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Shakſpeare and him, which, however, he may talk of his almoſt idolatrous affection, produced on his part, from that time to the death of our author, and for many years afterwards, much clumſy ſarcaſm and many malevolent reflections[2].
- ↑ “ Ah! ma mere, s’écrie-t-il, il y a un gros rat derriére la tapiſſirie—il tire ſon épée, court au rat, et tue le bon homme Polonius.”—Ouvres de Voltaire. Tome XV. p. 473. 4to.
- ↑ In his Silent Woman, Act V. Sc. ii. 1609. Jonſon ſeems to point at Shakſpeare, as one whom he viewed with ſcornful, yet jealous, eyes:
“ So, they may cenſure poets and authors, and compare them; Daniel with Spenſer, Jonſon with t’other youth, and ſo forth.”
In the Induction to Bartholomew Fair, which was acted in 1614, two years before the death of our author, three of his plays, and in the piece itſelf two others, are attempted to be ridiculed.
The Induction to The Staple of News, which appeared in 1625, not very long after the publication of our author’s plays in folio, contains a ſneer at a paſſage in Julius Cæſar—
“ Know Cæſar doth not wrong; nor without cauſe
Will he be ſatisfied”
which for the purpoſe of ridicule is quoted unfaithfully; and in the ſame play may be found an effort, as impotent as that of Voltaire[1], to raiſe a laugh at Hamlet’s exclamation when he kills Polonius.
Some other paſſages which are found in Jonſon’s works, might be mentioned in ſupport of this obſervation, but being quoted hereafter for other purpoſes, they are here omitted.
Notwithſtanding theſe proofs, Jonſon’s malevolence to Shakſpeare, and jealouſy of his ſuperior reputation, have been doubted by Mr. Pope and others; and much ſtreſs has been laid on a paſſage in his Diſcoveries, and on the commendatory verſes prefixed to the firſt edition of our author’s plays in folio.—The rea-
“ It is true, I tax’d them,
And yet but ſome, and thoſe ſo ſparingly,
As all the reſt might have ſat ſtill unqueſtion’d
What they have done againſt me,
I am not mov’d with. If it gave them meat,
Or got them cloaſhs, ’tis well; that was their end.
Only, amongſt them, I am ſorry for
Some better natures, by the reſt drawn in
To run in that vile line.”
By the words “ Some better natures” there can, I think, be little doubt that Shakſpeare was alluded to.
