Eighteenth Century Essays on Shakespeare Part 14

Preface to the Second Edition, 1767.

THE AUTHOR of the following ESSAY was solicitous only for the honour of Shakespeare: he hath however, in _his own_ capacity, little reason to complain of _occasional_ Criticks, or Criticks _by profession_. The very _Few_, who have been pleased to controvert any part of his Doctrine, have favoured him with better manners than arguments; and claim his thanks for a further opportunity of demonstrating the futility of _Theoretick_ reasoning against _Matter of Fact_. It is indeed strange that any _real_ Friends of our immortal POET should be still willing to force him into a situation which is not tenable: treat him as a _learned_ Man, and what shall excuse the most gross violations of History, Chronology, and Geography?

?? pe?se?? ??d? ?? pe?s?? is the Motto of every _Polemick_: like his Brethren at the _Amphitheatre_, he holds it a merit to _die hard_; and will not say, _Enough_, though the Battle be decided. "Were it shewn,"

says some one, "that the old Bard borrowed _all_ his allusions from _English_ books then published, our _Essayist_ might have possibly established his System."-In good time!-This had scarcely been attempted by Peter Burman himself, with the Library of Shakespeare before him.-"Truly,"

as Mr. Dogberry says, "for _mine own_ part, if I were as tedious as a King, I could find in my heart to bestow it all on this Subject": but where should I meet with a Reader?-When the main Pillars are taken away, the whole Building falls in course: Nothing hath been, or can be, pointed out, which is not easily removed; or rather, which was not _virtually_ removed before: a very little _a.n.a.logy_ will do the business. I shall therefore have no occasion to trouble myself any further; and may venture to call my Pamphlet, in the words of a pleasant Declaimer against _Sermons on the thirtieth of January_, "an Answer to every thing that shall hereafter be written on the Subject."

But "this method of reasoning will prove any one ignorant of the Languages, who hath written when Translations were extant."-Shade of Burgersdicius!-does it follow, because Shakespeare's early life was incompatible with a course of Education-whose Contemporaries, Friends and Foes, nay, and himself likewise, agree in his want of what is usually called _Literature_-whose mistakes from equivocal Translations, and even typographical Errors, cannot possibly be accounted for otherwise,-that Locke, to whom not one of these circ.u.mstances is applicable, understood no Greek?-I suspect, Rollin's Opinion of our Philosopher was not founded on this argument.

Shakespeare wanted not the Stilts of Languages to raise him above all other men. The quotation from Lilly in the _Taming of the Shrew_, if indeed it be his, strongly proves the extent of his reading: had he known Terence, he would not have quoted erroneously from his _Grammar_. Every one hath met with men in common life, who, according to the language of the _Water-poet_, "got only from _Possum_ to _Posset_," and yet will throw out a line occasionally from their _Accidence_ or their _Cato de Moribus_ with tolerable propriety.-If, however, the old Editions be trusted in this pa.s.sage, our Author's memory somewhat failed him in point of _Concord_.

The rage of _Parallelisms_ is almost over, and in truth nothing can be more absurd. "THIS was stolen from _one_ Cla.s.sick,-THAT from _another_";-and had I not stept in to his rescue, poor Shakespeare had been stript as naked of ornament, as when he first _held Horses_ at the door of the Playhouse.

The late ingenious and modest Mr. Dodsley declared himself

Untutor'd in the lore of Greece or Rome:

Yet let us take a pa.s.sage at a venture from any of his performances, and a thousand to one, it is stolen. Suppose it be his celebrated Compliment to the _Ladies_, in one of his earliest pieces, _The Toy-shop_: "A good Wife makes the cares of the World sit easy, and adds a sweetness to its pleasures; she is a Man's best Companion in Prosperity, and his only Friend in Adversity; the carefullest preserver of his Health, and the kindest Attendant in his Sickness; a faithful Adviser in Distress, a Comforter in Affliction, and a prudent Manager in all his domestic Affairs."-_Plainly_, from a fragment of Euripides preserved by Stobaeus.

