of the deep-thinking man. To see how full-charged his mind and heart are, we have but to turn to his soliloquies by the death-bed of his father: Why doth the crown lie there upon his pillow, O, polished perturbation! golden care! Could Hamlet himself have spoken more philosophically, or more eloquently? Even in the midst of his revelry, he suddenly exclaims, "Well, thus we play the fools with the time, and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us!" And at the end of the scene in which he and Poins surprise Falstaff with his mistress, he thus takes his leave of them : By Heaven, Poins, I feel me much to blame Borne with black vapor, doth begin to melt, And drop upon our bare unarmed heads. Give me my sword and cloak.-Falstaff, good night. Even in that "Falstaff, good night' there shines the magnanimous soul of one who could bear no ill-will even to one who had just heaped upon him a load of unmerited abuse. Wherever it is possible, Shakespeare makes him the mild, gentle, thoughtful man he was himself; gentle and condescending to his inferiors, nimble-witted and charming among his equals, and kind and considerate to his inferiors. From the testimony of his contemporaries, it is evident that Shakespeare was loved by all that knew him, and hated by none. "Our sweet Will," "the gentle bard of Avon," "that same gentle spirit," "our pleasant Willy," "that gentle shepherd," "honey-tongued Shakespeare," are the expressions by which he is characterized by them. "The man whom Nature's self hath made to mock herself, and truth to imitate," is Spenser's happy phrase. "Myself have seen his de meanor, no less civil than excellent in the quality he professes," is Chettle's valuable testimony. "I love the man, and do honor his memory this side idolatry," is the warm expression of his intimate friend Ben Jonson. 66 He was very good company, and of a very ready and pleasant smooth wit," says Aubrey. He redeemed his vices with his virtues," says Ben Jonson, Ben Jonson, "and there was more in him to be praised than to be blamed." Could any words characterize the Prince better than these? Did he not "redeem his vices with his virtues?" and was there not "more in him to be praised than to be blamed?" Hudson, one of the very best of all Shakespeare's editors and biographers, thus sums up the Poet's character: "Scanty as are the materials, enough we think has been given to show that in all the common dealings of life, Shakespeare was eminently gentle, candid, upright, and judicious; open-hearted, genial, and sweet in his social intercourse; among his companions and friends full of playful wit and sprightly grace; kind to the faults of others, severe to his own; quick to discern and acknowledge merit in another, modest and slow of finding it in himself; while in the smooth and happy marriage, which he seems to have realized, of the highest poetry and art with systematic and successful prudence in business affairs, we have an example of compact and wellrounded practical manhood, such as may justly engage our perpetual admiration." And Mr. Halliwell thus ends his account of him: "The character of Shakespeare is even better than his history. We have direct and undeniable proofs that he was prudent and active in the business of life, judicious and honest, possessing great conversational talent, universally esteemed as gentle and amiable; yet more desirous of accumulating property than of increasing his reputation, and occasionally indulging in courses irregular and wild, but not incompatible with this. generic summary." Who will say that all this has no re semblance to the Prince? Can it not be easily conceived that the Poet's picture of the Prince is just that of himself in his youth, when he "indulged in the courses irregular and wild," so much spoken of by his biographers? But there are other considerations, still stronger, to fortify the truth of this conception. a |