The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26

historical research into the poetic mvt. s and tendencies of the age to which it was written, the frame and allusions of the poem''
 s...sss.sss.s.........s.... discussed them with him so freely and SO frequently that he attained to an astonishing familiarity herewith as is discovered by his use of them in his plays.
 In his sonnets. however, there are but very few adaptations from the classics. The work was original: his tribute to his aims against oblivion of this Phoenix of his, of whom the Tur- tie. the personification of himself was so deeply e.AInored.
 The finger of reproach has been pointed at his sonnets, particularly at the first 126 of them. which he ad- dresses mainly to that Lovely boy who in his power held Times tickle glass his sickle hour" whom nature will Tickle minutes kill, even though her final audit must be answered and the beautiful youth must: "As chimney sweepers come to dust.
 Considering. however. the unequiv- ocal terms in which Shakespeare's code Ol iOTdlS IS set lOTlHt the SenIenI1OuS- ness of the expression of the very pith of the whole code;
 There is nothing either good or bad,
 but thinking makes it so.'' It is wonderful how many apologists he has had They have, in his own Ian- guage:
 ok fox. the extremest show of modesty."
 Regretting this and censuring that in him who declares: Best men are moulded out of faults And for the most part become much more better. For being a little bad" It has been said that his tender ex- pressions of love and passion for this man right fair" reveal a stain upon his character of an unholy love, dis covering him es a man who hath sinned and suffered. Possibly some rough buff, gruff Ben Johnson in the most delicate manner in the world-after the manner of the Bosn in Midshipmar Easy-had suggested such a revela- ton of himself to him for the special | benefit of which kind, suggesting friend he pens at random:
 "'Tis better to be vile. than vile-es 1 teemed
 When not to be receives reproach oi And the just pleasure lost which is SC deemed,
 Not by our feeling but by others see ing,
 For why should others false- -adulterate
 Give salutation to my sportive blood spies,
 Which in their wills count bad what | think good?
 No-I am what am and they that level At my abuses. reckon up their own. I may be straight and they themselves l be bevel;
 By their rank thoughts my deeds must not be shown; Unless this general evil they maintain l All men are bad and in their badnes, | reign"
 Here is polite invitation to insinua 1 tion and suggestion, to frail spies fal Trailer than his frailties, to hush theil
 sweet voices and be gone:
 "Hence thou suborned informer? tru' soul
 When most impeached. stands least ir they control" 1 Only five more sonnets are addressed to this ''lovely boy all of them savorinf of the flavor of the rebuke so stoutly de l fled in the sonnet quoted above in full l to the height of which he had attained
 through several preceding sonnets. 1 He addresses no more to his masculin, 1 love, his Phoenix, the remaining sonnet.
 being addressed to some woman of in different honesty who seems to hay, come between him and his other love
 but, notwithstanding the character of thi! unattractive woman, his attachment fol
 her being of the most amiable, forgivabl,
 weakness in man. those suborned inform CTS and slanderers:
 Whose edge is sharper than the sword whose tongues
 outvenom all the worms of Nile who's, breath
 Rises on the posting wind and doth bell, :, All corners of the world,''
 pay small attention to the offenses o
 the remaining sonnets. The great poet
 however, Is not satisfied. he must ii
 justice to the .lovely youth" of his son ] nets leave to the world some assuranc,
 of his own. of the perfect purity of tn,
 <~<i 1~S. .--s II.