G??? ??? ?? ?a???s? ?a? ??s??? p?se?

?d?st?? ?st?, d?at? ?? ???? ?a???, ????? te p?a????sa, ?a? d?s???a?

????? e??st?s?!-_Par._ 4to. 1623.

Malvolio in the _Twelfth-Night_ of Shakespeare hath some expressions very similar to Alnaschar in the _Arabian Tales_: which perhaps may be sufficient for _some_ Criticks to prove his acquaintance with Arabic!

It seems however, at last, that "_Taste_ should determine the matter."

This, as Bardolph expresses it, is a _word of exceeding good command_: but I am willing that the Standard itself be somewhat better ascertained before it be opposed to demonstrative Evidence.-Upon the whole, I may consider myself as the _Pioneer_ of the _Commentators_:

I have removed a deal of _learned Rubbish_, and pointed out to them Shakespeare's track in the ever-pleasing _Paths of Nature_. This was necessarily a previous Inquiry; and I hope I may a.s.sume with some confidence, what one of the first Criticks of the Age was pleased to declare on reading the former Edition, that "The Question is _now_ for ever decided."

An Essay On The Learning Of Shakespeare: Addressed To Joseph Cradock, Esq.

"Shakespeare," says a Brother of the _Craft_, "is a vast garden of criticism": and certainly no one can be favoured with more weeders _gratis_.

But how often, my dear Sir, are weeds and flowers torn up indiscriminately?-the ravaged spot is re-planted in a moment, and a profusion of critical thorns thrown over it for security.

"A prudent man, therefore, would not venture his fingers amongst them."

Be, however, in little pain for your friend, who regards himself sufficiently to be cautious:-yet he a.s.serts with confidence, that no improvement can be expected, whilst the natural soil is mistaken for a hot-bed, and the Natives of the banks of _Avon_ are scientifically choked with the culture of exoticks.

Thus much for metaphor; it is contrary to the _Statute_ to fly out so early: but who can tell, whether it may not be demonstrated by some critick or other, that a deviation from rule is peculiarly happy in an Essay on Shakespeare!

You have long known my opinion concerning the literary acquisitions of our immortal Dramatist; and remember how I congratulated myself on my coincidence with the last and best of his Editors. I told you, however, that his _small Latin and less Greek_ would still be litigated, and you see very a.s.suredly that I was not mistaken. The trumpet hath been sounded against "the darling project of representing Shakespeare as one of the illiterate vulgar"; and indeed to so good purpose, that I would by all means recommend the performer to the army of the _braying Faction_, recorded by Cervantes. The testimony of his contemporaries is again disputed; constant tradition is opposed by flimsy arguments; and nothing is heard but confusion and nonsense. One could scarcely imagine this a topick very likely to inflame the pa.s.sions: it is a.s.serted by Dryden, that "those who accuse him to have wanted learning, give him the greatest commendation"; yet an attack upon an article of faith hath been usually received with more temper and complacence, than the unfortunate opinion which I am about to defend.

But let us previously lament, with every lover of Shakespeare, that the Question was not fully discussed by Mr. Johnson himself: what he sees intuitively, others must arrive at by a series of proofs; and I have not time to _teach_ with precision: be contented therefore with a few cursory observations, as they may happen to arise from the Chaos of Papers you have so often laughed at, "a stock sufficient to set up an _Editor in form_." I am convinced of the strength of my cause, and superior to any little advantage from sophistical arrangements.

General positions without proofs will probably have no great weight on either side, yet it may not seem fair to suppress them: take them therefore as their authors occur to me, and we will afterward proceed to particulars.

The testimony of Ben stands foremost; and some have held it sufficient to decide the controversy: in the warmest Panegyrick that ever was written, he apologizes for what _he_ supposed the only defect in his "beloved friend,-

--Soul of the age!

