PHILOSOPHY

OP

SHAKESPEAEE'S

SONNETS.

LOITDOIT: BY PRINTED

SrOTTISWOODH AND CO., NEW-STRBKT SQUAUB

AND

PARLIAMENT STREET

AN

INTRODUCTION

TO

THE

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

SONNETS.

BY

EICHAED

SIMPSON.

LONDON N. TEUBNER
"

CO.,

60

PATERNOSTER

ROW.

1868.

PREFACE.

Tfe

following

chapters

are

reprinted

from

The

Chronicle,

where

they

first

appeared.

They

were

compiled

from

collections

made

long

ago

as

notes

to

Shakespeare's

Sonnets,

and

it

is

hoped

that

as

they

stand

they

will

be

of

some

use

in

pointing

out

the

sequence

of

ideas

in

which
poem

both

needs

and

rewards

the

pains

of

commentator.

Clapham,

February

17,

1868.

CONTENTS,

CHAP.

PAGE

I.

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE

PHILOSOPHY
.

II.

THE

ANALYSIS

OF

LOVE
.

16

III.

THE

THREE

PHASES

OF

LOVE

.27

IV.

THE

TRUE

ORDER

OP

THE

SONNETS
.

36

V.

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS
.

47

VI.

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.
.

60

VII.

VULGAR

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS
.

70

VIII.

CONCLUSION
.

75

THE

PHILOSOPHY
OF

SHAKESPEAKE'S

SONNETS.

CHAPTER

I.

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

pliilosophywill naturally first turn to his The epic poet relates facts as he finds lyricalpoems. his own in story ; the lyric poet reveals them feelings, of his own and the motives and thinking acting ; the dramatic epic and lyric tells the story poet is both
"

IN

default

of

direct

information, tlie

student

of Shakespeare's

like

the

one,

and,
and

lil^e the

other in

exhibits obedience

his
to

dramatic the inner

persons

acting

speaking

the lyric poet is most springs of their natures. he is consciously and tionally intenpurely^-personal,because But the dramatic exhibitinghimself. poet is personal the and which he because thoughts too, feelings puts of his characters all ultimately drawn into the mouths are from
can

Hence

his be

own

consciousness.
as

Not

that

these

characters

of what their creator is. representations he he Their is, but what production reveals, not what himself. not feels he might be, or should be, if he were been If Shakespeare had Othello, or lago, or Hamlet, or acted Falstaff, or Henry V., or Hotspur, he might have But then he was and thought as they do in his dramas. taken

himself, and

not

another.

"

I
B

am

that I

am,"

as

he

says

in

one

of have

his sonnets.

Hence and obvious done

tlie if he
to

knowledge
had been

of

what

he
than

might
himself

thought
no

other

affords actual

he, the
own

knowledge of what Shakespeare, reallythought and did in his

We will

clue

the

person. his examine

therefore

dismiss

his

dramas,

and

lyrical poems.
the Adonis moods
sonnets

Among
The Venus

these and

alone Lucrece

are are

purely personal.
dramatic

and of

the

stories,

bringing out delicacy,but

the
so

feeling and
which
are

still moods In these

thought with lyrical to completely external

author. he does

in the

the poet goes out of himself; poems Lover's it Complaint. But in the sonnets
; it

is the And

poet who

speaks
some

is himself

whom

he

describes.

presupposed in certain have been sonnets purely imaginary, still there also it may is the man Shakespeare who professes to tell us his which, though feelings and ideas in regard to relations is almost so natural, that personal character imaginary, are how to as easily manifested by his determinations it could the be by "act as on supposition of their reality, though
his

of

the

facts

action

in

real

circumstances.

For

in

these

sonnets

Shakespeare is not tellingus what he should be if he were lago or Othello, and not Shakespeare ; but what he should be if,remaining what he he were placed in certain was, imaginary relations with others. If this all, we were might approach Shakespeare's with chance of finding there the sonnets some feehngs,\ But' and dispositions, judgments of the poet himself.
when
we

examine
so

them limited
to

we,

first

of

all, find
of

them

so

'

monotonous,
there into
seems

in be

their

little

gained
man. are

range from And

them then

subject, that of insight

comes

the

myriad-minded
that the
sonnets

in

the

but mere strictly original, that all the great poets who echoes expressed themselves it as of verse in this kind ased of a a recognized medium that notorious so special kind of philosophy. This was of this philosophy had made the usual texts sonnets students and discussion. In the nineteenth subjectsof dialectical to wrap be thought superannuated trifling century it would

thought
"

not

up

in,

or

to

extract

out

of, what
its

seems sense.

mere

love We may

song
read
or

anything deeper
Dante's
or

than

superficial
as we

Petrarch's

poetry

listen

to

Handel's

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

Beethoven's

music, thoronglilyenjoying
never

tlie

emotions

it

excites,but
of the world

seeking in
of life.

it for the We should

key
as

to the
soon

mysteries
think of

and

extractingphilosophy out of a nursery rhyme. But even this seeming absurdityis none. The rhyme is a nursery extinct of an deposit,a fossilized remnant philosophy. three First the \ comes Philosophies grades. pass through '' the or earnest, or religiousgrade; next mj^thological, poetic grade ; last of all the old woman's, or children's tale. tales were the legends of a Grrimm's nursery once theology ; they next gave form to the imaginationsof a whole people; and they have finally degenerated into what Thales first reverenced the originof water as they are. all things; Pindar used the philosophy of Thales as cal poetibut it could be turned to now no machinery ; practical but In the to the lovesame point a joke. purpose way in its full earnestness in Plato and Dante philosophywas ; in it became Petrarch and it Shakespeare ; and poetry ironical for became an an subject amusing essay in Burton. As serious men extract primeval mythology out of nursery wish to comprehend the philosophy of the tales, so, if we old sonnet must writers,we put our minds into sympathy with their pretensions, admit and their claims to be the
-

teachers their

of the
the

men

of their

times, who
of studies
as

did, in fact,make
serious
as

works

text-books

that

of

Aristotle in the medieval

in the The
not

or schools,

that of natural

science

present day. great poets claimed

of
the

to

be

teachers
their

of

merely exponents
claim.
tells him reader

and feeling, makes

cantos

wisdom, and contemporaries

sage, his Paradiso to in trinal docevery six things
"

admitted

Dante

Virgil his
of
as

ideal

and, in dedicatingthe
Can
the

opening
that
must

Grande,

in

his

poem, the end

work, the
the subject, the

note diligently

agent, the
of

form,

or

the object,

philosophy; after which the words themselves have to be interpretedin their three senses, moral, and literal, anagogical. His two philosophical and the Convito, are works, the Vita Nuova mentaries simply combringing out the recondite meaning of his own When certain physicians and canzoni. and natural sonnets Petrarch philosophers disdained poetry as no real science, defended it. of the poet," he wrote, "is "The business
title,and
kind
b2

not pose, moral the truth

to

of lying,as the nnleamed feign,in tlie sense snpbut of putting toto feign (fingere) in the gether sense and the truth of things beautifying; to adumbrate
or

natural of

in

artificial

colours, to
the removal interest search." forth"
more

cover

them of which

with the

veil

pleasant fiction,on
out, with
the
The
; and

shines of

all the

in its

because Basil.
essence

of difficulty

the

1581.)
of truth

poet
the of

"bodies

discovery (0pp. p. 905, the spiritual

stripoff
the

the

crust

poet's truth

philosophicalcritic in turn has to external sensuous hibit metaphor, and exthat lies beneath. Similarly Santil"

of invention an Spaniard, defines poetry to be useful things, which being enveloped in a beautiful veil, are arranged, exposed, and concealed according to a certain and calculation, measurement, weight." (Apud Morley, i. so History of Evglisli Poetry^ 31.) Montaigne even goes far as to say that philosophy is little else than kind of a sophisticated poetry. And the poets were of thought and accepted as masters science. Professors' sole chairs
were

lana, the

founded

in Italian

ties universithere is
a

for the whole

comments

branch upon the

of expounding Dante purpose ; and literature which consists of Italian

solelyof

teers. appears called

In
to

other sonnetPetrarch, Casa, and sixteenth century literarysociety in Italy

Dante,
been which

have

broken
met
on some

up old

into

small

associations
to
a new

academies,
or

generally to
one.

listen

sonnet,
lectures. these of Pico of
a

to

lecture
on

Many
notes
are

published
of similar among works

commentaries The

Petrarch

most

appear considerable The is

a

to
names

be

found in the

commentators.

only
of

Italian

treatise

della Mirandola
on a

system of philosophy in the form

Benevieni.

comment

canzone a

Some Tasso

editions
on

of Casa's sonnet

poems

contain

lecture

by Torquato
'n
una

the

Questa
Brevi E
e

vita mortal, che

nottume
ore

o'

due

trapassa,

oscura

fredda.
our Tasso, mystically mean life. Some, he says, only live

The and
sense,

two
our

hours,
rational

says

irrational the life of

the

first hour second in

; others

things, the

hour. the

their eyes to intellectual open sequent taxed For this he was by a sub-

lecturer

same

academy

with

making

Casa

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

say that nocturnal

our

intellectual hours. It
men

life was
was

cold and
kind of

dark,

one

of

our

Such is into worth

two

the

then disputation Tasso divides of

fashionable.
intellectual and those of and of

observing
classes
"

that

those

original genius
he divides into

artistic critical letters

culture;

the

latter

imitators the world and

he distributes investigators.Thus into three tators, grades the gods, the imi"

the

commentators

; and

we

see

that
to hear

its

common

life consisted of the This Labour's into

"

in

meetings
and the of the

of academies of the

the

poems

imitators fact

lectures

commentators.

explainsone
exhibits

Lost
a

Love's Shakespeare's dramas. Court of Navarre forming itself members of which

wrote

little

academe,"
were

the

and

recited
own

sonnets, and

sonnets

upon written evidently

"

commented

them.
under

Shakespeare's
similar stances. circum-

calls them friends

"
"

They are first mentioned by Meres in 1598, who his private Shakespeare's sugared sonnets among
a or

it may circle, like the

be

presumed,

like the Navarrese souls"

to

academy,
whom Nuova. about

Dante When the the

proposes
we

of "enthralled company his theorems in the sonnets

of the Vita
no

think

of

this,we
the the

need

feel

difficulty
Thomas of Shakespeare's

of the interpretation

dedication

which

Thorpe

publisherprefixedto
in 1609.
"

first edition

only begetter of these insuing sonnets, Mr. W. H., all happiness,and that eternity the well-wishing poet, wisheth promised by our ever-living in setting forth. T. T." the sonnets adventurer As are addressed Mr. W. H. partlyto a man, partlyto a woman, have been their only begetterin (whoever he was) cannot of sole parent, sole inspirer, the sense sole object; and or the only alternative that has been thought of is to suppose that "begetter" means But collector. W. H. was thing somethan the it to more collector; was him, Thorpe that the had made the poet promises of eternity implies,
sonnets
"

To

with

which
if not under

the

sonnets to

abound.

Even

the
not

later

then,
but

written

him,

were was

written,
not

sonnets, only for him,

merely one the dumb eloquence of whose beauty had forced Shakespeare to write whose to him and one arguments disputations ; but voked prothe poet to embody his conceptionof the "two loves, of and comfort despair," in his magnificent series of We imagine W. H. to have been either the Earl sonnets.

his influence.

So he

of

Southampton
and back
come

or

some

other had
over

young
with

man

of into

birth

and

wealth, wit
had

beauty, who
brimming

travelled

Italy, and
and love-

academies

Petrarch and which he Platonism, upon philosophy, with Shakespeare, and by his discussions disputed with begot the
sonnets.

Shakespeare is always a philosopher,but in his sonnets is a philosopher of love. A.11 the great sonnet he writers affected derived one was particular philosophy, which from the Banqiiet of Plato. Socrates was originally posed supof this school of thought, and to be the first founder
Shakespeare's adherence
called his in his of
to
"

it

was

so

notorious
a

that

he

was

epitaph
mind. I know
"

Socrates
I

ingenio,"
says that In the

Socrates
in
one

in the

turn

declare,"
love. In

Socrates

TJieages,"that
matter
one
"

nothing whatever, except

to
as

small every

what
as

belongs
well small of of and

I surpass

else, past
this
"

matter" the all

present." enlarged
universe, and
that could this

Platonic the
knew From

sophy philogreat
love the

itself into
he who

sustaining
knew the

force
kernel

be

known.

passed to Dante became and Petrarch, and a distinguishing characteristic revi^^l of the sixteenth of the Italian Italy century. Prom and it radiated taken was through Europe, by Surrey up treated such and with by none depth Spenser. But it was has all his devoted and variety as by Shakespeare, who and and sonnets perhaps half his plays, to the poems, subject. Platonic The philosophy, as adopted by the sonnet
Platonic
schools books

science

writers, discussed
matter, love
is

the the

matter

and

method

of

love.

For

its

passion for the beautiful,or rather, as Love Plato says, for begetting or creating in the beautiful. solicited and act of the mind, excited is an by a beautiful object,and having for its object the production of a new of, the old, or already existing, beauty in, and by means beauty. Beauty, on the other hand, is that quality which Truth renders is understood anything an object of love. Beauty is by being true but loved for being beautiful. become the only metaphysical quality which can an object Thus it is both and physical metaof the physical sense. physical it excites,appertains love, the passion which ; and and that of spirit. It is to both spheres that of matter
"

THE

SHAKESPEAEIAN

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

enables it to assume tlie community of love wMcli It is both material of universality. and spiritual, character both active and contemplative. It comprehends the whole of the its generation, upholding, and universe movement It lies at the foundation, not only of every act progress.

this

"

of

every

agent, but

also of the still

eternal

creative

act

which

upholds, the whole variety of things and ideas. worlds Love which in this system equally describes is a word the transcendental of man, action of God, the intelligent activity of the animal, the nutritive the sensitive activity activity mechanical the chemical of the plant,and or activityof and masses. is the doctrine of Such inorganic elements Love is theology,logic, Petrarch. Boethius and morals, and It is the natural history, sphere of astronomy. politics, which all sciences are superficial segments. Apprehension
affirms

brought into being, and of the two and diversity

Hegel's idea of the universal Becoming, of which Being and not Being are the It is the principle in which all contradictions two moments.
prelude
to

all ; Reason It is a all.

doubts kind of

or

denies

all ; but

Love

ciles recon-

find their ultimate

restores
sameness

solution

and

reconciliation
;

; which

in

differentiation

which

maintains

and fuses together subject in spiteof distinction, identity and and matter, perception and thing, the object,mind This ideal and the real. conception of love imparts a ethical character to the love philosophy. Its great special mark is toleration. does it It does
not

fix

its view

on

isolated

of a multitude regard truth as consisting of independent truths ; but it looks at truth as a and in which system which comprehends all realities, every in connection and is mutual ence. dependcomprehended part and not For evil different it,good are substances, but evil is good misplaced. In things evil there is a soul of goodness ; and reformation not in annihilating consists^ the evil thing,but in translating it in developing that it which soul of goodness within gives it life and vigour, and it erringlyseeks. in directingit to the good which

truths, nor

"

Hence, in all controversies it finds doctrines,instead of exaggerating

room one

for both like the

the

rival

fanatic, or
like the
cease

losingboth
eclectic.
to

by seeking the
For there is
a

via media where

between

them

point and be mutually destructive,

contradictions like
concave

coalesce

and

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKES

PEAEE's
of

SOJS'N'ETS.

convex,

the

inside

and

outside

bowl. be

This

ethical

character

the

move expected to rethe philosopher from any very conspicuous part on ever howworld's are stage. His theories impracticable, beautiful dreams. Petrarch as was a thorough men speci-

of the

love

philosophy

may

of the

kind

"

scholar, or
my

rather

a.

woodman,

wanderer, spouting solitary

tall

beeches,

or,

with

the rough eclogues under greater presumption, tempering my

reed under the bitter laurel,more fervent in working fragile than love of literature happy in my works, with more than sectarian, but knowledge of it. No hungry for weakness truth, the difficulties of which, coupled to my and ignorance, and my fear of entanglingmyself in errors, make unit
me

often embrace

doubt

itself for lowest

truth.

Thus

I,
to

of the become

multitude, the
an

of the

low, have

dually graself, my-

Academician, attributing nothing

and of consider it

nothing affirming
that which I

(Petrarch, Berum
The former
to

part of
Jonson

doubting everything,except doubt about." to sacrilege Seyiilium Lib. I. Ep. V. 0pp. p. 745.) this description fits Shakespeare as he
and Milton
; the

appeared
The
world

latter fits him

as

he

is

characterized divisions.
are

by modern historyof human

In the

critics. culture

separates
of the which
man,

into

two

great
of the

the laws first,

causes

movement

through his creative In the second, they are conscious. In sought in phenomena which are independent of him. the first division, the encyclopgedia consists chiefly of human sciences logic,psychology, ethics, language. In the natural second, it consists or chiefly of the inductive The sciences. love philosophy belongs to the first "era. for the second, the great problem of For that, as well as philosophy is to find a universal principleor notion which unites and comprehends in itself the unity and diversity of
"

sought in is activity,

of

the in

two

worlds first
sera

of

matter

and

mind. be

But

it could

only

be

the

that love
was

principle. The
the mind
;

supposed to be this philosophy belongs to a period when

love should

of

man

supposed
concentration

to

have of will

a or

real the

action due

on

matter

when,

by

ciation enun-

In be

such the

magic spells,material efiects could be produced. to of opinion love would a state naturallyappear of things, principlethat solves the contradictions

of

THE

SHAKESPEAEIAN

LOVE^^^Si^KgiffiSSJ^'^ 9
can

and ideal whom who

shows
whole.

tiow contraries
It
was

be united

into

thus

understood
of all

by
;

the

single and philosophers

by Empedocles, things by the play of explained three forces love, and hatred ; by Aristophanes, necessity, who "There mingled all were no gods till Love sang with the different of the things ; and by the mixture
Phsedrus

quotes in Plato's Banquet

evolution

the

"

different

Heaven
race

came

to

be, and
blessed

Ocean, and

Earth, and
was were a

the

undying
on

of

the .'ill
even

which

animated

gods." Love lifeless things. All

towards which

principle urged
end.
wards to-

by

a
was
"

blind

instinctive
to

desire
"

their
all

natural tend

Good

defined
"

be

that

things

or

covet," and
"

the

chorus

of schoolmen

respond

in of each thing has its term appetite the good. All things, even those which unconscious, are of appetite, desire the good." Love, the root and queen for such as was philosophers the law of the universe
to

Aristotle

"

The

"

Boethius

says:

"

Hanc Terras Et
Hie

return

seriem

ligat

et

pelagus regens

ccelo

imperitansamor.
nunc

si frena retniserit
amat

Quidquid
Bellum
'

invicem

continuo
nunc

gerit;
incitant

Et

quae

socia fide

Pulchris Certant

motibus

solvere machinam.

