The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1893-01-28
favour SHAKESPEARE !

Translated from the French Of the Celebrated
Divine, Able de Lamennais:
Something extraordinary was going ON then
among the Christian nations; they leaped for
Joy ~ one who looks for the coming Of . great
blessing: A secret, irresistible force moved
them to produce without that which had caused
struggle within their bosoms for ten centuries
Behold then that in the distant West In gloomy
climate. In . country for long time prey TO
party discords, drenched with blood by their
fury. born in low and obscure condition. in the
midst Of the cares ofpoverty, man who attract
ed no attention. and who was ignorant Of his own
ability. This man, exteriorly similarly to all
others. who spoke and acted q they, whom they
called william shskspere, the deer stealer. then
the holder Of horses at the doors Of the London
theatres, WAS by his true his real nature. IN
incarnation of the whole ofhumanity, sumed mp
In him, the centre where met all his Impressions,
his lively consciousness He has produced 1t
under all its forms. under all its aspects, with
all its shades. in succession Of dramas. which
are but one simple drama where all the virtues.
all the crimes. all the absurdities all the vices,
all the affections Of the heart all their hate and
all their tenderness all their joys and all their
troubles, their jealousies and their sympathies,
all airy dreams Of ina inston and their sorrows,
and their overwhelming melancholies, all aspir-
atoms all sufferings. all misery of doubtful and
inquict thought, tapping from their convulsive
wings the floating shadows of creation in order
to elevate to the eternal infinite light, and fall
ing again after vain efforts; where all desires,
oil fears, all springs which direct human actions
Of all ages. In all ranks, from the monarch unto
the beggar, from the sage unto the insane, from
innocent infancy and ardent youthfulness to de-
crepid old age, where all these blend, combining
as In real life ofwhich this strange drama, which
Is not of q kind that can be defined and which
embraces them all gives you vision complete.
And. in causing this picture so true, SO animated.
to pass before your eyes. do you not believe that
the poet has expressed the passions and senti-
ments that he has awakened in himself, that he
has. himself, one after another experienced
these percentages so varied: No. he has observ.
ed them from an exalted height, his eye. with
facility, has penetra ted them In the innermost
recesses of the heart unknown to themselves,
and as mirror reflects objects, his calm intelli-
gence reflects this lively image of man such a.
1t Is such o itshall be always, mixture Of good
and evil Of grandure and baseness, OF da rkness
and divine nobility, assemblage Of all contrasts
1t has been asked whether shakspere WAS pro-
testant or catholic shakspere a. . poet was
neither catholic nor protestant His drama has
nothing of theology, It depends on no specified
belief, although, therein everywhere one feels
the moral influence Of the religious element.
This is no longer the middle age. the dogmatic
and sacerdotal age Poesy passing out from the
sanctuary ceases to borrow Its inspirations from
It, Human nature essentially one and indcanite-
ly varied is his subject 1t Is not directly devot-
ed to any other thought Thus conceived, drama
should be free from rules which impeding its
evolution, would prevent the accomplishment
Of its purpose. When 1t was a. with the Greeks
only the development Of single fact, 1t must,
in order to be true conAne itself to the law Of
their triple unity: but when, instead Of single
fact 1t was man even. in his entirety that he
painted in the whole of the actions by which he
manifests hi mself; In fact to the material unity
Of he ancient drama he substituted another
unity. another verify quite spiritual, the verify
even of life and its completely in unity. This
was not to alter the drama, 1t was to transform
1t in order to enlarge its sphere, not less vast
henceforth than that Of humanity. Thus, shak-
spere Ia not only one Of those extraordinary
geniuses whose grandure places him beyond
comparison. he Is still In art the creator Of Q
world, tied by him to the poets ofthe future, the
richness Of which shall never be exhausted.