New-York tribune., 1877-01-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
WIT, HUMOR AND SHAKESPEARE BY JOHN WE1ss.
l2no. Pr. AIS. Roberts Brothers.

limo. PIP. AS. Roberts Biothera
Mr.. Weiss makes excellent use of some of
shakespeare representative characters for the ilustra-
uof his peculiar theories OF wit and humor His work
not onIy enters into profound discussion OF the prin
Cres of the subject, but presents curious soro OF
comic specimens, ao dug the vivacy OF iect5ook'
combined with the acueness Of philosophical treatise
In his opinion tbe high point Of view from when the
question DC approached is found Ia the TACT mat 0i
all The animals, My man, who is their paragon is
capahe of lauehter He alone possesses the complete
Development Of essential TO at process Blanche
and Tray have rulmcnary mint of the expression but
it goes beyond simper Not that the so
called lower animals destitute OI the sense W hir,h
TIE white said to enjoy sliding down hl on
Their hauuchcs with zest as the boys with ther
sleds on the ley pitches OF Boston Common The Cana
dian otter loves TO do the same thing. I9 9ing Nat
OF the topof ridge he bends back his fore legs
and pushing with the hind, makes the slippery descent
The beavers Alaska lind pleasant sport IN to cHecis
of gymnastics. The California wnat loves l" play III 'no
shoals where surf breaks. Seals have srhia TASTE
Examples OF the thing III other animals may We
adduced without number But Of them come nearer
20 the act Of laughter than the 10 compare Objects
and make selections But tns, aiiirms Mr. "esS' Is 'e
groundwork OF Wit. Its highest expressions proceed
from the faculty Of COnltini 4 or CONTRASTING '"oo'
,not. objects The first element ludcrcus is me
surprise caused by something which interrupts oi n"
As tlo ordinary procedure. We laugh when PEI son
over the head o veutuYes0me female because an CRUZ
uo,jtiop Is te natural ouo FOR and pioIee.hS
umbrella TIC SAFEGUARD This Ia the secret O
puns which coustrain different ideas III" an a''
dental relation with WOrd wbCn one spcahhS 10
Ihackeray OF q man OF talent mOrdltaiciI auuc'eu l"
beer remarked what pity ii was as thcy hard! Ane"
his equal YES" replied tie ready -"l'ed novelist
take him for huli-audhaif. neer SHAH look upon MS
Ike caiu" " Or to refer TO instance not mentioned Dy
the author when gentleman receiving his Oh IfOlA
a fashionable tailor under Fdth Avenue ho"i' t.
marked: have here new copy OF Laws sclOGs
Call" But all pure Mr.. Weiss contends is born III
the imagination and finds its tue expression III the
sniles of poetry Tie marrow OF his book, however IN
not found in his ingenious disquLSsti"us on the na
tnr. q vii and humor. il is only when we como
70 his iuc snayscs character IN The persons o she-
spets Lcro!ucs thSt We learn 10 appreciate TIE subeJ
Of his genius ana MS pIOiUuudncsS Oi thought Inc
chapters entitled women and Men: h1 ~, HeioL'''
Imogen. COustducc;' "POrtia;' Helena, Orhola;
"B.oudo Women: Lady Macbeth" exhibit Tie flltS o.
keen bs,ryai!, deep reflection, aud rare insight INTO
The mysteries of wOmans intellectual and passioal eX-
isence No critical students Of Shakespeare since Co-
ridge and Nh r. II. Dana have thrown 50 inst ana 81
brilliant light the feminine element la his creations
a. meets the eye OF he reader IN these lucid pages
Some of the uOUtA of modern tunes, Mr weiss
remarks. have complained Of ehakcspcare's women IS
destitute OF character and suScIyicut 20 the viii OF The
dominant se4. alleged that Shakespeare heNerfoie-
told better woman ,bccausehe lacked au ideal
of humanity and HE lat no structure on the great dran-
at,t could be unjust than this. With Slakesear',
Nj Weiss nds woman began lor the hfst tlne 10
exist in literature he in truth discovered woman, ana
took note of her generic pecuhary Which uphoids he
specific differences Of individual women. They all came
faIth 10 him sur ly as flowers to the sum Each OF
them is rooted I'm the ground OF Sex hut each
shows in the blossom meditation that Is her "Wh' ."
thai although each woman Is brief OF "onahkho'
she IA also a woman may BE designated by some one
OF Shakc~l learcs Not that Shakespeare
has dchncated all the varieties OF women which Mature
Is cauablo Of producing. He has 10 daughters 0
The people like ECnOHts Clara and Faust's Margaret
which are conceptions OF later datc. bu'
tlry are al! implied in the quality Of his women NJ
fresh style OF woman be invented that does rot rest
on the essential woma1ness which Shakespeare has de
scrbed lie has struck tie chord TO which the heart OF
woman ybrites throughout the grand symphony Of life
MI Wcse's comments as rule, the fruit of rcbtc-
ton and philosophical analysis. He is never initiative
never superficial. never commonplace But MS thongh
is weighed IN a delicate balance than his Language
In the comparison OF ideas lie j. fine and subtle, anos
10 painful degree, but his words impusiNe, often
even cTatic His fancy furnishes him with Illustrations
from every region OF tho universe but 1t Oicn tcpis
him 10 Bohemian excursions in which he can eXpa-
tate with loose attire, and indulge in frantic imagery
and verbal cscapades which have precedent In iter
ture and foundation in good taste Thus, III speaking
relations OF Socrates ana nlN ccnllc CONSULT
Wos remarks that II the philosopher sometimes forgot
his dinner il might perhaps have been that lie supPed
many time upon the LcmlOck Of Xantippes tongue,
and brca!nc so accimacd TO tAe drulat that the last
cup in PRISON tasted swcctiy." Again. describing the
way in vhcl certain famous actresses interpret Shake
spearcs portraituye Of Lady Macbeth, Mr. Weiss says
"Tho verses protrudc like claws OF tigers; they clutch
and rcEd yuu may expect TO Oyerhear the tapping
The lower Jaw of this conception Is too square; the
tccth of it are TOO rccntrssy closed upon victim
There is not an unOccuried space cheek or brow
where love can coonze for all tho space is prenpted
bv Il rayin TO glut lust for power" These are the
yacarics Of a OF genius who gives fee license to
hi imagination in defiance Of the chaste restraints o
literary sanity But let no uplearDed and unwse reader
infer from this that Mr.. Weisse book is NOT production
of curious interest and singular value whatever his
trant lights OF fancy, he bas near 10 the very
heart OF sakosp His worship OF the great bard is
genuine idoatry but II is founded deep insight and
clear perceUti0n although the altar Is sometimes deco
rat,d with fantastic and unseemly ornaments.