The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
shakespeare,s Life and work.

by Hamilton Wright Mabie Mr. Mabie
has for some time been known as a scilol-
arly and careful writer on this and other
literary subjects, and this volume evident
~ contains the product of several years
study and research. IT IS a book of con-
siderable size and is fully illustrated with
facsimles of old portraits and prints, old
documents, and inscriptions. and with re-
productions of photographs taken in and
about Sratford. The scholarly style of
the work is one of its chief attractions;
and it is remarkable, moreover, for keen
insight and a somewhat original view OF
the subject In short, it throws fresh
light the much discussed and studied
work of Shakespeare. and it is fascina ting
from beginning to end.
he reader discovers, in the very first
chapter. which is entitled THE Forerun-
ners of Shakespeare, that the author is
in love with his subject. He is frankly
fascinated with the history of those rude
dramas which were the first occupants Of
the English stage and with the more eiab-
crate but still incomplete, work Of Mar
lowe and ether precursors of the master Of
drama 1t is all interesting, but few par
agiaphs are especially we'll worth quoting:
On the pageants, handsomely decorated. the
spectators saw scenes acted, with which they had
been made familiar by every kind Of teaching
The drama in the Garden Of Eden was presented
with Hncompromising realism, Adam and Eve ap-
pcaring in appropriate attire; the devil played
great and effective part, furnishing endless
amusement 10y his bufoonery, but alwa. going in
the end 10 his place. PLATE and Herod
divided popular attention by their semi numerous
melod-amItic roles, and Noahs wife Afforded
an opportunity for the play OF monotonous and
very obvious masculine Wit on the faults and
fTailty of woman. The construction OF ihe7e
semi sacred dramas, dealing with high or pIctur-
esque events and incidents in Biblical story, va
rude the mixture Of the sacred and the como
so complete that the two are constantly merged
the frankness Of speech and the grossness almost
incredible TO modern taste. 1t would be great
mistake, however. to interpret either the inter
mirRliry Of the tragic and the comic or the gross
ness Of speech indicating general c'rrnPtl"ii'
they indicate undcveloped rather than cor
rlpt society. The English peope were morally
sound. but they were coarse IN habit ana speech,
after the manner Of the time. mere vas a H'trl'
honest and sober living TO-DAY: the Erp-Hne~'
WIS not a matter % ciiaraci,r, but OF expression
Men ami women saw. without any eoh-elolahe''
Of irreyercnre or incougruity. the figure 81 DEITY
lz.tbrclled on a movable stage, with cheruhlm
gathered about him. creating the world with th'
aid Of images If birds and beasts. with branch
p'uckel from trees. and with lanterns such a
were carried about the streets at night
Religion MAS not department or partial eX-
preston II life: 1t inclusive Of the whc!s
range Of feeling and action II embraced huin0r
rs readily A. IL emhrd. ed the most serious ton
yiction and the most elevated emotion II was,
therefore, entirely congruous with the deepest
oiety Of the time that Erujeslue h-uFes. mon
straus garEoyIes broadly humorous carvings on
r,iserer. stalls rhould De part OF the structure
II those vast cathcdrals which are the most sno-
lime expressions in art Of the religious NE @!
the race. To read into the E1uSSilenN ana m
fe,enry Of expression in the fifteenth century the
moral significance which such an expression womb
have in the nineteenth century Is not only To d"
grave injustice 10 many generations, Iul I"
betray the lack 81 4 sound historic a-ilNe- lh'
,-reat ,Ir.r.ati~fs who followed these carly I'M
Known plsywriehrs understood tina; the hH;naf"u,
,arsrct b. sc1ars;cd from the tragic without
violating the facts II life; and Religion, IA Us
later expressions. would have been saved nom
many ai.zlirdties and much destructive narrow
ness il the men who spoke for II hau NOT -
strangely misunderstood and rejected one al M
.rcsfT.sf ,rl,;itfeS of the human sTirjt-tiat
o,,alitv Of huraur which above all others. keeps
human nature zane and sound
This paragraph shows clearly enough
The sound historic sense possessed by Mt.
