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 BACoNIAM SPEAKS.
Opinion of Professor John s. Hart.


l have recently had an interesting interview
upon the shakespearian discussion with Professor
John 8. Hart, Professor OF English Literature In
Princeton college. There are but few, perhaps,
who have gwen the subject greater attention. who
are better prepared TO speak concerning It, or
whose opinions are entitled TO greater considera-
ton. Knowing that the relation which he bore to
the College was such to con1ne his strict atten-
ton 10 this particular subject year after year, and
that the ulhlment OF MS Obligations perfectly
consistent with his greatest pleasure, felt sure
that, by coming here, could something
that all persons of literary culture TASTE
whether Shakespearan students or not, would be /
delighted to read To the literary world the Pro-
is well known; better, perhaps for his nu- 7
merous works upon English language and litera-
ture than for the remarkable and highly interest
ing article recently published in Scrioners Month
w. under the title OF ''Tne Shakespearian Death
Naskn
swnat DO you consider the most powerful argu.
ment In favor OF the authenticity OF Shakespeares
playsYn asked.
"The fact thai Shakespeare was recognized as
their author by all his contemporaries,r was the
prompt response.
"But, Professor HART continued, "almost every
one that have ever approached has given me an
answer similar TO yours. Therefore presuming that
am an ignoramus; mat do not know anything
that have not the faintest idea concerning either
Shakespeare himself or any OF the writer's that
nourished about his time-presumlng me to be a
party whom you were exceedingly anxious to con-
vince, rom what man that lived in Shakespeare's
time would you quoter'
'Well." said the Professor, somewhat amused at
my earnestness, II would quote from Francis
Meres. He was the author OF work on gen.
eral literature called Falladis Tamias; or
Wits Treasury in which he makes mention
OF shakespeare IN way which sets eternaly at
rest the question Wletuer lie was was not the
author OF mis- plays and whether he was or was
not recognized as such BY his contemporaries.
Enumerating the great tragic poets Who nad
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 writer's OF comedy, he
mentions Lilly, Greene
SHAKESPEARE
Heywood &c. Again. quoting the writer's who
had exceled In lyric poetry, ne mentions Spen-
SER Daniel Drays0n, sa.krsprARr
&c. Stl again. referring to the sIegs nsonu'nen. %
tttm OF Horace, he says:-'W have IN English
like enduring monuments in the works OF sidney,
Daniel Drayton and
Some OF his particular expressions are remark
able: AS the soul OF Euphorbus was thought to
OVID lives in meliierous honey -tonaued snake
speare'-witness his ''Venus and Adonlsn his I
.Lucrece." mis- sugar'd sonnets among his private
would speak In Piautus tongue II they would
with With SHAKES peare,s Gne- dled phrases II they
would SPEAK Englisn. As Plantus and seneca are
accounted the best for comedy and tragedy among
the Latlns so Shakespeare among the Englisn is
the most excellent IN both KINDS Tor the stage:
his ERRORS, his Loves Laoors Lost, his "Love's
LABOR Won," his 'Midsumner Nights Dream"
..Richard L., ..Richard Ill., Henry W. "King
john" Titus Andronicus" and Romeo and
Here, then.n continued Professor Hart ain 1898
we have Shakespeare publicly quoted IN text
book as among the great English authors whose
works alone monument u<re DeTolILp,'
HIS name Is placed conspicuousy in four sue
themselves severaIiy IN comic, tragic yTlc and
elegiac poetry. Again we have quoted oy name his
and no less than twelve Of MS great dramas the
whole accompanied with the significant judgment
English literature down TO that day except ohau.
cer Even UP to the date OF Addison, Chaucer and
ED that the sweet soul of OVID seemed to live in
melllnuUus and honey tongued Shakespeare and
English they would speak with shakespsare's
nne-fled PHRASES. 10 say, alter this tnat
own day is as absurd as It would be
TO say the same Of Spenser, Sidney, Raleigh and
could now speak OF him in higher terms OF praise
than did this Francis Meres IN 1898? Ben JOnson
speare as would be Longielow to speak OF Tenny-
son even more competent, Tor Jonsoa and shake
same stage, lived in the same CITY dined al the
same tavern, wnere they mad those famous wit
nxed to the nrst folio. speaks Of Shakespeare in
terms not only OF tue greatest arectlon but OF
the most exaIted eulogy speaks not only OF his
unparalleled genius. but OF ms consummate art
and extols him SURPRISING not only Chaucer,
spenser Mariowe ana all other English writer's
but even the ancients whom Ben greatly wor.
snipped, VIZ, Aristophanes, Terence and Plautus
..Has any writer that you can recall-contem-
rorAneous writer mean-ever thrown out a mint
rsmarNsbe eneycopediac Snosiedge asp,aSed Us Iin
% his worssT' ~ asked ''p'''~N
II would answer the question by saving that to
niq qcOnLemDOraries the genius OF shake
as much the subject OF admiration and wonder as
1t is to US. We know little OF Shakespeare's life,
but the little know OF II makes US to under
stand the TACT that during his lifetime ne was re-
as OF ip
poraneous writers that we cannot contradict It,
everything else. II he were genius we cannot at
this day decide upon what that genius was or was
not capaIe CSwer yans oneson aoneernnq
Shakespeare than by repeating TO you what NJ.
jewsler i T says Tame like isweller witn his hands
.ss ssssl; s;si S
imagination bad Deen abe to gather and fashion
during hundreds Of hears all 1nas M oea as way
By the great umble OF human memory he holds IN
MS hands, arrangesit composes tnerenom iohe,
thousand facets, which, by It's spiendors, varie-
ties contrasts, may attract and satisfy the eye Of
Taine,n continued the Professor. I'm the same
essay remarks that mat the genius Of Cnaucer % Of Its
simple sell enabled him TO know and depot
whole world, as IL was with the genius OF snake
speare, that before can account for the
encyclopaedia knowledge (as you call IT. tnRt the
dramatist displays we must first account for the
existence OF his genius, which is impossible, or
genius in its nature can no more be analyzed than
Il can be ctrcumscribed in its works. hint, q
stray word-nay, the most indirect allusion,
which, to all who heard II, conveyed nothing
or import. to man OF Snakespeare's genius would
open'a new world OF thought Imagination and
poetry, through which his consummate art en-
abled him to wander and select treasure after
treasure and dress them up in form 80 lovely and
uncommon that they are still the glory and
miracles OF our literature. Shakespeare has out
lived all his CONTEMPORARIES and he will be still
fhe same man through centuries to come. He Is
always novel; IN his plays are many innovations