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Article REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ← Page 4 of 5 →
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Review Of New Publications.
positive proof by the silence of the advocates for the authenticity of the papers in question . There is a very long investigation of several oth . er dates * ' deducible by inference ; " more particularly of one , which arises from the mention of the Earl of Leicester in the letter of Queen Elizabeth ; but our limits will not allow us to follow Mr . M . in the diffuse investigation . The fourth and last objection is " the dissimilitude of the liand-vvriting to the real writing of the person to whom it is ascribed . " In support of this
objection Fac similes of the hand-writings of Queen Elizabeth , Lord Southampton , John Heminges , & c . & c . are produced . To make any observations on these is almost unnecessary , since ocular demonstration alone can be satisfactory . We cannot , however , but think , that the objection to the handwriting has not all the force Mr . M . wishes it to have : for it is perhaps not too bold an assertion to say—that there is not a man existing , who would be positive of his ownfor 7 or 10 years together . The variation-. or dissimilitude of
handwriting is so great , from various accidental circumstances . Besides that some of the Fac similes produced in the " Inquiry , " seem to stand as much in need of proof , as those produced by Mr . Ireland . We wish not to espouse either one side or the other ; we are neither over credulous , nor altogether infidels ; but we are quite of op inion that the hand-writing of Elizabeth , as given by Mr . Ireland , does not vary more from that given b y Mi . Malone , than the difference of a goodor badpen miht occasion .
, , g We bave thus cursorily considered the principal objections , of Mr . Malone to the authenticity of the MSS . in Mr . Ireland ' s possession ; and upon fairly summing-up the evidence on both sides , we give , as our decided opinion— -tRat the arguments contained in the Enquiry , however ingenious , are not conclusive ; and that it is onl y the silence of Mr . Ireland , and his friends , that can make them so . When Dr . Farmer wrote bis " Essay on tbe learning of Shakespeare , " a
great critic of that time upon reading it , observed , " that whatever opinions might have before existed on the subieft , the point was then put beyond all doubt * and settled for ever . " We could almost wish to say the same of the present performance , but truth will not let us . Perhaps , hereafter , the learned doctor just mentioned , who is still in the full vigour of intellect , may favour the world with his thoughts on this mysterious subject . The style of Mr . Malone ' s book , taken altogether , is but indifferent : he
affects to be elegant , and is . puerile . Politics and criticism are things generically different ; yet politics are here dragged in with all the rage and fire of Edmund Burke ; and Mr . M . is as violent against the rulers in France , as . against the supposed forgers of tbe MSS . We could wish he had pursued bis inquiry with more temper and less egotism : he is constantly telling us of the " bungling impostors" and of " the hundred authentic documents in his possession , from which he is composing bis life of Shakespeare . " This
somewhat resembles Mr , Sylvester Daggerwood in tbe farce , who , on every occasion , informs us that " his benefit is fixed for such a day . " We know not ¦ whether Mr . M . be an Irishman or not ; but be is very fond of bulls ; thus we have frequent doubts- ^ - " whether any one of the decisive proofs of forgery which have been produced , are valid . " ( Pa ^ e 34 6 ) and many other doubts equally rational . We cannot close our observations without a smile at the folly of Mr . 'Malone in introducing himself unasked among the celestials .
( Pages 35 6 , 357 . ) He seems to think a seat on Parnassus as easy to be obtained , as a seat in the pit of Drury-hne Theatre . It has been very frequent with poets to introduce their patrons , and heroes , among the Gods ; but we belitve Mr . Malone to be the first critic , poet , or other person , who has written his own apotheosis , and introduced himself there . This is a very curious proof of his modesty , and of that regard for strict propriety , which he so strongly recommends .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review Of New Publications.
positive proof by the silence of the advocates for the authenticity of the papers in question . There is a very long investigation of several oth . er dates * ' deducible by inference ; " more particularly of one , which arises from the mention of the Earl of Leicester in the letter of Queen Elizabeth ; but our limits will not allow us to follow Mr . M . in the diffuse investigation . The fourth and last objection is " the dissimilitude of the liand-vvriting to the real writing of the person to whom it is ascribed . " In support of this
objection Fac similes of the hand-writings of Queen Elizabeth , Lord Southampton , John Heminges , & c . & c . are produced . To make any observations on these is almost unnecessary , since ocular demonstration alone can be satisfactory . We cannot , however , but think , that the objection to the handwriting has not all the force Mr . M . wishes it to have : for it is perhaps not too bold an assertion to say—that there is not a man existing , who would be positive of his ownfor 7 or 10 years together . The variation-. or dissimilitude of
handwriting is so great , from various accidental circumstances . Besides that some of the Fac similes produced in the " Inquiry , " seem to stand as much in need of proof , as those produced by Mr . Ireland . We wish not to espouse either one side or the other ; we are neither over credulous , nor altogether infidels ; but we are quite of op inion that the hand-writing of Elizabeth , as given by Mr . Ireland , does not vary more from that given b y Mi . Malone , than the difference of a goodor badpen miht occasion .
, , g We bave thus cursorily considered the principal objections , of Mr . Malone to the authenticity of the MSS . in Mr . Ireland ' s possession ; and upon fairly summing-up the evidence on both sides , we give , as our decided opinion— -tRat the arguments contained in the Enquiry , however ingenious , are not conclusive ; and that it is onl y the silence of Mr . Ireland , and his friends , that can make them so . When Dr . Farmer wrote bis " Essay on tbe learning of Shakespeare , " a
great critic of that time upon reading it , observed , " that whatever opinions might have before existed on the subieft , the point was then put beyond all doubt * and settled for ever . " We could almost wish to say the same of the present performance , but truth will not let us . Perhaps , hereafter , the learned doctor just mentioned , who is still in the full vigour of intellect , may favour the world with his thoughts on this mysterious subject . The style of Mr . Malone ' s book , taken altogether , is but indifferent : he
affects to be elegant , and is . puerile . Politics and criticism are things generically different ; yet politics are here dragged in with all the rage and fire of Edmund Burke ; and Mr . M . is as violent against the rulers in France , as . against the supposed forgers of tbe MSS . We could wish he had pursued bis inquiry with more temper and less egotism : he is constantly telling us of the " bungling impostors" and of " the hundred authentic documents in his possession , from which he is composing bis life of Shakespeare . " This
somewhat resembles Mr , Sylvester Daggerwood in tbe farce , who , on every occasion , informs us that " his benefit is fixed for such a day . " We know not ¦ whether Mr . M . be an Irishman or not ; but be is very fond of bulls ; thus we have frequent doubts- ^ - " whether any one of the decisive proofs of forgery which have been produced , are valid . " ( Pa ^ e 34 6 ) and many other doubts equally rational . We cannot close our observations without a smile at the folly of Mr . 'Malone in introducing himself unasked among the celestials .
( Pages 35 6 , 357 . ) He seems to think a seat on Parnassus as easy to be obtained , as a seat in the pit of Drury-hne Theatre . It has been very frequent with poets to introduce their patrons , and heroes , among the Gods ; but we belitve Mr . Malone to be the first critic , poet , or other person , who has written his own apotheosis , and introduced himself there . This is a very curious proof of his modesty , and of that regard for strict propriety , which he so strongly recommends .