New-York tribune., 1907-10-06

and noble congregation Of St Peter; at sixty-dr
he was elected cGpeIIGa Mayor. chief. and he
died at the advanced age OF eighty-one.
The living images that he left OF his wonderful
genius and the strong pictures which his elegan,
writings contain OF his copiOus and incOmparabls
understanding are almost incredible. His mental
vigOr in early youth and old age was equally dis
played At little than thirteen he nobly be-
gan his career with piece entitled "El Caro- del
C1elo." and concluded eighty-one with La Gran
Comeda. HadO Divisa-" In this interim (besides
a great number Of manuscript pieces. we ind
from catalogues he prOdU~ Il two hundred LOds
(Prologuesl. a hundred SdyHstss (Interludesl.
book on the public entry OF the Queen Mother;
long discourse on Death JUDGMENT. Heaven and
He'll in pOetICaI stanza Of eight lines a treatise in
defence OF the Dignity OF Painting; another On
Comedy; beside Songs. Sonnets, Romances and IN
Vulnerable compositions. which gained the prizes IN
learned academies; and was honored by the invara-
Bile applause OF the best judges His works are pre-
served with veneratOn in the library Of the college
MduOr de OriCdo ar Salamanca. as among the most
select in Spain. Our Catholic mcDarchs ackaOE-
edged his 4UtOS Jewels worthy OF royal capacity;
and sent them. with commentaries presents %
the Emperor Of Germany and King OF France 70
was honored and rewarded cavalier OF three NOT
archs: Philip III the Pious. Philiu " the Great
and Charles II the Beloved. whom God preserve.
Much more might be selected from his spanish
uiographer and from other documents printed al
the beginning of each volume OF his comedies but
an abstract only is can be- given here. IL may
however. amuse the critic. tie scholar. and the
philosopher To turn 10 the article CaIieron in u
Nouveau Dictionnaire HlStorique- where he vii
find a meagre account Of this great m5H and me
following remarks:
The rules of dramatic ART violated N
almost all his works In his TRACE lies we md us
dignity. the meanness. ana the irrsguIaTty o.
Shakespeare traits Of genius less poweril'
hunor equally of place; imitation no less esp'f
cious; and a similar jUmble of action and incident
He knew neither truth. probability nor nature
His comedies little better; bur. in his tras
dies. the most contemplate ignorance Of history
seen"
Was the contemplate ignorance, here so doshla-
caIly pronounced due 10 Calderon. TO the au'lo.
of this article? The praise given 70 Calderoh :,
his biographer, Don Juan. may have been too sEs-'
vet. when We recoIect all the thoughts. all '~
imagery all the invention of poet SO extrsoi1
nary we may doubt if any praise can at all e4
the truth. And what will English reader thnlN
when he sees Calderon and Shakespeare couplsa .
examples of the most defective and, speaking 80
erally the most contemplate of poetS2 Thsie
scarcely anything that can fall from the pen =
man more degrading than the trash of such oq-
cious. such presUmptuous, such ignorant cru
Shakespeare had great faults; CalderOn misnt . "a
stiu greater, but Voltaire. after whose die'AS
these pretended critics pirate had not suhSis~- -
studied them SO as well understand either ne ~,
beauties or their defects for, IL he had. ne hDlst
deserves the contempt with which he endea'0 y,
40 load their memory. OF such wilful tnjusuee' -
us hope. so great a man could not be guilty