Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-04-05
miscellaneous.
THE SEASONS OF SHAKESPEARE
BY PROFESSOR GILES.

BY PROFESSOR GILES.
1t may be great presumption for me
to thus intrude from the compositions of
Shakespeare into his character. The re-
lation Of a man personally to his wri-
tings, involves, | know, many doubtful
and difficult questions and most of all
this must be so in Shakespeare, whose &C.
MUS is manifestation of humanity, and
not of the individual. Genius would
indeed, be limited, if it were bounded by
personality. Shakespeare must have had
a life distinct from the men and women
in whom his Imagination was so multitu-
dinously embodied, and We cannot pre-
sumo that, through all or any of them,
we can reach that life in its isolated
mystery. There, in that mystery oflife,
Shakespeare was even as the meanest of
US he had to live it in its own impene-
trable awfulness. Imagination, poetry,
power, cannot alter this and, when i'm
aginaton, poetry, power, have done their
utmost, into this secrecy, the man again
must shrink. All in which the greatest
man differs from the least, is as nothing
compared with this unshared substance
of life, that each one has, and must have
for himself. After all that Shakespeare
had showered out from his creative
thought, he was as lonely in the midst
of eternity as any of us; after all that
wisdom, eloquenee, and song could send
abroad of inspiration, Shakespeare had yet
griefs of his own, which he could not ut
ter ; joys which must breathe unsyllabled;
mysteries which he could not solve; the
solitary battle with mortality the solita-
ry fears and hopes, which stretch beyond
the reach of fame, and which no applause
can silence.
Still the writings even of Shakespeare
must contain some indications of his men
tai history. Criticism and research have
/ done much to determine the order, at
least, in which his plays were written
and this does, in some degree, help US to
mental chronology of his inward histo-
ry. We are able thus to see that the
mind of Shakespeare like other minds, had
its transitions, growth, Advancement
seasons, Let us take the idea implied in
this last word-seasons-and follow out
the analogy with which it supplies us.
We have the spring of Shakespeare S
mind in such plays as the 8" Two Gentle
men Of Verona" and Loves Labor
Lost" Here is luxuriance of foliage
rich promise in multitude of buds, that
are yet to be unfolded. There is glow
in the atmosphere Of his mind, but a
sharp chill is in it too; and the moisture
is not Of the dew, but of the shower.
Shakespeare in this stage has wealth of
language, but not equal strength of
thought; he has more point than wit !;
more brilllancy than humor more art Of
expression, than felicity little of tender
ness and less Of pathos Then cometh
the summer: with its fulness of bloom,
its glories, and its joy. The skies are
all clear the sun foods the day, and the
stars boautify the night; the woods are
alive with songs the fields arc sparkling
with flowers and the depths Of heaven
are in the mirrors of the waters. Life
becomes an inward melody a revere !;
an enchantment the ear catches broken
tunes in the air, it hears odd sounds
among the rocks; the eye behOlds quaint
visions in the grove it is elated by fan
ciful deceivings, by the light that plays
on the branches. Out from such a sum
'mer spirit we have from Shakespeare bis
magnificent dream of lyric-witchery,
d" The Midsummer Nights Dream. y
Romeo and Juliet" came also from the
summer of the mind. The intensity o
summer life, Of summer, beauty is in theil
love the sudden darkness of summer
tempest is in their death. There il
summer in the laugh Of the old Nurse
there is summer in the wit Of the yount
Mercutio. q Much Ado About Moth.
ing" shows also the summer Of the mind
il shows it in the buoyaht wit Of Benedick
in the reckless sarcasm Of Beatrice il
the stupid and happy dignity Of Dogber
~; in the diffusion through the whole o
exuberancc and audacity., The character
Of Falstaff most especially belongs to tn,
summer of the mind. There is an unc.
ton, and oleaginous moisture about Sir
John, which give strong evidences Of
hot weather there is broad sunlight o.
mirth about the rascal, proAigacy Of
ideas within him, which clearly prove.