The sun., 1908-03-22

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10 have been tho faototum Of HE employ
ere HeyWood's life "a obscure, but he
seems 10 have worked more independently
than Dekker. Both men were Of the jour
nalst type and characterized by the
journahsts ease, huency and oarelessness
in writing. Prof, Sohelllng deems IL prob
able enough that playwnghts Of the Decker
and Haywood dnd led a semi-bohemian
existence, a. remote from the easy aooess
TO court and TO gentle society which men
Hike Jonson, Fletcher and Beaumont en-
joyed as II was set apart from the steady
industry and saving habits OF Shakespeare.
Prof. Schelling shows that these writer's,
however diverse In their social aAsooati ons
and personal characters, we're not without
appreciation Of their respective literary
standing. OF the illusions which attest tbs
fact none is more striking than Web
ster's dedication Of 'The White Devil
wherein he says; For mine own part,
have ever truly cherished my good opinion
Of other mems worthy labors: especially OF
that full and heightened style Of Mister
Chapman; the labored and understanding
works Of Mister Jonson; the no less worthy
composures OF the both worthily excellent
Mister Beaumont and Mister Fletcher; and
lastly without wrong last TO be named), the
right happy and copious industry OF Mister
Shakespeare. Mister Dekker and Mister
Haywood; within what write may be read
by their light; protesting that in the
strength Of mine own Judgment | know
them 80 worthy that though | rest silent
in my own work, yet 10 most OF theirs
dare without hsttery) affix that Of Martial;
Non noruHt hGo monumental mort" Our
author also reproduces Heywood's pleasant
joc,Ilar couplets on the brotherhood Of our
modern poets" ~ the playwright calls
them.
Mario renowned for hts rare art and wit,
Could ne'er attain bey ond the name Of kt
Excellent Beaumont In the foremost rank
tt the Tar'st wits was never more than Frank.
Mellnuous Shak espsare. whose enchanting quill
Commanded mIrth or passion, was but VIII.
and famous Jonson. though his learned pen
he dipped In Castay, Is stll but Hen
Fletcher and Webster Of that learned park,
None Of the mcan'st set neither was but Jack.
Decker but Tom nor May nor Middleton.
And he's now but Jack Ford that once was John
iTOi, SCnellng secs IN buCn pdsSaBeS
proofs Of the easy sociability Of the time
and the agreeable relations Of a small body
Of talented men pursuing their common
vocation in a small capital a. yet free from
the congestion and overplus Of population
which paralyze the amenities in modern
metropolitan life
From our authors epitome OF the. rela-
tions Of the chief Ehzabethan and Jacobean
paywnghts to each other and TO the COM
panies for which they wrote certain deduc-
tons are drawn. The most striking Of
these is the absolute leadership which
Shakespeare's company maintained from
the moment Of his first assured success in
1898 to the close Of the old drama in 1912,
a generation after his death Worthy also
Of note is the fact that the primacy among
playwrights was conceded TO the chief
writer Of that company in a succession eX-
tending from Marlowe, whose death left
Shakespeare without a rival. through
Fletcher and Massnger to Shirley The
careers Of these men overlap, Marlowe and
Shakespeare appearing as cowrters for the
company in 1893, Shakespeare and Fletcher
in 1910 1911, Fletcher and Massinger in the
latter years Of the reign Of King James, and
Massinger and Shirley in the last two years
Of the formers life.