Coriolanus makes a comparison without knowing it; nor does the reader, who alfo takes fire, perceive it

any

No one knew fo well as Shakspeare the art of displaying a character. He poffeffes in the highest degree the merit of making men speak, not as they speak in general, but as each individual ought to speak, agreeably to his genius and fituation. Suppofe then yourself to be Coriolanus, and then study what you would say in his place. An extreme fenfibility was the lot of this hero. By that all the events of his life were determined. That put arms into his hand against his country; that also made him furrender them to his mother. This quick fenfibility enkindled in his foul an ardent paffion for military glory. Thus, to treat Coriolanus as a coward and a boy, was to him the most odious affront, an affront the more cruel, as nothing was more directly oppofite to his character, What must be the effect of this affront? The raifing, the exalting, the inflaming this magnanimous heart, making, as it were, his foul, fwoln with rage, burst through a body become too narrow to contain it. He is then transported befide himself. Every thing becomes the object of his fury. Infulted by Tullus, he infults him in return, and not only him but his whole nation. "I a boy!" he exclaims. First, obferve this word. When two men grow warm in a dispute, if some extravagant expreffion escape from one of them, by which the other feels himself fenfibly hurt, he will never fail inceffantly to repeat it. To that he chiefly confines himself. The oftener he repeats it, the more he thinks he triumphs. Shakspeare, the painter of nature, has not omitted this stroke of truth. In the few words that Coriolanus utters, he makes him three times repeat the expreffion which has the most affronted him, " A boy!" And he concludes his difcourfe with the fame idea, on which his mind must naturally dwell, "Boy!" But to proceed.

"If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there,
"That, like an eagle, &c."

It would be impoffible to find a more new, a more lively, a more original turn. As to the idea, it is very ftriking as if Marcius had faid, "In history, in your own history written by yourselves, you have "been forced to confign my glory, and your own difgrace, to the of all nations and of all ages."

eyes

46 'Tis

ON

SHAKSPEARE.

19

any more than he. He only fees one line of character, which completely difcovers to him the whole Coriolanus,

"That like an eagle in a dove-cote, T

"Flutter'd your Volfcians in Corioli."

This is the comparison at which many readers will exclaim. Let us fee then whether Shakspeare be blameable.

First, a comparison here was nece ffary. When one of the populace is enraged, he difcharges without helitation a volly of metaphors and figures, at whofe boldness a peaceable hearer is amazed. Anger enlarges the faculties of the mind, when the allows the use of them. He will therefore unite all the powers of his foul, he will dart his thoughts with all the force of an irritated heart. He who has imagination expreffes himself in metaphors, and rage always gives imagination. Instead of this vulgar man, now represent to yourself Coriolanus, fuch as I have just described him, general of a numerous army, engroffed by important affairs, in a critical and transporting moment, with a most impetuous foul, the most ardent blood, and an unbounded paflion for glory. This Coriolanus, wounded to the quick in his moft fenfible part, in his honour, must either employ metaphors, or nature would be an inexplicable enigma.

66

Secondly, All the ideas of Shakspeare are drawn from truth. This comparison cannot be reproached with the common fault of not being juft; it is founded on a paffage in hiftory. "The Romans having refolved to befiege Corioli, Marcius," fays the tranflator of Plutarch, "rushed up to the gate, and entered the town amongst the "fugitives, without any one daring at firft to turn round, or to stop "and make head against him." Looking round, and obferving that he had en ered with few followers, and feeing himtelf on all fides furrounded with enemies, he then performed fuch exploits as are incredible, breaking and overthrowing all on whom he rushed, fo that he made fome of them fly to the most retired parts of the city; others in affright furrendered, and threw their arms on the ground before him. The town being taken, the Conful Cominius fpoke as follows: "Let us decree, that Marcius fhall for the future be fur"named Coriolanus, if the exploit that he has performed has not "given him this name already." After that he always bore it.Thus

B 2

lanus, and a fublime fentiment, which tranfports his. foul.

If

Thus the comparison of the poet is very exact. This prince ap peared alone in the midst of the affrighted Volfcians, like a bird of prey, who scatters terror among fearful birds. What farther art has he displayed, in having chofen a fingular circumftance in his life fo glorious to him, fo fatal to the vanquished, fo celebrated thoughout all the world? And what a pleasure for provoked Coriolanus to be able to say, "I did all this in Corioli," as if the fingle name of that town, recalling his own, which was derived from it, had ftill more attested his valour.

