The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-06
cnsara,users Receaaidsred.


add apt tls the multitude may be TO credit
what they are told to believe, inquiring and
independent spirits make their appearance
from time TO time to question history, and
call for reconsideration Of the characters
OF its heroes. The general tendency OF
these inquiries has been to rescue from OBJ
loquy great names that may have been de-
serving of ito add TO, and not detract
from, the majestic images in the yet unfill-
ed gallery of the worlds heroes. Many a
name once execrated has become respected;
many false man, in the popular estima-
ton, has been elevated into true man;
and many quasi-demon into quas-saint.
We shall not attempt TO go through the
long and illustrious list Of such names--a
list which, to say nothing Of the saints and
apostles of Christianity, would include
Socrates, Aristotle, Bacon, Harvey, Calico.
Cornelius Agrippa, and whole host Of
glorious men, TO whose memory the world
has done justice for the scorn, hatred, and
persecution Of their contemporaries. 1t
may not be undressing, however, to group
together few minor instances of this kind
of reaction in the moral world, Of which
the effect is not yet complete. We select
few cases still pending in the great court
of human appeal, in which the appellants
have been heard by their counsel, and in
which The great Judge, Opinion, has shown
by his random expressions, as well as by
the tones of his voice, that he is about TO
reverse the judgment of the court below.
Two remarkable instances Of this kind
of reaction have taken place with regard
TO characters in Shakespeare. In his i'm
mortal pages, Macbeth stands branded as a
weak and cowardly murderer; man who,
goaded by a strong.minded and bad woman,
and by the promptings Of his own guilty
ambition, treacherously slew bis sleeping
guest-that guest the king to whom he had
sworn allegiance, and to whom he owed the
double (ealty of a subject and host. Yet
recent researches have shown that Shaks.
peare pilloried comparatively innocent
man, BY founding that noble play upon
tradition, and not upon history. Macbeth
slew Duncan, it is true; bot not in his bed;
not asleep and unsrmed; but 10 open fight
and on the field Of battle. 1t does not even
appear that Macbeth was a usurper; but
granting that he were, still, in the unsettled
and seIni-barbarous period in which be
lived, usurpation was a common occurrence;
and in his case, the usurpatOn, if usuTpa-
lion it were, proved Of advantage to the
county that acquiesced in it. Shakespeare S
narrative was derived from Holinshed, who
derived it from Boyce, who again derived it
from tradition. Banquo is parsonage
totally unknown either to history or tradi-
ton. Macbeth reigned over Scotland for
fifteen years; and if there were a legal flaw
in his title to The throne, endeavored to
make good moral title by the general Wig
or and policy of his administration, and by
his Justice 10 the people. Sir Walter
Scott says Of him, that he broke no law
Of hospitality in his attempt on Duncan's
life. He attacked and slew him at place
called Bothgowan, or the Smiths House,
near Elgin; and not, as has been supposed,
in his own castle Of Inverness. The acl
was bloody, as was the complexion OF the
times; but in very truth, the claim of Mac.
beth to the throne, according TO the rule oil
Scottish succession, was better than that Of
Duncan. AS king, the tyrant so much
exclaimed against was in reality, firm,
just, and equitable prince The reaction
hos thus bsgsn: naes have learned to eopa
rate the Macbeth Of Shakespeare from the
Macbeth OF histoy-to admire the first
mentioned as one Of the grandest portrai.
lures Of crime and sorrow in the whole
range OF literature; more interesting, al
though fictitious, than the real Macbeth
that lived and moved; but to do Justice al
all convenient times to the fame that had
the misfortune flor itself, ~ not for the
world) to come in the way OF so mighty a
genius, and TO be made available for its pur-
poses.
Richard Ill. Of England is another royal
parsonage whose memory has been similar.
ly unfortunate in coming into contact with
the purposes Of Shakespeare. No doubt the
world has gained; but the world, while do.
ing Justice to the real Richard, will fortu.
nately lose no portion of the delight and
instruction derivable from the eventful sto.
ry Of the imaginary one. The materials
available for the dramatist's purpose were
found in Holinshed, who took them from
the preludiced pen of Sir Thomas More
Later historians denied the accuracy Of Sir
Thomas More's statements, and the truth
Of his portraitUre: and while they could not
gsinsay the fact that Richard had commit
ted crimes in the pursuit of power, explain.
ed, if they did not apologise for them, by
the character Of his age, which was not
one tender Of human life, nor scrupulous
as to its means for the attainment OF its
objects. The Richard of Shakespeare is a
gigantic criminal; the Richard Of impartial
history is still criminal, but man not all
evil--a man that turned to a good use the
power that he may have i'll acquired a
man that made enemies of his naughty, vim.
dictiye, and bloodthirsty nobles but that
ruled the people with wisdom and modera.
ton, and treated them in manner to de.
serve, if il did not obtain their love. His
memory has cried aloud for justice. Mr..
Sharon Turner has done battle in its behalf
has entered the court Of appeal, and made
out such case in his favor as goes far to
qualify, if it cannot reverse, the previous
judgment.
While We are upon the subject Of kings,
we cannot omit the case of James The
alleged bigot and pedant; the mock Solo
mon, and the butt Of ridicule for long Pc
Rod for every one who desired to have a
fling at royalty. Every one who has read
the elder D'Israeli's inquiry into the litera.