The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-28
rnaLISH COMEDY AND ELHABETHAN WIT
Copyright, 1900 by Seymour Eaton,
-srMreluGEscER HONE Study CIRCLE. DIRECTED BYpRof. seyxouR earos

f~1iG anu Zen JDnSOn. observes
Eulier; who speaks from experience. Il
behold them like a Spanish great raIIeon
ana an English man-of-war. Master JON
!, non: < the former was built far higher
ances; Shakespeare. ike the latter, lesser
IN bulk. but lighter in sailing. could turn
Win al tides, tack about. and axe adj
mag o. an winds BY the quickness Of
Outside OF the Elixabethan drama only
: iem pitifui scraps Of the wit and Juno
% ne age rave been preserved. A few
Lord Bacon complied a collection OF
-Apothegrns." or witty anecdotes, chiefly
OF the ancienfs. A single one win Illus
One was saying that his sreat-erand-
rather and grandfather Ind father died at
sea; said another that heard him, And /
Why. said he, where did your great
grandfather and grandfather and father
de- He answered: Where but In their
y yeus I w Ss,sn NEVER sss et eom. i, And Sss ! we're as
Inc pest pun In the collection II un-
doubtediy In the anecdote OF tho sailor
wno va triec before the wise iust-as."
nsned IN 1889. contains many Of the with
cisms q the period. Here MAJ be found
the bright epIgram. 1T y better TO be
wise and the story of the man named
Sunn VINO was advised by the magistrate
nelore ne had bsen arraigned TO give a
ancient Joke books contsin many senutne
Joe MilIers' which are even now alive
and IN circulation.
The greatest body Of genuine Eliza
the dramas Of Shakespeare. Few artists
known % web as he the secret springs
work every type OF humorous compost
tion. He has used freely the broadly
comic etement OF the early English com
~ p Comedy o.. Errors" for In
crous confusion. among characters iden-
tfcal IN personal appearance, comes very
near TO the level e broad farce Lannce-
purely comic creature. He raises laugh
ter by his antics and his grotesque
speeches. Old Gobbo. his blind father.
him and whirls him about the stage till
he loses all sense az direction.
Gobbo. Master young gentlemen. pray
you which Is the way to Master
IAnncslos. Turn up on your rich, hand
at the next turning, but at the next
turning OF all on your left. marry,
at the very next turning. turn Of
no hand but turn down Indirectly to
oobbo. Nv Gods sonties xwfl be q
hard why to hit.
At length Launcelot reveals his identi-
y Si.h sst !, q. feel 90 h,n "s fse., '0T Tsy sI sSrsaS rss.
sents the hack OF his hesd for inspection.
Gobbo. I'll be sworn II thou sbe Tauncs-
iot thou art my own flesh. and
blood Lord worshiped might he be!
What n beard hast thou goti Thou
hast got more hair on thy chin thar
Dobbin INV fil-horse has m his tall.
Launcelot-. II shouid seem then that
snr s0' ne s had more more hsir va lis ! t All
than ] have Of my face when I last
cohbo. Lord, how ar. thou changed.
Shakespeare ,s~s hts comic scenes with
contrast After the reader OF "Macheth'
has been wrought upon by the murder
scene. that most fear-inspirinx scene In
by the maudiin babbiings of the porter
~ the gate, who. having "csrouscd un-
III the second cock" Is now in a highly
gate, and he comments In drunken giee
on the different persons that he is admit
ting 10 the Everlasting bonfire"
Every play q shakespeare's save. per.
word-piay. Puns-and some OF them ex-
tremsly bad ones-are found everywhere.
The cobbler In Julius Caesar is cues
TONED as to bis trade.
Truly. sir. all that 7 live hy Is with the
awi: I NEEDLE with no tradesmsn's mat
ter-. MOI. woman's matters. but with awl
when they are IN great danger / recover
them. As proper men as ever trod upon
meats leather have gone upon my handi-
ono can hardly open 70 a pax. q,
Shakespeare without nnding n pun.
"Falsiar My honest lads. I viii tell
YOU what I am about.
Pistol Two yards or more
"Fnlsian. No Quips now. Pistol; indeed,
am In the waist two yards about.
bat I am now about no waste. / am
about thrift.
srslts 7 nrav wa, mar wstn u. a.
20 no further.
'ciown. For my part. I had rather bear
with you than bear o vet should
bear no cross "a piece OF money! II
l did bear you: for I think you have
no money In your purse"
Tn court fool, that typical product Of
the middle ages. furnlshsd Shakespeare
him we have best illustrated che old ,dea
OF the wit combat" He - a wit
snapper he must have an nswer always
. .ssssi.s sss s of msss sss' . ns s rsps1,ss 'ss
ard "As You like IT, are weil-known en-
%s smgass o nns q rs sSs s ssss 81 n ,s saare eem.
bats.
Hamlet. Whose grave 10 this. SIR
~Cfawn, Mine sir
Hamlet / think it Be thine. indeed: Tor
Clown. You lie out ont, sir. and there
fore = + net yours; for my part. I
DO nor lie int, and yet n r. mine
Hamlet Then thou lie int. to De int
and say u Is thine. It's for ths dead.
not for she gulck: therefore thou
Hest.
Clown IT'S a quick he. sir: twill
Away again from me 10 yoa.
Hamlet What ma ioss thou dis e
Clown Fer no mar. sir.
'Siown Fer What shang
Hamlet VIII Il 20 be buried ia itf
Clown. One that was a woman. cir
bat. rest her soul she's dead
IL - the humcr 81 Shakespeare that has
made hts works the Immortal creations
that they are HIS characters are In
tensely human they are hkr living men
ms women, We smile at their fnfbic@
and weaknesses but Ne feel nevertheless
the great common bcnd ~ human nature
that has made them oar brothers There
Is something 20 win ear aymazthlex even
In falstaT. that great tau Of nesh." that
dr0tL accomplished rascal. whose whole
life wss but a "a IL s~eiashnesS ana
s~euxuRilty Despite h4s viliainies there
n not a single reader WIS kneWk him
tha wouid wish him punished Cor his
erirnes There - a naomsnt % raai pAthos
as We read ~ bis closing hours;