Th' applause! delight! the wonder of our stage!-

whose memory he honoured almost to idolatry": and conscious of the worth of ancient literature, like any other man on the same occasion, he rather carries his acquirements _above_ than _below_ the truth. "Jealousy!" cries Mr. Upton; "People will allow others any qualities, but those upon which they highly value _themselves_." Yes, where there _is_ a compet.i.tion, and the compet.i.tor formidable: but, I think, this Critick himself hath scarcely set in opposition the learning of Shakespeare and Jonson. When a superiority is universally granted, it by no means appears a man's literary interest to depress the reputation of his Antagonist.

In truth the received opinion of the pride and malignity of Jonson, at least in the earlier part of life, is absolutely groundless: at this time scarce a play or a poem appeared without Ben's encomium, from the original Shakespeare to the translator of Du Bartas.

But Jonson is by no means our only authority. Drayton, the countryman and acquaintance of Shakespeare, determines his excellence to the _naturall Braine_ only. Digges, a wit of the town before our Poet left the stage, is very strong to the purpose,

--Nature only helpt him, for looke thorow This whole book, thou shalt find he doth not borow One phrase from Greekes, nor Latines imitate, Nor once from vulgar languages translate.

Suckling opposes his _easier strain_ to the _sweat of learned Jonson_.

Denham a.s.sures us that all he had was from _old Mother-wit_. _His native wood-notes wild_, every one remembers to be celebrated by Milton. Dryden observes prettily enough, that "he wanted not the spectacles of books to read Nature." He came out of her hand, as some one else expresses it, like Pallas out of Jove's head, at full growth and mature.

The ever memorable Hales of Eton (who, notwithstanding his Epithet, is, I fear, almost forgotten) had too great a knowledge both of Shakespeare and the Ancients to allow much acquaintance between them: and urged very justly on the part of Genius in opposition to Pedantry, That "if he had not _read_ the Cla.s.sicks, he had likewise not _stolen_ from them; and if any Topick was produced from a Poet of antiquity, he would undertake to shew somewhat on the same subject, at least as well written by Shakespeare."

Fuller, a diligent and equal searcher after truth and quibbles, declares positively that "his learning was very little,-_Nature_ was all the _Art_ used upon him, as _he himself_, if alive, would confess." And may we not say he did confess it, when he apologized for his _untutored lines_ to his n.o.ble patron the Earl of Southampton?-this list of witnesses might be easily enlarged; but I flatter myself, I shall stand in no need of such evidence.

One of the first and most vehement a.s.sertors of the learning of Shakespeare was the Editor of his Poems, the well-known Mr. Gildon; and his steps were most punctually taken by a subsequent labourer in the same department, Dr. Sewel.

Mr. Pope supposed "little ground for the common opinion of his want of learning": once indeed he made a proper distinction between _learning_ and _languages_, as I would be understood to do in my t.i.tle-page; but unfortunately he forgot it in the course of his disquisition, and endeavoured to persuade himself that Shakespeare's acquaintance with the Ancients might be actually proved by the same medium as Jonson's.

Mr. Theobald is "very unwilling to allow him so poor a scholar as many have laboured to represent him"; and yet is "cautious of declaring too positively on the other side of the question."

Dr. Warburton hath exposed the weakness of some arguments from _suspected_ imitations; and yet offers others, which, I doubt not, he could as easily have refuted.

Mr. Upton wonders "with what kind of reasoning any one could be so far imposed upon, as to imagine that Shakespeare had no learning"; and lashes with much zeal and satisfaction "the pride and pertness of dunces, who, under such a name, would gladly shelter their own idleness and ignorance."

He, like the learned Knight, at every anomaly in grammar or metre,

Hath hard words ready to shew why, And tell what _Rule_ he did it by.

How would the old Bard have been astonished to have found that he had very skilfully given the _trochaic dimeter brachycatalectic_, COMMONLY called the _ithyphallic_ measure, to the Witches in _Macbeth_! and that now and then a halting Verse afforded a most beautiful instance of the _Pes proceleusmaticus_!