Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-07

That the MatherS even IN the old days
were people of note, is shown by the
famny arms and crest, which, described
in the peculiar language of the herald,
were "H,rTnine on q Jesse wavy azure,
three lions rampant or; crest, a lion Sc
DAFT or" The ermine would Indicate
that some one Of the family held a
Judgeship, while Jesse means the belt of
a knight, and both the lions and the
color or gold dercte Importance.
The presentation of "Cymbeline" in
Worcester is an event Upon which
Shakspere Students and those persons
who are attached to the classic drama
have reason to congratulate themselves.
Miss Mather's production of the beau
tiful old play has won for her the praise
and gratitude OF p!aygoers in half the
big cities Of the country. But even We're
it much less complete and perfect than
IL IS the advent OF 81 ShakSperean play
would be an event of Importance In a
place like Worcester, where, except for
a stray Shakspere club or two, the bard
of Stratford is not read beyond the up
per classes of the high schools.
Among the many, many critiques to
which "Cymbeline," in common with
the others of Shakspere's plays, has
been subjected no characterization of
the heroine is more skilful than that
drawn by Mrs Anna Jameson in her
characteristics of Women" To Imo-
gen, among all Shakspere's women
characters, Mrs Jameson awards the
palm for perfection. "Others Of Shaks-
pere's characters, she says, "are, as
dramatic and poeticaI conceptions, more
striking, more brilliant, more profound,
but of all his women, considered as in
dividuals rather than as heroines Imo-
gen is the most perfect. Portia and Jul
liet are pictured to the fancy with more
force of contrast, more depth Of light
and shade; Viola and Miranda with
more ETHEREAL delicacy of outline; but
there is no female portrait that can be
compared to Imogen as a woman-none
in which so great variety Of tints are
mingled together into such perfect har-
mony. In her we have all the fervor
of youthful tenderness, all the romance
of youthful fancy, all the enchantment
Of ideal grace-the bloom of beauty, the
|Hghtness Of intellect and the dignity OF
rank taking a peculiar hue from the con-
iuga1 character which is shed over all
like a conservation and holy charm
In 'Othello' and the Winters Tale the
interest excited by Desdemona and Her
nione is divided with others; but in
whose lovely presence pervades and an
mates the whole piece"
And farther on she says: "Imogen
like Juliet, conveys to our mind the i'm
preston of extreme simplicity in tht
midst Of the most wonderful complexi'
ty. To conceive her Alright we mus
take some peculiar tint from many
| characters, and SO mingle them that
like the combination of hues in sun
beam, the effect shall be as one to tht
eye We must imagine something of the
romantic enthusiasm of Juliet, of tht
truth and constancy Of Helen, of tht
dignified purity OF Isabel, Of the tender
sweetness Of Viola, Of the self-possessior
and intellect of Portia-combined to
gether SO equally and so harmoniouslJ
that we can scarcely say that one quail
ty predoninates over the other. But
Imogen is less imaginative than Juliet
less spirited and intellectual than Portia
more serious than Helen and Isabel
her dignity is not SO imposing as that Of
Hermione, it stands more on the de.
fensiye, her submission, though I'm.
bounded, is not so passive as that Oh
Desdemona, and thus, while she re.
sembles each of these characters in.
dividually, she stands wholly distinct
from them"