The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-02
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
A sREAr sHAKEsPEAREAS CRITIC.
ghsobaid 10 the Writer to Whom the
Creates, of English roests Is Most In
debted-An Accomplished Scholar.

Iheobald is rot only the fsther OF
Shakespcarcan criticism, but the critic to
whom our great poet is most deeply in
6ebted. To speak OF any OF the cigh-
teenth century editors in the same breatl;
with him is absurd. He had what none
OF them possessed--a fine ear for the
rhythm of blank verse, aud the incest
sense Of the nuances of language, as
well in relation TO single words as to
words in combination--facu which, 1t
Is needless TO say, are indispensable TO
an emendator Of Shakespeare, or, indeed
OF any other poet. In every departmentlh-
deed, of textual criticism he eXceled III
SIS humber Offices, in collation., ID iran,
scriptiOn, in the correction OF clerlcai
errors. he was, as even his enemies have
frankly admitted, the most patent ana
considerations of drudges To the eluci-
dafion of obscuriucs in expression or al
lugion. he brought q stock OF learning
such as has perhaps never been iounu
united in any other commentator Vii
Shakespeare He was an accomplished
Greek scholar, acquainted not mercy
with the writings with which all schoQis
are more or less familiar, but Mltn tne
Fragments Of Menander ana fnlleI1oh'
win the Anthology and the mlscellah-
an,,S AIexondrian and Byzantine litera-
fure Ills numerous illustrations from
the Roman classics range from Ennlus
IA Roetbius. He appears 10 nave Deen
well yersed in Italian, french anu
SDanish. an accomplishment Wmch as
sisted him greatly in his work as editor
and commentator. To our own language
and literature he had evidently pald
much attention. He was one or the very
few men of bis time who possessed SOME
knowledge Of Anglo-SaXon ana ear!
middle English. rrIaIa 10
nor that cairn of dishOnOr which the sen
sItiye vanity of Pope, the ignoble ana lIH-
nudent devices of WarburtOn to bulld MS
own reputation on the ruin OF another,
the careless Injustice OF Johnson, tDe
meen strafagems of Malone, and the Cd
seouious parrotry of tradition on lhe
nort If SUBSEQUENT writers, have sue
reeded in accommodating. That monument
Is the text Of Shakespeare, ana shoulu
be the gratitude of all TO whom the teAs
Is of importance, the gratitude OF cvlllzeu
monkind.-flondon Quarterly REVIEW
Dr. Holmes.
DIR Holmes has the pleasure. or know
ing what is thought OF some OF nus WIN
r. tho generations after that Tor which
q yyos written. II is hard to think OF man
st;ll as young as he is, born seventeen
wears after Shelley. This generation Is
celebrating Shelleys centennial as ii ne
belonged TO the past. But we an count
DIR. Holmes as prominently pelohsine
The writer of these lines could not but
notice, in Il recent visit to bneiahu, nov
DIR. Holmes has obtained there 10TH vi
success which, in his lecture on Dr.
Watts. he spoke of as most deslraOie. 10
be the writer OF the hymns OF great
people makes poet sure mat HIS "VIuS
are ON the lips and in the hearts OF tnou-
sands who know no poetry but hymns.
He is loved and thanked-year alter
wear. generation after generauon-Dy
fhousands. in the end by millions, among
vhOm are many who know no JOY OF
literature but that it gives them in their
pOetry on Sunday. In the hymn-boOkS OF
the Church of England and OF the Non
conformists. both of the evangelcal ana
of the more bold communlons, are the
HYMNS of our own poet. He has won that
recognition in all homes which ne mas ue-
scribed as a reward so grateful.
He is one of us, here IN Boston. lie
has mourned when we lamented; he has
led us in our joys. In the great tral OF
the nation, he was one of those who led
the nation In our own home pleasures
we meet him every day and rejoice In his
health. as we ask for his smile and sym
pathY We would
Bring laures and bays, II anybody had any,
TO crown on his birthday the Chief OF our
Academy.
II is eight years since the readers of the
New York Critic, by unanimous electloh'
voted that he stood at the head of Amer
ican men of letters. We all congratulate
ourselves that he holds that place to-day,
on his eighty-third birthday. Surely, he
shows. from day to day, that 1t is still
his own.
Moral, for which this tale Is told
A horse can trOt, for all he's Old
DIR. Hale in Boston Commonwealth.