, 1873-02-09
FRASER'S.

FRASERS.
In Frase7,s Magazine, Mr. Froude gives his
readers republication of his address, delivered
in Association Hall, New York, ip answer to
| Father Burke.
! SOME CU11os1T1Es or CR171c1sY.
from Pepys' Diary, deciphered from his abort
hand, and published as be never dreamed it
would be; from Boswel1's johnson, and other
! old English books,-startle us by its freedom of
| comment and structure On authors and works
! that are to-day held almost sacred. Here
are Pepys' Wanton criticisms on Shakepeare'e
playa:
uc great frequenter Of tho theatres and crit
ical observer of dramatic and hisrionic art. Well
the 1st Of March, 1861, Mr. Pepys t'Romco and
Juliet" "ths first time it acted "-in hi.
h tho cted hat es
atrs. whsrs We saw '1iidsummas Niehts bream,'
for it is tho most usipd, ridiculous play that ever I
saw in ny lie" TAP $, 1ss2aTq he pats;s
though it he bua silly play ana not relatng at a to
the name or day."
beauty and also to music to poetry no: at a shaas
peares fame seens to have rae no sort Of impression
Frank. We must remcmbc. however, that most if
not al Of these that Samuel saw were adaptatio not
correct versions.
"Aacbeth." "Nov. s, Soto the Dukes House 10
Rgs e9oe p bg but nseE Fsad
or1gual), which ever heretofore esteemed mighty
good play; but, having 20 lately read The Ad7en.
The bustling play which Pepys much admired was
translated initiated from Ce1dercn Sir George
Te and is IL Tho b is ss3 !. volume Q q DDsg cid
the bes saw At hat T House. @ seins est
Ire: aud saw :' The Merry wives Of Windtor.n
which did not please me At all, in no part Of it."
ioG7.) Later (Sov. j he called It a SHY play
Dryden thought Beaumont and Fletcher su-
perior to Shakespeare or Ben Jonson:
n his :. Essay On Dramatic Poetry he BAYS that
Shakspeare's Wit, which lhcir precedent great
natural gifts, improved By study; Beaumont especial
son. wills ha sed submitted III Ii ~1unes M s to ' bis
censure." 81 apt to believe the English language
IN -, them arrived to its highest perfection"
than shakspesres, especslIy those that l were % made
before Beaunonts death md they understood and
Their plays are now the most pleasant and freqnent
Of the stage two Of theirs being acted
s because there is certain saiety in thcr come
dies, md pathos in their more serious plays which
suits generally with al mems hunors. sasIspeare's
sons Wit comes short Of theirH."
Many of DR.. Johnson's yiews Of men and
books hare not been sanctioned By the verdict !
OF time:
The Doctors opinion Of Ml.on's sonnets 10 pretty
well kno~n-those tEoulanimasing stzaias, alas too
lew" rs Wordsworth estimated them, Miss Hannah
More wondered that Milton could write "such Door
sonnets." JOHNSON said, Milton, madam, was t
genius that could cut Colossus from . rock. hut
could not carve heads upon cherty-stoaes"
Take another British clasaic. "Swift having hem
johnson, usual, treated him with little
respect m author He attscEcd Swift as be used
to DO upon al oecas1cns Wondered to hear him say
Of Gn1liver5 Travels When you have thought
Of big and Ette 1t is very easy do all ihs
rest IN
Gray also of the great Doctors antipathies
He attacked Gray, calling him dull felown Bos-
well p" understand he was reserved, and might ap-
pear dull In company, but surely he was not dull in
poetry" johnson !: !" Sir, be wss dull in company,
dull in his closet, dull everywhere. He was dull in
new way, sud tha: made many people call him great"
Nor did Sterne fare much better. It having been
observed that there little hospitality in London
johnson "Nay. e;r, any man who has ntne, or
invited in London The mau SterEe, am told, has
1ad engagements for three months" Goldsmith |
And very dull fellow" johnson 6 Why, no, |
dr." C1T73.l Nothing odd will Last long 7tistran.
slandy did not last" She {AIiss Monckton) insisted
hat some Of S:erues writings were very pathetic. |
Johnson bunt15 denied it. @t1 surc," eaid she,
= they have affected me-" "Why," said johnson, !
milling and rolling hrnsen about, that IL, deares
oeC1p6e = dupca /