Making la emberred trades artis And grow big bei Bed with the v2.38 Foroxing (her womb eken nicis nost Tbs 2p ozeano . I will not, says Mr. K. dispute with our editor 193; whis, so onse a mizne nuity of Dr. Warburton's nose, or that of his own *nci Dr.co.uscito certainly an ingenuity of a different kind to that whic kert f.! Et goes do izrezy fary to illuftrate Shakespeare. The former of these E bezas wito the Tempe, at I remember, affected to ridicule the booksellers for 6 oder wherein they are prinzi . filly maxim, that none but a poet jhould presume to me arð mann.ei as a critic, in genering poet. The event, however, hath proved this maxiı Shabe:peare, and the take fome truth in it. If either Dr. Warburton, or Dr. frais felect a few paraces; zna da niso had, in criticising this paslage, exercised their ing have an opportunity of retursing poets, instead of their ingenuity as philologers, I am of this undertaking hall be pedia they would foon have discovered its meaning. But in the advercilement, with all come too intent upon words, to attend to the images desig In The i lidijzerma-zigis Dried to conveyed by them. The former talks of an action de two lines, wherein nothing is spoken of but goinping a giren siie to some very rotzzle cr3c3. ing. Do these imitate a ship under fail? To have bee Qiren. Full often ile hath note * And lat mih me, ce beau le playful and wanton, is not the imitation here mentio does it confift in merely following the object imitated Wten we have lauga oke å Johnson conceives ; for the did not only tail upon lan same direction along the coast as the ships did in the she returned again, which must have been in a different Which the, with pretty aid So that it appears neither of these ingenious critics had of the poetical beauty of this passage. I shall endeavo Would imitare; and (zil cpon the bar To fetch me trifles, and represente plain it, therefore, by a very different mode of investi, If the reader hath ever seen a fhip scudding before t As from a voyage rich with with its fore-fail grown big-bellied, as the poet expreffe: the swelling breeze ; he must recolleet that, in fuch a fail projects so far forward, that it seems, to a fe fore, to go in a manner before the rest of the vefie] for the saine reason, appears to follow, though close with an easy, swimming motion. This was the movin which the fairy's favourite, taking the hint from, and th tage of, her pregnancy, endeavoured to imitate; and thi by wantonly displaying before her the convexity of her belly, and moving after it, as the poet describes, with pretty and with swimming gait. Which fe, with pretty and with swimming gait Would imitate. We cannot help thinking that Mr. Kenrick hatli u and explained this beautiful paftage better than any for saentator ; and his illustration is to us the more satisfa Mr. Kenrick obferves, that the Desers : be , it will be a mere pleaca--> FOLLYING Would imitate. This exactly • This note, Dr. Jokofon tells us, is very , I think there is no for adopting it. The coinage of new words com got to be uied but in the latt necefity." agrees to the action dating ton. there is not a word of the author altered:-it may not be amiss, however, to observe, in case of a second edition, that the wordt gate, as printed in the book, is wrong, it should be gait. In his animadversions on the following paffage, we apprehend our Author, who is a very enthufiaft in veneration for Shakespeare *, hath been very successful in vindicating the memory of the good old Bard,' from a charge which, if proved upon him, would greatly affect the moral character of his writings. The passage is in Measure for Measure : DUKE. Reason thus with life ; That none but fools would keep: Dr. Warburton is here again brought into the same indietment with the last editor. The reverend critic is supposed, by Mr. Kenrick, to have brought the charge of suicide againft this passage, in order to lay hold of an occasion for altering the text. • The absurdity,' says our Reviewer, of fuppofing that the speaker intended it as such, is obvious, fince he is endeavouring to instil into a condemned prisoner a resignation to his sentence. Dr. Johnson observes, that the meaning seems plainly this, that so none but fools would wish to keep life ; or, none but fools would keep it, if choice were allowed.” A sense which, whether true or not, is perfectly innocent. But though our' editor is graciously pleased to exculpate Shakespeare in this particular, it appears to be only that he may fall upon him with the greater violence in a page or two after; where Dr. Warburton vouchsafes to pay the poet a compliment. This passage is in the fame speech as the foregoing; Thy best of reft is sleep, Thy death, which is no more. This paffage, says Dr. Warburton, “is evidently taken from the following, of Cicero: Habes fomnum imaginem mortis, eamque. quotidie induis, & dubitas quin sensus in morte nullus fit, cum in ejus fimulachro videas elje nullum sensum. But the Epicurean infinuation is with great judgment omitted in the imitation.” On this note Dr. Johnson hath made the following remark: “ Here Dr. Warburton might have found a sentiment worthy of his animadversion. I cannot, without indignation, find Shakespeare faying, that death is only feep, lengthening out his exhortation by a fentence which in the friar is impious, in the reasoner is foolish, and in the poet is trite and vulgar."Nor can I, Dr. Johnfon, says Mr. K. without equal indignation, find you misrepre We have heard Shakespeare's writings styled 'Garrick's BIBLE.' If our English Rofcius should not chose to have his favourite Bard beheld In this light, we dare say our Author will hare no objection to having mis own name Itand here, in the place of Mr. Garrick's. senting senting Shakespeare, and thence taking occafion to condemn in this life That makes thefe odds all even. To