The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-17 00:00:00

LITERARY REVIEW.

SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES: including the Biogra-
phy of that-Poet= Criticisms on his tienins ; a New Chro-
nolsgy of his Plays; a Disquisition on the Object of his
Sonnets; and a History of the Manners, Customs, &c. &c.
of his Age. By NATHAN DRAKE, M. D. Author of " Li-
terary Hours," and of " Essays on Periodical-Literature."
Two Vols. 4to. Iti 17. Canr.m. and amts. •

The tenth chapter of Dr. D.'s First Part re-
sumes the Biography of SHAKSPEARE, and conti-
nues it till his removal to London. The anec-
dotes preserve(' within this period are few and un-
important ; they relate chiefly to the Poet's sup-
posed offences against Sir THuMAS LUCY, and his
Satires upon him. The consequences of which,
combined with the embarrassed circumstances of
his father, seem to have occasioned his migration
to the Metropolis. Part 11., therefore, which is
entitled " SHAKsPEARE in London," presents us
with the most important portion of the Author's
life.

SHAKSPEARE was,, at this time, about 22 years
of age, which was in the year 1586 ; and four
chapters of this part complete the first volume.—
These ate emplOyed in a view of the Bard's cir-
cumstances, Bird qualification's ; his probable
studies, and the state of Miscellaneous Poetry at
this period. The, latter subject, which occupies
the fourth chapter, i 3 illustrated by a most
lumi-
nous view of the Poets of the time. Forty of
these Authors, of primary celebrity and merit,
are here reviewed in an alphahetical arrangement,
from BEAUMONT (Sir Jons) to WOTTON, and
such an account is given of each, as must instruct
the uninformed, and satisfy the experienced
reader. The Author shews, in every instance, an
acute and discriminating judgment on the merits
of the Writers ; and his decisions are such as may
be safely received with reliance. To give a spe-
cimen from these characters would occupy too
much of our space, but our Readers may rely
upon our word, that in consulting tbem they will
find both pleasure-and advantage.
These larger accounts are followed by an al-
phabetical list of one hundred and ninety-three
more Poets, of whom very few arise even one
degree above medioCrity. Their comparative
merit in the scale, Dr. D. has pointed out by a-
technical, mark, which conveys his opinion on
mere inspection. This list is followed by an ac-
count of the,Miscellaneous Collections of Poetry,
•published within the same period. The whole of
this fourth chapter tends to give a clear and judi-
cious view of Poetry and Poets in the time of
SHAKSPEARE ; and will forma perfect introduction
to every person who may wish to enter upon that
inquiry.

The second volume introduces us to matters of
still higher interest ; for here we come to the
consideration of. SHAKSPEARE'S own Poems ; on
which no man has ever thrown half so much light
as Dr. DRAKE. His estimate of them is not the
result of an enthusiastic partiality, but of sound
judgment and good taste ; by the aid of which he
has boldly and successfully combated the errors of
some of our most favoured Critics. He begins
with a viev.' of the Poet's first, most steady, and
best patron, the Earl of SOUTHAMPTON, to whom,
with tire most ardent gratitude, he dedicated his
earliest Poem, the Venus and Adonis. After re-
marks, in excellent taste, on that and the Torquin
and Lucrece, Dr. DRAKE proceeds to the Sonnets,
which he not only illustrates by a new hypothesis
respecting their design, but vindicates, most ably
and clearly, from the unjust depreciation which
they had suffered from the caprice of Mr. STEE.
VENS. It is made perfectly clear, that the be-
loved person, whom, with a kind of equivocal
adoration, the Poet addresses and celebrates in the
majority of the Sonnets, was undoubtedly the Earl
of SOUTHAMPTON. The language of love adopted
in them is clearly shewn to be no other than the
fashionable language of friendship at that period ;
a language adopted by SHAKSPEARE even in his
prose addresses to tire same Nobleman. It will
hardly be credited, by those who now examine
the Sonnets of SHAKSPEARR with an unbiassed
mind, or peruse the just remarks of Dr. DRAKE
upon them, that a man so acute and ingenious as
Afr.STZEVENS could be so completely blind to their
merit, as he has proved himself by his expressions
on the subject. He has asserted,
" That these Sonnets are composed in the
highest strain of affectation, pedantry, circumlo-
cution, and nonsense ;" a picture which Mr. MA-
LONE only ventures to soften, by saying, that it
appears to him " overcharged," and by other apo-
logies, equally invalid. Dr. DRAKE, on the con-
trary, meets the question properly, by charging
all of affectation and pedantry that is really in
them, to the universal fashion of the age ; by
confessing the charge of " circumlocution," but
accounting for it; and by positively denying, as
well he may, the accusation of " nonsense." He
then shows, by a great abundance of examples,

