14 



S/t < i a -esj ,var Urn Criticism . 



treatise. It is a singular and significant coincidence, that this should 

 occur contemporaneously with the publication try other literary seek- 

 ers, of the lost books of Livy, which also formed a part of the Haw- 

 thorne collection. As the discovery of the long-missing portions of 

 Livy may render it necessary to re-write Roman history, so it is pos- 

 sible that my discovery may establish new canons of Shakespearian 



My only regret in connection with this subject is, that I am not 

 able to furnish the public with any information as to the ingenious 

 critic, beyond what is given in Mr. Dicken's historical essay on the 

 boarding schools and theatres of England, known as " Nicholas Nick- 

 leby." His life seems wrapped in as much obscurity as that of the 

 great author whom he has done so much to illustrate. 



The introduction to the treatise is as follows : 



"Human ingenuity seems to have exhausted itself in conjecture on 

 the principal characters of Shakespeare's drama. As to the precise 

 degree of duskiness that obscured Othello's skin ; as to Hamlet's age 

 and figure; whether the third Richard really had a hump; and a 

 thousand similar inquiries, there seems to be no room for discussion, 

 although they are by no means settled points. But in the chase after 

 the prominent and apparent, it has long appeared to me that many 

 of the great dramatist's more recondite beauties have lain unadmired, 

 and many of his more hidden difficulties unexplained. In the crowd 

 of the great, the grotesque and the striking, the humble have mingled 

 unnoticed. It has long been my favorite project to write a series of 

 essays on these neglected passages and personages, and to do my mod- 

 est endeavor toward presenting to the world all that can be ascertained 

 or conjectured of their meaning and history. I am the more per- 

 suaded to this task, because I believe that every line and word of this 

 prodigious genius is fraught with weighty significance, and that every 

 character to which he makes even remote allusion is intended to con- 

 vey a lesson. 



" Then, again, I suspect that the popular judgment is erroneous in 

 regard to many of the characters of the Shakespearian drama. For 

 instance, I am by no means ready to admit that Sycorax, the dam of 

 Caliban, was as black as the world generally supposes Shakespeare in- 

 tended to paint her. True, he puts very harsh sentiments concerning 

 her into the mouth of Prospero, but it must be remembered that the 

 magician had driven her from her sovereignty, usurped her possessions 

 and enslaved her son, and naturally would not entertain kindly feel- 

 ings toward her. We hate none so deeply as those whom we have injured. 

 A defense of this unpopular but deeply slandered lady, was to form 

 the subject of one of my essays. 



