The New York herald., 1874-10-11
The War for the Honor OF
the Plays.
PROFESSOR HARRIS VIEWS.
Progressive Development Shown
in the Dramas.
ANOTHER BACoNIAN SPEAKS.


PRINCETON, Oct. 3, 1874
l have recently had an interesting interview
upon the Shakespearian discussion with Professor
Jonn s. Hart Professor OF English Literature IN
Princeton college. There are but few, perhaps,
who have given the subject greater attention. who
are better prepared TO speak concerning II, or
whose opinions are entitled TO greater considera-
tion. Knowing that the relation which he bore TO
the College was such as to condne his strict atten
ton 10 this particular subject year after year. and
that the iulnment Of MS obligations was perfectly
consistent with his greatest pleasure felt sure
that, by coming here, could secure something
that all persons OF literary culture or taste,
whether Shakespearian students or not, would be
delighted to read To the literary world the Pro
tossor is well known; better, perhaps, for his nu-
merous works upon English language and lttera-
ture than for the remarkable and highly interest
ing article recently published in Scrioner's Month
H. under she title OF "Tne Shakespear ian Death
Mask.n
"what DO you consider the most powerful argn-
ment in favor OF the authenticity OF Shakespeares
playssn asked.
sThe TACT that Shakespeare was recognized as
their author by all his contemporaries,n was the
prompt response
'sBuI, Professor Hart,r continued, 'almosr every
one that have ever approached has given me an
answer similar TO yours. Therefore presuming that
that have not the faintest idea concerning either
Shakespeare himself or any OF the writers that
nourished about his time-presumlng me to be
party whom you were exceedingly anxious to con-
vince, nom what man that lived in Shakespeare's
time would you quotefn
''Wel." said the Professor somewhat amused at
my earnestness, II would quote from Francis
Meres. He was the author OF q work on gen.
eral literature called Falladis Tamias or
Wits Treasury in which he makes mention
OF shakespeare IN q way whicn sets eternahy at
rest the question whether he was or was not the
author oil his plays and whether he was or was
not recognized as such BY his contemporaries.
nourlshed in Greece and Rome, Meres says we
nave IN English following The regular cnrono-
logical order) Marlowe, Peele. WATSON,
SHAKESPEARE,
Drayton, Chapman, Decker, Ben Jonson. Again,
In ike manner, concerning writers OF comedy, he
mentions Lilly, Greene,
SHAKESPEARE
Reywood, &c. Again, quoting the writer's who
had excelled In lyric poetry he mentions Spen
ser, Daniel Drayton,
dc. Still again, referring to the eregi nl0nu1nen-
tum OF Horace, ne says We have IN English .
like enduring monuments in the works OF sidney,
SHAKESPEARE
Some OF his particular expressions are remark
able: AS the soul OF Euphorbus was thought to
live In Pytnagoras, so lne sweet, witty soul OF
speare'-witness his Venus and Adonis," his
'Lucrece," his sugar'd sonnets among his private
friends AS Epicns stolo SAID The muses.
would speak In Pautus' tongue II they would
speak Latin" SO | say the Muses. would speak
with shaxespeare's ane-dled phrases II they
would speak English. As Plantus and Seneca are
accounted the best for comedy and tragedy among
the Latins. so Shakespeare among the English IS
the most excellent IN both kinds Tor the stage.
For comedy witness mis- Gentlemen of verona,n
his errors" his Loves Lapors LOST his 'Love's
LABOR Won,n his ..Midsummer Nights Dream'
end his merchant OF venlce;1 for tragedy, his
Orchard IL, !" "Richard Ill. Henry 1N.n king
John,n Titus Andronicus'' and Romeo and
Juilet."'
Here, then,n continued Professor Hart, 'in 1898
we have shakespeare publicly quoted IN text
book as among the great English authors whose
works alone are a monument Gere perenIle."
HIS name IS placed conspicuously in iour sue
themselves severauy IN comic, tragic, lyric and
eegiac poetry. Again we have quoted by name MS
and no less than twelve OF MS great dramas, the
whole accompanied with the significant judgment
EnaiisS eli literature down TO that day. except C6au.
Ger. Even up TO the date OF Addison, Cnaucer and
other early English poets were but httle known
ED.I that the sweet soul Of ovid seemed live In
mellinuous and honey -tongued Shakespeare, and
that II the Muses. should ever deign to speak
nne-hled phrases. 10 say alter thus, that
Shakespeare was not recognized in mis-
TO say the same OF spenser, sidney Raleign and
Ben Jonsop. What admlrer OF tue great dramatist
than did this Francis Meres in 1895 Ben Jonson
himself twho was as competent to speak OF shake
speare as would be LoDgieilow TO speak OF Tenny-
son; even more competent, Tor JonsoR and shake
epeare we're intimately acquainted wrote for the
same stage, lived IN the same ciEy. dined AT the
same tavern, where they mad those famous wit
combats)-I say Jonson himself, In the lines pre-
fixed to the nrst folio, speaks OF Shakespeare in
terms not only OF the greatest afect1on, but OF
the most exalted eulOgy, speaks not only OF his
unparalleled genius but OF MS consummate art
Spenser Mariowe and all otner English writer's
but even the ancients whom Ben greatly wor-
snipped, VIZ, Arssophanes Terence and Plautus,
.Has any writer that you can recall-consem-
roraneous writer mean-ever thrown out mint
as to how Sha espeare came into possession OF the
his works ~ asked.
II would answer the question by saving that to
his contemporaries the genius OF Shakespeare was
as much the subject OF admiration and wonder as
IL is TO us. We know little OF ShaKespeare's life.
but the little we Know OF 1t makes US to under
stand the tact tnat during his lifetime he was re-
sarded as man OF genus. TINS tact comes TO us
poraneous writers that we cannot contradict is,
and when we admit tins fact we OF course admit
everything ese III he were genius we cannot az
this day decide upon what that genius was or was
not capable of accom- fishing. could In no better
Shakespeare than by repeating to you what N.
Tame mas spoken OF Cnancer :-Cnaucer is IKE
inli; pearls and glass beads, sparkling
diamonds and common aga'es, olsck Jet jes
nna ug baS Sss essn a 20 Gather s1G hoa
during hundreds OF years. all that rolled MIA way,
dashed together BY the stream Of centuries and
by The great tumble OF human memory he holds IN
mis- hands, arranges II, composes thereirom long,
sparkling ornament, with twenty pendants. a
thousand facets, which, by It's splend0rs, varie-
ties, contrasts may attract and satisfy the eye OF
the most greedy for amusement and novelty
Taine,u continued the Professor, I'm the same
essay remarks that the genius OF Chaucer OF Its
simple sell enabled him 70 know and depict
whole world as II was with The genius OF snake.
speare. so that before we can account for the
encyclopaedia knowledge las you call III tnat the
dramatlst displays, we must nrst account for the
existence OF his genius, which is impossible, or
genius in its nature can no more be analyzed than
Il can be crcumscrloed , IN Its works. mint,
which, TO aii who heard 1t, conveyed nothing
ofimport, to man OF Snakespeare's genius would
open'a new world Of thought, imagina ton and
poetry, through which his consumnate art en-
abled him to wander and select treasure after
treasure and dress them up In form 80 lovely and
uncommon tnat they are still the glory and
miracles OF our literature Shakespeare has out
lived all his CONTEMPORARIES and he will be still
the same man through centuries TO come. He Is
aIways novel; IN his plays are many innovations
<-o.rtha ato ua nreceden q and tOma Mis- day