Thirdly, Mr. Sherlock has well obferved, that the image of an eagle in a dove-cote much exceeds in grandeur and novelty that of any other animal, of a lion for instance, who diffuses terror among sheep. This lion puts the flock to flight, but the effect which the eagle produces amidst doves is of a style much more original. In fact it would be impoffible to convey in our language (French) by a fingle word all the ideas that are included in that emphatical expreffion Flutter'd. This word not only marks the disorder and alarm; it also paints the tumult of a flock of birds, whom a fudden fright occafions. to take wing all at once, the trembling, the found, and, as it were, the vibration of their wings, when they begin to take flight. Then see how ftriking is this contraft! An eagle among doves, an eagle, the strongest and most formidable bird, and doves, effeminate birds, if I may fo express myself, who are always confidered as a symbol of gentleness, and confequently of fear. This is not all; Shakspeare is not contented with making the eagle descend among the doves; he will also make him defcend into the dove-house itself, according to the judicious remark of Mr. Sherlock; and this is the highest degree of terror. Heaped one upon another, fhut up as in a prifon, which keeps them, in the presence of a tyrant, preffing, crowding each other on every fide, endeavouring in vain to escape through paffages that are too narrow, their perplexity, their mifery, is at the height. Lastly, this word colombier may feem low in our language, but in English it is very beautiful and poetical. Dove-cote is ufed in a noble style, while pigeon-boufe, which gives the fame idea, is referved for common language. Is it the fault of Shakspeare, that the beauty of the term which he employs cannot be translated into French?

One

ON SHAKSPEARE.

་

21

If the Italian reader be not sensible of the fublimity of this fentiment, I will answer for his not being more fenfible of the fublimity of "Let him die for't," if he knew not the scene but by a profe recital, and if only the preceding word were repeated to him: to perceive the fublimity of both paffages, we must be ac quainted with the character of him who fpeaks, we must know the fituation of time in which he speaks, and have previously read, if not the whole piece, at least the scene.

The brilliant, the flowery, the light Voltaire has introduced a fashion, as it were, of reading without attention. This magician has infufed into our minds a moft pernicious idleness; and a beauty, which is not fuperficial, now paffes unobserved. One of the first lords of the city fpeaks to Coriolanus. Coriolanus, tranfported with rage, does not hear him; this is one beauty; he makes a violent apoftrophe to the foldiers;

One reflection more, and I have done. If any one should think the oppofition between the eagle and the doves exaggerated, this is my antwer. When a man of great merit, and who is confcious of his own deferts, like Coriolanus, is reviled by an inferior, it is natu ral for him, inflamed by paffion, to exalt himself above his real worth, and to degrade the other below his. There must always be two hyperboles at once.

Such are the principal beauties that have struck me in this fimili. tude. Ah! what then would it be, if you were sensible of the force of every word, and of the harmony of the English verfification! A reader more acute, I make no doubt, may still discover a multitude of new resemblances. It is in vain to meditate on this profound and inconceivable genius;

C'eft un champ qu'on ne peut tellement moissonner

Que les derniers venus n'y trouvent à glaner. La Fontaine.

Though ever fo completely reap'd, this field

To the last comer will fome gleanings yield. French Tranflator.

this is another beauty: and with the fame fierceness, the fame fury, he makes, at the fame inftant, another apostrophe to Tullus: and these three beauties, founded in nature and in the particular character of Coriolanus, will never be perceived by those who are accustomed to read fuperficially.

Tacitus is the writer of antiquity who has drawn characters with the greatest strength, vivacity, and truth. Shakspeare has drawn them better than Ta

citus.

I have much ftudied mathematics: I think I have precifion in my ideas, and I would not have these words, "Shakspeare poffeffes all the moft excellent talents of all writers, and more," pafs for a frantic and poetical start; they are true, literally true. In the hif

tory of the wars of the king of Pruffia, we may difcover all the resources of Cæfar and Alexander, and an infinity of new refources created by the aftonishing genius of that monarch. In the poetry of Shakspeare, we find all the fources of poetical beauty that are known to all other poets, and an infinity of new fources of which they were ignorant. In this point of view, Shakspeare may be ftyled the Frederick of poetry;

The enemies of Shakspeare fhall fay this,

Then in a friend it is cold modesty. Ju'. Cæsar.

The beauties of this poet are never fuperficial: they include a fund of truth, which augments their value in each perufal, and in that he is fuperior to all the world; but I will declaim no longer, I put it to the proof, I defy Greece, and let Truth triumph.

Let