96 



from prejudice, but because the tendency of Sliakspere's 

 mind could not have been to scepticism of good like 

 lago's. " Hamlet's" very doubts dissolve the base ques- 

 tionings of the Italian, for the greater not only includes, 

 but rules the less. It was in this sense only that the epithet 

 of "universal poet" is a just one, as comprehending the 

 lesser spheres — to be universal in mind is the distinction 

 of humanity, as it is of all else, to include everything be- 

 neath itself, within itself. 



To turn to the sonnets themselves, Shakspere, no longer 

 appears the arch magician and enchanter, like Prospero, 

 passionless, directing powers of a loftier and more ethe- 

 rial nature to execute his behests. He has buried his 

 staff certain fathoms in the earth and is human. They 

 are full of the repinings of conscience, of the throes of 

 ambition, of the whispering of hope, such as beset us all ; 

 of contrasts' with himself, of his fortunes, and defects, with 

 others, all combined semblably together by that tinge 

 of melancholy so mai'ked in Jaqucs and Hamlet. Mr. 

 Knight thinks but few of the sonnets united, and treats 

 them in the only part of his criticisms with which I dis- 

 agree, as isolated jottings on different themes. I on the 

 contrary coincide with Mr. J, Brown, that the first 120, are 

 clearly and indissolubly, one poem. A poem in a stanza 

 of which there were precedents in the poetry of the age. 

 1 do not insist on more than the first 126, because these 

 alone are material to my argument. Mere's reference to 

 Sliakspere's sugared sonnets, 1599, may have referred 

 to others, and the two surreptiously published in 1590, 

 with the " Passionate Pilgrim," do not fall among the 

 126, though that would not materially affect their unity 

 of construction, though it would impair the present belief 

 in their dedication. 



In the 17th stanza the poet, after praising the subject 

 of his song, says — 



