His Life and Genius 155 



positive riches for riches of the imagination, " to 

 starve present appetite for the bare imagination 

 of a feast."* 



Is that a scarce credible supposition ? Ade- 

 quate reflection may show that it is not only- 

 credible but easily admissible. Overrating vastly 

 its fugitive approbations and shifting standards 

 of merit, mankind easily concludes that the great 

 writer writes out of praiseworthy ambition to 

 earn its praise — its praise of to-day being often 

 the oblivion of to-morrow or the next day, the 

 censure of yesterday the praise of to-day or to- 

 morrow — whereas he writes because he must 

 perforce formulate clearly what he thinks and 

 feels ; combine into shape the many line and 



* In a contemporary tract, entitled Ratsey's Ghost, there is 

 what appears to be a direct allusion to Shakspeare. The author 

 advises a player whom he meets to go to London, "for if one 

 man were dead they will have much need of such as thou art." 

 The "one man" was Burbage, who excelled in playing Hamlet. 

 He goes on to speak as follows : "There thou shalt learn to 

 be frugal (the players were never so thrifty as they are now 

 about London), and to feed upon all men ; to let none feed 

 upon thee ; to make thy hand a stranger to thy pocket ; thy 

 heart slow to perform thy tongue's promise ; and when thou 

 feelest thy purse well lined buy thee some place of lordship in 

 the country, that, growing weary of playing, thy money may 

 then bring thee to dignity and reputation ; then thou needest 

 care for no man — no, not for them that before made thee 

 proud with speaking their words on the stage." " Sir, I thank 

 you," quoth the player, " for this good council ; I promise you 

 I will make use of it, for I have heard, indeed, of some that 

 have gone to London very meanly, and have come in time to be 

 exceedingly wealthy." 