(Boet. de Consol. Phil

ii. met.

8.)

is the Great and wonderful 614) of love, which so mightily and so fast binds the power least immense to the by an invisible but not insensible which union, and rules with equable force things between there is no have parity. What a scope must this principle

And

Petrarch

(0pp.

*'

p.

in

men

who
even

are

rational the air brute would

and and
not

sensible,when

it

can

bind of

together
nature

incongruous
unite
not

elements

! with its

The
water

with know

earth the
sea

; rivers

would
stars

the fire, nor their banks, nor unless the

. . .

the

shores, nor

the universal make be

their

courses,

almighty and sacred It is his privilege to

the faithful lover
to

Love

tied them

together.
to
cause

the loved

unequal equal, and

in. his
to

turn." the
"

Thus
one

love

appeared
in which

to the

philosophicpoet
were

be

principle

all contradictions

tive which

swallowed

up

all

great afiirmaand, for its votaries, negations,

solved

the

10

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAEE'S
unlocks all

SOITNETS.

held

the

secret

key

which

the

treasures

of

knowledge.
Such
is the substance For its

of love

according to
the Italian
or

the

Platonic

sonnetteers.

method,
of six

academicians

give,after Plato, a
love
end.
to

degrees,by which from its imperfect beginnings to its complete ascends The first step belongs to the outward eyes, the second
steps
inward merges becomes eyes into the memory. and reason, of In the idea the third

ladder

the

step the
visible

memory

imagination of
of material mind
; the

beauty
The

universal
a new

beauty.
plating contem-

fourth the

step begins
idea
to

series

of

beauty contemplates itself,the

of the

ideal love lectual intel-

beauty

is found

be in and

mind,
the

and

thus

the
to

is transferred

from In

body
the

to

soul, from

material intellectual

beauty.
which,

fifth

step

vision,

with the individual only conversant the lightof beauty, receives beauty in itself,"by becoming able to perceivethe beauty of minds. The the loving soul gathers last step is when of intellectual difierences beauty in up all the degrees and all-comprehending divine mind. one (Crescimbeni, della six steps are Bellezzch, grouped in two sets p. 14.) These of three. First, love guided by the outward eyes devotes itself to the visible beauty which happens to strike it. Under the guidance of the memory this beauty becomes larities generalized;it is stripped of the accidents and particuthe of perception, and love becomes fancy. Under devoted to the one guidance of the idea, love becomes objectin which it sees or itaaginesall the imaginary properties it of beauty to be individualized. Thus, begins in And with ends and the one. through all, amj, passes the whole now begins the second triad. The one in whom idea of sensible only represents beauty is individualized such beauty to the mind of the lover ; apart from him, or
"

is to this point, up soul and its idea of

in relation

to
one

the

eyes

and

minds

of

others, the

beloved
rest.

objectis
Hence in

but

the

of many, undistinguished from the idealized individual is contemplated, not as

as

he is

himself, but
is the
we

he

This
sense,

fourth

representedin step,wherein, by a
love that of the loves.

is

the kind

mind. idealizing of intellectual here

a

get
in the

to

the

beauty
Next, by

and

now

present

mind
we

kind

lectual of intel-

memory,

get

to

this generalize

individual

mental

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE-

PHILOSOPHY.

11

beauty, and the general

the

it becomes

tbe
more once

beauty

of all minds.
and

Lastly,
we
"

idea
that

is

once

individualized, and
universal last

lore the the

beauty
mind.
with the

is at the

Divine
three

Thus the

three

singular steps correspond to

first; and
one,

intellectual

begins
reaches love

all in

progresses and one

love, like the sensible, through the all, and at last in all. Thus, the scale of one
"

correspondsto the scale of logic simpleapprehension, and gives a prelude to the ment movejudgment, and reason of the Hegelian category Identity, Difference,and have, first,the apprehension of beauty Comimmity. We through the eyes, the judgment of beauty in the memory, the reason of beauty in the ideal ; and, again,the apprehension of beauty in our own soul, the judgment of beauty in all souls, the reason of beauty in the one all-embracing
" "

soul. idea is

Such

is the

is conceived

of reason. First,the process in its rough and primitiveunity ; next it

universal

dissipatedinto
are

reunited

fragments and parts ; next into an organized whole.

these and

these Like mind

ments fragthese

love, all
"

thinking depends on alternate expansions lungs.

This
"

pulsations of
contractions of

the the

intellectual

ladder
beautiful eyes the

of

love

"

deserves
is the the

Its first eyes. A

stage
arouses

birth

face
anchor The eyes
on

templated. conclosely love through the attention like a cymbal's more

to be

of

clang
is of the
a

; the

upon
next
are

it ; and

love

is born.

This

simple afiair.
love face
a

questionis,what

is to become from
enter

when

they
new

feed

in space closed,or removed Love, if it is to last, must

upon Hence

stage ;
the
"

comes

of love. absence confine and take has the its

sightit must of absence necessity Will deny," you

pleasures?
of love's

from

deepen
for the

into memory.
true

ment develop-

own

Petrarch, " that says Unless perhaps you would empire

to the

whole

wide
which

it from

the the

mind,
condition free

becomes It leaves the the

is its proper of the second

; and

eyes seat."

alone,
sence Ablove. looks it
as

stage of

memory eyes for

to act

the
can

through
the absent

all

tokens

that

memory remind

of
a

the memory object. And anything serves reminder and a pempsfison. Such comparisons withouti absence/ Memory is at the same would forgetfulness : wit^DutTforgetfulness memory

are

possible imtime

be

un-

12

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

SONN^ETS.

from distinguishable

falness that robs

and

its

perception: it is the alloyof forgetand definiteness, images of individuality

which makes them into gives them that indistinctness which fit a whole kind, general representations Forgetfulness also purifies the conceptionby lopping ofi* the less striking accidents,and leaving nothing but the nucleus. The beautiful face fades away into an inconstant conception attaches of beauty, which itself to every beautiful image which every loved the such
one.

eyes Thus

present,
as a

and

enables and

the token in
are

mind of the

to

treat

image

symbol
"

absent

the

same

poet who
Your eyes absence

mistress
nor

your breath that

have said, may neck ivory, nor of ransack

of his presence like stars, not

roses,
nor

your violets," in her

lips like

may,

without
use

your consistenc inup up

true

Nature of the
of her

for

comparisons,and
to

all the the

splendours

universe

enhance this

or means

patch
a

lapsingmemory analysisof beauty

first

beauty. By
upon and beloved the

is forced

mind.

Love,
now

which

in the
no

stage

is intolerant

exclusive, and

recognizes
forced
sees

beauty recognize beauty in beauty of that face

forms.
of his And
now

but

that

of the
all hinted lover

face,is
reflected

to

things, because
at

memory
in

the

and

the The
new

undergoes
lover

many the trial his. first trial,

so

constancy.
all these

inconstant

is seduced of

into for

shipping wor-

manifestations should The he be

beauty
his lover

selves, them-

that they forgetting

to

heart

only

mirror
refuse cultus

of them
:
"

his his

mistress.

constant

does

not

worship, but
"

gives
away,
these

them

only a

relative

You

As

with

your

shadow

I with

did

play."
chosen it

Constancy gathers up,

in the world. and memory, Then to the
can see

in

the

idea

of

the

afiection,all the scattered

the

rays of beauty which Inconstancy allows the sight to

objectof perceives
the
one.

overcome

present beauty
lover
"

to blot

out

the

absent

constant

absence

demonstrates

that
"

he

his beloved and

a manner senses

across are no

his mind have he that in has he

large lengths of miles ; his own, longer entirely

to

that but that

left him

reside

with

her died

and
to

thus, in Platonic
her. his

phrase,in part
Persuaded

himself

live with may returned, his life and

that
are no

his afiection is

mistress's

longer single.

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

13
home
as
"

Eacli
and says which

lives

in

the

other, and
his
to
own comes

in

that"

new
"

thinks,

acts, and
"

maintains he

being
also soul in of

Crescimbeni
no

"

Thus

Hve
the

himself
the

alone, but

in company into him passes

with
as

beloved

longer object, \
so

his has

by
the the

his

loving death,
is the the

he of

has the

passed into her ; gained not one, but two

identification
of the the the of the

that,
and of

"

lives."

This

ethical doctrine beloved

lover

counterpart

logical doctrine
"

identityof
man,"
man

knowing
Bacon,
he

and

known.

The

mind

is the

A
an

says is but what

to

"and

knowledge
The mind

is the

mind,
but

knoweth.
; for

itself is
a

accident which

knowledge

that

is all

is ; the truth of As the mind one." of

knowledge is being and the truth

takes
a new

double

of

of

knowing
every
a new

form

with takes

change
form souls

knowing,
mind
as

and

the

thing
it enters

known
; so

in the

into

which

the

two

loving
have

have,
a

enveloped
live

it were, suppressed themselves, and themselves in a new existence, in which life in

they
is the which

double

unity
AH

of

being.
to
are

This

unity beauty
in

guarantee of constancy.
the
senses

the

scattered the ideal

beauties

collect

are

referred
and And

whose

image
of

lives in the resemblance in the

memory,
to it.

beautiful the

to their

thus of

three

proportion first steps

are

love

contemplation

sensible

beauty
the

completed.
The three of in when of the the

higher grades
into lives but the in the

of love

sensible

intellectual
mind.
; but

begin with beauty. Love

It
comes on

version con-

is bom

eyes, it sees soul.

into the

beautiful does

face
not

it lives with

being beauty

decay decay of the sensible beauty which engendered it. It survives age and If it still lives when wrinkles. the beauty which begot it is dead, its life has to depend on other clearlycome some the of the soul, no beauty on beauty longer on that of And the this intellectual love body. through the goes It begins with same the indigrades as the sensible love. \idual soul of the beloved as apprehended one, by the loving consciousness ; it enlarges into love for the general of the nature soul, as distinguished by the judgment ; and it perfects itself in love for the universal soul as prehended comfor the universal sacred by reason soul, the
"

Love

the

"

"

14

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAEE's
itself
in

SONNETS.

universal
the

love

"

which

comprehends

and

unites

all

differences These
two

of souls

general.

loves, the love of sensible and that of intellectuaL other in their beauty, are counterparts of each and their be described essence operation ; their processes may in the same If love terms. begins with corporeal not without the beauty, it is, as Crescimbeni sumption assays,

beauty of body is naturallya conclusive of beauty of soul, because is only an the one argument offshoot of the other, according to perfection of the
Ariosto's
words
*

that

"

"

Che Tutto

se

la faccia

pud

del

cor era

dar

fede
"

benigno, et

tutto

discrete'

Such

is

the

necessary

assumption

of

love

in

its lower

is established, and love is grades. Afterwards, when without to it refutes the idea, strong enough supports, go and contrasts with even beauty of mind beauty of body, that confessingwith Duncan
"

there is To find the mind's

no

art

construction

in the face.

This the

scale of love with

its six
The

steps
her

may

be

illustrated

by
in is

examples
poetry
of

of

poets.
woman

lowest for

stage
sensuous

is the

love of the
as

concrete

individual

charm,

the

Byron. The eclectic, busjang itself in

about blue in

second
a

degree is where subtle analysis of

hair, or
and such

love

beauty,
Herrick

writing parts of beauty

does. In the

eyes,

or

black

component
as

separate epigrams

songs,

analyticalprocess reunites the lover its scattered limbs, and worships universal beauty either in the face,which is its symbol, or in nature, which lyricalpoems displays it at large. Wordsworth's In the this fourth in are degree, or first step of grade. intellectual with love, the lover is no longer taken up corporealbeauty, but with that of the mind and character ; how the the poet no man looks, but what longer remarks he is, and gives us, not a pictureof his face,iDut of his grade gives personality. This is epic poetry. The next beauty. This is us a philosophical analysisof intellectual the ideal of lyrical poetry. The sixth grade puts together and contemseparated in the analysis, again all that was degree

third

this

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE-PHILOSOPHT.

15

plates
every includes

that kind all the

concrete

intellectual

beauty perfection,

wliicli
that soul

compreliends
love which which has come bethat their

of other

beauty
loves,
of in the which

and that

friend's intellectual combine is dramatic be found them into

symbol
action characters.

highest
men

beauty,
to

or

idealized individual This

exhibit

This of

poetry.
to

philosophy

love

will

be

key
stand,

to

Shakespeare's
without

Sonnets,
us

explaining
put
them

as

they
and

obliging
or

to

new

arbitrary
allusions.

order,

to

invent

biographical

facts

to

fit

their

CHAPTER

II.

THE

ANALYSIS

OF

LOVE.

LOVE,
parte,
either
or or

says lez.

Benedetto

Varolii

(Lezioni
directed be of

d^
to

Amor,
the mind

2 da

Ima,
or

ed. the
or

1561), being
mind,
both.
may And may the

beauty only,
love, kinds,
Love daemon is
are

of
the of

the

body

the

of love

body
both
to

only, body

of
and

this
be

composite
of

mind,
of

three

according
the
or

the
or

proportions
intellectual
of the

composition.
the

of

mind

only,
;

love, is called

good
love,
loves The

genius
dasmon

love
or

body
The

only,
three
or

or

animal

the
not

evil called noble

genius.
but

composite passions.
called

daemons,
or

only
love

affections

first

is

chivalrous
the
as a

(sometimes
of the of
senses,

divine).
the
and

.It

con-

templateschiefly
oFthe

beauty symbol

mind,

regarding
and the

beauty employ*Civil,
but
with of

body

only

spiritual beauty, sight

loves the mind

ing only the two social, hiilDiiaTi,

also the loves material and soul the

spiritual
or

hearingalso

domestic
not

love,

best,

body,
senses,

only

with

spiritual, but
the love is

but

without

overstepping
or

limits directed

modesty
to

civility.
and

Vulgar
;

plebeian
love of

both is loved

body
sake

but of its

the
own

body beget
love,

prevails,
As it is

and the

it

for

the

pleasures.
to

function
means

of
of

love,

Varchi
the noble

continues,
or

beauty
which its

by
loves is

beauty,
and

chivalrous

mental
more

beauty,
prone
are

corporeal
itself
to to

beauty

only
men,

as

token,
minds,

to
more

devote

youiig
the of

whose

he
of and

says,

apt
science

receive
those
on

beautiful
women.

impressions
The

virtue

and the

than

civil,
conversant

especially
more

vulgar
with

love,

the

contrary,

being
more

directly
themselves

corporeal
to
women

beauty,
than
to

are

prone who
are,

to
as

devote

men, to

Shakespeare
It
I

says
two

in

Sonnet

20, nothing
of

their the

purpose.

is

the

daemons

love,

not

intermediate

THE

ANALYSIS

OP

LOVE.

17
He

wliicli Shakespeare describes passions, says (Son. 144)

:
"

in his sonnets.

"

TtVo loves

I have like two

of comfort
do spirits, is
a man

and

despair,
me

Which,
The
The better

suggest
coloured

still; ill."

angel

rightfair,

worser

a spirit

woman,

The and The

"

intermediate

passions
"
"

chivalrous in his

love, domestic
dramas and

love,

vulgar

love

are

illustrated
sonnets

first series

of

is addressed daemon

poems. entirely to the of intellectual

manrlghtjair," who

represents the

directed to him in their l5Te"; thesonnels are passionate affection,but the affection is one of the purest friendship ; certain and the twentieth a sonnet, not "without ness coarse-

imputation of a have Greek which would at once sentiment changed the comfort of his love into despair. Shakespeare's conception made clear from will be extract Pico more by an
of

thought, entirelyprecludes any

della notices "Donna

a man.

Mirandola's that ti The relation whereas

comment

on

Benevieni's
made calls

Canzone.
Love him love
a

He

Guido
he

Cavalcanti

woman,
as

prega," Benevieni
reason,

simply
is that
as an

Amore,
holds

imperfectto a perfect thing ; and the Pythagoreans symbolized imperfect nature Besides, by the male. by the female, and perfectnature he adds, vulgar love is more made sant converappropriately
same

to

says, celestial love

vulgar

the

it is prone to material males, because such\ no pleasures. Heavenly love, on the contrary, runs the spiritual beauty of is towards bent risk, but its whole is much which the mind and intellect, more perfect in men with females than than in
women.

