CYMBELINE.

ACT I. SCENE 2.

This Scene introduces us to the finest female creation of Shakespeare's genius, that paragon of perfect womanhood -Imogen. Having observed, even among those of finer perceptions, a seeming incomplete appreciation of this noblest and loveliest character in the world of fiction, I intended to attempt an expression of my own; but having read Mrs. Jameson's Characteristics of Women since the first half of this volume was stereotyped, I gladly acknowledge that that accomplished lady has left no one an excuse for not confessing Imogen the ideal woman, and me no opportunity to become her champion. There is hardly a trait of the character, however delicate, which Mrs. Jameson has not appreciated, and placed in such a light, that those who need such guidance will be led to see and feel all the beauty of the picture, and those who do not, will yet follow with sympathetic pleasure the analysis which her congenial hand has effected with such mingled reverence, grace, and skill. Upon two or three minor points, however, I will here express a difference of opinion with Mrs. Jameson, and will allow as many short paragraphs upon different passages re

ferring to Imogen, written years ago, to remain uncancelled in my notes.

Mrs. Jameson thus expresses, in a single paragraph, with equal exactness and delicacy, her view of the outline of the character of Imogen.

"To conceive her aright, we must take some peculiarities from many characters, and so mingle them, that, like the combi nation of hues in a sunbeam, the effect shall be as one to the eye We must imagine something of the romantic enthusiasm of Ju liet, of the truth and constancy of Helen, of the dignity and pu rity of Isabel, of the tender sweetness of Viola, of the self posses sion and intellect of Portia,-combined together so equally and harmoniously, that we scarcely say that one predominates over the other. But Imogen is less imaginative than Juliet, less spir ited and intellectual than Portia, less serious than Helen and Isabel her dignity is not so imposing as that of IIermione, it stands more on the defensive: her submission, though entire, is not so passive as that of Desdemona, and thus while she resembles each individual, she stands wholly distinct from all."

This passage, whether intentionally or not on the part of the author, is slightly apologetic in its tone regarding Imogen, in so far as it sets forth other characters as excelling her in some one point, although inferior to her in many others. But in this, her fair apologizing eulogist has, unconsciously, perhaps, only the more clearly established the great merit of Imogen's character,-its perfect self poise and symmetry. It is only the extravagant romance of Juliet, the excess of her enthusiasm, which are wanting in Imogen: it is but the somewhat unfeminine preponderance of intellect in Portia, the austerity of Isabella's seriousness, and the tameness of Desdemona's submission which she lacks; for neither all the "truth and constancy of Helen" nor all "the tender sweetness of Viola" are denied to her by Mrs. Jameson, or could be. Her dignity is not so imposing as

that of Hermione, for the very good reason, that while Imogen is a bride in the first flush of perfected womanhood, Hermione is, when The Winter's Tale opens, the mother of a boy some ten years old at least. One is but a princess, while the other is not only a matron and a mother, but a Queen. Asto such dignity and purity as that of Isabella, I am willing to believe that no one who has thoroughly studied that character will think the lack of any of its traits a loss to Imogen. Mrs. Jameson's only error of moment is in supposing that Imogen had something of the "dignity and purity of Isabel." She needed them not : she could not have them: the two characters have not a single point of contact. The married Imogen's instinctive chastity is as spotless as Isabella's premeditated vestalism, and is without the mental taint of deliberation. One, like the white robes seen by Christiana on the Delectable Mountains, is protected from impurity by an inherent virtue; the other, like a virgin fortress, is secured against assault by its forbidding frown and its terrible powers of resistance. And I may here appropriately point out, that as Mrs. Jameson's descriptive analysis of the character of Imogen is at once the most just, discriminating, and eloquent of all her efforts, so her attempt to persuade us into respect and regard for Isabella is as feeble and uninteresting as the product of her pen could be. She is evidently doing taskwork. Betrayed for once into a misapprehension of Shakespeare's design, she felt obliged to make out Isabella a model of intelligence, dignity and purity. But even admitting the truth of that which she has undertaken to demonstrate, it must be confessed that the work is somewhat lamely done, and to her eternal honor among men, and true women too, it is so. She who had such a sympathetic appreciation of Cordelia, Rosalind, Miranda, Portia, Viola, and above all of Imogen, could not without constraint attempt the eulogy of Isabella. No; Imogen

lacks nothing of perfect womanhood, in intellect, in grace, in tenderness, in passion, in dignity, or in devotion; but while other women, from a deficiency in some of these traits, or an excess in one, are distinguished by that which preponderates, she is "enthroned and sphered" by the possession and perfect balance of them all; and yet she least of all of Shakespeare's women, if any can be least, is a made-up character. She manifests all her traits with a charm peculiar to herself. Mrs. Jameson places her among the Characters of the Affections. This is right; but only right, because in perfect womanhood the affections sway the intellect.

Upon one other point Mrs. Jameson is somewhat at fault; but for that her sex alone is accountable. She very justly remarks that Imogen is "a beauty;" and the fact is that upon not another of his women has Shakespeare bestowed such wealth of loveliness as upon this one. He brings her charms before us in every way; by the effect which they produce upon those around her, by the consciousness which we continually have of surpassing beauty in her presence, and by such particularity of description as he vouchsafes to no other of his heroines. But Mrs. Jameson speaks of her "delicacy and even fragility of person." No man would have formed such a conception of this embodiment of ideal womanhood. Mrs. Jameson had a Viola in her mind's eye. Imogen had not the heroic stature and the grand outlines of Hermione; but men see her standing shoulder high by the noble figure of Leonatus, in that bewildering plenitude of loveliness which firm health alone can give.

SCENE 5.

"Iach. Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this lamentable divorce under her colors, are wonderfully to extend him; be it but to for

tify her judgment, which, else, an easy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without more quality."

"Without more quality" than what? This is not the text of the original, which gives "without lesse quality." The change was made by Rowe, who has been followed in nearly all the editions since his day. The original involves a grammatical contradiction which, although it occurs elsewhere in Shakespeare's works, should not be needlessly assumed to be the correct text. Iachimo means, and should grammatically say, "for taking a beggar with less quality." But is it not probable that Shakespeare wrote "without this quality ?" i. e.,—'the partisans of Imogen wonderfully extend [magnify] the good qualities of Posthumus, if it be but to sustain her judgment, which else might be easily impeached for taking a beggar who had not this quality which they attribute to him, and which in a measure compensates for his want of rank and position.'

"Post. I will wage against your gold, gold to it: my ring I hold as dear as my finger: 'tis part of it.

Iach. You are a friend, and therein the wiser," &c.

"You are a friend" has no meaning consistent with the context; and yet it has been retained in all the current editions, in spite of a palpable typographical error discovered by Warburton, and pointed out and corrected by Theobald on his suggestion:

"You are afraid, and therein the wiser."

Dr. Johnson tried to make his readers believe that Iachimo told Posthumus, "You are a friend to the lady," meaning 'her lover; but Posthumus has but just said, "I profess