Hold, boy, by this; and with it may thy arm Who, when this state ran like a turbulent sea, Their wraths and envies (like so many winds) Thee, and thy kingdoms, govern'd after me; (He fighting for the land, and bringing home What we have, we slight; what we want, we think excellent. as a man, match'd with a lovely wife, When his most heavenly theory of her beauties So all men else do, what they have, transplant; nd place their wealth in thirst of what they want. Must only give that judgment. O, how much But humour and their lusts; for which alone [The selections which I have made from this poet are sufficient to give an idea of that "full and heightened style" which Webster makes characteristic of Chapman. Of all the English play-writers, Chapman perhaps approaches nearest to Shakspeare in the descriptive and didactic, in passages which are less purely dramatic. Dramatic imitation was not his talent. He could not go out of himself, as Shakspeare could shift at pleasure, to inform and animate other existences, but in himself he had an eye to perceive and a soul to embrace all forms. He would have made a great epic poet, if indeed he has not abundantly shown himself to be one; for his Homer is not so properly a translation as the stories of Achilles and Ulysses re-written. The earnestness and passion which he has put into every part of these poems would be incredible to a reader of mere modern translations. His almost Greek zeal for the honour of his heroes is only paralleled by that fierce spirit of Hebrew bigotry, with which Milton, as if personating one of the zealots of the old law, clothed himself when he sat down to paint the acts of Samson against the uncircumcised. The great obstacle to Chapman's translations being read is their unconquerable quaintness. He pours out in the same breath the most just and natural and the most violent and forced expressions. He seems to grasp whatever words come first to hand during the impetus of inspiration, as if all other must be inadequate to the divine meaning. But passion (the all in all in poetry) is everywhere present, raising the low, dignifying the mean, and putting sense into the absurd. He makes his readers glow, weep, tremble, take any affection which he pleases, be moved by words or in spite of them, be disgusted and overcome their disgust. I have often thought that the vulgar misconception of Shakspeare, as of a wild irregular genius "in whom great faults are compensated by great beauties," would be really true, applied to Chapman. But there is no scale by which to balance such disproportionate subjects as the faults and beauties of a great genius. To set off the former with any fairness against the latter, the pain which they give us should be in some proportion to the pleasure which we receive from the other. As these transport us to the highest heaven, those should steep us in agonies infernal.] A CHALLENGE FOR BEAUTY. BY THOMAS HEYWOOD. Petrocella, a fair Spanish lady, loves Montferrers, an English sea captain, who is captive to Valladaura, a noble Spaniard.—Valladaura loves the lady; and employs Montferrers to be the messenger of his love to her. PETROCELLA. MONTFERRERS. Pet. What art thou in thy country? Mont. There, a man. Pet. What here ? Mont. No better than you see; a slave. Pet. Whose ? Mont. His that hath redeem'd me. Pet. Valladaura's ? Mont. Yes, I proclaim 't; I that was once mine own, Am now become his creature. Pet. I perceive, Your coming is to make me think you noble Are you a gentleman ? Mont. Not here; for I am all dejectedness, Captive to fortune, and a slave to want; I cannot call these clothes I wear mine own; This air I breathe is borrow'd; ne'er was man Pet. Tell me that? Come, come, I know you to be no such man. You are a soldier valiant and renown'd; Your carriage tried by land, and proved at sea; Mont. A mere worm, Trod on by every fate. Pet. Raised by your merit To be a common argument through Spain, Mont. This your scorn Makes me appear more abject to myself, Than all diseases I have tasted yet Had power to asperse upon me; Pet. Speak 't at once. and yet, lady, Pet. Nay, but we'll admit no pause. Mont. I know not how my phrase may relish you, And loath I were to offend; even in what's past I must confess I was too bold. Farewell; I shall no more distaste you. Pet. Sir, you do not; I do proclaim you do not. Stay, I charge you; Mont. You charge deeply, And yet now I bethink me And Englishman, have hope to be redeem'd Hope to rebreathe that air you tasted first; Mont. What? Pet. Your apprehension catch'd, And almost was in sheaf Mont. Lady, I shall. Pet. And in a word. Mont. I will. Pet. Pronounce it then. Mont. I love you. Pet. Ha, ha, ha. Mont. Still it is my misery Thus to be mock'd in all things. Pet. Pretty, faith. Mont. I look'd thus to be laugh'd at; my estate Mont. I do, I do; and maugre fate, And spite of all sinister evil, shall. |