Wherefore

the

votaries

of this love of generous by its union

have,
mind,
with

for the most who enhanced

part, loved
the

some

worth

man young of his virtue

corporeal beauty.
loose
women,

They
never

have raise
men

not

who

strayed after herds of to any grade of spiritual

beasts.
not

but, perfection,
With such
a

like

chaste

them into Circe, love,he says, Socrates affected

most

transform

only

Alcibiades,but
Athenians.

all the

So Parmenides Nicomachus.
the of

ingenuous and subtle young loved Zeno, Orpheus Musseus,

Their of
to

Theophrastus
to

intention those
the

was

simply
loved the of

make

occasion tlie

corporealbeauty raising themselves

soul, whence
that

they
is

contemplation

beauty

of

of the

body

an

emana-

18
tion leads and
on we

to

; consequence of the beauty

and

the

beauty
from

of the

the

soul

angels, while
more

angelic
of of
templation, con-

beauty

may and

rise arrive

to

sublime

degree
Plato

at

Grod, the

first fountain

all

beauty. This, he
his love.

says, is the fruit which "icinus notices Marsilius three and

sought
Plato, in
one

from the

that love of
man
:

Phaedrus, proposes
to
man
"

exemplars
; one

of

of
to

womaa
"

Alcestis
and and

Admetus and In the

woman

Orpheus
Achilles

Eurydice ;
Patroclus.

the his
was

third

of

man

to

man

"

mind, and,
the

perhaps, in

the

highest love ; it was but masculine not feminine beauty that fired the imagination and with the glowing sentiment passion which idealizing which the stimulus of philosophy, and raised a man was of life, and even above the vulgar and selfish pursuits above With the the fear of death. Plato, personal beauty was of sense between the world the and one point of contact
notion,
world of ideas. in
no

general Greek

last

Justice visible

and

Temperance

could became

clothe visible

themselves in the

shape, but

Beauty

beautiful he mind

beauty, love,
itself to another the

youth. With the vision taught,begins ; after a

and character
over as

of this time beloved

corporeal youth; by
idea of it Thence

it transfers

of the the
as

step it passes
in all

to

generalized
minds.

beauty

objects,bodies

well

enlarges itself to comprehend the worship of beauty in templation public institutions,in arts and sciences, till it ends in conand That described from Greek the love in

worship
of
man

of the for
man

self-beautiful.
can

be and

as

ardent

as

that

Shakespeare's sonnets,
at

yet entirelyfree
His afl'ection for of
to

corruption, is shown Essay (Livre I. cap. xxvii.) de

de la

length in Montaigne's perfectcommunity

is for

VAm'die.
a

Estienne soul be
as

Boethie, which
that in his of

was

and

will, passing the love

as

of women, Medici

represented
friend.

ardent Browne
not

Shakespeare
fifth

his

Sir
loves

Thomas he does

Eeligio
of

(Pt. ii.

" 5, 6) hopes
if he
never

"break before the

a as

the

commandment" his blood.

on a

his friend he
"

nearest

"I

yet,"
I

says, my
are
"

cast

true

affection
do

woman,

but

have

loved
There

friend three

virtue, my
nature
"

soul, my
"

God
natures

most

mystical unions

two

in

one

three persons in one person For though indeed they be

one

soul in two
are

bodies.

reallydivided, yet

they

so

THE

ANALYSIS

OP

LOVE.

19
rather

nnited than

as

they seem
distinct

but souls."

one,

and
some

make of the

two

And

earliest

duality English

absent to an poetry that is left to us consists of addresses of which of Shakespeare's reminds one friend, the tone
sonnets.
a

In called lord.

the the Then

Codex
it
"'

Exoniensis In
to him
he his lord and and he

(Ed. Thorpe, p. 288), is

it the exile dreams

poem absent

Wanderer.
seems

of his

That

Embraces And Hands As when

on

kisses,

his knee

lays days

head,
in former

His

gifts enjoyed."

And the

(p. 442), " The Exile's Complaint," poem that although he and his lord had often laments solitary
a

in

similar

promised
have and

that been

yet
the

but nought should part them separated,and nothing remains absent

country !
friend
:
"

death, they
but
sorrow,

imaginationof the
"

The

far

There Under

my
a

sits

rocky shelter,
with

Whitened

storm."

With unites
ness

Plato, love
two

is not the

merely
the

the

friendshipwhich
and mutual kindV

it is ;

by persons also the passion for

of

bands

of virtue

the regretful infinite,

we

reminiscence

sometliing better

than

see,

immortality. is founded low* down the stimulus on high feeling passion. Love indeed, if it is to be perfect, suppresses
this

of future

Still in

sentiment prehis estimation of

and

the

this

stimulus, or
it into
in the

rather

diverts

it from

its natural Yet

bias,and
Love

forms trans-

something quite different.

forms

is universally,

highestand lowest generation.The impulse,in the

alike,an impulse of brutal form, seeks onlymaterial human, it consciously pleasure; but as soon as it becomes bestow seeks to an immortalityon what is mortal, to render
fades and dies. Its first human semblance of

that which lasting is to produce a

impulse immortalityby generating, for beauty, a new beloved to through a person person, in its decay (Plato,Sympos. c. 32, one replace the original thus to preserve the immortality of the species p. 207), and
amidst the destruction fuel ; and
of

the

individual. kindled

Of

this

impulse
pre-

Beauty

is the

l^ve

by

beauty is not

c2

PHILOSOPHY

OP

SHAKESPEAEE'S
of

SONK-ETS.

msely the
i(TTiyap
Tu) ov

love
tov

of

but beauty,

in generation

the beautiful.
teal tov
tokov
it'

kuXov

6 epioc, a\Xa

ttjqyevrrjtrewQ
the

which doctrine (Sympos. p. 206). It is Shakespeare puts into the two opening lines of his sonnets,
K-aXw
as

to be

it

were
"

the text

and

motto
we

of the

whole

"

From That

fairest creatures

therebybeauty'srose form
"

desire increase, die." might never

The itself
the

simplestand lowest in the vulgar love

"

of this

impulse

manifests
in the in

it is

purified and
it is transformed

exalted

"domestic"

or

"civil For

love;"
there the

"chivalrous the

love."

impulse

is not

towards

the perpetuation of corporeal beauty, but towards of mental creation sympathy is beauty. The material Then union. the comes transfiguredinto intellectual in in those few whom "celestial love," privileged persons climbs to the the faculty contemplation of beauty in its Idea have
; when
no a man

has

attained

to
man

this, saj'-sPlato, he will

or

eyes
root

for the

colours is the

(Si/mp.c.
and

beauty of 35, p. 211). When type.

"

woman,

Thus the

of all love

gold or generation
or

fancy (says
vision which

Messer

Francesco
c.

Cattani
to be

da

Diaceto, I Tre Lihri

the mind desire

(TAmore, L. iii.
Ave

3)

conceives

sight any beautiful,suddenly the

through
to

nounce pro-

desires in the

not

only
in the

to

enjoy it,but
and in the

make

it." is

This

A^ilgar

love

civil love that

always
is
a

material.

But

higher love, all and transfigured

Love has
to

is material

transformed in and the

into

its roots

earth,
An

the

rather or suppressed, act. purely spiritual corruptionof which into the

sweet

it has
and

suppress, fruit of art and

to transmute science.

flowers fails to

imperfect love
detain
us.
a

complete
The has

this transformation. need

not

"vulgar love" thought it worth

and Adonis.

Shakespeare
poem
to

his while The and The

to

devote is
a

it
"

his Venus

Lacrece

contrast

between love
to

the civil love of Lucrece which

fires

the evil dasmon

are

of animal also devoted

to

Tarquin.

later sonnets

this animal
and is neither

love, which
suppress the wife the
nor

permits voluptuousness Their hope of increase.

the chivalrous

shadow over-

heroine
the
"

mistress, but
"

the tempter, the Cleopatra, the love of

sense.

Cressida,the
contrast

bad the

angel

of

But

the

between

civil love

'

TEE

AIs^ALTSIS

OP

LOYE.

21

and

the

chivalrous
is the

love

is worth that of

considering.
chivalrous love

The the

end
tion connec-

of

civil love

marriage ;
is the Codex

between of this love but

a one

servente

and

his mistress.
to

The

text

book

Amoris, attributed
no

King Arthur,
Andrew,

capable of showing

than higher antiquity IV. The it Code contains

chaplainof
articles. love

Pope
The

Innocent

thirty-

for which faculty has its roots in

our

nary is that ordilegislates sensual

nature

VI. and

Masculus

(Art. non plena pubertate amare), which riage might naturally and properly end in mardecet amare (Art. XI. Non pudor est quarum
solet nisi in Yet civil
as

which

nuptias aifectare). from quite distinct

short in its end
to be

the

chivalrous it
was

love

was

love,
and

therefore attain its

cut
own

development,
if the the lovers vehicles lover
was

failed

to

special
allowed and
on,
or

married. forbidden
his

The love
to

only
were

senses

of chivalrous

the

eyes of

ears.

The

go A

beyond gazing
Two

hearing,or
lovers

successful lower

thinking of, were acknowledged.

love.

grades
of

lover

the

initiated by the lady giving grade (the ecoide) was him of the higher grade (the ami) gloves or girdle ; one the first and by her giving him a kiss generallythe last he could hope to receive from It is to this kiss that her.
"

Art. XII.
ex

refers
non

(Verus
was

amans

alterius

nisi

suae

coamantis occasions the

affedu
of

cupit amplexus).
forbidden mind
to

On

all other

chivalrous
limits
actus
amans

love

transgress

strict Verus deof

and kind

and eyes in coamantis assidua sine

(Art. XXIV. cogitatione finitur.

intermissione
love Platonic
a
man

Quilibet
Art. XXX.

amantis

coamantis
woman

imagine
was a man a

tinetur). The adaptation of

man

chivalrous the

of the

friendshipbetween
and
woman,

to

that the

between forms feudal

and The
woman

regulation
took

of

it

by

of

feudalism.
the
as man

the
The

place of the
office of infeodation their

lord,

that
was

of
a

follower.

a knight receiving

servente

complete feudal
dominus,
been and
times some-

; the

vassal

often

called M.

his

dame

is said relationship blessed

by

Fauriel

to have

by

the

Church.
his

When

as

ami, he knelt
between and
to

before

lady,his
swore

to

palm death, She, on

hers, and
protect her

to

knight was accepted two hands joinedpalm her faithfully till serve
a

against

all

evil

and

outrage.

the

other

hand, accepted his services, promised

22

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAEE's
him
was

SOXNETS.

"him

her

tenderest with
a

affections,gave
Chivalrous
in
to his mistress

ring,and
inconsistent

raised w^ith

up married

him

kiss.

love

love, because
of the lover

marriage

the

chivalrous

nation subordibounds
nob

is

impossible,the
life is her favours is not had
own an

of

and fancy are eyes ideal. The lady is not The French in

passed,and
supreme,
nor

the

domestic,

voluntary.
accurate

Fouque's knight of conception chivalry. He would

that wife been mistress would could had
not

Sintram have his

mistress,but
wife.
not

have

been

His have

have

her There

servente, but
was no

he

could
more

her husband.
than this between

law

of love

rigidly
of love.

enforced

by
a

the

Provencal
and his other the

Parliaments

Marriage
chivalrous allowed married
to

servente

lady destroyed the

hand,
score
no

relationship. On the give up a servente on

The

lady
she

was

that

Avas

to another.
causa

first article
amore non

of

the

Code

defined

that
The

"

conjugiiab
between
awe

est

excusatio

recta."

division

married of

and

chivalrous

love, which
w^as
one

all the

raptures and
in accordance find In
no

fancy
the

made

quite
but the the

with real home

habits

necessary, of Southern the of Teutonic

women was

Europe,
races

could North.

the

Greek
or
a

among the love domestic limits

of

either

natural
or

impulse
refined the
or

relationship,never
of the She
was

idealized

beyond

the

the utilitarian, either and had far

a

commonplace,
Jor
or

unenthusiastic.

eraipa
nurse,

pleasure,
yvvri

for

TvaXXaKrj for But housewife.

for This limits.

body
the

servant

Germans

kind

of

religiousveneration
utilitarian

women,

these
to

very veneration

surpassing
were

they
state.

able But seemed their

to

intact in the even preserve Southern the imagination such

marriage
a

combination the it to be that

a

preposterous.
woman

It

could could of for

receive
not

from allow

Germans
a

worship,but
Southern
a

wife in

worship.
man a

The

idea

marriage
his

was,

it the

sought

mother
not

children,
to

housekeeper,
to share

stewardess, but

a necessarily
or

companion
commune

his his
a

joys and thoughts

suzeraine exhibit

sorrows,
:

friend in the

wdth
sense,
was

still less in whose

awe

mistress

the

chivalrous

presence
terror
amans

servente-husband the Code

to

the

and

prescribedby
in coamantis

XV.
scere.

Omnis

consuevit In

(Art. aspectu pallecor

Art. XVI.

repentina coamantis

visione

tre-

THE

ANALYSIS

OF

LOVE.

23
the

miscit
of him of
a

amantis)
"

whom

he

was

to

regard as

depositary

kind

of

celestial

force

and

by
love.

assiduous It is

contemplation only in the Northern

consist
mar

to grace, communicable to thoughts and fidelity

imagination of Fouque
so

that this.

marrias^e could
would
our a

with it. it.

extreme

relation

as

would Familiarity of

The Yet

domestic it
was

subjection
continual

of the wife

annihilate

the

tendency
that other such hand

chivalry into
was

English poets to change the mistress of wife. Mr. proofs Morley points out many
Chaucer's
that the endeavour. Earl of

M.

Taine

on

the

Surrey was the first to do so. Spenser (in the Amoretti) was probably the first who exalted wife mistress. into a a Fouque completed the ideal in his French knight. love Chivalrous gives us this ideal. Shakespeare never
says of
woman

is not

an

element Labour's

of his world.
Lost look forward

Even
to

the

shippers wor-

marriage the end of their hopes, and receive their year'spenance as fact in his biography. with This is a significant discontent. life whose He Michel Angelo, a man probably resembled the artist was was a dualism, in whom sharply separated Michel from the house-father the citizen. and Angelo's his long correspondence with nephew turns entirelyon domestic hint about art or philosophy. a matters, without It exhibits him maintainer and ruler of his family, the as unsentimental, concise. quiet, steady,cautious, practical,
in Love's If his the
same we

want sonnets.

the

other

side of his

character, we

must

turn

to

Shakespeare's
love, with
of character. If
we

characteristic

chivalrous kind

its fantastical had

suppression of rites,pointsto the

wife,

his letters to his

or they would probably be entirelyoccupied with domestic should philosophy, no expect no municipal affairs. We eesthetics,little historical gossip. We might find a close of the net of his plays, but calculation proceeds of one it was which of the idea on structed. concertainlyno indication

Yet
to to

great
may

men

strive

to

have

some

confidant

whom find
one

they

they
words

may
or

It is their bliss impart their ideas. to whom capable of understanding them, one without measuring their speak interjectionally, is the where completing their thought. But
to

great
is

man

find

his
to

equal ?
content

Greatness
himself with

is

solitary.
mere

He

generally forced

the

mask

of
woman

with intelligence,
or an

the

deep
friend.

blue

eyes

of

confiding

enthusiastic

place of judgment, and the the domestic of relations of the thing signified. But wife and soon man destroy the illusions of imagination, is more than and the artist no one exposed to be miserable demand his wife should from who intelligent sympathy his with tion condias a thoughts as well as with his moods affection, of marital to have Shakespeare seems his ship upon avoided this rocJ^ ; Milton it. speare Shakeran
the

take Imagination must instead serve sign must

kept
his home

his

active and

aff'ections and

for

his

wife

and for
a

dren, chilthe

town,
and

sought

elsewhere He
was

recipients of
as

his

artistic

sentiments.

Nestor

how to keep his Virgil,and knew affections domestic un poetical dreams, entangled with to the true plain, uncoined, and homespun constancy of his own Henry V. And when love Shakespeare suppressed the chivalrous of woman, he extracted of its peculiarities, and with some modified his Platonic them friendship. In the Platonic is a beautiful mind the the beloved idea one youth whose mind in his beautiful lover forms begetting a beautiful But receives. one body. The lover gives all,the beloved well
as
a
"

Socrates

in the beloved

chivalrous
one,

idea

the

tables

are

turned

the

lady,

the

the dispenser; the Knight one, generous the source of waits her bounty ; her eyes are to him upon all strength ; they furnish not all love, all knowledge, is the which rouses only the stimulus guides him, and the end which in Biron's be read speeches in in the the

him,
blesses Love's

but

the

light that
may

him..
Labour^
s

All this
Lost. the

larly Simi-

Sonnets
the

the

male

friend beloved of

who

takes into
to

place of
the and the

lady

is not
out

Platonic his he

youth
mind

whom

lover
adorn feudal of

pours his lord

all but

wealth is the

educate

soul;
and

"master-mistress,"
in one, lover love. the

chivalric

mistress
the

incarnation all the his

whose beauty from eyes his all knowledge, and strength, Platonists of

derives On

all his the

other

hand, the Italian

acknowledged the only, and suppressed the chivalrous reallyfollowed Plato of love, kinds ideal. ultimate They admitted only two a vulgar and heavenly. In vulgar love they admitted

Renaissance, while they and Petrarch, yet authority of Dante

THE

ANALYSIS

OF

LOVE.

25

kind her love his of

of the the
own

in superiority force lover mind in which is the

the moved

mistress,
the

because
"

they
but
in

fonnd

in

lover

heavenly

superior, because
makes him desire In

it is the
to

which the

beauty of produce beauty

the lover the his

mind

beloved
; he

youth.
and

this relation

keeps the mastery

the
which

beloved
The he

youth
lover

gives, is formed

is therefore him after

greater ;
ideal
wax

by
the

of

beauty.
becomes
the chivalrous
a

bestows The

form, the youth is the

the In
man,

forms.
the

lover
a

remains
woman.

