114 
quisite touches of Shakespeare’s creative 
pencil, ' 
TAMING OF THE SHREW. 
Dr. Farmer has, without any external 
proof, and in contradiction to the strong- 
est internal evidence, pronounced 
Shakespeare’s property in this excellent 
drama to be extremely disputable. The 
truth is, that a play under the same name, 
and founded upon the same story, had 
appeared, A.D. 1607; and it cannot be 
denied that this play was closely imi- 
tated by Shakespeare, in respect both to 
character and incident. But the general 
composition of the old play is very mean, 
and the dialogue was almost entirely new- 
written by the great poet. Who can 
doubt that the following passages, 
amungst many others, are the genuine 
production of Shakespeare’s magic pen: 
© Tranio, while idly 1 stood looking on, 
I found the effect of love in idleness; 
I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio; 
©! yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face:—e 
‘Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move, 
And with het breath she did perfume the 
air 5 a 
Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her. 
Act I. Scene 1. 
It is the mind that makes the body rich; 
And as the sun breaks thro’ the darkest 
clouds, 
So honour peereth in the meanest habit; 
What is the jay more precious than the 
lark, 
Because his feathers are more beautiful ? 
Act IV. Scene 4. 
The principal merit of this play, how- 
ever, does not consist in the poetry, but 
jn the freedom and vigour with which ig 
js throughout embued and animated. 
All the parts of the induction are exqui- 
sitely humorous. There is a passage in 
the old play, of such superior excellence, 
that we cannot hesitate to ascribe it to 
Shakespeare, to whose revisal, as theatri- 
cal Inanager, it was not improbably sub- 
mitted previous to its appearance on the 
stage. 
Fair lovely lady, bright and erystalline, 
Beauteous and stately as the eye-trained 
bird, 
As glorious a3 the morning wash’d with 
dew! 
Within whose eyes she takes her dawning 
beams, 
And golden summer sleeps upon thy cheeks ! 
WINTER'S Tate. 
This play is strangely supposed by 
some of the commentators to be surrep- 
Critical Remarks on Shakespeare: 
[March fy 
titious; but Dr. Warburton truly pro 
nounces it “ to be throughout written in, 
the very spirit of Shakespeare,” who. in 
this simple and pleasing drama, * war- 
bles his native wood-notes wild,” in a 
strain which no other writer could ever 
successfully emulate. The conduct of 
the fable is indeed extravagant; bet the 
inspiration of genius pervades the whole, 
and incongruity and, impropriety vanish 
before it. The story of this play is taken 
from a novel written by R. Green, enti- 
tled, The pleasant Ilistory of Dorastus 
and Fawnia; but the parts of Antigonus, 
Paulina, and Autolycus, are, as Mr. Stee- 
vens informs us, of Shakespeare’s own 
invention. It has been very justly re- 
marked by Mr, Horace Walpole, that the 
characters of Leontes and Hermione 
bear an allusion to those of Henry VIII. 
and Anne Boleyn. ‘The subject could 
not be treated on the stage without a veil, 
and the poet has discovered great address 
im his mode of managing it. The task 
was by no means easy to vindicate the 
innocence of the queen, without making 
the character of the king too odious; and 
it must be acknowledged, that Leontes, 
rash, credulous, and passionate, as he is, 
exhibits much too favorable a portrait of 
the merciless tyrant he is supposed to 
represent, - 
You may ride usy 
With one soft touch a thousand furlongs, 
ere ‘ ‘ 
With spur we heap an acre, but to the goal. 
Act I. Scene 2. * 
“ That is,” says Dr. Warburton, ‘* good 
usage will win us to any thing; but with 
ill we stop short even there where both 
our interest and inclination would other- 
wise have carried us.” This is indeed 
assigning that sense to the words which 
suits the general tenor of the passage ; but 
how the words themselves will admit of 
such a construction, the learned com- 
mentator has not attempted to explain. 
** But to the goal” must mean, except to 
the goal; which is directly contrary to the 
conclusion we are led to expect. The 
true reading seems to be “ be it to the 
goal;” that is, with ill usage we make no 
exertions, though we should be within 
reach of the goal. 
———W hat were more holy 
Than to rejoice the former queen is well? - ~ 
What holier than,. for royalty’s repair, 
For present comfort, and for future good, 
To bless the bed of majesty again, 
With a sweet fellow to it? 
dhct H. Scene 1. 
Da 
F 
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