The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-15

religions whose ferment produced that condition
Of nations and beliefs which became 80 strangely
favorable to the new dcspensation Of Christ taxing
root among the peoples OF the earth.
swINBURNE's ''sTUDY OF SHAKESPEARE"
Whatever is written by Mr.. Agernon Charles
Swinburne deserves respectful attention for its
thought as well its expression His prose has
all the vgor Of his verse, and there is heartiness
about his opinions which challenges discussion and
attracts admiration. ii at times his tone becomes
bombastic and his attitude staggering. His praise
though eloquent becomes often fulsome, while his
blame though incisve easily passes from bitterness
to Billingsgate. But this relates to his manner.
which is drawn from his excitable temperament,
while his matter. which results from the action of
q rare intelligence upon the fruits of wido and
deep study. is almost wholly excellent. His
volume. ga Study Of Shakespeare" Qa Worthing-
toni will therefore, be warmly greeted by the liter
airy world well by Che lovers OF Shakespeare,
who, by the way. include at this dav the world Of
literature the whole contains its parts. The study
proper is divided into three parts. two of which
have already appeared in the pages of the Fortghy.
The added third and appendix containing Mote
on the Historical Play of King Edward ILL.,. together
with savage buresque upon the proceedings Of the
"Newest Shakespeare Society,"" whose points will
not be clearly caught here form the portions of
the work. The aim of the author IL broadly sketched
Simply to set down what the writer believes to be
certain demonstrable truths to the progress and
development of style. the outer and inner changes of
manner as of matter OF method as OF design which
may be discerned in the work OF Shakespeare.
IL is no part my project my hope to establish
the of any among the various plays or to
determine. point by point the lneal order of their
succession. 1t 10 impossible to fix decide
by inner or outer evidence the precise order pro-
duction much less of composition, = but it
is quite possible to SHOW that INC work OF Shake
serve to distinguish and determine as by land
marks tho several stages or periods OF his mind and
art
After fierce onslaught upon tho German COM
mentators the verbal emendators, verse caculators
arithmetical and rule Of finger and thumb critics
and guossers. almost in fact all who have vcntured
hitherto TO consider Shakespeare and his works.
cept such as were themselves poets. namely-Cole-
ridge Goethe. Hugo and little OF Lamb. we learn
what Mr.. Swinburnes divisions In form he
coneiders Of most Importance tho periods when he
he had not yet followed Marlowe out of the rhyming
school, the later period when he had almost wholly
enamel patcd himself from rhyme and writing
his purest blank and latest whom. risen to
Olympian heights or plunged into Tartaroan depths
OF passion his voice OF song Numbered with super
human vehomence and indispensable beauty. In
choice Of subject and treatment his divisions
and romantic To the middle period Of Shake.
speares work he pays the greatest attention. There
hc finds THAT the language of Shakespeare is most
limped in its fulness. the style most pure. tho
thought most transparent through the close and
luminous raiment OF perfect expression" Here no
finds 1.-THE greatest of his English histories and four
of his most perfect comedies" three lesser
dies. single masterpiece. tho first sketch
"of that which is commonly regarded as
the typical and supreme work of Shake
speare." In the English histories" these
the trilogy-"Hcnry w." and Henry w." liking
john Henry VIII" The four great comedies
are 'The Merchant of Venice" Much Ado About
Nothing" "As You Like IT, and Twelfth Night"
The masterpiece is Julius Cesar" and ..IIamlet"
was first sketchcd in this period. In the third Dc
Rod, where the mighty thought at times became too
great for perfect utcrance, lie discovers the hgnrcs
of Lear. Othelo. Macbeth. Coriolanus, Antony.
Timon.
Only in the SUMMER distance beyond, where the
sunset of Shakespeare's imagination seems to melt
or fow back into the sunrise, do we discern Pros
pero beside Miranda, Florizel by Perdita. Pslanon