Hke recipient lover he

not

youth Shakespeare, on
the the

contrary, the

only becomes
becomes
a

vassal, as
he

in

love, but

also

woman,

takes

whom all the position, the positionof one on sacrifices are imposed, whose duty and happiness are selfand long liferenunciation, self-abnegation, perpetual fidelity,

wife's

sacrifice

in and

of word, the position

one

who

conquers

by
of

submission In

purity.
there In
as

every perfect man this development.

man as

is

feminine
state

element

capable
the

the the of

highest
the Lord
is

of prayer he

Christian himself
In
to

well

Christian

woman

be

the

spouse

whom

professes worships.

exalted

and feeling,

how,
was

in his

something of the same the first series of Shakespeare'ssonnets shows artistic friendships, cultivated his feminine he had
had
must

friendshipthere

element, and
thus in that his he shown

nursed

the

woman

within
to

him. power
as own

It

have

attained

of plays, the power before or one ever painted them theory that each human being,man both

unique painting women

since.
or
"

the

no

It
woman,

was

his

possessed
will the mine and
woman

natures,
the gave shame

masculine such
"
"

and

feminine
"

the
to

the

feelings. Hence
with and let
woman

expressionsas
mother
"

play
into

eyes,"
me

all my it The
"

came

eyes,

up

to

tears,"

"nature

her these element

custom
are

holds,
the gone ness," shrewish-

say will be out."

what

will ; when

motherly

is

"

"

the

humour," {Twelfth Night) "rash swells up to jpassiowhich hysterica

"motion that
one

every The two

"

tends

to vice

in

(Julius Ccesar) madness (Lear) man," (Cymheline.)

father,the
other
to

elements,
mother,

derived

from
seems

the

from

the

Shakespeare
one

present, another, but never

sometimes

regard as everywhere sometimes predominating,

A

reallydivorced.

great

"

sensation

"

26

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

SONNETS.

brings again,
of three."

out

the

woman.
"

Cymbeline,
0
what which Coriolanus of
"

finding
I ?
"

all

his
to

children the birth

cries An
out

out,

am

A for is said knew 's

mother iron stand

occasion

calls

an

resolution
"

brings
man were

the author

man.

to

as

if kin."

a
,

himself,

and

no

other and itself I

And

Cleopatra
of
woman

says, in these II.

My
me." male

resolution In and brain father the

placed,

have

nothing

intellect female I'll and

;

speare ShakeHe

sought
makes of Richard soul

elements. the
two

say, soul

"My
the

prove these and

female

my

my still this

beget
same

generation thoughts
brain which

of

breeding
little male world." and themselves

thoughts,
Not

these soul

people
contrasted

only
but still

are

and

as

female,
"

the

thoughts
self-

they

generate

are

breeding,"
contented,"
and

propagating,
none

by

like each

contrast,
"

"

no

thought
another,
new

self-sufficient,
intercourse

modified

by

by

this

perpetual
Such
founded he the exhibits
was

perpetually theory gathered

of the

generating
and
;

thoughts.
practice
where heart he

Shakespeare's
it the and may be

the the

upon

from

Sonnets,

formation

tender,
of
a

gentle
love.

by

sufferings

contradictions

patient

THE

THEEE

PHASESsidf^OiP^iS^lA.

^y

27

CHAPTER

III.

THE

THREE

PHASES

OF

LOVE.

LOYE, has
which the The may other

as

sonnet- writers, philosophical twofold movement internal, one a altogether be called its mania, phrenzy, enthusiasm; or its ecstasy. outwards from within reaching

conceived

bj

the

"

"

first is the soul's

warfare, and

the

manifestation

of its

the soul finds its peace and rest. strength ; in the second The unlovingsoul is in a state of dull stupefaction ; it is and a Love is first a disturbance its own lees. on settling worked by a thorough dislocation, change,a transformation and

consequent rearrangement,of the forces of the soul pent

so shaking of a kaleidoscope, by the earthquake of love, the component into and enter new figures, change places,

up within herself. in the soul shaken elements

new

As

in the

combinations.

Love

is

or revolutionary

volcanic

force like that which

or a new

of war, force of love ; and this rest is found which wrenches the soul from seek tion. its true is
an

to a country givesa new conformation to society. But as organization peace is the end is the object of the disturbing rest in its end so

in the ecstatic itself and sends its love.

ment, move-

it to

life in union
act both

with

the

of object

Love

of the
it has

and intelligence its three

states
"

of the afiecits

In both

aspects

original

its mania, and its ecstasy. embryonic state of immobility, witli which be soul the a dulness Intellectually begins may made idleness, or by the perpetual either by clownish of universal ploddingwhich leaden contemplation prisons
"

and spirits," up the nimble " which entirely keep the of their books."

dedicates base

itself to show

"

slow

arts

"

brain," and

no

"harvest others* the infuses

heavy toil,"
Love
is the

"

save

authority from
incubation

whose spirit

28

PEILOSOPHT

OF

SHAKESPEARE's
tlie inert soul.

SOI^NETS.

first vivific true life

motion

into

When

it enters

begins,and
with
. . .

the

motion

of all elements

cas as thought in every power, And to a double gives power power. every Above their functions and their otiices.

Courses

swift

It

stirs

up
was

the

first mania

in Plato

the into

soul. four

This kinds
"

mania the

or

phrenzy

by phetic prothe mania inspiredby Apollo, mystic orgiastic of Bacchus, the poeticenthusiasm inspired by the Muses, and the supreme of love cated communiand mightiest mania Phito held From all of them by Aphrodite or Eros. the versal greatest blessingsto arise. He appealed to the uniconviction noble that they were something more than direct sound and were gifts of the gods. sense, the in Shakespeare, in the famous speech of Theseus Midsummer NigJifsDream^ on\j recognizes three of these phrenzies those of the lunatic, of the lover, and of the chieflyin their poet ; and, unlike Plato, he regards them
furor
"

divided

intellectual of the

aspect.

He

looks

at

them

all

as

disturbances

attains imagination or fancy,which in all three cases all the other an exaggerated development, overshadows the man to be of ^nd makes faculties, seem imagination in all three all compact." He the one law by which states The the phrenzied imagination acts. cases seethingbrains the apprehend some shaping fancy feeling,for which which the creates some immediately supposititious cause, cool reason, when appealed ta, refuses to acknowledge.
"

Such
That It

tricks hath
if it would

strong imagination
but
some

apprehend

some

comprehends

bringerof

that

joy, joy.
or

In

these

phrenzied states, the

or

apprehended joy
as

feeling

always comprehends
or

suggests
or

its necessary
an

tant, concomi-

stance imaginary subforce which the feeling into the mind. insinuates or Thus the melancholy apprehended or felt by the lunatic comprehends or includes in itself the imaginary perception rather
as

its

bringer

cause,

of

"

more

devils the

than lover

vast

hell

can

hold

"

the

tender

ings feel-

apprehends comprehend, in the vivid impression which they make, the imaginary perceptionof a beauty in his mistress' brow which little corresponds to
which

THE

THREE

PHASES

OP

LOVE.

29

the
of

: reality

and

the

undescribed

and

varied

emotions

comprehend in their 'tiery luminousness embodiments of them, and airy imaginary typifications nothings,to which onl}^his pen gives their place and their and with which he peoples the vacant name, spaces of earth
the

poet

and

heaven.
these bounds mind

But the the

phrenziesor manias have hitherto not; broken of personality. They have mightily stirred up caused it to dilate and contract, to press ; they have
spread
itself But dov/n

forward,

to

abroad,
the

even

to occupy not sent

spheresof thought.
they
and have
not

they have
walls have

all space, all it out of itself ; between it it with

broken

and

barriers confronted

outward

things, they
other than

not to

external

and realities, standard

compelled it
its
an own

test

its

conceptions
self" his A

by
man

any

caprice. Knowledge,

Shakespeare
can no

tells us, is "but himself more see

own

adjunct
himself the the

to

our

in

than

look

into

its Where

depths
the self enables

without

reflective

eye can aid of

mirror.
same

is,there
a man

mirror
to
see

which and

knowledge is ; and the to see himself,enables him Shakespeare by that strengthening immediately makes
it Nor
to

also this of

measure seem

his

knowledge.
which

does
our

not

merely
and
can we we

to indicate

knowledge
felt Avhen another that the the

belief

itself

communicate it. the

are

another,
he
mean

or

convince

that

merely
under

possess conceptions of the

till

does

imagination, when
monstrous,
with

spur

of

phrenzies,
confronted

empty,

realities,and unregulated, false, with He into them. brought harmony also,that means, the the accurate, philosophical knowledge, objectof which of ourself and of our is the contemplationand consciousness mental acts and own states, does not begin its existence in of direct of self- contembut the form plation self-contemplation,
in the
For

mirror

of external

phenomena
to

"

Till it hath

speculation turns not and travelled,

it may
see

itself there

is married

Where

itself.
an a

Man's
sees

soul, in
not

itself

"

is Shakespeare's conception, is a mirror, a glassy essence, confronted with such all

eye which retina void

as

of forms reflect.

till it is Thus

forms

it

can

speculationbecomes,

in his

terminology,
or com-

"reflection,""reverberation," "communication,"

30

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAEE's
mind with the

SONNETS.

munity
mind

of the

knowing
and

known

object.
not

The

only by the presence, but by the reaction of external things. All all the fancied its imaginary causes, bringersor upholders the operators of the feelings which it assigns as which be shown to it a^jprehends,are nothing till they can be reflections of realities,brought back again to be them. to tested alongside of them, and thus married the fancy dies. union If Where such impossible, proves unintelligible, without the soul external things are imperceptible,
and external

is in darkness

ignorance

till it is

provoked

simply blank,
the soul
are can

on

the It and

other knows

hand its

without
own

things
far the the
as

is blind. reflected

acts

just
which

so

they

embodied

in

objects

senses

meaning,
so

worth, and
are

far

as

they

married

it knows the apprehend. And of these significance objectsonly of the to the intelligent powers

within the categoriesof its selfsoul, so far as they come the soul finds consciousness, of that intelligence by which within forces. itself For the this
measure reason

and

likeness

of

all external love

one

Shakespeare
is the time ethical the the lives
same

identifies union of

and soul

philosophy. Love,
with of

which the

another, is
senses,

at

intellectual
reason
"

marriage
nature. in

the

the

Without

it the When and

new

imagination and plodding thought

comes,

with

immured
new

the

brain."
tiveness

love

the

senses

gain a

inquisinew new

strength,the rhythm. Lopsided

leaves
"
"

sharpness, the ethical intellect new subtlety, new

nature

character

is

rectified

"
"

harmony, study his

book
action and

bias its

and

makes

the

beloved

objectits
lies in its

academy.
The

intellectual
the and

side moral

of

love

on

the

imagination; fear passions,

Plato
seems

those lies in its power over influence the will. desire, which chiefly side

to have

sought
awe

the

action
was, in

in solely
a

the the

which

beginnings of it inspired.

its beneficial For him fear

sense,

how first

the

man,

struck and

He beginning of wisdom. dart with the love-inspiring is

overcome a

describes of

beauty,
rences reve-

shudders,
the the

with

terrors, then

beautiful

object as
of

god, then
he

again is
their
once

heated

with

emanation the

beauty
of

which his

has

received, and
pores,
more.

which

refreshes

wings
causes

soul, opens

softens the

skin,and

the feathers to grow

THE

THREE

PHASES

OF

LOVE.

31
and
then

Then

lie

tells

us

how with

the
an

whole

soul of

boils

throbs,

sometimes tormented

relieved with the

interval

joy,

again
made and has

strangeness of the affection,and

and
to

phrenzied, frantic,

longing
been the

once cause

more

sleepless wandering about the beautiful see objectwhich

"

and

is destined of is this

to be

the

cure

of all these vicious shamethat

pains.

In

part of lessness, and

time with her forth

presence the soul

beauty, he
and

humbled

tells us, the puts off its And from the beautiful and

swoons

through
soul and
awe.
serves

fear.
With

the

lover's

object
poets of
which the
citement ex-

simple reverence
school this of unbridled

Sappho
the

excitement love With of

to

only
with Plato make the

enhances
an

downward

tendency
drowns the

intoxication his followers

a means

reason.

and it

is laid hold the soul. He

of

purifying

enumerates

trembling, the sweating, and developed by the agency of love, and declares them to be the signs of the struggle of the inferior and material part which the of is of our love nature, through being agency subdued and into the brought captivityby superiorand In spiritual faculties. conformity with this the Codex Amoris XV. and XVI.) declares the trembling of the (Arts. lover to be the constant and indispensable of true symptom
chivalrous how For he her love. Hence and Dante in his Vita
mere

and terror, the signs of awe the are shrinking, which

Nuova

tells

us

fainted

swooned
to

at the

thoughts ; she inspired a flame kindled and humility in his heart charity, forgiveness, her salute wrought in him intolerable an bliss,which his soul, but made his body like a corpse. be the to "fallingsfrom us, vanishings," seemed
throes the the of the The diabolic
awe, natures

was presence passionand unworthy

him

the

sight of Beatrice. frost and blightof all

which
; and

fied vivi-

These
death

which

possessed
sunken

or

obsessed of

flesh.

the

the impotence trembling,

and

speech,
and

involuntary sighs
pulse, were
which
a an was

blushes, the
of the
to

eyes the

feverish
on

index

mighty strugglegoing
transform soul. its outward

within,
thus

destined of and

Love

became inward

kind
;

sacrament, with
men

signs and
of

might
story

go of Don

groans to confession

grace and

went

fasting and
and

cipline through its diswatching, just as they their

a

perform
is

penances.

The

Quixote'sdevotion

only

slight exaggera-

32
tion
drive
on

PHILOSOPHY

OP

shakespeaee's
the

sonnets.

and

caricature into of
notes

of the

reality. Shakespeare
; but
same

does

not

his heroes virtues

as

desert,to meditate
in the

there in
of ascetic

nudity
he
tices, prackind

the

their

Dulcineas

his comedies

sets

down

of love

kind
and A

and fasting

groaning,tears
clothes. the cud
of

sighs,waning flesh,
lover
of this

unkempt
walked

hair, unheeded

apart, chewing fancy,keeping out of his mistress's view, and yet fancying that all he did had secret influence his claims her heart. her, and advanced over on and tremor which Platonism treated Thus, the awe the as
under great internal struggle,had grown, artificial system of the the to be a kind of romancers, not produced by a state magical charm, an afi'ectation, any

symptom

of

internal
In the of the

but struggle, Sonnets

we

assumed
none

in the of this. them He is

at

placeof
The

that

struggle.
and
awe

have
we

tremor

lover,
not

when

have

love,
an

its counterfeits.

all,are put beside

real efiects ot his

part like
the

imperfectactor

him

faints ; he and self-renunciation of it than

; the abundance when he writes of

of his

strengthweakens
But

his love.

tion devo-

which

fruit
nervous

these

is a riper inspires merely physiologicaleffects of its final and he

"

his love

emotion. ethical

The the lived

as
"

ecstasy of
to

love

was

stage,in which
a

lover

ceased bosom

be of

himself
person

lived

double Such

life

"

in the

the

loved.
breast
seem
warm

phrases
my
us

My

heart

is in

thy breast,"

Thy

encloseth
to

now heart," and the like,which poor in Sliakespeare's conceits, were days

frigid
blood

with

the

of

still

living philosophy,though
:

he

knew

well

enough

the

hyperbole they expressed

Thee 8ave have where the I not thou lock'd
art

up in any chest not, "though I feel thou of my breast.

art,
"

Within

gentle

closure

And
which

he

between

the expressionby in sinua.ting a distinction justified his own living and acting self and that soul of his
in the

ecstasy of
:

love

had

taken

up

its abode

in

his

friend's breast
As As easy from

might
home

I from

myself depart
in

That

my is my

soul which

thy

breast

doth

lie.

of love.

The

with

ecstasy of love brings the lover into direct relations the person beloved, ai"d thus imparts to love a new

\
THE
THEEE

PHASES

OF

LOVE.

33

character.
and

Love, while
It is
a

it is

onlyin

the

is foolish fancy,

fantastical.
on

nothing
the

tillit is in the

it fixes itself person, one, and the

real

object.But
emotion

and till will, the the love, loving of love

and passion,

yet be directed in succession itself from a higher it climbs the scala amoris^or degrades to a lower kind of love,or is obliged to change by the mere
wane

may remain to various objects, as

and waste
was

of time.

But

the doctrine of the old sonnet

writers

not
God
He

that of Mr.

Tennyson.
when

He

: sings

"

givesus
lends

love ; something to love

but us*; love is grown

that on which it throve To ripeness, and love is left alone. Falls off,

They, on

the

held contrary,
a

that when

one

objectfell off,

it only revealed

which behind it, on higher object the widowed getting forlove at once fastened itself, not faithlessly the object it had just it againin a but finding lost, better and plained exhigherform in the new object.This was be of abstraction to successive intellectually a process who tells us to abstract from Ficinus, by body its matter better and and place,
and
we we

and

have have

mind

; from

the

form

of mind

to

abstract

changein

time, and

keep

onlythe
we

position, commultiple

angel; from of forms, and composition multiple

or pure Light, to be a process

angel to
have it hand
was

abstract the

simple form,

God.

