Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

of seeking the ancient mother; if the study of those, who wrote "the olden time," thus brighten the wit, inform the mind, and improve the judgment, let us even join chorus with Timotheus Milesius

Ουκ αείδω τα παλαια,

Καινα γαρ ἅμα κρείσσω
Απίω Μετα παλαια.

For this degradation of Shakspeare, Mr. Chalmers received the merited chastisement of the" British Critic;' but in the "Supplemental Apology" he returns to the charge, and thinks he proves the fact of Shakspeare's common-place collections in the following quotation:

"I will repeat what I have already said, and prove what is plainly demonstrable; viz. that Shakspeare was a diligent reader, and copious collector. The contemporary of Shakspeare, Webster, † who knew him perfectly, says, in the preface to the "White Devil," what the commentators, and critics, would do well to profit by: Detraction is the sworn friend to ignorance. For mine own part, I have ever truly cherished my good opinion of other men's worthy labours, especially of that free and heightened style of Master Chapman: the laboured and understanding works of Master Jonson: the no less worthy composures of the both worthily excellent Master Beaumont and Master Fletcher: and, lastly, (without wrong last to be named,) the right happie and copious industrie of M. Shakspeare, M. Dekker, and M.Heywood; wishing what I write may be read by their light.'

[ocr errors]

Such is Webster's declaration; and if Mr. Chalmers infers Shakspeare's use of a common-place book from this passage, he deceives nobody but himself: the meaning of Webster's copious industrie is sufficiently explained by the company in which he has placed Shakspeare; namely, with Dekker and Heywood. The former had before 1612, according to the apologist's own arrangement, produced thirty-one dramas; Dekker, a still great

* Vol. ix. page 512. 1797.

To the reader of his "Vittoria Corombona," 4to. 1612, Webster obtained his freedom of the Merchant Taylors' Company, by servitude to Henry Clinkard, the 17th Nov. 1617, as I am informed by G. V. Neunburg, Esq. the present master of that Company. O. G.

We may say to Mr. Chalmers ---Medice, cura teipsum !

scene.

"

er number, jointly and separately, including those entered in Henslowe's MSS. Heywood, or as Mr. Chalmers emphatically calls him," much writing Heywood,' perhaps, even more:* can Mr. Chahiners produce an example of contemporaneous industry equally copious? It is pleasant to hear Mr. Chalmers talk of "such scribblers as Dekker and Heywood!" Assuming the fact of Shakspeare's being a "copious collector of common-place scraps," the apologist confidently demands, " Now, what dramatic poet, in that age, grew to a little wealth and credit in the scene, except Shakspeare?" Not construing wealth and credit in the scene to mean literallymoney, I think it hard y necessary to point out to Mr. Chalmers, amidst the great constellation of wits that adorned the age in which Shakspeare flourished, and among which he shone the brightest, an instance of a poet gaining credit in the If Mr. Chalmers's memory will not serve him on this occasion, why," God comfort his capacity, I say,' with goodman Dull. The open and avowed quarrel of Jonson with Dekker might have suggested the probability of its being levelled at him, and have incited inquiry in to the resemblance from internal evidence; but the truth is, Mr. Chalmers had not read "The Poetaster" of Ben, or he would have found in the prologue to the satire, that Dekker was the poet-ape of Jonsou; † and a perusal of the drama would have confirmed the fact past question. The epigram in question seems to have irritated Crispi, nus not a little numberless allusions to epigrams, made by Jonson occur in the Satriomastix of the latter, and he appears to have smarted severely under the lash. To put that on 66 poet-ape" completely out of doubt, as far as concerns Shakspeare, it is only necessary, once for all, to observe, that Dekker stung by this epigram, that he could not conceal the pain which it inflicted; and the last speech of Crispinus in Satiromastix thus manifests the poet's throes from these unfortunate lines:

*Thomas Heywood was a writer for the stage as early as 1596; and, in an address to the reader, prefixed to "The English Traveller," 4to. 1633, he says he had written in part, or in the whole, no less than two hundred and twenty dramatic pieces.

+ Are there no players here? no poetapes,
That come with basilisk's eyes, whose forked tongues
Are steeped in venom, as their hearts in gall?

Prologue to Jonson's Puetaster.

That fearful wreath, this honour is your due,
All poets shall be poet-apes but you.

As in all his other charges against Ben, Mr. Chalmers is merely an echo of preceding commentators, and as he evidently made a strenuous effort at originality on the present occasion, it is not without emotions of pity that I rescue the old bard from the well-intended blow of " the leaden mace.”

When Dekker published his " Satiromastix," Jonson was new to the stage, and had few claims to the applause of the theatre: when he had produced his " Volpone.' "The Silent Woman," and above all," The Alchemist," perhaps Dekker would not ha.e thought him an object for scorn to point his finger at. These, with his beautiful masques, some of his smaller poems, and even the scintillations sparkling through "Cynthia's Revels," "Every Man in his Humour," and "Every Man out of his Humour," might have demanded a smile of favour, or at least conciliated the repulsive disposition of the apologist: but Mr. Chalmers has no sympathy with "humorous poets”τα ὑπὲρ ἡμας, εδεν προς ήμας.

