upon the drama under Elizabeth
and James, or the relations of the dramatists
to each other, it is necessary always to keep
in view the chronological succession of the
writers. We cannot, in our limited space,
enter into details ; but it will be sufficient for
our immediate purpose to indicate the stages,
so to speak, of the procession. Peele and
Greene represent the period towards the close
of which Shakespeare appeared; next, within
two or three years of Shakespeare's retirement
from London (after which there is reason to
believe he wrote eight or nine plays), came
Marston, Ben Jonsou, Chapman, Webster, and
others ; next, while these were still in pos-
session of the theatre, Beaumont and Fletcher ;
these were followed by Massinger and Ford ;
and the illustrious line soon afterwards closed
with Shirley. There was no break in this suc-
cession. A new group came into flower before
the preceding group had gone out ; and the
stock was maintained with constant fertility
to the end.
In this progress Marston occupies an early
place. He was contemporaneous with Shake-
speare in the latter part of Shakespeare's
connection with the theatre, and was already
an established writer when Ben Jonson
brought out his first known play. As we find
amongst all the dramatists of this period, ex-
tending over a term of. about eighty years,
certain features iu uoturnou—broad and
vigorous trea4utent, masculine i►►tellect, inni

abounding imagination—so tb
resemblances of generic affi
individuals, of a no lass remarl
Thus Marston and Webster ai
in the intensity they threw ii.
and in their tendency to select
jecta, and to dwell minutely, am
ing force, upon situations of
and terror. The dates of their
been ascertained with sufficir
enable us to determine in all
tion of precedence ; but MI
presumed, from such evident,
to have been in advance of
genius, less disciplined, was cap)
conceptions.
Shakespeare alone included
which we find scattered in di
tions amongst the others If
tinctive character, except that
There was no one dramatist
him more than the rest; whil,
may be discerned in them all
taring upon the inquiry suggi
consideration—which has nevr
gated as it deserves—we ma;
single particular in which
contemporaries and successors
in his track. Ben Jonson sail
of Hawthornden that Shake!
art—a thoughtless criticism
wards retracted. In Shakespear
supreme as nature, and sho•
spicuously in the structure of
taught to all who came after
of treating a fable dramatically
presenting its salient points
striking effects, and of uniting
interest in the story the sub'.
of character. Marston was on,
profited in the most practical
speare's example. He had '
stantly before him in the disc
action, and in the quantity of
braced, without confusion or st,
scenes. But here the compariso,
ton could not, like Shakespeare,
once both plot and character.
in his plays are marked by
which distinguish them clearl
each other; but they are alto
in that mixed humanity and ii.
of nature which stamp reality
racters of his prototype.
It has been said of Shakespeare
if the dialogue were taken °I
left but the action of each
pantomime would tell the w
skilfully is the actual movem,
upon the stage, leaving nothr
narration or description, and
consequential is the developmA
dents. The reader of Mars'
discover that in this importan.
example of Shakespeare has been .
followed. Let us take: the traged
nisba as an instance. It will be
following analysis not only that
all Shakespeare's plots, is full
tial details, but that the acti,
divided at. emphatic rests, ano
story is thrown into motion
dience.

The Prologue explains whtv
before the opening of the pla:
Sophonibba, " the far-famed d,
Asdruball," a chief of Cartht
sought by Syphax and Massinl
of Lybia. The choice has
latter, and Syphax, the rejec
revenge Having briefly relat
culars, the Prologue asks the
pleased to sit," and hear what
The first act opens with a d,
vengeance of Syphax, who, hea,
is approaching, at the head of
invade Carthage, resolves to
league with the enemy. Tht
rapidly on the intention. In '
Sophonisba is discovered in ht.
ber, to which, after some cere:
nissa is at length admitted
pectant happiness is abruptly
the appearance of a wounded
the camp, who informs them
of Syphax, and the defeat of th,
in a pitched battle. Anoth(
comulissions ft'out the ttette,t,