On

the

other

explained

God
men,

by Blosius,who finds in or or souls, every beautythat exists apart in angels, But in neither or animals, or or plants, suns, or stars.
of accumulation widowed the
to be

system is the
widowhood ladder

upwards on the the Thus, as Plato tells us Lycis, affection can be transferred by association from its primitive to new will object object ones, and yet the primitive stillremain the real one ; the other objects onlyoperating the mind by recalling to it, and carrying it back to, its on love. he Thus, the affection for the new primitive objects, is the affection for the old under other denominations one only says, and disguises. But this is onlyan analogous case ; it hajipens when the absent lover clings to every show which,
of love. in the reminds him of the beloved
one,

love left alone ; she occasion for a step

ever

finds her

and

declares of them

all-^

They
Drawn

were

of delight but sweet, but figures after you, you pattern of all those.
D

Here

love

lends

itself to many

collateral
It is
a

being
all main

false to its

great object.
live
a

objectswithout higher stage when

np

collateral, all inferior

friend

objects are
second all former
with

snmmed in him.

in

the in

object, and Shakespeare's one

Thy
And And

life

Thus,
"

friendshipsrevive

bos')!!! is endeared I

all hearts

Wliich

by lacking have supposed dead, there reigns love, and all love's loving parts, friends which all those I thought buried
. .

Thou Their

art the

images

where buried love grave I loved I view in thee.

doth

live
. . .

For
must

love
ever

is

objectsin
and of where the

by necessity progressive. It be loving higher objects,or loving the same First, it is born in the eyes, higher manner. by
nature

and

enthralled the

to

the
;

outward

show.

Theri it grows

pendent inderanges absent

to
see

eyes
see

for absence and

eyes
for real his

not,

^hat
Then
is the

that love proves the image of the the lover

comes

supplies
that the

presence.

object
of
"

of love
which
"

not

reality,the
his
not
own

secret

beloved but

breast

the heart*'

"

for eyes but the

draw

exactly object carries in what they see, paint

exists in the lover's

the

unknown

image
of

which is

appropriately called of the feelingfor its own sake fancy." It is the activity of itself, and not yet solidly -"love enamoured grounded anchor in a wandering ship ready to bay. a Proteus any its ideal within It is naturallyinconstant, for it bears ; and, fit this ideal in the phrenzied glow of its imagination, it can
imagination.
"

This

stage

love

"

"

first to and

one

real
to
a

pei'^on

and

then

to

another

"

to

Hermia,

Helena, and back again to Hermia. Fancy, each is and ful shameitself; however, cures change painful shame and the hand, and the joy of reon one turn ; pain
then
on

the loves

longer

other, change fancy to ideal merely its own

"

fidelity.Fidelityno
an

ideal

that

fits in-

difierentlyto all realities ; but it loves an ideal that is who found to and one correspond to one only to one of the corporeal satisfies the ideal, in spite of the wane first aroused the passion. The beauty which fancy with its corporeal images fades a,way ; and love is found to consist in the render, in a marriage of true minds, in a mutual and mental which, in spite of death correspondence, on pleteness time, constancy stamps the seal of immortality, and comit of infinitude. For impresses the semblance
"

THE

THREE

PHASES

OF

LOVE.

35

gathers up
which thus

all lesser loves becomes

into

the

one

sovereign love,

brother
There and

emerges

all in all ; and the love of the known known through death into the love of the un-

God.
is then
us a

allows and

unity which to speak of

the
of lowest

underlies the
in
terms

all kinds
terms

of

loves,
of the

highest in
of

lowest,
A Persian

of school

the

mystics is said to transform into the the Bacchic interpretation couplets of Hafiz drunkenness devout For there is a spiritual most hymns. is like the the logicof one well as a material as one ; and all kinds of unites The logic of the other. unity which close ; and love is far more the religious interpretation that of the be far easier than must Song of Solomon speare's the first reading of ShakeOn of Hafiz's anacreontics. Sonnets to see seem we only the passionatelove for an earthlybeauty. The next reading may reveal to us that this love is as much directed to the beauty of mind as to that of body. A third reading begins to dim the personal outlines the object of Shakespeare'slove begins to than universal more expand into something more general, the individual friend immortality something to which and infinity themselves not strangers. As this gradual are in accord with the precepts growth in meaning is strictly of the philosophy which Shakespeare followed, it would
:
"

highest. by its

be

absurd which
out

to

overlook it

it,or
for

to

neglect the
scandals
or
as

natural have

tion explanabeen
tracted ex-

gives
Sonnets

such

of

40-42,

out

of the

of the words in

of the

Lord's

Prayer to
may

profane application an earthlylove

abound in the

Sonnet

108.

Religious allusions

of a Piatonist the slightest without love-poetry profanity ; for they only express of the identity of the poet's sense love in all its forms, and the community and inter changeof the terms ableness appliedto its various phases. Thus, love of all kinds goes through three phases ; first it is dormant, then phrenzied, then ecstatic. And its end of the intellect by marriage with is the rest and peace truth and of the soul hj its marriage with the or reality, Both and presses objectivemind. intellectually morally it exthe progress of the soul from infinitesimal beginnings
to
an

end

all but

infinite.

d2

36

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

SONNETS.

CHAPTER

lY.

THE

TRUE

ORDER

OF

THE

SONNETS.

it Shakespeare's Sonnets, tliougli evidence of being issaed under the no positive author's superintendence, yet on the other hand bears none of the marks of surreptitious and unauthorized publication in the which are so conspicuous originalquarto edition of the several correct plays. The printing is exceptionally for the time, and the book is dedicated the publisherto by Mr. W. H., the of is the Sonnets, who only begetter for whom the poet made all apparentlyidentified as the man the promises of immortality which For him they contain. intended 1 they had been written or arranged in definite series, of a known to illustrate the progress philosophy. There is them to suppose to the printer, no that, in delivering reason he would broken their continuity and have confounded their order; and we ought therefore to suppose, till the contrary is demonstrated, that the order in which they
" "

first THE carries

edition

of

stand

is that

which
most

was

intended who

by
that

their

author.
on

It is true have

that taken

of those

have

written their

the Sonnets

it for have

granted

order

accidental, and
them in
new

therefore

taken

the

of liberty

merely arranging

is

larities, according to supposed internal simiand to events. or relationships persons But of those writers who have thus rearranged them none have to the trouble to enquire seem given themselves whether it might not be possible to explain them as a series in their present order. sumed They have first of all assome theory that the Sonnets are historical,or that they are versifications of separate sentiments mere and have thereupon proceeded to group ing them afresh,accordto the persons events or they are supposed to touch, or groups external
"

"

THE

TRUE

OEDER

OP

THE

SONNETS.

37

according
enunciate. And
common

to

the

sentiment

each

may

appear in the

chieflyto

yet, if

these

poems

are
"

examined

sonnet-philosophy of that since which had inspired compositionsof this kind ever is quite natural, and their rise their sequence they need new no grouping to make them into a singleorderly poem. in this light, Indeed, examined they appear to be articulated The most and subtlety and care. arranged with rare that the 154 it appear makes nets Sonexamination superficial series. The divided into two first, are consistingof to a fair youth ; the second, consisting of 126, is addressed to a black-haired, black-eyed, the remaining 28, is addressed
"

lightof the poetical Platonism

and

dark- featured

woman.

It

farther

growing, depicted in the first series is a and obstacles, and becoming ever triumphing over purer brighter; while the love sung in the second series is bad in its origin, morse, interrupted but not destroyedby fits of reand worse is with Such time. and growing worse of of the book the Sonnets. And general construction Shakespeare tells us that his intention was to exhibit two The such loves. opening quatrain of the 144th Sonnet is
love
as

appears force ever

that

the

follows

"

Two
The The

loves

Which,
worser

like two

better

have, of comfort and despair, still : do suggest me spirits, angel is a man right fair, coloured ill. a woman spirit
to
amor

The
the The

two
amor

loves

answer

amicitice love

and its

friendship and concupiscence, of the schools. concupiscentioe

time it returns
"

former

has

revolutions, but each

to itself with

renewed which

strength
is both
"

it is the true

infinite

the
The

circular other and

motion is the

perfect and
the eternal

endless.

love
no,

false infinite any

true

alternation

of yes
at perfection.

without It is

or progress any fraudulent fickle, false,and

attempt
"

and contradictory, conscience the but

a are

full of
war.

change.

In
one no

perverse, it the sense

selfand
times some-

at
:

Sometimes

triumphs,
definite the

other

there

is, however,
to

victory,
science, con-

perpetualapproach
and the wearied these
two

the

final

despair of
of
sense. are

indiSerence kinds of

In

the. two

series of Sonnets their trials. The

love

put through

higher

love

undergoes

its

probation of

38

PHILOSOPHY

OP

Shakespeare's

sonnets.

absence, suspicion, jealousy,and

better is
also

error,

and

"

by
over

evil stillmade

better."
It also

The

proves lower love

over

that

goes under-

its

probation.
the

triumphs
of

jealousy,

triumphs
ever

disenchantments

experience,triumphs

of morals the unsusprinciples (Son. 129), over tained struggles of good resolution (Son. 146), and over the it finally stings of conscience, which perverts and blinds (Son. 151). Although these two kinds of progress in a form treated which abstract is perfectly and personal, imare of nothing prevents our supposing that many the real illustrations
events

the

may

may be

be often The

historical
used
as

"

that the

persons materials for which the

real

and the

philosophicedifice.
of the the

only postulate
makes

theory
are

Sonnets

here

advocated

is that

they

in

devoted to the exposition philosophical, of the received sonnet philosophy,and only in the second intention biographicalor historical,and therefore using in complete subordination real events to the philosophical

first intention

ideas.
This and theory both requires the both the
same

discovers

that in both
; that

series
gress pro;

of sonnets
in and that

cyclic character
; that
occur

is found
answers

the

is similar similar This

sonnet

to

sonnet

sonnets

in the

equivalent phases

of each and it

series.

relationship may

be traced

throughout ;

that the order of the sonnets in distinctly proves both series is right, at least that series are the two or in each principle, striking "each arranged on one by that becomes the mutual so one ordering," counterpart of the subordinate the other, just as in the dramas plotsare plot,which they imitate either counterparts of the main It is not unor natural or ironically, by contradiction. directly, this that Shakespeare should method both employ The and in his dramas. in his sonnets importance of such for the interpretation of the poems structure is a double of it the author scarcely to be exaggerated. By means in a great measure explainshimself. He gives us a number the two series are in contact, thereby of points at which divisions of each series,its salient and marking the main points of transition, and its parallelism with significant This parallelism be readilyshown. the other: can the desire of love to see As the first series begins with itself in its ofispring, the second so beauty immortalize

THE

TEUE

ORDEK

OF

THE

SONNETS.

39

begins with the confession that beauty is profaned and One begins with disgraced,and its ofispringbastard. for the future of hope, the other with accents of. despair, amicitice looks forward to eternity, beauty. For the amor and looks the amor only to present pleasure, concujAscenticB
is reckless
two

of the

future.

This 8 of the

contrast

is found and

in No.

the
128

musical the

sonnets, No.
While in

first series the find the

of the

second.

the the the

art

former
to

poet

ransacks and

deepest mysteries of
for

reasons
"

increase,
the very
"

in

latter the from The

"

only
with and
waste
amor

confounds

ear,

while

wiry thoughts are

the

scriptions preconcord
"

something
lips of
of the shame

different

performer.
which the

occupied music, fingers in a of spirit expense

the Sonnet declares the of
waste

129th

the of

with to be, is parallel concufiscentice beauty,the ruin, tlie cold decay, the wastes unthriftiness

Time, the
on

which

in Sonnets

"

14

the

poet charges

is unwilling to fulfil the Beauty which duty of so preservation. In his eyes, if lust is "murderous," is selfish Beauty which does for posterity not care ;
"

self-

also

For

thou

art

so

possessed of

murderous
to

hate

That

'gainst thyselfthou
the
two

stick'st not

conspire. (Son. 10.)

approach each other is in Sonnets 21 and 130. The two parts are perfect counterthe turn on same thought of the folly of ; both for the object of to find comparisons racking invention of turning heaven itself into love, and mere paint to be worthy of the highest love, it. A person colour may and or deeply stir the lowest passion, yet be nothing may The like sun, stars. two of or following sonnets moon, series give this thought a development which the second it lacks in the first. Attractiveness consists in something
next

The

point where

series

different
even

from

resemblance that

to

the

great works
from

of nature ideal

in

something point of

is distinct

the

usual

of

beauty.
The
next contact

is in Sonnets
second.

40-42
so

of the first

series, and

refer to the

evidently imaginary incident,that in all rearrangements of the sonnets they are put together. The earlier set is, however, clearly addressed to the better worser amor angel," the later to the spirit." The
same

133, 134

of the
or

These

real

"

"

40

PHILOSOPHY

OP

Shakespeare's

sonnets.

amicitice asks for

dies
no

if it is not return. much

reciprocal.But
At least it demands
as

the
no

baser

love

such

exclusive
lation conso-

but only so fidelity,

to

the lover's

compassion passion. Hence,

differ

will

afford

the

of Sonnets laxity

133, 134, which,

earlier needs
set not

however

(40-42),
be

superficially resembling the in this, that while friendship

seeks love
not

friend, but
reason

jealousof the friend who only a mistress, the vulgar

the also mistress robs

another still have

faithful only un-

to

quarrel with
lover, but

who him

may is not

to her

of his

friend.

In

the but

first

series, though the lover is contented with nothing his friend's whole this engrossing heart, yet with
he
not

affection

only earnestlyinvites
him free in his relations

him
to

to
women.

marry,

but

leaves expressly
Mine
be

thy love,and

thy

love's

use

their treasure.

(Sonnet 20.)

The
common

love, as Shakespeare conceived friendly

with the lies chivalrous love
"

it,has this in
a

that

it lives in

higher
rior infethe

plane, which vulgar

The with love
next

with, parallel

without love

touching the
of
a

level of the of
a

civil and
mistress.

domestic

wife,or
is Sonnet
"

placewhere
135 and

the

two

series touch
two

57
In

Sonnets

136.

The

latter

are

superficially
Will."

by the puns upon the name distinguished edition the final coupletof the original
by
the
same

of

57 is
a

distinguished
fool in thinks

character. that

Love

is such you

true

the
no

of your Will, ill of it. In both placesthe lover heart

whatever

do, he

which
with

dares

not

rise to

expresses jealousy. " Nor

absolute dare I

lity, humi-

question

my jealousthought of your Let none his friend. he suppressed, merge who the in
nor

where

be," he says to you may desires,no wish, be violently

Think will ; and
as an

them
am

says to his mistress. all in the unity of your

a

them then

all one,

also

Will, approach you

communism III.
"

let me, integral part of

whole.

This

of

vulgar love is found

made

equally
not

Donne, Elegy
me."

Women is

of no Constancyis an everlasting change, not despair." Its only eternity everlasting growth. As Donne an says again, "Change and eternity." of music, joy,life, is the nursery Proceeding onwards, the 137th Sonnet, though materially "love

for men, are ingredientin this

him,

correspondingwith
43-47,
and

two

sets

of sonnets

in the refer
to

first series

"

113, 114,

all of which

the

violence

THE

TEUE

OEDER

OF

THE

SO:

"wliiclilove puts upon

the

eyes
"

so

as

to

make

them

false,
Sonnet
case,

yet formallyhas
62. and The the
"

much of

more

real

with relationship the eye in and

one

sin

self-love love

blinds

sin of The in

vulgar
138th love

blinds deals

both

the other.

Sonnet in
a

eyes with false

heart

in and

seeming

pretence
Sonnets the the love

vulgar
deal

contrary way

to that

in which in
are

67-70
of

with

false

seeming
and of

and

false surmise

friendship. The
counterparts
the lover

139th

140th

Sonnets
In for

indubitable numbers invites and

to to

Sonnets
to be

88-90.

the

earlier

his justifies intends of his

out

friend

wronging

him, and
at once,

him,

if he

put him

to be so faithless, misery. He promises,

however,
In the call upon him upon and faithful of the

his justify numbers

to

friend's the

conduct, whatever
warns

later him

lover

it may be. his mistress not to unkindness will go

two

the justify if she

; he slander

will do

wrongs nothing of the does

not

her

lays
mad,
to

sort, but
at

her,

least

pretend
the madness

be

to him.

Sonnets
of the lover's

141-143
senses

develope
and is
a

ideas of the

falsehood The he
can

the

judgment.
of which she pursues
are,

fondness
account

give no
and

but him
to

voluntary madness, this My heart is

"
"

pleased to dote,"
and which
to

it makes

others, asking only

his mistress as pursue be accepted as others

experience
she
can

her

kindness

only

in In

the the

vals intersame

spiritthe
wishes if he
to

lover,
be

in

from them. spare the former series of the

to

Sonnets
friend's

92-94,

is if
warns

spared false,wishes
cannot

knowledge
live

of his

falsity,
a

face
time

he

have

deceived, to all the heart, but

his

enjoy
at

kind
same

the

his
worse

friend than Sonnet

that

beauty already
false The

is like Eve's is not

apple,
what
as

his
seems

lilies

weeds, if his
144 Its is him has

virtue been

it the
"

to be. to both

quoted

key

series. friend "fire

burden, in the latter part, is this

If the

absent she will

playing
out." in

with

the

lover's

tress, mis-

the

first

series, is found
that

counterpart to this,in Sonnets the 109, 110, where

does
not

lover declares

his absence
If I have

argue

falsehood

"

...

Like
Those And Mine

liim

that

travels gave

I return my

ranged, again.
heart another my best

"

blenches
worse

youth,
of love.
. . .

essays

proved thee
never more an

appetite I
newer

wiirgrind
older

On

to try proof,

friend.

42

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S
"

SONNETS.

His

erringlove, we
to his true with

see, has

fired liim
a

oat," and
new

made

him

return

love.