My task draws to a close; and the casue is before a competent tribunal. Jonson has been accused of heavy crimes upon fictitious and imaginary foundations. How hard it is to prove a negative need not be shown: but the testimony in his favour does not rest here: we have incontrovertible evidences of their friendly attachment; to which should be added the uncommon xeal, with which Jonson cherished the literary reliques of his friend. We have seen that he composed an elegy on his death; that he inscribed his resemblance with his praise; and Mr. Malone thinks that he wrote the preface to the first collection of his works. Nor did time diminish Jonson's regard, or efface the remembrance of his companion from his mind. Many years after Shakspeare's death, Ben with warmth exclaimed, "I loved the man, and do honour his memory on this side idolatry as much as any. He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent phantasie, brave notions, and gentle expressions; wherein he flowed with that facility, that sometimes it was necessary he should be stopped; sufflaminandus erat, as Augustus said of Harterius."

[ocr errors]

One circumstance in the history of Jonson's life is too illustrative of his friendly ardour to be omitted here. When in his fifty-seventh year, he undertook a journey on foot into Scotland, for the express purpose of visiting the poet of Hawthornden. Ben appears to have dwelt with fond remembrance on the occurrences of this excursion, and had formed them into a narrative, which unfortunately perished by fire; I say unfortunately; for, had it been preserved, we could then have contrasted the rough and manly generosity of Ben towards Drummond with the posthumous libel with which that testy sonneteer has disgraced himself and traduced the memory of his friend. In their conversations Drummond drew from the blunt and unreserved mind of Ben his censure of the poets his contemporaries; which he gave with candour, and which are for the most part just; not suspecting that Drummond (the acute and amiable Drummond," as Mr. Chalmers calls him, who was any thing but acute, and here any thing but amiable*), was treasuring these overflowings of the poet's mind for the unworthy purpose of slandering the memory of Ben when he was numbered with the dead to his own eternal shame, and the reproach of hospitality.

These conversations are found in a worthless edition of Drummond's works, printed at Edinburgh, in folio, in 1711; and if the relation is genuine, it will leave an indelible stamp of disgrace on the reputation of the recorder. Those who remember the remarks of Dr. Johnson on the publication of the posthumous works of the demagogue Lord Bolingbroke, by Mallet, will not fail to apply them on the present occasion.

I have now little to add. If the memory of men, honourable in their generation, deserve our respect and reverence; if the writings of poets, who have bequeathed their works as legacies to posterity, have any claim

* A contemporary, who knew Drummond a little better than Mr. Chalmers, calls him "Testy Drummond;" in a defense of poesie, appended to "The most pleasante Historie of Albino and Bellama," svo. 1639.

Mr. Chalmers seems frequently to speak of Jonson, Drummond, and others, to persuade us that he "knows something of them;" as he published his "Apology" to convince the late George Steeyeps that he knew something about Shakspeare."

upon our regard; if truth, whoever and whatever the subject, be worth attaining; the present pages may be endured. For these purposes they are written; and it is hoped, with diffidence, that by them truth will be eulicidated. No example can be instanced in literary history of a poet of Jonson's extraordinary merit so unworthily and ungratefully treated. An invidious position is asserted, without the slightest proof from historical testimony, and his writings are tortured and perverted to support the fallacious theory. Years have passed in this disgraceful warfare, and no lover of literature has hitherto stepped in, to refute the charges, and check the progress of malicious dullness. If I have undertaken the cause of the poet, it has not been without a perfect conviction of my inability to do full justice to the task; nor should I have engaged in it, but from the most decided confidence in the justice of the cause. My motive has been, to rescue a venerable bard, who has many substantial claims upon our gratitude, from charges founded on error and fostered by misrepresentation. If Jonson is unfortunate in his advocate, I shall have my reward if this imperfect essay shall excite some abler pen to undertake the office. That there are ample means of defence, I am fully persuaded from the examples adduced, the result of a few days' casual and interrupted study. It is not necessary for Jonson to perish, that Shakspeare may flourish; his fame is fixed on a foundation "as broad and general as the casing air;" and the commentator, or critic, injures the fame of the "gentle Shakspeare," who would raise him a phoenix from the ashes of another.

O'KEEFE'S PLAYS.

WHATEVER may be the defects of O'Keefe's pieces, they cannot be charged with either immorality, or indecency -no man has succeeded in the broad laugh more inoffensively he might at times be trivial, but he is seldom or never coarse; and though many of his plays have not the seeds of longevity in them, his " Wild Oats," "Son-inLaw," "Poor Soldier," &c. possess that simplicity of humour, and moral impression, that it must be more the neglect of the times than their demerit, if they are not long found in the course of representation.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »