Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-09-05
ALEXANDRIA,:
SATURDAY,, SEPTEMBER 5, 1918.

line excellence Ol CudkSPedfe d. an in''uo
tor in history and political science, was not
misapplied l have reperused The histor'-
cal plays Of that great poet lately with
much attention, and l do not hesitate to
pronounce them the best foundation which
can be laid in youthful minds for correct
superstructure of historical knowledge, and
above all, for giving them keen relish for
the study Of that branch Of education. In
this view, therefore, | regard them as the
most useful part Of bis works, and on that
account alone, if there were no other, should
consider this author as transcendantly su-
perior 10 all the ancient dramatic writers.
Had Aristotle, who has drawn all his rules
of criticism from Eschylus, Sophocles, &c.
seen play fashioned on the chronicles OF
Greece, and. like those Of Shakespeare to
which allude, representative OF the man
ners of the times, and the characters OF the
greatest men of his country, he would, no
doubt, have set greater value on such
drama than any other, as peculiarly adapt
ed to the ends proposed in popular enter
tainments. IL it be true that history is phi
losophy teaching by experience, this kind
of it must be The best preceptor, admonish-
ing us Of the direful consequences OF pride
and ambition, OF the tyrant's dangers, and
the traitors fate.
In train Of thinking on This subject, |
was led few days ago to compare some OF
the plays Of Shakespeare with the original
histories from which the plots were borrow
ed, and was more than ever astonished
at the power he has displayed in preserving
the accuracy fthe facts without any sacr-
fee of the charms Of poetry. 1t is indeed
an astonishing effort Of genius, the fidelity
with which he gives us the detail OF history,
in the hands of all other writers dry and
uninteres:ing, and bestows upon it all the
attractiveness Of fancy and fiction. With
what miraculous power Of compression
has he collected into the narrow focus of
dramatic representation the whole series OF
truths which lie scattered in diffuse volumes
of old historians; into what splendid flame
does he kindle the stories of the virtuous
deeds often sluggishly rehearsed by the
chronicler, and in what tremendous magni-
he'd deformi,y has be exhibited the mise
ries and miscarriages OF vice, while he pre-
serves, often to verbal, if not literal ex-
actness the words ofhis professionally
way OF illustration of what ] have said,
transcribe speech or two upon The same
point Of subject in the language of the prose
historian and in that of the dramatic poet,
upon comparison Of which twill be found
that the latter no farther varied from the
former than was necessary to accommodate
his metres. The first is the speech OF queen
Katherine, which she made when she was
called upon, July IL, 1929, about the di-
vorce of her and the king.
s' She rose out of her chair, came TO the
king, and kneeling down at his feet said as
followeth:
''Sir, in 7chat hare I offended you? or
what occasion of dispIeasure have | given
you, intending ,hus to put me from You =
/ take God TO be judge, have beeu to you
true and humble wife, ever coniormable
10 your will and pleasure; never contra
dieting you, or gain-saying you in any
thing being always contented with all
things wherein you had any delight or took
any pleasure, without grudge, or counte-
nance OF discomfort or displeasure. | loved
for your sake, all them whom you loved,
whether had cause or no: whether they
were my friends or my enemies. have
been your wife these twenty years OF more,
and you have had by me divers children (;
and when you had me first. ! take God to
be my Judge | was maid; and whether
it lie true or not put to your own con-
science. Ii there be any just cause that
you can allege against me, either OF disho-
nesty or matter lawful TO put me from you,
| am content to depart 10 my shame and |
confusion and if there be none, then |
pray you to let me have justice at your
hands. The king your father was, in his
time, Of such an excelenrwi,, that he was |
accounted amongst all men Of wisdom, t.
be second Solomon; and the king of Spain,
my father Ferdinand, was accounted ono oil
the wisest princes that had reisned in Spain
or many years. 1t is not therefore to be
doubted, but that they gathered as wise |
counsellors to them OF every realm, as TO
their VISIONS they thought meet; and con-
ceiye that there were i'm those DAYS as wise
and well learned men, in both the realms,
as be now at this day, who thought the mar
rage between you and me good and lawful.
Therefore, il is a wonder TO me what new
inventions are now invented against me-
Aud now TO put me to sand TO the order
and judgment of this court, seems very I'M