The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-01-26

tHc uudrreIS OF Tue CdpuicIS anu NOntd
CUES; or it NAV require the highest philo-
sophv of a C0lerdce to make plain, as in
Hamlet or King Lear.
His most penetrating insi cht into the mo-
tives and actions of men may appear in the
anomaly Of King Lear's fool; and talents.
originally noble, but beso:tel and debased.
may outrage nature in Tie mammoth rotundi
ty OF FastaG; ard vet all these find their
cxpia!i..t III the highest moral truths Of our
being. lie; us take two principles. of which
the expulsion of Cordelia by Lear, and the
"Tamnc the Shrcw" are but the direct evo-
luton. and see how these remarks may be
illustrated.
The first is ar every dav case, and lies up
on the surface The reason cf its beauty is
relation and not in the incident itself Con
evil and Ecsan bc!oEc to the most ordinary
class Of villains (if the term NAV be applied
70 women) Their intelIec.s are stronge:
than their affections; their passions, as ava
arIrr aud sc'!i>lness, are stronger than either:
and hence their hrawln. strumpct tongues
easily overpower the delicate sensibiIiy and
tender affection of Cor,lelia in the estimate
Of the do'nc and childish father, who sees
bat the ou'>,de Of things Goncril and Rccan
are the most treqacnt characters, and the
most easily understood bv the mass; while
tie beautiful and atfrrtionatc Corlclia>.
whose hearts are no. ALWAYS on their tongues.
are often trampled to earth by the hearilc>s
IN! unthinkinC. And vet the law Of ha1p-
moss is wisely balanced that the cod self
i>''. and unf'e!ing. are not so happy in the
full en- iovmcnt OF possession, as the tender
and atl"cticna:c are in welding and aile,at-
ing. Ercan and Goner;i possessed the king
dom. yet WAS Corde'ia happi"st in the pos
session Of virtue. affection. and truth. And
here is not Shakespeare true - nature Has
he not justified the ways of Col to man?
In The case Of tamins III" >hrcw. III" truth
is nor, The les. certain. vet it lies deeper in
the tangled web Of human action. You often
h,ar i: spoken Of as a strange conreit ot
Shak>rcarc'S -a curious farce a t,nciill
sketch - whereas it is true to nature AS tl,..
con~tancv, love and aflrction Of Dcslcmona.
Kate Is the type Of almost half a world Of wc-
men brought up in the. fall en- ymcnt Of ev-
cry whim. every tanrv, eve caprice and
concert; only her passions are stronger. ard
her parents have less Of frnness and ,lccis-
ion. more clil,li>hness and folly. Now ninety
ninc men ont Of An hundred would have
soucht 10 reform her Of they bad strength Of
minG and resolution enough 10 have under
taken it AZ all. wv Kindness and c"n',rnr>>.
overcoming evil with good. That would lr
The !irst an'l apparent wa. sure COR most 81
Sos BIZ, mark what Pctrurlio did H..
>oucN' deeper 'or the solution. and was sue
ccs>.ul He saw that the education which
pro'inrcd this was conventional and facti-
tious; that her very passion and feeling, her
strength Of mind and character, were ra,,a-
lie Of the highest development Of The mos
perfect woman Thus having united t;,"
Go,iian knot in hi> own mind, he sought 70
break it in practice. and did so most happily.
and thus in the waywerd Kate he found the
most trnc, devoted. ohedient and a,1rc.iona.c
OF women. Ii was on the hcmrnrathic svs-
ten that what Makes c,utS, and should we
ever become a commentator on Shak Spesrc
We should prove that he had that system ir
his mind, and founded this play upon il.
Thus. what in prosperity was the mos
weak, capricious and disgusting, in aelvcrsit,
had changed, AS If hv magic, into all that j.
true, beautiful and lovely in the character Of
woman. The hrawIng shrew, while in IN,
possession Q! that which shomH have mad.
her harpv. was mos, miserable Ii was 60,
, hardship and distress to maze her loving
kind, and happy.
Shakespeare how dost thou shame US Of
our degenerate nature, and poi'.t ou. the way
: to onr highest moral worthncss.