The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-06

We like many OF the criticisms Of Pro-
fessor Bander Matthews He has N
admirable paper in the last C~osmopoif-
tan on ls4ter-day reviewing. In read
ing Shakespeare the student should
bear one fact constantly in mind. that
Shakespeare wrote rapidly his greas =
plays. the wonde OF the world. to BE :
acted in the Globe Theatre in h own
ership Of watch he was partner. He
wrote for the rude. uncultured audi
ences mainly OF his time from say 1880
TO 1s1e. and aot for twentieth century
readers. He did not preserve Or edit
any play he wrote. Professor Matthews
in a brief paper In The New York
Bookman. gives this hint to readers.
IF there are readers in doubt u to
the proper method OF approach to the
works of the playwright who wrote 50
as TO be understood by the plain people
that thronged the theatre ais
plays were first performed. these read
ers may be recommended 10 get the
late Richard Grant Whites Studies In
shakespeare. and to avail themselves
of the advice there given ON Reading
Shakespeare"
Let IL be said here that in our Judg-
ment the best working edition. the
handiest. most satisfactory Is Whites
three volume edition. II gives you
about all you need TO know to enjoy
and understand the immortal nat
II contains also all OF his poems. n
they are marvellous. The i5f sonnets
have no equals in our language. They
are almost as wonderful as the plays.
There are one. two. three or a half
dozen sonnets by Milton. Wordsworth
and others that equal the best OF
Sh~akespeare's. but what poet in Eng
lish ever wrote so many that equal
the 154? Whites large library edition.
in twelve octavos. is certainly equal To
any edition ever produced. White was
a common-sense editor and interpre-
ter and thoroughly versed in all that
p~artained TO Shakespeare. He recon-
mends readers Ito get the late George
Henry Lewes' Actors and the Art OF
Acting" and to inform themselves about
about Shakespeare as an Actor" as
he appeared to that very acute dramtie
critic. who was not only a philosopher,
but also on occasion both actor and dra-
matist." Lewes was a rare SCHOLAR.
and was the first to recognize George
Eliot's splendid genius. and to urge
her TO write a novel. He and Mary
Ann Evans Cher real named) lived to-
gether as man and wife without mar
rying according to English law. Lewes
life of Goethe is a masterpiece.
The various writers are still disputing
over the merits Of Mr.. Stephen Phillips
last drama he calls Ulysses" Thus
far the most acute and best furnished
critics whose opinions we have read. do
not place it half so high as do some
enthusiastic admirers who have written
of It. Edith Wharton. a successful now
elist. takes the most moderate view OF
any woman who has applied criticism
to it. She writes his doom liz that OF
inadequacy" and hopes that he will be
yet capable of sustaining life perme-
nently on Parnassus." We have not
seen it. but extracts only. Some rich.
flowing poetry we nave seen. and some
meudiocre and insipied verse. He has
written genuine poetry. but he Is yet
to produce a great drama that will bear
the strain VI dHdfySls AIN afsSteeoh
Mrs. Wharton writes:
Viewed in the former light, it Is seen
to be full of detached beauties, even of
detached dramatic effects. though there
are intervals of weakness and made
ouacy. where the dramatic and the po-
etic inspiration seem to fail simulteue-
ously."
She takes the view of others we have
seen. that Ulysses Is rather a poetic
narrative than a regular drama By
the way. we note that a critic in the
same number Of The Bookman reviews
at length Mrs. Wharton's last novel.
The Valley of Decision" and praises
and doubts. but the praise out-baiances
the dispraise.
There is a word hat is so mach used
now as to drive out eight or ten othe--
words of the same meaning. You can
not read a article Of half a
column. or an essay in a review or a
magazine paper of lighter weight. o T
any production Of pen now that does
not contain the word strenuous" II
is SO much used hat its iteration h
fatiguing. You viii fin it repeated and
by good writer's. from four to six times.
1t Is indeed a literary fad. a mode. a
custom. q practice. Everybody uses IL.
1t Is so repeated language becomes bar
rem and synonymous disappear. are
neglected. Its constant repetition wears
put a good. strong word We have
found one Of the foremost OF English
living writer's in the same article re-
peating "~streuous" as IL IL had no y
nonyms. 1t Is a very old word. how
old we may not say It was used In
Elizabethan times In the early de-
cades of the last century such authors
as Hezlitt and Hunt employed 1t. Men
of letters ave used 1t Tor centuries- It's
synonyms are rough. noisy. active.
vigorous. energetic. eager. bold ardent.