The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-13
voLrAiKE ON snAKEspEARE

The announcement that Mr.. Robert G..
Ingerson is TO lecture in Richmond to-
night on Shakespeare furnishes our people
with an opportunity to hear his opinions
on the man that viii be most talked Of
in all coming days.
The hold which Shakespeare has and
is increasing upon the human race IS
wonderfully wonderful in the sense Of q
thing to be contemplated with awe and
admiration. but not wonderful in the
sense Of being strange. He had the true
poetic gift. the unerring perception Of
truth at all times the love of what is
high and noble, and a power that can
never be rivalled Of Inning plainly for
others the gorgeous pictures that had
first burnt themselves in lines of living
light upon the retina OF his own magma
ton. In these qualities he surpassed all
other men who have ever written and
perhaps, all who will ever write again
1t is curious 10 observe the difference
between the hold which this writer, who
despised method and knew no rule, has
upon the world to-day and that of
writer's who wrote according 10 the
cleanest technique, who criticised Shakes
peare for his disregard Of rule, and who
enjoyed the highest possible popularity
in their own day Notaire is a striking
instance of the latter. lie is the very
embodiment Of method. perspicacity, and
strict conformity TO every established rule
of composition, and il is not too much TO
say that one hundred and twenty-five
years ago Noltaire was apotheosized in
France and elsewhere on the continent
Of Europe. Yet what is Voltaires hold
upon man now compared TO that Of
Shakespeare? His influence is gone: his
works are read by the curious alone: and.
with all his method and rule his idea OF
a tragedy or a poem is, as Carlyle says.
to create a highly complex egg-dance. to
be danced before the king, to a given
tune and without breaking a single egg"
IL is curious TO consider Voltaire's
opinion of Shakespeare. He said he was
"a genius fun of force and fertility OF
nature and subimity, without the smallest
spark of good taste or the smallest ac-
quaintance with the rules" And after
desc riding his tragedies he speaks Of them
as those ''farces monstruenses q'on appelle
tragedies those monstrous farces that
are called tragedies; and to account for
the hold that they had upon the English.
people he has this 10 say:
The English chairmen. the sailors
hackney shop porters, butchers,
clerks even, are passionate.y fond OF
shows; give them cock fights, bull bait
ines. fencing matches. buriais. duels
giDbets. witchcraft, appariuons, they run
thither In crowds. nay there is more
than one palrician az curious as the pOpu-
lace. The citizens Of London found
IN Shakespeare tragedies satisfaction
enough for such a turn Of mind. The
cOurticr8 We're Obliged 10 follow the tor
rent. how can you help admiring what the
more sensible part of the town admires2
There was nothing better for one hun
drcd and nifty years. the admiration grew
with age. and became an idolatry. some
touches OF genius some happy verses fun
OF force and nature which you remember
In spite OF yourself, atoned for the re-
mainccr, and soon the whole piece sue
ceeded by the help Of Some beauties OF
detail"
lie had even impressed his views on
his illustrIous disciple Frederick the
Great whom we find discoursine thus:
'"ro convince yourself Of the wre,ehed
tastes that up 10 this time prevails in
Germany you have only 10 visit the the
aires. You VIII there see. IN action. the
abominable plays OF Shakespeare. trans
lated into our language; and the whole
audience fainting with rapture in listening
%. those ridiculous iarces, worthy OF tho