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"His endowments from nature were great; and he had given to them fuch cultivation, as the ftate of the times permitted. It would have been well, perhaps, had he never feen Bologna, and imbibed from its mafters thofe maxims of church domination, which, though the age held them facred, were to him the occafion of an unfor tunate controverfy, and to others brought much affliction. Early in life, he was engaged in bulinefs, which made him an able negociator; and the favour of his prince, which foon followed, raised him to uncommon greatnefs. But the unbounded confidence he enjoyed, was all used to ennoble the fource from which it flowed. He did not enrich himfelf, his family, or his retainers. All was Henry's. His influence he employed to gain him friends, and to fpread his intereft; and when he difplayed a munificence more than royal, it was his mafter's fame he looked to. The love of pleasure, which, in a diffipated court, can make the ftouteft virtue tremble, paffed over his fenfes, as a gentle gale. There was a fternnefs in his character, which would not bend to affections that enervate; and it is remarlable, that, when his enemies were moft numerous and malevolent, they never charged him with a fingle vice. His ruling paffions, were the paffions of a great mind, fuch as, when circumftances favour, lead men to the achievments of patriots and of heroes; and had providence given Becket to his country but a few years later, we fhould have feen him, oppofing with main fortitude the wild pretenfions of Rome, and at the head of barons, wrefting Magna Charta from the tyrant fon of the Henry. On fome occafions, I think he was too acrid in his expreffions, and too unyielding in his conduct; but when we weigh his provocations, and the inceffant ftrefs of low oppofition, wonder we cannot, and we may eafily forgive. His private virtues were amiable. They endeared him to Henry, who loved him with a brother's love; nor were they foured, it feems, by adverfe fortune. They made him many friends; and John of

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Salisbury, his fecretary and companion, then defcribes him beft, when he checks his impetuofity, and chides his too cauftic humour; and does not give offence.

"In a word, he had blemishes, and he had many virtues His caufe which to us wears few marks of christian truth, to him was facred, and he defended it fincerely; but if many catholics have praised him immoderately, why fhall proteftants be unjuft? True it is, Men's evil manners live in brafs; their virtues We write in water."

Critical Remarks on the Othello of Shakespear, concluded from page 145.

IT has been obferved of Shakespear, that he has not often exhibited the delicacy of female character; and this has been fufficiently apologized for, from the uncivilized age in which he lived; and women never appearing upon the ftage in his time, might have made him lefs ftudious in this department of the drama. Indeed, when we confider his ftrength of mind, his imagination, which de lighted in whatever was bold and daring, we would almost think it impoffible that he could enter into all the softness and refinement of love but in fpite of all these disadvantages, he has fhewn, that in whatever view he choosed to behold human nature, he would perform it fuperior to any other. For no where in the writings of Shakespear, or any where elfe, have we found the female character drawn with fo much tenderness and beauty as in that of Defdemona. The gentlenefs with which he behaves to all with whom the converses, the purity, the modefty, the warmth of her love, her refignation in the deepeft diftrefs, together with her perfonal accomplishments, attract our higheft regard: but that which chiefly diftinguishes her, is that exquifite fenfibility of imagination, which interested her fo much in the dangers of Othello's youthful adventures, a pasfion natural enough indeed, though it is not every one

who is capable of experiencing it. Othello, as we have feen, was naturally of an heroic and amiable difpofition; but when by his bold undertakings he is expofed to imminent dangers, he would then shine in his brightest colours; all his magnanimity, and all his address, are brought to view; at that moment, all the generous affections of the foul would be drawn towards him; admiration of his virtues, wishes for his fuccefs, and folicitude for his fafety. And when the beft feelings of the heart are thus lavished on a certain object, it is no wonder it should fettle into fixed love and esteem.

Such was the fublimated paffion of Defdemona, infpired folely by internal beauty. The person of Othello had every thing to cool defire, poffeffing not only the black complexion, and the fwarthy features of the Africans; he was also declined, as he says, into the vale of years but his mind was every thing to Defdemona; it fupplied the place of youth by its ardour, and of every perfonal accomplishment by its ftrength, its elevation, and its foftnefs. Where, in all the annals of love, do we find fo pure and fo difinterefted a paffion, fupported with fo much dignity and nature; fhe loved him for the dangers he had passed; upon this fleeting and incorporeal idea, did she rest her affections, upon abstract feelings and qualities of the mind, which must require in her all that warmth of imagination, and liveliness of conception, which diftingnish the finest genius.