(lie melody, perspicuity, spirit,. anctoriginal beau-
ty of a majority of these Sonnets ; nor is it pos-
sible for any Reader of taste to peruse these spe-
cimens, without full conviction, both of the
strange prejudice of Mr. STEEVENs, and of the ex-
alted merit of the Poet. As we cannot go into
the variety of our Author's illustration?, we shall
content ourselves with a single specimen ; but one
in itself decisive. It is the 29th Sonnet :
" When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate ;
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least :

'Yet in these thoughts, myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee,—and then my state,
Like to the lark at. break of day arising
From sullen earth, 'sings hymns at Heaven's gate :
For thy sweet love remember'd, such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with Kings."
On the whole, we are fully prepared to agree
with this very judicious Critic, in the general cha-
racter of SHAKSPEARE'S minor Poems, with which
he concludes this ,Fifth Chapter of his Second
Part ; opposite as it is to the fashionable authority
of Mr. STEEVENS.

" That the Poems of SLIAKPEARE, although
they are chargeable with the faults peculiar to the
age in which they sprung, yet exhibit so much
originality, invention, and fidelity to nature, such
a rich store of moral and philOsaphic thought, and
often such a purity, simplicity, and grace of
style, as not only deservedly placed them high in
the favour of his contemporaries, but will per-
manently secure to them no inconsiderable share
of the admiration and the gratitude of posteri-
ty."—Vol. iI. p. 86. •

[r. be Continued.]

FOR THE SUN.

MR. EDTTOR,—llaving noticed a paragraph in
The Observer of last Sunday, giving a very partial
and unfair statement of an occurrence which took
place in September last, eoidently published with cr:
view of prejudicing the public mind against the Offi-
cers and men employed on this part of the coast, for
the protection of the Revenue,-1 have thought it
but justice to make very particular enquiry into
the circumstances alluded to ; and the following
statement may be relied upon ; and which 1 send
with my wish that it may -be subtUitted to the
public through your excellent Print, in order to do,
away impressions probably excited by the para,
graph in question; injurious to the Naval Officers
and their people.

On the evening of the 22d of September last, a
man belonging to the party stationed at one of
the Forts, north of the town of Deal, for the pre-
vention- of smuggling, was passing near the
"Good Intent," a public-house situate near the
beach, close to Sandown Castle, when-he observ-
ed a number of smugglers, armed with clubs, &c.,
and one of them carrying a musket, running down
to the water side, to a boat which had that mo-
ment landed. Supposing some smuggling trans-
action was going on, he followed them ; but being
unarmed, andreceiving a blow from one. of the smug-
glers, and considering it in vain to Offer resistance
to so many, he retired to a short distance, and ob-
served the smugglers carrying up kegs from the
boat into (as he supposed) the " Good Intent."
He then made all possible haste to the nearest
Fort, and reported the circumstance to his Com-
manding.officer the Lieutenant of Marines, who
proceeded with his party to the public house,
where a number of persons had assembled. He
then directed a guard not to permit any thing to
be taken out of the house, until lie returned with.
a legal warrant to search it. On application to one
rf the Magistrates of the County, that 'gentleman im-
mediately filled up a warrant; but on questioning
the Officer, it was found, that although the Pub‘
lic-houie is some disiance front the town, it was
within its jurisdiction, and not that of the County:
this warrant, therefore, could not justify a search.
He then directed the Officer to apply to the Mayor
of Deal, Mr. laouLDEN, which he immediately
did, hut he net only refused his warrant, but threat-
ened to commit the Officer to prison, saying he wes
drunk, but which was not the fact. The Officer
was then compelled to apply to other Magistrates
of Deal, not one of whom would grant the warrant,
and he returned to the public-house without it,
when he found that the Serjeant, owing to a mis-
take in the exectition of' his orders, bad certainly
stopped two or three persons, who had been there
"on business," there being every reason to think that
this " Good Intent " public-house is situate very
conveniently for the accommodation of persons
engaged in the " fair trade." To these persons
the Officer instantly expressed his sorrow for their
detention, owing to the Serjeant's mistake, and
to the delay and loss of time be experienced in his
applications to the several Magistrates for the war-.
rant, and with this explanation the partici expressed

their satisfaction. The Mayor, however come
plained a few days after to the Lords Commis'
sioners of the Admiralty, who directed an enquiry
into the affair, and, it is understood, gave the nee
cessary directions to prevent similar inconvenience
tor the future.

