New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-15
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

,f tie uirhful rib Of ShaksIeres laughing sides,
III wi ch be last niglt crowned the opening of the
METROPOLITAN; bit assurcily no more popular or
r'ersart Knight could lead off the seasons dance
tlan he Of Windsor the lusty luscious Sir John Fa
stat.
Few lave ever after day ielightin inspecting the
ouy real Royal residence in England aud sauntering
through the glorious park full Of beauty OF the
present and the past, turned in to the goody cheer
ofiLe fat hest Of "thc George, without meeting an
American traveller Few have been to Europe and
not paid visit TO Windsor For ourselves we trust
we shall not offend those pragmatc pedanis who would
have tie world believe that Shakspere starched,
stiff stuck-up scholar of puuctili0Us proprety con-
cealed conservatism and schoocram who never mixed
vtbhis fellow-man but sat with dainty pen at stately
desk" if We suggest that the thousands, with some
feeling heart and fancy BRAIN who have hung upon
Lis mage and loved 10 picture him aknd and genial
man. nav think thai Windsor spot he might have
yi,tcdand fingered on with exquisite delight 1t Just
one of those delicious English scenes in which his ina
ciuaiion loved to revel. Fair England cannot
through all her length furnish a fairer landscape
than that which stretches its rich beauties on
summers evening from the Castle terrace, with
tie sun lighting mp the green meadows and
rleasart lanes Of Datchet and gliding with its
GLOW the bosom Of old Father Thames, while with
b,,u,ifrl sadness like some sentinel at the gates of
Evening. rises in the distance Etons antique tower
Tie poesy which surrounds the scenery of the present,
evokes bymagc spellthe poesy round the
pss, and the Castle Of Windsor as IT looked IN the days
when Queen Bess held her Court there the sunny coun
tryseat Of Master Page with gabed-pOrch oergrown
with flowers and the more stately dwelling of Squire
Ford imbedded in foliage and tie hall which Justice
Shallow sat rise simultaneously before mind OF even
the ueanost Imagination The scene is still the same
az in Shaksperos day. Soft music still makes luscious
the air The flowers breathe forth sweet heavenly
fragrance; the leaves trembe voluptuousyi
srks sing with brilliant gleei bright insects glitter
in the air and with honeysuckles eoquette bewich-
nolv. roses open tenderly their bosoms and volets
blush modestly. Man aud Woman and happy Child
hood look on with delight and join the singing chorus,
While all around are those appliances Of happiness ana
comfort which make even Nature more beautiful.
Tho scene nav change the flowers may pa.
awav but tie delight will Last. The leaves may fall,
but beauty will survive. Tho birds may cease to
sing but the music of the soul will still sound The
magic srel of Shakspores genius clothes the land
scare with perennial yerdure. lis divine fragrance
seturates the air Tie melody of his Tyre continues
he glorious symphony. The laughter Of the Merry
Wives Of Windsor still rings through the woods and
It's echo mes down to us. waking again and s.@.n
and forever iiesh souiiS =. asan peal in the hearts
&c men, and bidding them love him whose Lvauseous
genius has evoked them. Nor did laughter confne
lis merry ring to the glades Of Windsor. Long after
ShaLspee had gone to join the bright band of angel
ch, risteIs. tie gentlemen who followed Charles the
Second TO Versailles were full Of the mrthfu echoes,
that Moeie was fascinated by the joyous sound, and
I Ii IL tot in tin If
,lusiasm with which they welcomed "lEcOle des
"Femmes." The ovation did not belong 20 much to
Menendre as to shakspere whose Merry Wives gave
him the cue for bis comedy.
Cervantes did lot bring more troubles on his
lead by his creation of Don Quixote than did
sbokspere BY his John Fastaf Gentlemen in Ma
drid put on their most winning smiles senoras waged
their brightest gances to mporune Ceryantes to let
them see something more Of his hero. They over
wLemed him with entreay and besieged his residence
day and night. But in vain; Cervantes would show
Don Quixote no more. With Falstsff the case was
different; Queen pleaded for him; that Queen, one
accustomed to have her way Elizabeth. The request
was womanly. sIinster herself She naturally SYM
rstbized with bachelors. she desired to Fastaf
IN love- How could Shakspere resist such intereession
from awoman and that woman Queen pleading in the
overcome tie obstinacy Of the most democratic poet
I'm, sbsk.pere, a. we think the American people now
,v well agree was not In the habit OF opposing the
Tho. of that Royalty in whose smiles be basked.
s be paused at first, having already laid his jolly
lero in the grave in Henry the Fifth, and
thinking II rather rude to wake him. Yet an
other more poetic obstacle rose in shaksperes path.
Hi. exquisite delicacy Of feeling shrank from desc
crotirg The pure sentiment of love by giving it dwell
irc in such filthy mass Of protigacy a. falstsn Al
epcth however be was forced to yield, and gracefully
arranged a compromise between Eizabeth'7 wish and
his own feelings by substituting for love senHe'
ersuous sensation and making even the hlthy iancy
find is coarse birth in the sordid passion for getting
money to indulge that last passion Of the broken-down
ser.uaist-clutiony and drink. Elizabeth was de-
BE- h;,d with the play. II the theme OF many
merry jest at tie Castle Generation after generation
have oired in the merriment Of the Merry Wives Of
Windsor and chuckled with Joyous delight at the
discontinue Of the old eeh. Thepresent occupant OF
Windsor and her lody-court have made the theaier
ring with their silver laughter over Barley as Fastan
But under all this merry reyelry, as usual moral
luked. The silly husband i not duped he Is only a.
Jealous husbands deserve be, covered with udlcue
vh.e The purity Of domestic lie, amid all the playful
les Of TIE wives held up 10 emulation The oesuan
~ OF TIE old scoundel Is covered TOO with thick oau
of ridcule to show that his mean sordidness y not
worth healthy feeling Of earnest disgust You 20
away laughing at him but not hating him, ana lausn
fer is more effective IN such cases than hate
shakspers is said to have taken his plot nom some
Italian story BE this a. il may be has seiLol upon
every eh srstter Ike every Of genius to Ihaek
- 10 r,enune-ses and vices vi his day. Ihe