fue to live, I find, I seek to die ; And, feeking death, find life : let it come on. If any thing farther is necessary to corroborate what is here advanced, we might inftance the duke's exhorting him, in sceno III. of the same act, to go to his knees and prepare for death. It is highly inconsistent to think such a piece of advice should come from one who conceived death to be a perpetual sleep. Prayers muß seem as superfluous to him, as the advice must appear impertinent to the prisoner. But that Claudio had the Atrongest notions of a future state after death is not to be doubted, since, speaking of the fin of debauching his sister, and Angela's design to commit it, he says, If it were damnable, he being so wise, Be perdurably find ? Death is a fearful thing, it is plain, he doth not confine the mearing of the tworte the dukę did, to the mere act or circumstance of dying ; - fos when the retorts upon him, And shamed life a hateful, he gocs on, Ay, but to die, and go we know not where. As if he had said, I do not mean the mere pain of dying; it is what is to come after death that I fear, when we are to - go we know not where ; Imagine howling; 'tis too horrible ! Can we think that Shakespeare could so far forget himself, as to be here fo very explicit regarding the notion of a future state, if but two or three pages before he had been inculcating a contrary doctrine !-What then muft we think of his commentator, who affects to be moved with indignation, and in effect presumes to charge him on this account with vulgarity, folly and impiety! Shakespcare appears to have had such a regard, even for his mortal part, as to bestow a curse on the person who should difturb his ashes; what a severe malediction, then, would he not have bestowed on that sacrilegious hand, which had thus mangled his immortal reputation, could he have penetrated the womb of time, or anticipated the temerity of a modern critic! The next specimen we shall select, shall be, the remarks on a passage in The Merchant of Venice: Duke. Upon my pow's I may dismiss the court, Unless Bellario, a learned Doctor, Bellario, a learned Doctor; }The doctor and court are here Whom I have fent for. somewhat unskilfully brought together. "That the duke would, on such an occasion, consult a doctor of great reputation, is not unlikely; but how should this be foreknown by Portia ?" * Heré our author grows still warmer ; and he thus expostulates with the learned editor: • Why will you, Dr. Johnfon, be thus constantly seeking occasion to find fault with Shakespeare, for misconduct in his drama; the business of which you are evidently much too unskilled in to have a right to take upon you the authority of censuring the foremost man of all this world? You admit it to be right that Dr. Bellario, whom we may very we! the dukę did, to the mere act or cikcustana And famed life a hateful, he goes on, . AF. bat to die, and go we koon en valent go we know not ateriat Imagine howling ; 'ris too borrible! , talks , which has gled his immortal reputation, could be here keren well suppose to be a civilian of the first rank, should to advise in this cause. You know too, I imagine you might have known, if you had read the play lame Dr. Bellario (for he was a doctor too; we are Dr. Johnson) was a relation, a coufin, to Portia. premised, is it not very natural to suppose that, afte was called away in such hafte to Venice, on account secution carried on against his friend Anthonio, his would send a messenger to her cousin Bellario, in his opinion of so extraordinary a case, or to interest thonio's behalf? And can any thing be more probabl. he should inform her, on receiving such a meffage, t actually sent for to Venice on that very account? Fc be observed, that the duke speaks as if he had sent for considerable time before : for he says, unless Bellario here to DAY. His power of dismisling the court also, coming, secms founded on some physical or moral im that might very naturally occur, to prevent his arri the time : so that he must be supposed either at such'a made it necessary to give him a considerable timely wa that the extraordinary nature of the cause might mak quire so much the more time to prepare himself equita termine it. This being the state of the case, was s very apt foundation on which to build Portia's plot of for the doctor? which design the no doubt concerted by letter, before she sent for the notes and clothes a scene V. act III.-And that this was really the case fo dent, from what Portia says to Jeffica, during the absenc sanio, and before she sends Balthazar to Bellario fort and clothes. Jessica compliments her on a noble and a true conceit Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly In bearing thus the absence of her lord. A fufficient intimation, I think, that Bassanio must ha gone some time. Again, in Portia's reply to this com part, as to bestow a curse on the perlas obras womb of time, or anticipated the temerity of a manera The next specimen we shall felet, ihal bey thes a passage in The Merchant of Venice: Duke. Upon my pow's I may dismić the court , Unlels Bellario, a learned Doctar , Whom I have sent for so determine this Come here to day. « Bellaris , a learned Dofter, 7 W bom I have sent for. me says | The doctor and somewhat unskilfully brought together. That the best on such an occasion, consult a doctor of great this Anthonio, From out the state of hellith cruelty? unlikely; but how should this be foreknows bile bras Here our author grows still warmer; 6 with the learned editor : Why will sov, D., thus constantly seeking occasion to find távle mine for misconduct in his drama; the bulinels of the evidently much too unskilled in to have a right on the authority of censuring the formol mare |
0 مراجعات لا تتحقّق Google من المراجعات، ولكنها تتحقّق من المحتوى المزيّف وتزيله في حال رصده. كتابة مراجعة |