SHAKESPEARE AND PSYCHOGNOSIS 8l 



In the seventh scene Francisco, upon the disappearance of the shapes, remarks : 

 " They vanished strangely." Upon this very shght evidence it is possible to form 

 but a vague idea of the character of this lord. The turgid weakness of the speech 

 to Alonso indicates a strong desire to please and cheer his sovereign. His language 

 suggests that he is an admirer and imitator of fine expression. He is loyal to the 

 convention that shelters him, and a harmless, well-meaning gentleman ; but in 

 the action rather a typical nonentity ; a formalist, but not selfish. 



The sailors appear in the first and ninth scenes of the play. The master says 

 nothing after summoning the boatswain, warning him of the peril, and caiUng for 

 active exertions. The commands given concerning the management of the ill- 

 starred ship are such as to rouse the approval and admiration of EUzabethan sea- 

 men critically observing from the pit of the theater. 



The boatswain gives a great air of reality and simple interest to the first scene. 

 It is perhaps worth notice that the king calls him " boatswain," while Antonio calls 

 him " boson." Such a distinction illustrates the refined quality and artistic sig- 

 nificance of the characterization of the play ; for it can hardly be accidental that 

 the dignified Alonso uses the longer form. 



The boatswain is prompt, obedient, cheerful, breezy, bold : " Here master, 

 what cheer? " he says, and to the men, " High my hearts ! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! 

 yare, yare ! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master's whistle." But turning to 

 the storm he says, " Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough ! " He saw at a 

 glance the danger that they might drift onto the rocks in trying to make their way 

 out to sea. Stephano's story of swimming five and thirty leagues shows a capacity 

 for boasting that reminds one of Falstafif's men in buckram. 



In a word, the boatswain is vigilant, capable, and on excellent terms with the 

 men. He does his duty perfectly without philosophizing about it. He resents 

 the selfish interference of the nobles. ■ They must think their hves more important 

 to him than his own, and he feels this distinctly enough. When Mr. Pickwick fell 

 through the ice, Miss Arabella desired him to save himself for her sake ; but Mr. 

 Pickwick could think of another strong reason for his best endeavors. Self-pres- 

 ervation is an instinct. Stephano's " every man shift for all the rest, and let no 

 man take care of himself," in spite of its humorous cunning egoism, is not further 

 from the normal human instinct than the injunctions of the nobles to the boat- 

 swain. There is none aboard that the sailor loves more than himself. In this 

 peril all are on a natural footing ; if the superiority of those in authority is real and 

 not conventional, let them save the ship. Such is his illogical argiunent, and not 

 without a kernel of plain truth. 



When the boatswain has done his best for the general weal and the sailors have 

 lost hope, the brave tar inquires, " What, must our mouths be cold? " and for this 

 he is called a drunkard and charged with cheating the nobles of their lives. 



