The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-22
IMPERFECT sYMPATHIEs. .

IMPERFECT sYMPATHIEs."
| We frankly confess that we have never read
| the Religio Medici, and therefore should never
have fallen upon the following passage had it
not been made the text Of one of the finest of
| Charles Lambs Incompatible essays.
| Says the author of Religio Medici: 81 ana
of o constitution so general, that 1t eonsorts
and sympathizeth with all things; have no
antipathy, Or rather idiosyncracy In any
thing. Those natural repugnances do not
touch me, nor do behold with prejudice the
French, italian, Spaniard, or Dutch"
With Charles Lamb-and it is wonderfully
assuring and comforting to have the sympa-
thy Of the ''gentle Ella" in this rude confess
sion-we differ essentially from the author OF
the Religio Mediei In this respect. Preiu-
dices, even honest ones, have come to be
looked on in this nineteenth century as very
unreasonable and disreputable things. For
this reason we prefer to quote "Elias" own
words, and agree with them, to making a
profession in our own language. Says he:
For myself-earth-b bound and fettered to
the scenes Of my activities
Standing on earth. not rapt above the sky.
| confess that do feel the differences of man.
KIND. - Whatever is, Is to me a matter
Of taste or dstaste; or when once It becomes
Indifferent it begins to be Establishing.
ELLA" goes on to illustrate his falling by in
stancing his dislike of Scotchmen, Jews and
eluakers. These were personal idiosyncra-
cles with which we need have no sympathy
In order to justly those we confess to. Men
differ in the objects Of their likes and dis
likes, and the testimony of ELLA" merely
serves to console us with the belief that feel
ings akin to those natural to SO sweet a nature
as his can not be altogether debased and
shameful; that man may say, when ar
raigned az Shylock was
- I'll not answer that:
but say 1t IL my humor."
ELLA" had his antipathies, just as there
are other men who have theirs-differing
from his, but not less honest.
Some men there are love not a gaping pig:
Aud others. when the bag pipe sings L the nose.
Cannot contain their wrine; for affection,
m distress Of passion, sways It to the mood
vi what 1t likes, or loaths."
So, like Lamb, we have our antipathies-
honest as his we believe and therefore as
stubborn and unconQuerable. We can
thoroughly understand him when he says
81 have met with my moral antipodes. and
can believe the story of two persons meeting
(who never saw one another before in their
lives) and instantly fighting" This feeling
is most strongly and viciously aroused in us
against those people who set themselves up
as critics, or the authors of Lamentations. %
OF Shakespeare. With this class Of people
we have no manner of patience. We always
feel like venting on them old Burton's favorite
malediction: "Hei is block-a stone out Nu,nes, |
nut NebuchadnesseT- q gourd for q |
head, a pepon for heart" For this reason |
we like Charles Knight, the best of all the
5hakesperean scholars. He always ap-
proaches his subject with tenderest love and
jhe humility-not abjectness-of worshpful /
q reverence that exalts and never
1ebases. 1t hurts him to see q change Of the
Did text, even when reason apparently COM
nends 1t. He has @ childlike, simple, touch
ng faith that the day will yet come when the
ieep mystery OF the apparent absurdity will
'e revealed with q new and startling mean
ng. He even manifests sort Of enmity and
prejudice against the Glossary, which he
ooks on as vicious effort to translate the
simple strength" of the old bard into our
modern fantastical jargon.
We can but quote single one of Charles
Knights notes to Hamlet, as an illustration of
he wrathful resentment he always felt
gainst those rigidly literal critics of Shake
peare, who insist On translating for us the
Weetest and simplest touches of the old
which we so heartily sympathize.
The passage and note are as follows:
There's O divinity that shapes our ends.
Rough heW them how We will"
Philosophy as profound as it Is beautiful
avs the uninitiated reader of Shakespeare
sut he that is endued with the wisdom OF the
Commentators will learn how easy it is to
Mistake for philosophy and poetry what only !
roceeded from the very vulgar recoIlections
( an ignorant mind. cdr. Farmer informs ]
ne" says Stevens, shat these words are
eerely technical A woodman, butcher and ]
ealer in skewers lately observed to him that
is nephew ian idle laD could only assist him {
1 making them; he could rough hen them. I
ut l was obliged to shape their ends. To Y
hape the ends of skewers, a.e, to point them, !
equires degree of skill; any one can rough {
ew them. Who ever recollects the pro
'ssson of Shakespeares father will admit I
lat his son might be no stranger to such
erms. have frequently seen packages of s
'ool pinn'd up with skewers !i'' {
For the very reason that we SO love Charles .
might have we found it difficult to forgive :
poor Goldy," even loving and tender as he
'as for pointing out the inconsistencies of !
lomlets soliloquy-the absurdity of taking +
p arms-even as Mrs. Darlington did her l
a sea Of troublesr' En- g
ufie,ttheSis We have ALWAYS hold that thio
as an unjust criticism, since the word "sea" {
a just and common smile to express the
eneral idea of multitude-a sea of men. of
q army-oceans Of spondulicks of bond
older. But to resume: For this same rea- 9
On we have always utterly and absolutely :
ated Sam Johnson-and do to this dav T
espise him-for his notes on Shakespeare )
FOrtunately-we are generous In On VIM A