After

brief and

tion reconcilialyrical

his mistress
a

himself, with
the

145, and a half promise of amendment,

amor

in Sonnet

quarrel with
in Sonnet

146,
and

votary of the

in Sonnets concujpiscenticB feverish which

are

147

148 of
of

afresh the recognizes his passion, in terms Sonnets better the have and in of his Sonnet the

delirium

and very

false

seeing
of

the

counterparts
false vision and of

the
where which lover

113, 114, analogous love is discussed, and 118 Sonnets

"sickness" been
a

where

the

119,
the Then

and

"

madding

fever

"

passion,

temporary
are

barrier and

between excused. the

friend,
149

bewailed baser the love

while
hess and love

the with the

balances

unkind-

mistress of

corresponding unkindness
Sonnet
friend love lover 120 with the that nobler of the

self-torment balances the

lover, in
of the of the

unkindness the and

lover,and mutually
that his

proves inflicted

depth
endured.

by
a

the

torments

The

tells his

friend of

is infidelity, rightly interpreted, tells his mistress recommend

two

proof

his

love, and
senses

should

bring togetherthe
series the and 150 and

falsehood of his very him It is necessary to her. to parallelSonnets, 121 of the first

that

the

of

the

second,
it within

in

order the moral

to

understand
code of

former,

bring
to be to be

the

higher love.
'Tis better When
not

vile than

vile esteemed

receives reproach of

being.
it is his

In

Sonnet

150

the

very vileness and the lines quoted will mean, vile,for vileness itself will than
to be

complains that that has insufficiency

lover it is better sometimes

mistress's
him. be

enthralled in love command

to

So

really affection,

thereby lose all love. Lastly, the of each a comparison between concluding Sonnets 124, 125, and 151, 152 (for 126 is merely a tag or series, appendix to the first series, as 153 and 154 are to the second),will show how the higher love in its last development becomes into a religion, while the lower sublimated
love

esteemed

vile

and

perverts conscience

and

truth, the

corner-stones

of of the

manner religion. In this unsatisfactory of despair closes. love It has bad a too good a philosopherto exhibit was

the end. all

poem

Shakespeare paths as leading

kinds of love

alike

to bliss ; but

he shows

how

of the

two

THE

TEUE

OEDER

OF

THE

SONNETS.

43

which

he

one sings,

toils other ends

steadily upwards
descends

in in

lapses,the
halts. powers intellect
too

One

rapidly in independence

spiteof spite of
of all

casional occasional oc-

the in
a

of

slough of
weak Thus
a

change, that is,in immortality; despair,in the self-condemnation

that his choice is
to revise

the of

other
one

whose will

knows

but whose evil, series of sonnets

is

it. the
each
two

that

comparison of to they run parallel

the love second

shows
besides

other and

; the

first
more

comprises
;

all that for the love the with

as

possesses, of friendshipis treated To the first 125 these But 26

much
more are

fully than
to

the

of

desire.

sonnets
are

dedicated, to

second
a

only 26.

found

correspond
and,
so

proportionate number

in the

the

parallelismextends,
in both series. This remain
to be

first series ; preciselythe same in the order

far

order

is
to

found

is

surelya great argument

in which

that the sonnets prove author intended them It will form the

their

read. while The of the

to

perhaps points
to

be

worth
contact.

exhibit
numbers

in in

tabular the in first the

of
the

column
second

refer to the column

sonnets

first

series,those
of the table both

series.
seen on

By
same

corresponding sonnets glance at this comparative

two

second be

it will

that the

the

series

are

and correlative,

arranged

principle.

But the

again,if
Platonic it
"

we

examine

the
we

first series

by

the

light of
That

scale of

love,"
to

shall find that the

in its main

outlines
of has love
two

adheres rigidly be
a

prescribedform.
of the
to
an

scale,it will
from

remembered,
sensible divisions
:

treats

transformation ideal force.

It

impression
the of these

great
is ideal

first is

imaginative love, the

separates into
is love

second
three the

love.

Each In the

divisions

subdivisions.

first division

(1) born

in

(2) nursed in the fancy through absence, and (3) in thought. Then after the transition to ideal generalized with sense, the heart supersedes the love, sentiment concurs In this second division (1) the heart,more trulythan eyes.
eyes,

44

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAEE's

SONNETS.

the

in the eye, furnishes the idea ; (2) the idea is purified furnace of jealousy universal (3) at last it is rendered ; and absolute six
in the
reason.

and

These

steps

are

marked clearly First

we

in have

the the

first series love of

of

Shakespeare'sSonnets. kindled through the

chaste The second

leading to the eyes, and desire of creation in the beautiful in Sonnets

step, that
from his substituted

beauty perfectly
1
"

25.

becomes the lover

fancy for the eyes through friend, begins with a

continues
to

w^hereby

the

or

imagination
absence of tion dedicaThe third

the

solemn

in Sonnet

26, and
of

Sonnet

37.

step, the
with

triumph
two

another The

absence, is introduced fancy over dedicatorySonnet, 38, and continues down to

next

43.
into

Sonnets the

mark

the

transition the

of

sense

sentiment, through

of insufficiency Sonnet shares 46 the

sensible

of imagination. With powers division begins ; the heart now with much the
on

second

great
power
not
so

its creative love

as
on

ideal eye, and the newly born the imagination of beauty the friend's continues the of worth
to next

feeds the

tion convic-

of

and end
;

constancy.
of Sonnet it is
a

This The

first
next

subdivision Sonnet
to

the

65.

begins

stage
love.

general prelude
love is led

all the

trials

ideal

The

ideal

beset it, which through the chief dangers which might it if it while their it from destroy conquest yielded, may its and its Love has to acquire triumph glory. struggle in succession with affectation, slander, death, jealousy, of utter This unworthiness. humiliation, and the feeling continues
to

the

end

of the

Sonnet

96.

From

thence

to

Sonnet
from

125

we

have
a

triumph
and is the
are

of ideal

love, gradually
and infinite, fervour As

transformed

into

sentiment love

volition

undistinguishable

religion. For

facultyfor the
of the and

whatever of its the

objects it

seizes the

invested, by the
clearer

imagination, with
to take

attributes

infinite.

judgment

graduallybecomes

object begins
infinite. the first
:
"

attaches purified, The

its proper itself supremely to that the

to

cooler, each place,until love, perfectly

which main the is

really
of scale

followingtable resumes series of sonnets according

I. 1. Sonnets

divisions

Platonic

of love

1-25. 26"37. 38-45.

I. 2. I. 3.

"

"

II. 1. Sonnets II. 2. " II. 3. "

46"

65.

66"96.

97"125.

THE

TEUE

OEDEE

OF

THE

SONNETS.

45

It is natural

that scale

the
so

second

series of sonnets
the first.
to
see

should the it

not

respond
love is

to the

as clearly

For how

vulgar
can

sensual, not ideal,and

Yet The
we

it is hard that

be

idealized.

shall find

problem.
in Sonnets

first

step, love
The

Shakespeare solves the through the eyes, is set forth

step, the transfer of love is included in Sonnets the sightto the fancy, from 131, 132. his mistress's the lover thinks In the former face,in the on
127-130.
turns

second

latter he condition. found of love with ideal

her

black

The

third

into mourners pitying his eyes of fancy,is step, the generalization The

in Sonnets

133, 134.
lover

poet exhibits
share from the

this his

stage
the

by making his his friend^. The

is

willing to
a

mistress

transition
even
name

to imaginative

representedin
"

stranger
of the
or

manner

in Sonnets tified iden-

135-137.
with in of

Will," the
his his mistress's

lover, becomes
his

will

volition, and

heart,

spite judgment
over

knowledge, is obliged to pass a false The her. triumph of this false judgment upon falsehood, inconstancy,slander,the disillusion of the
the consciousness shown of wrong, and in Sonnets 138-143. every
cause

senses,

of

is jealousy,

Finally the rest the of the series,144-152, exhibits vulgar love in all its bad angel (144), by turns coaxing and deformity as a and graduallyworking up to a climax, leading to despair, love in hate, with darkened till it becomes and perverted
"
"

conscience.
may therefore

The be

main thus

divisions exhibited
:
"

of this

series

of

sonnets

I. 1. Sonnets 1.2. I. 3.
"

127"130.

II.

1. Sonnets
"

135"137. 138"143. 144"152.

131,132.

11.2. II. 3.
"

"

133, 134. side

Viewed
obvious

therefore

by side,either in that of or parallelisms

two

in the

the

light of
Platonic

their
scala

amoris,

the

series
that

of

sonnets,

that

which the lower

celebrates

the higher love and

which

celebrates

love, are
with

perfectly symmetrical, and

each
other and with doubt and the that all reasonable

arranged
This the

in fact

agreement
proves also which
main

scale.

beyond
is the the

present arrangement

right
any

one,

of any change in that sonnets

are

by implication proves theory concerning them

arrangement.
There may
The

missibility inad-

postulates
outlines innumerable

of the

clear.

remain

46

difSculties

in of

detail, sentiments,

arising

from

repetitions,
in found the

apparent
earlier

placement missonnets

anticipations
only
sonnets to

of

ideas and been from

which in the

ought
later in
nature

be

higher
of But Love these is

up ideas

in which

the

scale,
had arise

reappearances

dismissed the "the is

earlier of burden and the

stages.

difficulties

subject.
of
a

continually
and
"

bearing
the what of the
sun

second

former is it

child;"

"as

daily

new

old,"
continual

so

continually
the each

telling
side with better

is

told."

It

is

in

revolution,
and
anon,

same

wheel

turning growth,

up
some

ever

but

time

some

new

development,
undulation,
but of each in which

something
each

than vibration and

at

first.

It

is

an

successive
the

grows
an

stronger,
appearance

resembles unless

other,

causes

monotony

the

gradual

growth

is

well

observed.

lM:AGmATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

47

CHAPTER
IMAGINATIVE

y,

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

designof exhibiting through each degree of its scale, from the first conception of fancy in the eyes to heart and tinal possessionof the whole the intellect by ideal love, he naturally began with a definition of the force about he was whose to describe. Every word in progress

WHEN the

Shakespeare had formed gradual ascent of Love

the

this definition is accurate

From

:"

fairest creatures

we

That

thereby beauty'srose

desife increase, die. might never

"Fairest,"
to

he

the

fair

the lover attaches says, because in the abstract, but to the one
"

himself
fair

not

which

itself to him as the highest : creatures," because approves " desire of generation in the beautiful," love, defined as the

subject to change and death. But this desire of generationis founded another desire on still more general; its roots lie in a still deeper ground, that beauty's rose desire The die." the might never here is full of import. In the range of its word rose from the it reaches associations be meaning that must of the Rose to the sublime given to it in much of the Roviaunt
applies only
to creatures
" "
"

conception
Paradiso.

of Dante The

in

the

30th

and

31st

cantos

of
"

his
rose

for the aspiration

root

of the immortality The

of

beauty

"

is the the

of of

love.

when aspiration, the

kindled desire

by
the

beauty
from
are man are

fading creatures, produces

fairest of them.
woman, men,

of increase lovers when

the

And
root

the

desire,
to wish

when
love
to

and both

is the
causes

of domestic lover

; and

they

the

produce an excellent mind in the beautiful body of the beloved youth. But this Platonic creation hardly satisfies for the mind for immortality, when the aspiration disappears

the

youtli dies.
a

Hence

arisen
friend likeness that

current

Shakespeare's days there of friendship, commonplace bj which

another
to

before

had
one

would
to

urge of

marry her

and

to

transmit

his
out

posterity.
advice

Mr.

Gerald
to

Massey
niece

has

pointed

the

Cecropia

Philoclea, in

Sidney's novel of Arcadia (Book the not sentiments general only

of
are

III. pp. 431, 432), contains of Shakespeare's first batch

Sonnets,
based.

but
"

several Nature mother

of

the

arguments
you
"

on

which

they
so

As be of

made of 13.
a

child

of

mother,

do

best to your the last line

son

child," is, mutatis

You had
a

mutandis,
;
a

Sonnet

father in

let your

say glass is about the

Sidney's simile of rose-water adopted by Shakespeare in Sonnet

monotony
But of with of
one

so."

crystal

string
like

seems

5 ; his remark to have suggested this had

Sonnet

8.

Sidney,
his much

only an pressed
he

echo
him into
"

time.

in Shakespeare, was His friend Languetus

same

the mouth

arguments

which

put
:
"

Cecropia's

If 197) yourself,you if you In

cut

you will

wife, and a marry be a better servant

of
a

(Langueti Epist., p. like beget children

of your

country
or

than

the

throats

thousand

Spaniards feeling of aspirationof

of the

men." French-

accordance,
makes

then,
this struck

with the with of

the first
the

his the

Shakespeare who has just been

is destined
with
a

age, friend he

beauty
the Moon

youth
was

to

love.

One

the

Egyptian

gods
to

armed the first

whip
of

with

which

he

excited

scatter

seeds

step in
he

urges is wasteful,
a a

Of the earth. like kind is fertility upon Shakespeare's friendship. In the first nine his friend to on general grounds ; marry

the

Sonnets
his of lect neg-

shameful, unjust,
an

malversation in which

trust,
he has
a

and

wilful

dilapidation of
Then

estate

only
series

life-interest. of rhetorical

with

the for

5th

Sonnet

begins
First
comes

arguments
the

marriage.
Hero and

Sidney's crystal ; then which others find in we

which
AlVs the Parolles Well
converse

same

thought, coupled
own

with

Marlowe's in

Leander, and
drama

reproduces
Ends
a

Shakespeare's
7th
was

of
on

that of

Well.

The which refused

Sonnet often
name

is founded in her

proverb
she the

Queen
successor

beth's Eliza"

mouth
"

when
to

to

Men

says

worship Shakespeare, men

use

risingsun."
their backs

On
on

the the

other

hand,

turn

settingsun,

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

49

and

the

only way
of
an a

to
son

retain and

their
successor.

homao^e is
The which

to

receive Sonnet
excited

it is
so

in the founded much

person
on

8th has

acoustic that
we

phenomenon
"

of to it the invention trace may the twelfth and the harmonic sesstops on the organ of the notes two quialtra. If two strings sound any triad in complete accord, the third will be note perfect attention

spontaneously produced
vibration. draws From
an

by Shakespeare by argument for marriage.

this
how
one

in

the

air

an

complementary ceit ingeniouscon-

Mark

another, ordering. Resembling sire and child and happy mother, Who all in one, one pleasing note do sing ; Whose speechless song, being many, seeming one
to

sweet string,

husband

Strikes each

in each

by

mutual

Sings this
From this

to

thee

*'

thou

singlewilt

prove

none."

and point the arguments become less rhetorical, to the feelings. Do you keep single directly appeal more for fear of wetting a widow's eye? But the whole world will be a widow and weep if you leave no copy of yourself. You
cannot

love

others

when the

you will not

commit

this

murder

on

10, yourself his own personality ; if you

at least

In Sonnet

poet first ventures

marry self for love
on

to introduce

other

grounds,
In calls him the his
to

"make he my

thee

another

of me." Now he

l^th
friend

Sonnet
"

advances

still farther.

Dear

love," and
and know will do in

entreats affectionately

reproduce himself; prophet enough to thrive togetherif he

end
"

the that

14th truth

he

declares and if he

himself
shall

beauty

so, but

that and

is truth's

and

beauty'sdoom
the

date."

will not, his Then come

five Sonnets able

in which

to influence

poet, seeming to despair of being his friend's conduct, declares that he himself,
confer
as

by
will
war

his verses, will " with Time

"

immortalityupon
from
on

him.

He

he takes
war

new."
"

You and

might
"

make

Time,

you I will he says, " a barren

way

blessed than my more by means by by begettingliving pictures, drawn

"

graftyou mightier rhyme,"

skill."
"

Without

such

witness

of scription you

will not be you should live twice, in it and away all

sweet own your truth, he says, my de^ believed such witness ; with

of its

in of

finally, casting

hope
E

rhyme." But, persuading him, he

my

50

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAEE'S
his

SONNETS.

triumphantlyannounces
him"
.

own

power

of

immortalizing

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee Do thy worst, old Time : despite thy wrong live young. ever My love shall in my verse
"

"

...

This

was

common-place
beloved
was

of sonnet
to

writers.

The

fading
the

beauty

of the

have

everlastinglife in

in his illustrations Mr. Knight prints, of the poet's verse. of Spenser,Daniel, and Drayton, Sonnets, similar sonnets with remarks which his unacquaintance with the show

philosophy common
sonnet

to them

and

most

of

the

other
as

great
"

writers.
consists

They
in

considered

that in

Love,
"

Aristotle

that being loved loving than passive receptivity that it gives rather rather than The lover receives. gives himself, and does in order to confer The-. so immortality on the beloved. of is seized its friend, with soul, taken with the beauty melancholy when it reflects that this beauty is only lent, not given, to the world; and its first aspirationis that At such die. first,while never friendsliip grace may is more in the wish than in the will, the incipient lover, with kind of distant a respect, only urges his friend to immortalize himself; failing in this, he proceeds, timidly says, it is action
_.

rather

than

at
more

to first,

associate and

himself

with

his in

friend, to express

direct

personal

interest

his

existence,and

to

him. something that shall immortalize The highest expression of this friendshipis doubtless 'Seneca. In self-sacrifice. quid amicum says paro ? mori in Ut habeam possim, ut habeam quem pro quo morti et impendam." exilium cujus me opponam sequar, undertake
"
"

"

In

the

first

sonnet

of the

Vita

Nuova,

Love

Dante, carrying Beatrice sleepingin his arms, the poet's heart in his hand. He wakes her, and feeds her with then the burning heart, and The departs in tears.
poet asks
Cavalcanti
his friends alone
Your That And

to appears and holding

to

the interpret
:
"

fearful vision.

