shakspeare's writings. 219 



once, the analysis of mind seemed open to him, and 

 he possessed himself of such an infinity of elemen- 

 tary ingredient that his creative faculty proved inex- 

 haustible. The greater and more frequent our 

 draughts upon him, the less failing seems his ampli- 

 tude of riches : " The more he gives the more he has, 

 for both are infinite." 



Thus, Shakspeare's unlimited knov^ledge of man 

 in all his degrees, in all his varieties, and under all 

 circumstances, rendered him, of all others the fittest 

 to effect the supply of a work, which might open to 

 the closet student the " ways of the world," initiate 

 him in the arts of necessary defence, and increase his 

 prudence without impairing his virtue. We may 

 find in his volumes the most Christian precepts, and 

 might readily compile an exquisite code of morals : 

 but I am inclined to think, that Shakspeare's great 

 value consists in the truth and power with which he 

 has distinguished and individualized his numerous 

 characters. Most other poets have given different 

 names to the persons of their drama, and have en- 

 trusted them with the delivery of different sentiments ; 

 but in other respects, there is nothing to individual- 

 ize them : they are either villainous, or virtuous, or 

 passionate, or moderate, as the author gives them 

 words, or the stage manager directions ; but they are 

 not associated with any particular cast, form or de- 

 gree of human composition. If they have any indi- 

 viduality it is that only which the actor gives them. 

 They are interesting from the situations in which they 

 are placed, but they are uninstructive because they 

 are evidently unreal. When Miss O'Neill played 

 Mrs. Haller, we pitied the actress : when she per- 

 sonated Juliet, we loved the creature of Shakspeare. 

 Macready gives importance to the Stranger ; he de- 

 rives it from Hamlet. When we see Howard Payne's 

 Brutus we admire Kean as an independent genius : 

 when he appears in the " Merchant of Venice," we 

 regard with varied emotion the true Shy lock. We 

 are Shakspeare's pupils : but we patronize others. 



