The sun., 1881-01-30
shnIc.peare's Mind and Art.

Under the ahOyO title the HarperS nave
published in It's complete and original form
Dr. EDWARD DowDES's critical study OF Shake
spcare whose main conclusions we're briefly set
forth in n Shakespeare primer from the same
hand issued by the Apuletons. Ia notice OF
tn at handbook we indicated somo OF the authors
attempts TO trace in his works tho widening
and deepening OF Shakespeares mind and the
gradual periectng OF his artistic methods. The
principles OF criticism adopted by Mr.. Dowdcn
in these researches. which have placed him In
the front rank OF Shnkespearesn scholars. are
summed up BY himself in { couple o!sentences.
He begins by accepting the dictum OF Matthew
Arnold that all works Of art arc to be first tried
by their art qualities. 10 wit. their inaGe-iorm-
ing power and their dramatic. pictorial.
plot-constructnR. euphonious. and other
talents. But he asserts further. that when
ever claiming to be flrst-elass works they
must be tried by a second standard. after tho
first test concerning technical perfection has
been successfully met. They are next. In other
words. to be strictly and sternly tried by their
foundation in and radiation lin the highest sense
and always indirectly OF the ethical principles
and by their eligibility to free. arouse. dllate."
As regards Shakespeare's radiation through art
OF the ultimate truths OF conscience and OF con-
duct. Mr. Dowdcn finds IN admirable exposition
OF his own views in sentence by Emerson "A
good reader can. in a sort, nostle into Plato's
brain and think from thence but not into
Shakospeare's. We are still out OF doors" In
connection with this eliminating thought OF
Mr.. Dowden's, we may note ono or two
points in tho parallel which the author draws
between Bacon and Shakespeare. and which
should suffice to retute from Internal evidence
the Groteslue theory OF Bacon's authorship Of
the plays. We arc reminded that while Bacon's
81 Al, 81 ~, al a., thn
universe was for his time extraordinarily de-
veloped he seems practically 20 have acted
upon the theory that tho moral laws OF the
world are not memorable. but rather by tactics
and dextcrity may be clcverly ovadej Their
supremacy. on tho other hand. was anknOwl.
edged 10y Shakespeare in the minutcst rs well
Gs in the greatest concerns of human life.
Again, Bncon's superb intellect WAS neither
disturbed nor impollcd by tho promptings OF
his heart. OF perfect friendship or OF perfect
love, he is pronounced Incapable. wh"rens
fhakrs spe9rc. necording 70 our author. yielded
his whol, being 70 boundIcss and measureless
devotion, reachiug to the ultimate truths of
humnn lilo mud character through n supreme
ana in'lEisi"lo energy oi love. Imagination. and
thought
=, 1t s,,ews t" US That tho weakest rart Of Mr..
DoTdrn's hook is his Il 'srussiou OF tho English
h'stor.cUl piays. lis is not content with affirm
! ing tlih each - tho prominent historical prr-
sonnGes depleted by the drama,ist was dis
| tnrt syumelrirtl conception in tho poet =
mind. He constantly oyinces disposition 10
| EsNHt Tor Shake, ,prHrns portraits minute
! uI'uIy 70 ihr linramSntS OF tho originals for
which. it seems 10 us there is anything hut his
| i"-i'"l warrant. Wa may dismiss the cOsn oI
| ktus Inn. because, although Prof. SuLbss
| rstlWWn Of that monarch differs considerably
! from ShnNtepenro's, malerialS are lackluE tor
| the tormatqn Of u decided opinion. Perhaps
in kienarA II. Shakespeare com,s nearest TO n
! correct intuition Of probdmntic char.
| a"tcr whose complex nu'urs has boen
| Etlehty unrayrlrd by AUTHENTIC, history,
| Ihnt ShakesDcarrs sketch OF Henry V.
| psychological resemblance to the real character
| oi tho man, is no longer open to dispute.
| Neither Is 1t doubtful that the drnmntist nlto-
| gelher underrated Edward w., seeing nothing
| n2cd as having bsen tho most profound and
| suhtls politician OF his day. 1t was not tho
accident OF birth. hut tho possession Of superior
| INTELLECT by tho heir OF tho House OF York that
bro!her's lifetime. That Shakespeare took the
| traditional Wow Of Richard III. and entirely
| failed TO notice tho large political and
social hmeliorations by which ths usurprr
We think Mr.. Dowden would SH 9haSeH'SoIn, have done
better to acknowledge Shakespearo's diver
gence from the truths Of history, ns to which
| Inll information was not accessible in his day.
| The readers attention would thus have boen
| concentrated on the skill with which the post' b
| historically defective but artisticaly rounded
conceptlon Is worke out. We regret also that
| tassed over the interesting questions raisod by
| ShaRespeareB apparent want OF sympathy
| WIN the mass Of the English people
| whose sonial mserins gave riso to violent up.
| henNnls during tho fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries, The rttituh" 90 SrHEnsp.nrr townri
| those ngrArinn movements anil class punilirs
| ought not 10 bo overlooked IN any nit -,.pf ,u
measure MS intellectual ami etHunal h,t 2uu,