Guide

solves it
he bore

heart
to your

away,

for he

perceived

was laying claim, lady Death this,sustained her with your heart. fearing

To

die for one's but

friend is the
not

it does

ship; highestexpression of friendsatisfythe aspirationof love. A

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

51

brief

remainder
The

of

life cannot of

spends.
sonnet

problem
Cicero
:

love,
find that
_

as

writers, was
one

to

some

than it purchase more it proposed itself to the of giving surer means

two

immortality.
while
memory

survives is

says for

of

friends^ both^.lixip
tender the then

the ..daad^.^tiiLJiEfiaL_3sdjd^
veneration
and

preserved with
of the from Thus

regretjji^.
can

the
rescue

bosom

survivor. evil

Sometimes

survivor

his friend

report
of the

and

it becomes
was

his

duty
to
O

to live.

Hamlet

says to
"

Horatio, who

about

drink

the remains
a

poison
me

God, Horatio, what

didst thee
ever

wounded

name.

Things standingthus unknown,

If thou Absent
hold
me

shall live behind

in thy heart, breath in

from

in this harsh And world To tell my story.

awhile, felicity draw thy

pain
that

It

was

lover

immortality of appropriately sought to

this his

Mnemosyne
confer.
that The costs

the
rates commemo-

poeta

poet

friend, not
and from whose labour
verses a

in

a a

way

nothing beyond
distilled with

single resolution
tedious

blow, but in words

very
marrow

the

of
than

the

brain and

and

heart, in
become

beauty captivates men,

more

which Dante

monument

durable

brass.
to "to
"

begins
Beatrice her which memory

the

Vita

Nuova ends
never

his by ofiering it with said' of the

heart

he ; and which was gave

was

resolve woman"

preserve say that of

a

any

resolve her

bii'th to embalmed

the
and

Biviua made

Commedia,
eternal.

in

which
manner

In like

how incapable his lines begins by protesting of expressingLaura's are beauty,graduallyfinds that they confer fame her (Son. 39), and carry her name upon the language is understood wheresoever (Son, 96), and, after her death, boasts that they shall give her an eternal fame
"

Petrarch, who

E,

se

mie
tuo

rime

alcuna

cosa

ponno, eterna.

Consacrata Fia del

fra i nobili intelletti

nome

qui memoria

(Son,55,sulla Morte.)
he tells Malatesta

And
that bust

in

one

of his miscellaneous

Sonnets
a

in poetry givesimmortality
can

rival.

Mr.

Knight
reverts

way that no monumental might have greatlyenlarged make

once

his list of The 20th to

English poets who

Sonnet idea the

the
more,

same

boast.
and for the last

time,

of

corporealreproduction.
E

The

poems

52
wliicli
Bense

PHILOSOPHY

OP

Shakespeare's
the beloved

sonnets.

were

to

immortalize

for they were offspring, thine "from knowledge I derive." eyes my which he poet, in spite of the confidence diffident like
a

his

youth were inspiredby his

Bat

in

some
"

eyes

yet the
feels
are so

expresses,
"
"

of his

woman,
a

and powers, says, in effect that it is a pity you not are

You

one.

Nature,

of you. You should be deprived me making you man, mistress that cannot be mine, be, your love may ; as my whether devote not." This or yourself to women you Its familiarity marks sonnet transition. vance a a is^ great adin

intercourse, while friendly

relation of
to
women

the

lightway
in

in which both

the
the

friend's

is treated

it marks

persuasions to marriage, and the of moral deficiency depth in this early stage of friendship, which is at present a mere fancy,"bred in the eyes, and the desire of mortalizi imcorporeal beauty, and dependent on
"

abandonment

the

it.
see

Behind
a
new

the

materialism element

of this

love
"

we

here

and

there
has time

arising,the

gentle
this

heart"
new

unacquainted
not

element From this

"shifting change;" yet acquired any moral force.

love the of the 21st
two

with

but

the In

friends the

becomes

the

reciprocalpassion. of his friend's beauty reality

it with says
not sun,
as

Sonnet before
or

poet, having
refuses
to

his eyes,
or

compare

or

moon,

simply though

that it is
so

fair
as

as

gems, that of any

stars.

flowers, but mother's child,

bright

the

practice in Sonnet 98 Sonnet, and of the

till scale
we

seems

Shakespeare's own contrary to the theory of this

130, in the second series,
in is the
one

similar

one,

remember of love the from

the this

different

positions occupied
and

by

Sonnet

by

InTo.98.
to

It

thing,in
attention

frigidly drag in that of the sun and flowers ; and another and moon thing,in his absence, make all beautiful to mere things in nature types and which memorials of his beauty. This is a distinction has made little seems peculiarto Shakespeare. Petrarch
difference between the his

presence very his beauty,and

of the

beloved,

withdraw

present
with that

and which

his he

absent

mistress

in her.

regard to
He

similitudes
to her

compliments
her soul sun's

tells her

face

if she and
sun,

died, and
the

were

placed between be dimmed by the sky puts on

the the

earth
contrast

lightwould
Laura
comes

(Son. 18). When mourning (Son.26) j when she

goes

back

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

53

slie makes

fine
so

weather
makes

laurel, and
sun

forth.

(Son. 27). Spenser erred

the
stars
a mere as

She like
were

is

conqueror's
in this

Petrarch
a

particular. He
itself
a

it robe

necklace, the
ornament

and foil, She

heaven contains

and

for
;

his mistress. her

are

all the earth's

riches

(Son. 15)

her lipsrubies, her teeth pearls,her sapphires, eyes forehead her smile ivory,her hair gold, her hands silver, sunshine (Son. 40), her fragrance that of April flowers (Son. 64), her eyes brighter than sun, moon, stars, fire, and and like the most diamond, crystal, lightning, glass, Maker's self. From all this artificial conventionality Shakespeare

separates himself.
So is it not Stirred by Who heaven
a

with

me,

as

with

that
to

Muse

painted beauty
himself
as

his v^rse
doth
use.

ornament

"Painted
the
"

beauty

"

means

simply
"

"a

woman,"
was saw

and

refers

to

artificial handsomeness

which
"

in fashion herself in

late in
a
:

Elizabeth's

reign.
and

The

Queen

never

true

glassafter she became

painted her,
Hamlet have

old," as Jonsontold
sometimes would

Drummond
her

"they
nose." "I
one

vermilion

(in the Quartos) says to Ophelia about her sex, heard of your paintingstoo : Grod hath given you
you make
"

face, and
1623
"

yourselves
becomes
out

another."

In
"

the
"

folio

of

painting
death. false

and "prattling," of fashion of these

as

face

"pace."
the old false
see

Perhaps
Queen's
"aces Sonnets and

went face-painting

after Sonnets may farther

But hair and

at
were

the

date
the

rule,

we

by
Mer-

68, 69,
the

127.

Shakespeare makes
Love's Labour's Hall it. the

tives invec-

'Jiant

against of Venice, and

in practice Tiwion
an

Lost, The
also

Harrington has with rouge indignation

his inmost hatred
Taffata

it,and

of Athens. epigram upon

satirizes

Shakespeare's
form of
"

and

wigs

was

outward

of

mere

conventionalities

phrases, silken terms precise, Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation, Figures pedantical,
.

feelingthat in the presence of a great concentrated passion all pedantry is out of place. The wipes away from the memory purpose
All That
saws

and

of his artistic

all trivial fond records, of books, all forms, all pressures

and

past

youth

observation

copied there.

54
He the

PHILOSOPHY

OP

Shakespeare's

sonnets.

hates face.
The

the

use

of the

rouge-pot as
upon

much another

for

poetry as

foi*

next

of sonnet

(22) turns philosophy:

"

Sonnet

common-place

All

that beauty that doth Is but the seemly raiment in thy breast doth Which

cover

thee

heart, live,as thine in

of my

me.

This

Sonnet

must

be

taken in

in

connection form.

with
The

the 24th

reciprocal of each lover admiration for the other's beauty,though it effect that interchange of heart is only which to seems in perfected love, yet does it in a very superfullypossible ficial is its still in cradle it has not Fancy yet ; way.
"
"

togetherthey only enamoured

show of

that

this

stage of love the heart

is

beauty'sexternal

been
"

delivered
but

from

the

thraldom know

of
not

the

intermediate

they see, another place common(23) turns upon and trouble of the philosophy the awe which sesses posthe lover and makes him the in tongue-tied presence of his friend. This trembling, prescribed by the Codex Amoris, is spoken of in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Sonnets
Sonnet
"

draw

what

eyes ; and the heart."

eyes The

of

Dante's

Vita

Nuova,
nor

and

in

several

of

Petrarch's, as
can

Sonnet neither

34, where

he says that
cry,
nor

in Laura's

speak,
would
are

sigh;

and is

he presence that when

his
its

tongue
words

it recompense, imperfect,like a dreamer's. that the

"

ask

frozen,
his
"

and

speare Similarly Shakebelieve

ears,

says

friend

is not

to

but
"

his eyes are what silent love hath to read hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit."
are

writ

for

to

These

Sonnets

phases of love entering The 25th Sonnet sums by the eyes. up the happiness of this love : court favourites live in the royal eye, and die of It is only the perpetual and a frown. present smile of
that maintains Happy
Where I may

of descriptive clearly

the various

fortune

the warrior's
I, that love
not remove, and
nor

fame.
am

But

beloved

be removed.

With

the 26th
of the

Sonnet Love
now

we

enter learns

the

second

degree of
to be

the

scale of love.
"written

through
second

absence

dependent ina so

eyes.

This

part begins with

of which is

clear that

embassage," the dedicatorynature Gerald Mr. Massey has wrenched

it from

its

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.'
all the

55

proper
is the will not

place to
venture

make
to to
verses

it tlie the

prefaceto
in

Sonnets.
The

It lover

introduction

show
are

poems himself

of absence. his

till his "bare"

clothed

with

presence his friend's loving

friend's

favour

"

I dare to boast how I do love may thou Till then, not show my head where Then

thee

raay'st prove

me.

of the poet's imperfect utterance There 23. to Sonnet refers back clearly pen, this Sonnet he said that his verses expressed his thoughts better than bare till his words could are do; here, that these verses and meditates them them the friend takes on alone, and The by his favour puts apparel" on their tattered love. sence of aband 28th Sonnets 27th depict the first miseries of the "shadow" through this wretchedness ; but friend the shines, brightening the day, and gilding the gination night for already the first efiect of absence upon the imaof Sonnet is to mitigate the realism 21, which abjures all hyperbole. In Sonnet 29, perhaps the most of the friend's exquisite of the series, the remembrance In its reference
to

the

"

"

Bweet

love

is made

the

one

antidote

for all the

kind of

sorrows

]
\

30 ; in Sonnets stitute for all past and

of Kfe

and

31,

again,it becomes
loves
"

the
new

sub-

vanished
32
a

life^

in which

"all

losses

are

restored," and
closes kind

friends revivified.

Sonnet

beginswith

Sonnet
of the
"

26, with

opening motive. in my verses my says to his friend, think over in the other, when I am think them over supply their defects by your kind thoughts."
"

images of dead which this little series, and of repetition largement enIn one place the poet
the absence
"

dead,
In the

and dual graonce

progress
more

of

love

we

shall

find

that

the

poet

thought (in Sonnet 71), and begs his his poetry alike after death, if and to of the remembrance little series brings pain. Another Sonnets begins with the 33rd, when the unkind thoughts which their appearance. besiegethe absent begin to make 33 the lover doubts of his friend's constancy : In Sonnet
reverts to this

friend

forget him

"

He The

was

but

one

hour from

mine,
me now.

region cloud

hath

masked

him

In the 34th

the lover

endures

some

at disgrace

his friend's

56
hands.

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEABE's

SONNETS.

But
can

in the touch

35th
his

he*declares that
that he
even

no

doubts
makes

or

graces dis-

love, and

himself

an

to his friend's misdeeds accessory Then, from the notion that the accessory

by excusing them. is equallyworthy

in

of

blame

with

the
must

he concludes, principal, be

Sonnet
his friend
to

36,
to

that
return

absence
to
one

whose

perpetual ; he cannot bad he would name

with

ask

have
also
; and

share.
friend's

As

his friend

is identified his
can

him,
concern

so

his

good report
his And of

becomes

personal
be

this, with
the

unworthiness,

only
own

maintained

by separation.
Even

separation has
his friend's

its

consolations. shadow of his

wealth, and

glory, the wit, gives him

report beauty, birth,

substantial when he

comfort

(Sonnet

37).
blessed

He
"

feels himself

blessed

knows
in

his friend is

Look,
This

what

is best,that
I have
; then

best
ten

I wish

thee,
me

wish

times

happy the

It is characteristic that
more

of this

early stage in
which
it dwells first the

ladder such

of love
as are

all the
or

on qualities

are

less external. the eyes, and

In

stage, love

is taken

in the is
not

through
kindled

is kindled

second, it

enters

by the only beauty, but rank, wealth,

The Like The poems third

through the which qualities

only by beauty ; in sensible and imagination, affect this imagination

"

and

wit.

38. Sonnet stage in the scale begins with the 26th, it is a dedicatoryand introductorysonnet. declares due that
to

poet

whatever the

excellence

is all

inspiration they
"

in his appears his derive from

friend,who

is the
O

tenth

Muse

give thyselfthe

thanks

if aught in

me

Worthy The third

perusal stand

againsttliysight.
data of and imagination, the
"

stage of
so

love idealizes the in the in friend,

gathers them
second
one

all up lives."
on

whom

lover

lives

life ;

that, as Crescimbeni
With the benefits
to

but two

gained,not says, this idea Shakespeare, in Sonnet

of

he has

39, moralizes
to
as

absence, which
one

teaches

"

how well

make

one

twain,"
two

dissolve
one.

life into follow

two,

as

to combine

into
a

Then

three all

Sonnets Sonnets
has
some

which Taken 40-42

have in

been connection
a

stumbling-block to
with

interpreters.

Sonnets

133, 134, the

The lover

tell clearly

disgraceful story.

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

mistress,

married He
uses

woman,

witli whom
as a

lie has

guilty

go-between, and his friend supplants him. Interpretedbiographicallyof the his friend, the poet and story is shocking. It is also tains mainwho improbable in the highest degree that the man he about so a silence himself, or who, when dignified his own does 121, asserts so speak, as in Sonnet clearly superiorityto vulgar scandal, should have only lifted the veil to let us behold such a disgraceas this. On the other makes Elizabeth which hand, Mr. Massey's interpretation, Vernon the speaker and Lady Rich the person addressed, however and successful in ingenious in its combinations can upholding Shakespeare'sdignity, only itself be upheld internal organization of the by destroying the whole of them Sonnets, and in some making black by literally But into white. in our naturally theory they fall most into place. The love of the friends has tried by to be jealousy, but in this stage of love the jealousy which be friend would preference for another suspects a in the premature ; its place is found stage of ideal love. Here we jealousy, require the more superficial which would of the friend keep to itself those special gifts kindle the lover's fancy. Now could the lover which not be jealousof his friend's wife ; he has seventeen devoted intimacy.
his friend
sonnets to not
one

theme,

an

invitation

to

him
;

to in

He 20
women

could he

be

jealousof his friend's

free in be

mistress his

marry. Sonnet with

has
"

expressly left him

Mine

relations

this love
as

sure." thy love, and thy love's use their treaHe could not be jealousof his friend's friend; for jealousybelongs to a higher stage of love, that ideal which admits of no in affection, and which, plurality
;
"

Sonnet
women

119 which
some

shows, cancels
Sonnet
real
we

also the

freedom The

with

respect
he has

to

20
cause

grants.
for

fore, poet must, therethis In Sonnets

devise done he and makes it is in the

and jealousy, blame 35

manner

have this
owns

indicated.

merely
to
excuse

alludes it.

to

theft, to
in Sonnet

it,to
that the Sonnet

33, 34 forgiveit,
excuse

He

he that

in itself, and in disgraceful quite reason enough why his friend 40 he refers that it must 41 he

for it is

36

should
more

remain

In Sonnet separate from him. declares to the transaction, and and his friend into

explicitly
make him

not

foes

; in

Sonnet

again excuses

it,

58
and

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S
finds in it

SONNETS.

in Sonnet
"

42

he

even

fresli

symptom

of

love

But Sweet

here's the

joy ! then flattery

"

friend and my she loves but ; but

as

I
me

are

one

alone.

The love and

conclusion is not the

is not
of love

moral It is

the
but

yet moral.

yet
what

imaginative stage of a sentimental fancy ;

sentimental into
a

scale

shows

by

stages this
a

fancy is graduallytransformed
affection. the

from
it must
are

non-moral

moral

On

the

other

hand,

be remembered

that all

symmetrical ; the earlier the later. And which foreshadow a general formula may in a lower application be quiteimmoral represent true may Mr. Gerald morality in a higher one. Massey's interpretation but these Sonnets saves Shakespeare's reputation; The are capable of a better vindication. highest ainor is amicitice is directed of which to God. man capable who Now reads Sonnets that they 40-42 will see any one itself to the stage of are as applicableas the Song of Solomon If God Love. of an divine deprives a man object of either by taking it to Himself ing or earthlyaffection, by raisin it an affection which guishes to Him supplants and extinall human loves, the only permissiblefeelingin is that which in these three man Shakespeare formulates Sonnets, They contain a genuine and unassailable analysis of their first and of love, though the disagreeable nature observer to obvious meaning rather tempts the common neglectexamining the real depth of their truth and beauty.
This

stages in the scale of love

stage

of love

ends

with

short

series of three

nets, Son-

nature bring to lightthe unsatisfactory It is shadowy and unsubstantial. of this merely imaginary love. It does not attain to the deep recesses of the soul ; which it lives rather in the imaginationand senses, tied are material of which elements the to the four posed, body is comthan in the nimble which is distance thought to is all one. absence With or nothing, and bodily presence

43-45, which

this transitional reflection series of Sonnets shown

us

the

first division
to
a

of the first

great
has eyes,

is

brought

close.

