The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-12
kHAKESPARE,S INSPIRATIONS.
WHERE THE SEEDS FOR THE DRAMATIsTs GREAT
WORKS WERE GATHERED.
from the London Athenaum.I

from the London Atheneum.I
Mr.. W. G. Hazlitt has done good service t
Shakespearean students by the publication @
the first tolerably complete collection of th
great poets plots. We say "tolerably com
plete because much has been rejected b.
the editor which would have given additional
value to the book Thus MIR. Hazlitt writes
"My friend Mr.. Furnival urged me yer.
strongly to include the shorter extracts from
Holinshed illustrating the histories, but
| have arrived at the conclusion that thos'
prose parallels should rather find place il
| an edition Of the poet, where they would en-
joy the advantage Of immediate juxtaposi
ton" The excuse here given is far from
being good one, as it is not easy to under
stand the reason why extracts from North's
Plutarch should be printed to illustrate
the Roman historical plays, while extracts
from Holinshed to illustrate the English his.
torical plays are rejected. Moreover, the
editor is not consistent in his plan, for Holm
shed is put under contribution IN the single
case of Henry VIII. Again, some analysis
of ihe two comedies entitled Dillingham;, =
or OF the comedy "Gli Ingannati refers to
places where such may be found.
Mr.. Hazlitt modestly calls his book second
edition OF the collection Of Mr.. Collier, whose
title he takes, but it is in fact new work,
being differently arranged and much wider in
its scope, so that it really supersedes two dis
speare's Library" and Nichols "Six, Old
Plays" 1t will be of great use to those who
go to it for what they may want, but those
who read the various tracts for the first time
will obtain little or no critical assistance from
the editor. Mr.. Collier wrote prefaoes for
the articles included by him, and these Mr..
Hazlitt has reprinted, but he has added
little of his own We may mention one
instance of this lack Of sufficient informa-
ton. In the second volume we find the
History Of Macbeth reprinted from
Hoinshed's "History Of Scotland" but
there is no mention of the fact that Shak-
speare also used the History of King Duffe,
who reigned nearly century before Mac
beth's time. As to Lady Macbeth, he took
the first hint from Holinshed's account of
Macbeth's wife-"but specialize his wife lay
sore upon him to attempt the thing, as she,
that was verie ambitious, burning in un-
quenchab desire to beare the name Of
queene." It is, however, only there stated in
a few words that Macbeth slew King Duncan,
and the details Of the murder he obtained
from the other story where Donwald, Soap
tame of the Casteil of Eores !" proceeds to
kill Duffe under the instigation of his wife,
who, "as one that bore no Jesse malice in her
heart toward the king, counselled him to
make him awaie, and showed MIN the meanes
whereby he might soonest accomplish it. +"
Donwald being thus "kindled into wrath by
the words of his wife, determined to follow
her advice" But it was not the character of
Lady Macbeth only that Shakespeare drew
from this source he borrowed also the cir
cumstances of the murder and the natural
prodigies that followed it.
IL, ;,o1. -
virtues of the wares they introduce to the
public, but Mr.. Hazlitt gives us understand
that the contents of his book are sad trash,
that the only interest they possess consists in
their association with Shakespeare This is
certainly harsh Judgment for the editor
might have pointed out the merits Of several
Of the stories; but he does not reverse, and
writes:
shakespeare also found it possible to Gre
ate out of such crude stuff as Greene's Pan
dosto and Lodges sHosalind such master
pieces of structure and fancy as the win
ter's Tale and AS You Like It. Much the
same is to be said of his metamorphosis of
8 Romeo and Juliet, where his only ostensi-
bic resource lay became Painters dull tale
md Brooke's duller poem
In answer to this passage we might hint that
g Winters Tale, written in the authors latest
period when he seems to have forgotten some
If his experience of stage business is not
masterpiece Of structure, however beautiful
t may be in other respects, but it will, per-
laps, be sufficient to point out that Mr.. Col
Ter says that Shakespeare's general obliga-
ions to Lodges "Rosalyne" afford a high
ribute to its excellence, and that Mr..
Iazlitt agrees with this valuation in a
tote on page 4. Many persons seem
o think that is is deroga DRY to the fame of
,ur great poet to acknowledge any merit in
he works from which he drew his plots. but
We believe that any one who will take the
rouble to 60 carefully through these volumes
will arrive at different conclusion. The i'm
measurable superiority of Shakespeare to his |
models are so clear and undisputable that we |
an surely afford to be generous to those who |
vrote the simple airs that helped him in the |
imposition of his marvellous symphonies.
1t is a great help to us in forming an |
pinion on Shakespeare's mode of work to |
lotice the close manner in which at times he |
ollowed his authority, and the wide |
divergence he allowed himself in others. We
nay instance as examples two plays that can |
veil run in couples-both are deep tragedies;
he interest OF both is entirely conferred in the |
eroes and heroines, and both exhibit intense
ove as their main object. In "Romeo and |
uliet" Shakespeare followed Brooke's poem
aore faithfully perhaps than any Of his
models, and in "Othello" he had merely the
are outline of story to work upon. 1t
7ould take too much space to indicate the
keness between Brooke's poem and Shakes
cares play, but it will be enough to point out
hat most of the incidents Of the play are to
g found in the poem, and that nearly all the
ames are the same in both. The following
xtract will give an idea Of Brookes style, aud
the same time show how far Shakespeare
as indebted to him for the favorite character
the apothecary:
n apothecary seat unbused at his doore,
HON by his heavy countenance he gessed to
be poore,
nd in his shop he saw his boxes we're but fewe,
nd in his window (of his wares there was so
small shew,
therefore, our Romeus assuredly hath thought
hat by no friendship could be got, with money
should be bought.
Or needy is lyke the poore man to compell
sell that which the cities lave forbiddeth him
to sell.
hen by the hand he drew the nedy man apart,
i'd with the sight of glittering gold infamed
hath his hart, i
Ike iftie crownes (quoth he), geve them thee (
that before l part from hence thou straight {
deliver me,
mme poison strong. that may in less than
halle an how're