NTabje and the broadness and sympathy
with which he looks upon the time oil
sbal,espeare.s work After giving consld-
,-at,le suace to the discussion OF 'he
,uiracle-playsa and the popular dramas
which followed them, he comes TO the NJ
lie group Of playwrights VINO hsuieu Az
the history Of literature Just beloI" INT
appearance of Shakespeare, ana gives
hrisf aetir,ar,. of each The second chap
ter is occupied Win AlAE iIe- 1''+''-'
.rd circumstances Of the great dramatist'
-, q charming description of STRAIT
tord-on-Avon. and another OF the mouse
= -,.t,,c,, Cb,tespeare was born. Speaking
~ h. education. the author says, gr' up
Ing Shakespeare. Burns. and Lincoln TO-
,etber as masters of language, born IN the
humber ranks Of life:
Tg,,-a three masters Of speech were exceptions ly
we'll educated for their an for 40 man becomes
an artist except by the WY 81 apprenl'e7l,'P'
Iut ffefr education was individual rather thah
formal. and iiberatinZ rather that uls
The two poets saturated III the most se'!sl-
tive period in the unfolding OF she lInaelhAt Ioh
with the very genius Of the people among NIo.
they were to work aud whose deepest ihss'iH >
they were TO interpret Their supreme svoo !"
,,,nc Law in the TACT that they were educated
through the Imagination rather thah ti'rouTh lL7
memory and the ratiOnslzing faculties. I'i'Sl,
Aeschvius aud S1phpcles were edu,dteH ~ W
ssr,e method. 20 alsp Dante. man ~'i.e-
times gets this Eind Of education in the schools
mn hs ofteucr misses it, He is always supreme
ly fortunate il lac gets II at all. Shakespeare
received il from several sources, one OF mem
being the love ~ the drama in the town ia "hl'h
y. ,ras horn ac,.s- TO its records Of every sort
and acou4iutauccship with the cnst"d'aia " ~
traditions and the practitioners OF It's art
1t VIII be seen Just here that the conven-
+IonaIism and pedantry which insisted on
ascr,bing the work Of Shakespeare 10
somebody else because he was man OF
little scholarship compared to Bacon or
the other professed students Of the day
has no Mace whatever in Mr.. Mabie's cal
citations. Neither does he assume that by
eorne mysterious intuition known as
genius the poet assimilated everything
y,tthout being taught. He simply points
out the fact that here %as an extraordi-
nary mind set in the midst OF an atmos-
phere which, il Il was not full OF learning,
was at least saturated with history, poe
Try. and the drama, and not devoid Of the
more scholastic varieties Of knowledge
lie shows the ease with which such a
mlad would naturally drink in all that
could be Of use TO It, and gain more
knowledge I'm a casual way. by being inter-
ested in all knowledge, than the average
schoolboy gets by having things drilled
into his unwilling head.
Another fine passage Is that which sums
up the influence Of Elizabeth. Il occurs
in that part Of this chapter which deals
with her visit 70 Eenilworth in the sum
rner Of 1913: and the author suggests some
how that he feels a thorough sympathy
with the boy Of eleven who doubtless was
somewhere on the SPOT TO watch the ar
rival Of the Queen He says Of Elizabcth:
In those days even the spleud6r Of the wander
ing PLAYERS p4lci before that Of the Queen. Sine
lid been -sveutcou ,ears IN the throne. She had
MI the qualities u her family: the Tudor i'm
peFi0uaIe-s ni temp. and the Tudor Instinct for
understanding her people and winning them. The
Armada thirteen years IN the future aud
the iuil sfltuaor II great reign WAS still 10
conc, hut there something IA the younx
Queen which had ALREADY touched the imagina-
81