The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-04

tt<ks - &ttt&F& >s>4&S&3I&8fN VI &&4&41t<E Shakespeare O sonc gal. For it recognizes the universaIisy of shakes peare's genius, his knowledge of mans hear, his wisdom, his sympathy, his felicity of thought and expression. And this il does in DO vague, general way. but in specific terms Consider them SAakes- peaTe's dramas are not only to the life, bu, so grained to the life that they serve us for daily commentaries upon all the acton of our lives We are told that ~s may so. and do go, to Shakespeare to ap- PIsaend oa:seises, @ learn the relation that exists between us and the weald with out us, 10 understand what we do. and why we do Il. ard what we are. And this IS the secret of SaakespeaEe's hold upon mankind. Literature has little value ex- oep, as a revelation ot man to himself In rue poetry that revelation becomes oracular; in dramatic poetry of the ideal sor, It attains it's higAesf expression. Now, m this highest form of this revela- iion of man 10 himself, Shakespeare stands supreme. His plays serve for common commentaries upon the acuons. upon ali the actions, of our lives. That IS hIs supremacy. that his sign and token oi power. !, has rich garnishmen, and splendid uappirgs of beauty. but that IS ,he krhs,aroe ef Il ard to thts setting forth ot II .~o centuries and three quarters ago, nothing substantial has been added.
 Nc; t;wculd seem that nothing should be lacking ;c the petfectaess of the frs, appreciation of Shakespeare, ihe,c vas sdee' ;o ,his exposition of his quality A srii,ng forth ot the nature et me spell which he oas; upon the world Thi,,s cortairea n the dec araiio1 tha, heavy ~i'tec ~otl5l nls. coming to the repre- seaiaion CT reading of Shakespeare dramas. have found that ~.; there ,h a, they never found F themselves, and have parted better ~i,ied than they came" l-; Ii be remembered ,ha, wit then ln- clneed both WI, and wisdom. as we use the words, and could there be more comprehensive co exhibi, than this of the effect et the worthy reading of Shakes peare, or of Its s,feages, allurement to the reader Ne go to Shakespeare 10 i,nd m him the Wii ard ;he wisdom that we have no, n ourselves and we part. ot ,hink we part. from him wiser and wi,,ier than when VIC came. My acquaintance with the wofk ot the anatomis,s and euiealsts oi William Shakespeare have revealed io me nothing that Is nc, said or implied in Brn lonson criticism. and Tn that of this prologues to '' Trsilas and Cressida Leave him his truth and strength of characterization. his vividness of dramatic speech and action, his im- agination, his pathos, his humor his poser in the tender and his power m the terrible, in all of which qualities he IS un- surpassed. and in most oi which he ,s un- equaled; bu, take from him his speciality of using language in such . way as 10 make poetry a comment upon all the ae- t..-is of our lives. and us unconscious of ~ and wisdom m h.s presence do ,his and he Shakespeare supreme. the dnsp- proachabie, IS gone.
 Shakespeares mind surely had m it something of ,he quality which, having np other name for Il, we call divine for |; seems to have been an exhaus,less source of kno~ledEe. of wisdom, and oi beauty. Yet something ii had very hu- man. too. and sometimes very weak and poor mortal error and mere human eross. But lci us scnIp the afiec ton that would say, Were i, no, so he would be too good and gfeat for sympathy and love" Nothing IS too good and great fer man io love and worship. although, like the greatest intellect the world has seen. he may sometimes weakly or wiokediy fall away from wha, he knows ,ha, he should love and worship.
 Shakespeare in his supremacy stands fsr above ,tc deterioration of his weak ne-ses aEsi the contamination of his faults. The~ high-heaved peak of hts lonely genius oieaves the cool serene, no less dazzling pure, no less golden-,ouehed with the light of heaven, because of lens and marshes al is base. Around ii his great thoughts sweep on mighty wings. none the less majestic because there are foul and venomous creatures creeping be- low. To him our eyes turn when we need such counsel, such comfort, such delight, as surpasses ,ha, which seems mere counsel. mere comfort, mere deiigh,
 such as transcends all other moral good and mental pleasure. The more we know him the more we find him not quite all movable He is the only writer who car be to us in one brief half-hour our tester, our singer. our friend. our con- soier. our prophe, bu, never our priest our sage ourselves. There is no mood of our lives ;ha, vas TO. a mood of his mno no sorrow or Ioy of our hearts that WAS no; sorrow or oy of his brain. His intellect was the abstract of humanity His IS the only fame enrolled upon the ages which .s not only withou, rival, but which no one would hope to rival The chosen people had only three kings. ca of whom ~as prominent for certain qualities Shakespeare in his intellectual royalty suggests them all The Saul Of literature, he stands head and shoulders abov: even the brothers Of his kingly blood like David. be is the poet of a race and ye; of all ces, and moreover, one who. seeking he means of content, found the crown of immortality: like Solomon, he IS ~ise ~i,h a wisdom which has enlightened the whole world. Like each and all Of these, nho must be united to be his prototype, he is not sIthnu,