New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-23
HARPER.


A curious specimen of tracing literary ped
igree to remote source is found in the " Editors
Drawer" in which the writer undertakes to show that
tbe trlc orinal Of Mrs Malaprop IS not to DC di'coy
cred in Theodore Hooks Ram-bo'tom Papors." nor yet
I'm Sbcridans Rivals" hut that she is the legitimate &c
seendant OF shakesp immortal DOgberry. He puts
the case rather pausiby follows: " II We conp9re
the features Of Mrs alaurOp and his Ptinsion with
those their great ancestor in Sahespeares Nh lao
About NoGiu.g We shall recognize The Tnnistakdac fam
ily likeness which rrocaius them of one kim The sole
difference that di,ccrnihc il VIII bc found is no more
than might have expected the difference III sex be
ing con dered there is the gucessnoss, simple
ity innocent rccnuou and absence Of trick and
consciousness They are honest to the core and mean
what they say, although their way OF saying It may
strike one as oddly deficient in the particular OF exact
accuracy First, Jet peruse tie features OF honest
Dogberry and the lines Of resemblance TO his dis
tingshed modern daughters, when lie enters upon the
scene with Vcrgcs and delivers his famous charge to
the watch after inquirNa with p0udcIoLs gravity,
Who think yOu to De the most desaresS man to be con
stahler Observe the weight Of magst'ral care that
sits on his candid brow when he turns TO his neSnbor
Seacoal and delivers this imperishahle charge, 'You
are thought here be the seaSccsS and lit man for
the constable OF the watch therefore bear yo the Ian
tern This is your charge: You shall comprehend all
rGgrOm men, Ard again 'Nou shall also make 10
noise the streets for for the watch 20 habbe and talk
is most toler0bic and not 10 be endured Aitorward
70 that nobleman the mares nest the watch have dis
covered Dogberry replies Leouatos inquiry, What
would you with me, honest neighbour Marry, Sir,
would have confluence with you, that decer"s you
nearly Then, when Ncrles viii he talking OF his being
AS honest as any man living that is old man. and
honester than H. Dogbery cuts short the warp OF his
discourse with, Comparisons are odor0"s; palabras
spanish for few w0rds neighbor Nergcs' SO when
Leonao wearied with the important nofhings Of his Wis
itors excaims 'Neighbors, you arc tedious what
genuine forotaste of Mrs Malaprop and Mrs Darlington
combined is contained in Docberys finely courteous re-
ply: II peases your worship say So but we are tic
poor dukes dukes poor officers; but truly, for mine
own part II tedi0Hs kiag, coWd Gad ia
INV heart beStolc all y0t coIGhl Finally, when
the patience OF LconatO is exhausted and he declares,
must leave YOU Dogberry comes TO the point which he
had so long been Intellectually aboIng TO reach by going
away from il One word, Sir: watch, Sir have i'll
deed coDPrehendd two aspc,tS persons and we would
have them this morning examined before your worship
Finally in the prison scene, where the aspci0us per
sons brought before Dogbery how he outFarngtcs
Mrs. Darlington, trans-Alaaprops Mrs Mldprop, and
proves satisfactorily that none but himself could be
his parallel Imposnslv aroyed in h' Official gown, he
exclaims with oephantine dignity, Is our whole disscn-
blu appearedP And when the CLERK OF the quorum
or custos rotulorum inquiries, Which be tie male
factorsl he responds, with PLACID sclf-c0npia-
ency Marry nat am and ny p0riner' showing him
self to be not only master of the Use of words in mis-
taken sense but an adept in the msappcaiOn Of those
used by others. Later in the examination, when one
of the watch testified that BOracho had pircd with
Count Claudio Hero and not marry her, honest
Doe, Try ind gnatOn found TO his perpetual honor
in these deatlcss words, o villain! thou wilt be CON
dernned into everlasting yedemption for this Bat the
erownlug glory of DOgberry is contained IN The ecac
monolcgue which he utters when Ccnrade disfespeeiu
fellow calculated, Away you are an ass, you are an
ass 'DOst thou not suspect my piaccF lie exclaimed
with rueul dignity. Dost thou not SUSPECT ny years p
de- dawn - I'm
masters remember that an an ass: though it be not
written down, yet forget not that am an assNo thou
villain thou full Of p as sha'lDe proved upon thee
by good witness am wise fellow, and, which is more,
an officer; ami, which is more, q h1nStholderi and,
which more as pretty piece of flesh any in Mo-
sna; and one that knows the law, g to- and rich fe
low enough 20 10; and fellow that hath had losses ana
one that hath two gowns, and everything handsome
about bim.-Briug him away that had been wit
down-an assv >" The eighteenth chapter of Castcar's
"RepubIcan Movement in Europe" continues the dis
cussion Of the religious ideas OF the Germanc
treating especially Of the latest doctrines OF strauss ANA
the physical science OF the present century in its relation
20 theology. The fryd eOqucucc Of the writer VIII call
the sympathy of many readers. while it does not
impair the ceaness and force Of his lucid cNposit0n
Tie genesis Of the modern theory Of the transformation
II species Is thus stated:
This maierialist philosophy from which God, the
soul aud the idea are forever absent had Us o an
ancient predecessors in the science Of the Greeks La
mark Frenchman, was the first 10 point out that sc-
ces were developed through progressive cyOutions The
immense authority Of Cuyier GscIedtcd TN, theory IN
spite OF lis having appeared again in IT. iiilafe, umtl
Darwin came revive after twenty years OF ObscINa
tons and study in his wonderful book u the O-leh OIL
Species go,
IN Germany this doctrine had forcUuners, and still
has adherents VINO extend aud pusl 70 extremes Ire,
Nauus regarded tie zOOphyte The root Of me Tree OF
organism, whose most perfect fruit IS the human braln
Oxen gives the same origin TO all beings, says tley grow
transform Themselves one INTO another, ind all c0niln-
aiy ascend q superior life Goethe, whose studies on
Drauc beings much mcritJriOuS and profound
tsan Lis studies upon light declares IL the McaIor-