The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-08
Judith Shakespeare.

Pastor Plymouth Congreg ationM Church.
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 Judith Shakespeare
 Louisville Times
 In "Judith Shakespeare Mir. Black has succeeded in bringing before the render ,n . more palpable and real form than u ts elsewhese to be found life at S.ratfosd upon-Avon in Shakespease's . ume. All the scansy materials in the story of the poet, all the tradition and doAting lore that loving and careful re- search has gathered, are skilltully and naturally used to give color and life 10 the old fashioned picture. The ronaAnoes has literally thro~n himself in,o the period, and in this story oa the glowing and lovely Judith he has shown us com. p.ese web oi his The shading and the perspective, the ioassr and the lesses sounds of this most English oi English villages the echoes of far-ofi, roasing londou; the passing villagers, the stroll- ing young gallant from London, the ancient cottage dame yes, even the great Shakespeare himself, are rendered with the touch ot nature. This is the mosl daring of enterprises 10 set Shakespeare before us, Yet it has its compensation. ] too for the topic of itself exciies our in- terest. Wisely enough Mir. Black has in. deed not attempted to draw n detail the poets character. He is enly felt in the story. We hear him throogh oshers when he speaks himself. which is seldom. he is called JudHhs father" The Shakespeare whom we sec is the ShAkss- p are ot mature hie. He ,s the country gentleman, the farmer. prospeso ls Abou, to lay down his wand. He is. tho. the reAective Shakespeare. the observer it is TAine who says thaa this .s truly the poet. and that behind the mask of the melancholy Jacen.-" = .ee his own face. H"~ all things give h,m delight, the fresh, 1nspaalt youth of hts own Judith, the sweet beauty of hts little grand daughter. the ehlld oi SusAnns Hall, even the nonsense of the poor dotards of the village. Hts mind and heart are open to all kindly influences. He pesceives and gasheu impressions like the poet. Save by his character he scarcely seems 70 be a moving force in makes us feel how great and honosed, even by those who love not the goddess play-actors, is Master Shakespeare. Judith herself Is boldly, uuly and warmly painted. She is Rosalind The other characters of the story are less sucoess- fully dope, though Tom Qaincy and the Hathaway g ssndmethss ase well skete he'd Prudence, the Puritan maid, is too timid aud something conventional. Master BlAise, the Puritan preacher, Is both eoArse and feeble in outline, and the gssdeneI Of Shakespeare makes the te~ dull pAssages in the book. We do not see but only hear of Ann Hathaway, the mother of the family. apparently of Il tic weight and engaged h feeding the travel ,ng preachers ia descriptions oi scenery Mir. Black is himself 10 this romance and delightful. The beautiful helds and streams and flowers of green England-- dewy and vesdans s--stsft into liis before us under the varying sk,es oi warw,ck- shire. It is lske a rich Engiish picture by Constable os delicateiy fsesh canvas by fsoughton.
 To have done % much makes oss 70. gTes that William Blsck has not done more. In the higher sense, "Judiih Shakespeare is not success like Kenilvorth," or komolo." or The CioisseS and the Hearth" it wants action. t movss too slowly The assiss has overcome the ssosy-l<.ies. 4 siosy of Shakespeare's daughter should be not a successful artistic revival, bat first of all story, dramatic tale of human loys and woes. The author can not ressst the temptation 10 l,nger over the picturesque features, the hali tinss and nsslio~ Auss, the flowing pageaDss, the quaint attire of this mos, romantic epocn of English detail of the Shzkespeasean period viii not quarrel wifh Mir. Black ios this, and il bshooves us so be grateful sos tale which, although infssios io Macleod os