New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-17


guest, would have lived on 20 the end With as little
removse as Lsdy Macbeth really fell, and "l'h
none of the ph, steal demonstrations when may oe
easily mistaken Tor it, she seems have arr''h
at, and weii expressed, the true souHon ol this
interesting psychological and physiological Pr oblem
But whsu she goes on TO this further bn.lysis,
Separate Lady Macbeth tire Individual from Lady
Macbeth the woman and the mystery Of her
character is at once clcared-she Is woman in
her Incarnation only" we must admit that or
ability to entirely comprehend the far writer's at an
cnd and that from such part of this last opinion as
we do clearly understand-tbat Lady Macbeth wss
a woman only in her physical organlzaton--we
must, with Difference due to the sympithetlc
sexua, insight on which it rests, utterly dissent.
The genuine, instructive purity, as we'll rs the
warm wonauly nature of Mrs Palmer, her intol-
erance of intoerant minds and cold narrow heats
the only intolerance that che exhibts-aad her
frank, out spoken manner of expressing her
iudenent, are shown in the following parag raphs
from her appreciation Of Isabea's character:
The character of IsABrLL. presents n notable ex-
ample of the inefiicacy OF purely Intellectual Vtn,
20 command Onr sympathy or admiration, or IN any
way 70 adva-cc the cause O' Religion.
Cold fauliles, severe III moral recttnde, not sO!e
to The weak ~ which " make tie whole world KIM
ana utterly Incapable oi sympathy Tor them, TINS
ripieuge staIds IN manner, GTrayed against her TEL
lows: existing, not only physcay, but morally, apart
from tlem pcrGitting herself Do tie Of reciprocal ee
il G 10 Keep her aDted with the human iimly-tbe
type OF cass Of mistaken but sincere reigion's's Of
eli fects wnO, by their repDsIve sel-suilency Ia
tally subyert the very interests to which they have
nsecrated thelr bves.
Isabella is no hypOcrte-that ia, consciously; her
hgvless excellence commands our exalted respect, oar
honorable recognition. however it may repe any more
enthusiastic adniratioD; to the impregDabllty OF her
chastity the prominent feature OF her strongly
marked individuality, full honor must DC awarded;
yet sef.sacrlhce, without reservation, has become
so inseparaby associated with all that Is most lovable
ia wOlDaD, that ii would have been tar easier u for
give the actual ofer than conscentiousy to appau
her moral grandeur, remembering The beautiiess de-
tails of her victory.
We DO not doubt the angelic purity Of Isabella; )"
and, but for the Instance OF eccentric depravy fur
nished by her lover Angelo, We sbonld believe only
event to be less possible than her lapse from
virtue that, nOtwiths landing her beauty IT should
ever have sustained a temptation.
Those who have read Shakespeare's Scholar"
ard remember Il similar appreciation of Isabea's
character in that work, will if they assented to it,
be pleased TO meet with this confirmation of it at
the hands of so competent critc-one of Isabea's
own sex.
But to have done with Mrs. Palmer's views of
the less attractive of Shakespeare's heroines we
turn with more pleasure, if not with more admlra-
tion and with entire assent, to this recognition of
the matches Imogen
TO IMOGES has been awarded, almost without dis
sentlnc voice. the high distinction of being the most
admirable OF her immortal company-a woman Ia
whom all perfectioIs meet in rare harmony-who
never cloys never disappoints
of all Sldkeflearcs rfIts-anu he delighted
shaping models of con Ogal fdey-shs is the master
piece ctaste ardent, brave, devoted and beautiful
she ie indeed chest OF wives, most delightful OF
wonen." The secret charm Of Imogens character is
that she comes within the range Of popular sympathy
noIe successfully than her equally excellent married
sisters: never recognize Juliet az wife-n fact,
she that pOsition at the beet, offer
bat cold tribute OF admiraton 10 the clascc virtues of
llernione end the Roman Portis; Desdemona ne pity
tendery, though with degree of hat-coDscious coG
tempt. But our sweet princess of Britain commands
our exalted re- Sect Will ELECTS sympathy which
can never degenerate into conmlseration.
With all her softness, her fear and nioeness "a
"lady so tender of rebukts that wofds are strokes,
ana strokes death to her"-she il not like Desde
moua passive under Injustice, even to pailful self
humiliation; or, like Hermione, statuesquely heroic
Her dignity is proudly asserted than IN her
very subiecton 10 her husbands WILL when he is
No longer entitled 20 ! er duty.
We cannot sgIes with these who deny the posses-
sion Of jealousy 10 Im-geu nor can we regard AS "a
besh in her the possession OF uet so much as Is nat
ural 20 n woman OF sensitive imagination and ardent
en- otioIs. To be graIdly superior to this most fem-
pine weakness would argue, either that she was en-
dowed with self-esteem overweenDg as 70 preclude
TO her min1 the possibility Of rival or bat she was
pas siOuess to Indifference either supposon being
absurd in IFS application to her, We detect petty
Of tns element IN the parting scene with Posthu
mus:
"I1o. Nay little:
Were but riding forth to air yourself,
Such parting were too pey.ri Look here love
This dismopd was my mothers take IL, heart
But keep TIL you WOO another WIFE,
When lmosen is dead
c.l Il "A ca