The character of this exquifite lady, is always confiftently fupported. Her behaviour towards Caffio, hews, in a particular manner, her liberal and benevolent heart; and her conversation with Emilia, about the heinousness of infidelity, is a striking picture of innocent purity. It is artfully introduced, and adds much to the pathos of the tragedy. The circumstances of ordering her wedding-fheets to be put on her bed, and the melancholy fong of a willow, are well imagined, and awaken the mind to expect fome dreadful revolution. VOL. I.

Indeed throughout the whole fcene before her death, an awfulfolemnity reigns; the mind of Defdemona feems to be in a most agitated condition; fhe starts an observation about Lodovico, and immediately falls into her gloomy thoughts, paying no attention to the answer of Emilia, though connected with an anecdote that would have at another time raised her curiofity. This abfence of mind fhews beyond the power of language her afflicted and tortured state: but what gives a finishing stroke to the terror of this midnight fcene, is the rustling of the wind, which the affrighted imagination of Defdemona fuppofes to be one knocking at the door. This circumftance, which would have been overlooked as trifling by an inferior writer, has a moft fublime effect in the hands of Shakespear; and till the fatal catastrophe, the fame horribly interefting fenfations are kept up. Othello enters her bed-chamber with a fword and candle, in that perturbation and distraction of mind, which marked his behaviour, fince the fuppofed difcovery of her guilt; remains of tenderness, ftill ftruggling with revenge in his bofom, and a converfation is protracted; during which the mind is arrested in a state of the most dreadful fufpenfe that can well be imagined.

Had Othello been actuated by cruelty alone in this action; had he, to gratify a favage nature, put Defdemona to death, the fcene would have been shocking, and we would have turned from it with averfion. But inftigated as he is by the noble principles of honour and juftice, and weighing at the fame time the reluctance with which he performs it, and the great facrifice which he makes to his finest feelings; it on these accounts produces thofe mournfully pleafing fenfations, which to attain is the highest praise of the tragic poet.

In the final unravelling of the plot, there is often great difficulty; it is the grand point to which the author aims in the courfe of fucceffive fcenes; and upon the proper execution of it depends much of the merit of the work. Here Shakespear has not fallen off. The

fame high tone of passion is preserved. Upon the difcovery of Defdemona's innocence, and the intrigues of Iago, all the characters act a very confiftent and natural part. Othello's distraction is painted in an inimitable manner. Unwilling to believe that he had acted upon false grounds, and confounded with contrary evidence, he knows not where to betake himself. After uttering a few incoherent speeches, which fhew in the strongeft light a mind rent with grief and remorfe, he gradu ally recovers himself; and resuming, as much as poffible, his natural compofure and firmness, he looks around him a little, and deliberately views his wretched fituation; but finding no peace for him on earth, he terminates his existence.

Iago also stands forth in the group, a juft monument of his own crimes. Seeing the proof too plain against him, he can brave it out no longer. He fees no prospect of escape from any quarter; his own arts are now of no avail, and he knows that he deferves no pity; he gives up all for loft, and refolves upon a state of dumb defperation, moft expreffive of the horror of his mind. In this ftate, we have the fatisfaction to see him dragged to deserved punishment.

It might now be expected that we should proceed to the ungrateful talk of pointing out what a critic would blame in this tragedy, I have already obferved, that it is perhaps the moft fublime and finished of Shakefpear's compofitions; yet were I to point out all its redundancies, puns, conceits, and other faults, which are commonly taken notice of in this author, I might fill fome pages: Such a detail, however, would be trivial and impertinent. No perfon who can relish its beauties will be much offended with any thing of this kind in the course of perusing Othello. Its excellencies are fo bold and so striking as to make the blemishes almost wholly vanish in the midst of their fplendor. In a rude age, it is indeed even the mark of a rich and luxuriant

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