After this plain narrative of facts, a few clues=
tions naturally arise out of it, the answers to
which must evidently prove the propriety of tbe.
Legislature or the Government interfering,.tn save
the Revenue from injury, which it must and will
receive, if things are suffered to proceed as they
have done in this neighbourhood ; and being my.-
self an importer of articles on which I pay consia
derable duties, the loss I sustain thereby is enord.

mous, because I cannot come in competition witb
the fair traders, importing the same ineraandize
duty free.
The questions. I propose are,
Was it the duty of the Mayor of Deal to grant
the warrant required by this Officer, on his info..
'nation given' on oath, being perfectly sober, .0a
treating him with due respect ?—Most undoubtedly,
in my opinion, it was his duty to grant the warrant.
If any objection arose as to the hour of grant•
ing warrant (being in the evening), the answer
is, that any delay would aford the smugglers time to
remove the goods.
Wity did not the Magistrate who was first 21"
plied to, also refuse his warrant on the like ground?
—Because he no doubt considered it his duty to gra"t
it, and that delay would defeat the ends of justice,
thinking as a Kentish Gentleman should.

To whom does the Good Intent public •house be"
long p--To the principal Brewer in Deal, who is
the proprietor of several others ; and had the ws"
rant of the Mayor been issued when it was applied
for, oft oath, and the smuggled spirits found- 41
that house, it would have become the duty of that
Magistrate to deprive it of its licence.
Who is this Brewer ?—Tke Mayor of Deal! II
and Representative of the Honourable East la'
dia Company at am, Sir
Your most obedient humble Servant,
'A REAL FAIR TRADER/
and Freeman of the ancient Town am'
Port of Sandwich.

Sandwich, Jan. IS, 1815

•
THEATRICAL REGISTER.
Performed Last Night, •
THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.—Lilliput. After which, Ili°
Children in the Wood : Walter. Mr. H. Johnston; Lad/
Helen, Mrs. Brereton. To which was added, Itarlequili •
' Vision.
THEATRE ROYAL,: COVENT-GARDEN.---RetribUtiOn : Yaraffeh
'Mr. Young; Zimra, Miss' O'Neill. Alter which,
quip Gulliver. •

MAILS. •
Anatvtn--;l'Dublin,- 2 Waterford, 1 Lisbon. Wr.
terford, 1 Guernsey and Jersey, I Holland, 4 Gottrub4l4"
I Malta, 2 France, 1 Flanders, 3 Hantburgis.

PRICE .0

THIS DAY• AT V
Bank Stock ....200
8 per Cent. Red . SI
3 per Cent. Cons 804 i
4 per Cents.... 98 ii
5 per Cent. NavyAnn..los4i
Bank L. Ann 2O/

STOCKS

r EINE WC LcCK. -
imperial 3 per Cott. Atan.l4
India Stock 4l
India Bunds.:.. 1083. 104 s• Pr'
Exch. Bills l3s. ifts• 'P3ri
Cons. for ACC:OIIId.... • • • 833.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE To .moßßovv.-,
merui,,F, 14 Initiates after 11. Evening, 37 minute's after is°

THE SUN.

80,LEM QUIS DICERE FALSUM A tIOLIAT ?

LONDON,
SATURDAY, JANUARY, 17, 1818.

We have again to announce the non-arrival of
Paris Papers. Three days' Journals are due.

The following is an Extract of a Letter dated
Havannah, Nov. 16, 1817, received this day :-""
" Accounts reached this city yesterday of a severc
battle having been fought between Vera Cruz and
Mexico, the Indepeiedents victorious. Tsvel'ti
King's Officers have fallen, who were natives Of
thiS city. The La Pique frigate returned .frosl
hence to Jamaica this day, without obtaining from
this Government the property taken on board tho
ship Tay, which she came for."

THE Fusos.—Consols, which settle next Toe"
day,live advanced this morning to 82k, and the
market looks brisk. The effect of the late de"
pression is now supposed to be over, and the me'
riied men calculate upon Consols settling at
about 83.

The Party discussions which have been foundea
on the work of the late Bishop of LANDAFF, must
give offence to every friend to good morals and
religion. The departed Bishop has on one side
been held forth as the mirror of political wisdom
and integrity ; and on the other, his talents
have been treated with contempt, his motives
impeached, and his memory reviled. It is
quite shocking to the character of the dead
thus attacked, and to the feelings of his fa'
mily thus outraged. That his work is amusing,
that he was an intelligent Observer of man'
kind, and thitt in general his accounts of the
events which passed in his time, and the charac'