Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-03-25
No. X.-FRIDAY, March 25, 1881.

No. X.-FRIpAY, MARCH 25, 1881.
81 remember the players have often mentoh-
ed tas an honor to Shakespeare that IN wr'uhs'
whatsoever he penned) he never plotted OUT
SSna-~Nv answer hath been, ecouid he had blot
ted out a thousand, which they thought n'aie'"-
lent speech. "-Ben Johnson.
LET not the admirers Of the great English Bard,
.,,., a,.sv from the perusal of what follows. 1t
is in the power of no living man, by pointing out
the faults. to detract from the fame, OF poet
So long and deservedly idoliZed as Shakespeare.
Every line he has written has afforded subject Tor
commentary. In force and yigor oil genius IN the
Iyeliness Of his fancy, in his wonderful power OF
exhibiting, in every varied form, the workings OF
human passion, he stands unrIvalied. lie neeas
mot INV humble praise Ia what shall say rea
tive to- the man and his writings, in the sequel OF
this naner. let not my readers believe that am
inducing in ..naleuoleat speech," for DO assure
them with Ben Johnson, in part OF the
same paragraph from which my motto Is 'aKen'
that al do love the man, and do honor his mem
ory on this side idolatry, as much as any. Many
will no doubt differ with me, and the subject NJ
self will be considered BY some as unprohtaoiy
mooted, and as only affording matter Tor ldle
speculation AS to this shall say nothing but
leave my readers to judge as each oneeshail see
fit.
II has been made question, whether it would
have been an advantage or disadvantage to Shakes
peare. TO have received such an education as
weuld have enabled him to read IN the original,
the Grecian and Roman authors. WOULD the Ell
feet upon his genus and taste as dramatic po-
ct. have been favorable? Every lover OF Shakes
peare will admit that his faults are numerous
The irregularities we every where meet with, in
the conduct of the pot-the occasional extrava-
gance and bombast, and the affected wlttclsms
which run through his writings, mar the pleasure
which we would otherwise derive from ms Tor
chile deliueations of human character lnaii ms
plays there is strange mixture oil comedy ana
iraccty-and a constant transgression OF the u
mites Of time and place. These, and thous-
and such b,emishes, which will suggest them
selves to the mind of every reader, might be point
ed out. although they are redeemed by great ex-
cellencies, which, almost subdue censure.' They
are to be imputed partly to the spirit OF the age
IN which he lived. and partly to the deficiencies
in point of education Of Shakespeare himself
In reading his plays, we should as tar as we can,
lose sight of these things; we should dwell upon
his numerous beauties which lie richly scattered
upon every page. and we cannot fail to rise up
from the perusa Of single of his scenes with
out being somewhat awed by his wonderful pow
er.
The great and striking fault of Shakespeare, is
in want of correctness and delicacy OF taste,
and in transgressing the rules OF art which should
regulate the dramatic poet Is it probable that he
would have avoided these faults, by study OF the
great works which have come down to. US from
ancient timess answer unhesitatingly yes. The
concurrent testimony OF mankind from the days
of Sophocles and Euripidhs, to the present peri.
4 hoe tha nj there could
be any doubt as to the light in which the works of
Greciap and Roman Genius are to be viewed
From this decision there can be no appeal. Their
fame and reputation does not however depend
upon uncertain tradition. Their productions are
before us-we can see their eXcellencies, and the
business of the opinion which every age has ex-
pressed. In perfect finish and beauty OF style,
they NAV ever be regarded as complete models
They were corrected and polished with painful
care, unknown at the present day, and the result
is seen in their freedom from the bemishes
which have crept into the works OF the moderns,
through haste and.negigence. OF these masters in
literature it has been said with as much truth as
beauty,
Tither to their founts other stars repair,
And in their urns draw golden light.
Had the taste of Shakespeare been cultivated
by the study Of these works, he would have avoid
ed many OF the vices Oh tne aSeln winch ne HVeu,
while the visor of his genius would have prevent
ed him from falling into imitation. We cannot
believe otherwise because such has been the ef-
feet upon the great minds who have contributed
so much by the splendor of their writings to
raise the glory Of the British name. The
luxuriance of his fancy would have been some
what under restraint, and if we should have
lost in some of the forms of things unknown
s'which his imagination has bodied forth" we
would have been amply compensated, in the
greater purity, and correctness OF his writings.
To some minds there is something in the very
ideao lettering genius by rules OF TASTE which
dspleases, because it is believed that these rules
are wholly arbitrary, and prescribed, as It'll term
ed, by the artificial reason Of man. But this Is