Shakespeare
in the

the

tljree steps of love, conceived

the but

in generalized the judgment,

imagination,and
not

yet idealized
first

"

in again concentrated the not yet possessing

whole To

heart.

The recapitulate.

stage

of love

is

represented

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

59

in

Sonnets

to

25.

In

the

first
nearer

twenty
to

the his

lover

is

presented re-

gradually
with
a

coming

object,
with
"

ning begina

distant

respect,
'21
to

and 25 in second this

ending
express

close

intimacy.
of
two

Then

Sonnets

the
it

first

unity
the

love's lovers

simple
into
26 It
nor

apprehension,
one.

which

confounds
is shown

The

stage

i^r-"^
/ / /

Sonnets
its trials.

to

37.
is
not

Here
troubled

unity
the

is

put
of

tlirough
absence

by
of

duality
nor

(26-28)
sorrows

by

difference It say, and

station,
and
"

by

private
as

(29).
would

envelopes
all former them

sublates,"

aij^J
in

Hegelian
a

loves,
to
a

restoring
new

them

different

form,
to

raising
death self-inflicted
to
me

life all

(30,

31).

It

expects

survive
as

(32)

it

excuses

offences,
the it

reckoning
sufferer
an

them

wounds,
offender
am a

and

making
;

accessory
from conduces

the I

(33-35)
man,"
love
to

hence

cries,
how

"depart
absence

for
to

sinful of

and

shows The
not

the
in

growth
Sonnets

(35-37).
45.
it

third

stage
ceases

is
to

exhibited be troubled it
;

38
trials

Love
surmounts

only
in them life should of
one

by
even

the

which

the

second into
its
own

stage

assimilates Absence
becomes is

them,
the that

and

turns

essence.

dualistic

of

love,
live

and divided
and
;

proves

that
;

it

expedient
itself

friends
a

(39)
a

jealousy proof
very

becomes
my friend of becomes

reunion and I
are

this
"

dualism,

fresh the

that

"

(40

"

42)

and
of

insuf"ciency
stages
carry of
out

the
a

rialistic mate-

elements

these

first
to

love thp

force

which of
an

suggests

and

helps
into
an

transformation

imaginative

ideal

love

(43

"

45).

60

PHiLOSOPnY

OP

Shakespeare's

sonnets.

CHAPTER

VI.

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

love occupiesthe three lower IMAGINATIVE the scale, and ideal love the three higher.

grades in
Ideal love sensible

begins beauty
mind.
46 and

with
;

the if

substitution love is born

of in

intellectual the eyes,

for

for

its life is in the

This

change
What is
now

is indicated eye has

47.

the

by Shakespeare in Sonnets been to the prior stages of

later. As

love, the heart

"

to be

for the

before,the

eye
on

is

engraved the form of beauty the heart's tablets" (Sonnet 24) so now, the heart to play the painter,and to interpret the friend's heart to
played painter,and
"

the

the

lover's

consciousness. one's

To self. form

know Love
to that

another therefore of the

man,

says
ferred trans-

Hamlet,
upon the

is to know the

when mind

from

beauty of

knowledge
and reveal

of one's

self j_forthis
we

grammar tokens

dictionary "whereby
to
us

depends knowledge is our interpretthe may

minds of others.

which

the

hearts
love

and

Shakespeare then,
46, 47,
has

after

introducing the
how he
recurs

subject in

nets Son-

to show

acquires,of
to

itself,this

self-knowledge.
absence, which
the typifies asks This and himself leads
to
"
"

First

the

general topic of
absence

leads loss but

to
a

the of

lover his

to

fear

that

only
he

entire

friend

what
"

claim

(Son. 48). Then I to keep him have

of
can

"

him

knowledge
that he
"

his

own
no

desert,"
"

the should

confession be loved be

allege
two

cause

why
(50
show The in

he and

(Son. 49).
compared
love

The

next

Sonnets
"

51)

should
a

with

Petrarch's The the intention animal the in in

man,

lo mi is to

rivolgo
how

indietro much

ciascun

passo."
transcends that

ideal

powers. appears pains of

"dull

flesh,""the
to

beast

bears" him

its slowness
; but

sympathize
ardour of

with

the the

absence

in the

desire, and

triumph

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

61
flesh

of

retnm,

tlie soul of the

must

be

its
"

own

vehicle

; no

can

keep

abreast weak

mind

in its have love

all such

auxiliaries of

race," and fiery "leave to go."

with

therefore

Sonnet

52

carries this asceticism

even

except
friend's

on

rare

occasions, even

further,and dispenses, the imagination of the

of his the lover Every object reminds stant friend's beauty (53),but nothing can represent his "conAnd heart." yet (54) it is not the visible beauty, heart invisible truth, which but the constant or gives a

shape.

man mere

his

worth.

This

outward
to

henceforth
and
"

form, as to make distil,

56 the
"

and no truth, therefore, longer the in Sonnet is 5, the poet's verse its memory vein of and

live for

ever

(55)
The
last

dwell

in lovers'
a

eyes."
new comes feeling

With

Sonnet that

in.
of the

poet
few

finds
sonnets

abstention kills the

more

asceticism love

only
He He

dulness."

once

imagination.
friend
checks
;

thinks where

by a perpetual therefore gives play to his of the bodily presence of his

is and the
can

of spirit

he his

wonders

he

what

he

is

doing, and
account

risingsuspicions by
friend's is

deepest self-humiliation.
he demand He
an

Being
of what
more
"

his he

slave, how
to search

doing? (Sonnets 57, 58).

old records written Thus

finds it much

to

the purpose
in
some was

to find his friend's

"

image

antique book,"
done of
"

since

mind

at

first in character chews itself, second the

(59).
child
to
"

love bears

retires

into
"

cud of
a

meditation, and
birth

again

the old

burden and is

former

by remodellingits

thoughts,
birth

ideas. Such pre-existing new a higher character than natural "crawls to nativity,which maturity" and is eclipsed. life which The the poet promises to confer his new on shall stand to times in hope friend is one that (60). In Sonnet 61 the poet asks whether his friend's image which "visits him often is sent by him, or is conjured so up It he his love. his love. But if he is, own own replies, by the image, what be his own creates must worth that is All former ? capable of castingsuch a shadow tion self-inspec-

givingnew of altogether

"

"

ended

in self-abasement
:"

; this

ends

in

very

diff'erent

self-appreciation (62)
Methinks
No And
no

face

so

is as mine, gracious
no own

shape so true, for myself mine

truth

of such do

account

worth

define,

As

I all other in all worths

surmount.

62
And
second elements

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEAUE's

SONNETS.

though
in

he
his it.

refers all this excellence

true
or

to
must

his

friend,his
all its able
to

self, yet it remains

own

that he

he would

have
not

person, o'erworn

be

comprehend
exists.
"

In and in

himself, however,

the

excellence But take

as care
"

crushed
even

by
so

Time." he
"

only beauty
that which

still exists his friend's

his shall

wrinkles,
live in lines has

will black

beauty
; and

the shall

lines

his pen

traces

these

defy Time,

after the

beauty which (63-65).

The main

they

celebrate

long been

laid in the dust

features

of this

stage of
lover

ideal
comes

love
to the

are

the

three self-inspections whereby the

of his worthlessness relation
to to
own

ledge know-

heart.

First,he recognizes
slave and vassal

its absolute its

by
the

its

he defects; secondly,

determines

friend,whose

he feels himself

he recognizes its real nobility when he be ; and thirdly, of superlative excellence finds in it those which principles

his

modesty

will the

not

allow

him

to

attribute
not

to

himself.
sensuous

Henceforth

self-conscious
the
true

heart, and

the

becomes imagination, When

once,

of love. interpreter lover has become souls in therein substitute he has with
a

through

self-inspection, the

soul, and acquainted with his own general, he is perforce obliged to beauty for the material beauty which
And
the this substitution

spiritual
shipped. wor-

hitherto
an

indicates
to the

advance

of The

understanding from
has
now

the concrete
no

abstract.

lover, says Plato,

outward

beauties, but sciences, and of institutions.

the

or eyes for gold or colours only for the beauty of souls, of arts,of

He the

is

no

longer

distressed

fading of flowers, but does not fulfil its high promises, by art the soul which its aim, by science which misses which babbles, by political of oppression to which turned institutions are purposes and revolutionarydestruction, and by a religion which To this new forswears its faith. phase of love Sonnet 66 beautiful it is appropriate. In introduction is an as as famous indeed in with Hamlet's and common soliloquy, it expresses harmony with all Shakespeare's later tragedies, the poet'sdeep disgustwith the world, and society by by
waning
as

of fair

faces,or

he

saw

them,

and

declares made

that

his

ideal
to

love him.

was

only thing why, he asks in

the

which

life tolerable
y

But

Sonnets

67

68, should

this

love

continue

IDEAL

LOVE

IK

THE

SONNETS.

63

impiety and falsehood of the age ? In of order, he replies, To show false art what beauty was yore." Again, why, he asks in Sonnets 69, 70, should this which love live in a world only slanders it ? Slander, he ideal principlemanifests an replies,is inevitable when
alive amidst
the
"

itself in
own

action

; men

will

construe

this action

after

their

fashion. They
Ancl

look into the

beauty
they

of

that, in guess,

measure

thy mind, by thy

deeds.

Sonnet 70 goes worth. simply approves character of the whole far to prove the purely philosophical While the love was and series. templated consimply imaginative, bute beauty, it was only an outward possibleto attrivious lascisensual faults all kinds of (Son. 36) to the And thus
slander
" " " "

has
him"

grace become

of the

friend.

Now, however,

that

the
to

friend
say

type of ideal beauty, it is necessary

a present'st pass'dby

of

"

Thou

pure
the

unstained
ambush

prime ; days, intense

after

Thou Either

hast

of young

not

victor being charged. or assailed,

In the two

next

Sonnets

feelingbegs the friend death, "if thinking on

And in the
two at next
once

(71,72) the lover with most and his verses to forget him
me

then
on

should the short

make space love more leave

you

woe."
to

he dwells makes which

to

yet left

him, which
*'To and
verses

his friend's thou

out to must

strong

love urges which

that the

well

ere

long,"
the

poet
he
sees

pour

his whole his

into spirit

immortality. Shakespeare the sovereignpoet who of" the passing forms sent to take note of chivalry and was In these Sonnets mediseval Catholicism. he reallyseems to feel himself to be the last minstrel and only herald of a beauty But that was he has a supreme dence confialready out of date. in his cause, and a confidence mingled with diffidence Hence his unwillingness to link his in his own powers. to himself to make love so indissolubly it perish with as Hence with his him. too, mingled yearnings for death and
Mr.

consecrates in

friend's
"

Carlyle

oblivion,his
in
-

confidence He
seems

that
to

his feel

cause

will be immortalized he is destined

to
a

his

verse.

that

will his memory temporary oblivion, but that afterwards to perpetuate revive, and his writings will become a power the ideals

which

they embody.

64

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

SONNETS.

The

next to his

two

Sonnets, 75, 76, record

love.

his

ment singleattachof his

ideal his

Absent
and

or

present, it is the

sole

food

of

thoughts,
In Sonnet him
to to

the

only topic

ixionotonous

verse.

77 he
commit

book,
children

and

entreats

of his

brain,
with like

its waste

gives his friend a note his thoughts, the blanks. As tive imaginafriend
to

love leave
"

began

beseeching

the

children

ideal love himself, so not, however, of the body, but of the mind. the life of
to

marry looks for

and spring offThe He

poet felt that

held
and
not
more

the

world

was

up

mirror

the

old

that life, In
a a

it

changing. might paint

the old in order

itself

itself upon record. in dead, but as it were

put

this nurse's
new

record
arms,

life lies
once

to

rise,and
man.

"to

take

acquaintance"
to

of
"

the

mind

of

The mirror of

Sonnet
and the

reads dial
;

this

effect and

"

ture Literain the of

is the

of

the

ebb

flow

development
ideas and the

mankind ages.

it

registers the
off then the

changes

of the

lapse of present waning

world

Take

reffection

it to the
serve

the purposes

it to your mit age ; transfer ; compaper will come to light in due time, and ; it of progress." For all advance rests on
; the

what
as

is

already secured
on

future

is built

on

the

present,

the After

present
this,
or

the

past.
Whether
or

the

purport of

jealousy,will be clear.
or

Drayton,
from

Daniel,
in the The

Sonnets, on poet, Marlowe, any speare's Spenser, reallyusurped Shakenext

the

nine

other

place
here that ideal

affections
course

of

W.

H.

cannot

be

mined deter-

them. love

of the tried

argument
an

requires
tual intellec-

should

be

by

ideal

and

tried by an tive imaginajealousy,as imaginative love was 40-42. The in Sonnets fresh from poet, jealousy stay of the beauty he loved, and lamenting the transient from proposing it as the model for future ages, to be preserved of truth- tellingrecords in the unaffected verse, that the is should be indignant naturally subject priated approschool the whose of affected ing paintby men gross of rhetoric strained touches distort the and only The lover's object is to truth they pretend to describe. To him, the true think thoughts, not to speak fine words. mind of the ideal love in the heart and supplies presence
"
"

"

"

for all lack

of education

and

skill.

He

has

not

to

ransack

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

65
what he

the
sees

universe

for

comparisons,but
love
"

has

only to
are

copy

in his ideal
Than

none

can

say

more

this rich

that praise,

you

alone

you.

(Son. 84.) It

Such

creation

object an unique.
In
to

highest aim which serves individuality

series of
The

is

the

of art.
to make

gives to
it for

its

ever

the

next

Sonnets, 87-96, Love

and prevailed, friend's heart.
to his
own

seems

to

yield
quishes relin-

jealousy.
his he

rival has
on

the

lover in
a

claims

his

As

previous
element. of love.

Sonnet,
Yet In the

attributes

this breach

unworthiness.

here self-depreciation 49
as

has
a

an

additional
of
a

Sonnet

it

was

simply

result

comparison
his ideal

himself,

known

by

self- reflection, to

in Jealousy gives rise in the lover to a self-depr,eciation The first was act a mere comparison with a third person. is an act of self-judgment. of self-apprehension ; the second in Sonnets 87-96. Such self-judgment the lover practises 87 is itself suggestive of The legalphraseology of Sonnet the of judgment. In the next, the poet excuses process his friend's lack of love by a confession of his own secret like that which makes to Ophelia. He Hamlet faults, owns

beforehand
Thou As half canst me not, love, disgrace I'll myself disgrace. (Son. 89.)
so

ill

But
once over

he
him

asks the

that, if
This

he

is

to

be

; that

threatened is the

evil may

it may be at disgraced, not perpetuallyhang in his cup

"

(90).
Wretched

only bitterness
that
me

in this alone and

thou
most

ma3''st take
wretched make.

All this

[thy love] away,

(Son.91.)
such
a

Yet
would is

it cannot be death

be effectually
; and

taken

away. it

For

loss

death
never

is unconscious. know

If the

friend the

false,the
almost
rose

lover

will

(92, 93).

Then
but

lover His

accepts the hypothesisof the friend's falsehood.

not

has

only
"

colour

fragrance which spiritual

if this sweetness
For

please the the mind captivates

to

eyes,
;

the what

but

with

base

infection meet
sourest

"

?
:

sweetest

things turn
fester

by their deeds
than

Lilies that

smell

far

worse

weeds

(Son. 94.)

So

he

concludes

by warning
F

his

friend

that

though

his

66

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S
in

SONNETS.

beauty
loses its ends
seems

covers

every
"

blot,yet
Thus

time
second of the of in

"

the

hardest
of ideal

knife
love which be

edge
a

(95.)
the

the

stage
love.

with

negative operation
very

judgment,
second

to threaten

existence the
same

It is to

noticed
ideal last but the
same

that

Sonnet
with

96,
the

last

the

love, ends
one

couplet as Sonnet in the second stage of imaginativelove. For situations but in a higher signifiever recur, cance.
stage of ideal love all the negationsof the and its scattered drawn rectified, premisses
The is the universal final

stage of 36, the

In

the third
are

judgment
up universal in in the into
one

conclusion.

soul, the
ideal all that this
was

"

sacred

love," winch
in itself, lower with
a

objectof

love, contains
found

transcendant of love.

sense,

grades

Hence

stage is fitly

introduced

three

beautiful

Sonnets, comparison
it is
to folly

which,
with

in

thorough contradiction bright lamps of the beauty of the friend.

handsome

with
For

Sonnet
in

21, disparage all the

the
a compare the other is,on

universe

though
own

hand,
the

face to sun, and moon, true that a soul is,in its

and

stars,it

nature, better
above three

than

all

inanimate

world, and

spiritual beauty
and well-known

corporeal beauty. beautiful a compared with

S.

These

Sonnets

all sible posshould be in

passage

of words (x. 8). -The identity Augustine's Confessions and imagery in the two writers will suggest an identity in their meaning. 100, 101, the poet Then, in Sonnets for her silence. rebukes his muse Though her song cannot immortalize it. In the next two improve beauty,it can It is not becoming silence. Sonnets, 102, 103, he excuses
to

merchandize his
verse

love

in

the that that and

hubbub which his in 105

of

the

world's mend.

mart,
In

and

only mars
he declares
seasons,

it cannot
has that it has

Sonnet
its three three
a

104

love

passed through
united truth
"

great
"

the

elements

of love
"

"

beauty,goodness,and
still such, and
true ever

into

singlewhole

one,

so."
alone,
in
one.

Fair, kind, and

Which

have
never

often

lived
seat

three till now

kept

For

the final
To

stage
that he

of

love

is- the

synthesis
from

of all its elements. old literature

uses

describe

it the
can

poet takes
of

all the notes

find

beauty, and

them

as

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

67

if

they had (106),but

been neither
can

propheciesprefiguringhis present love these propheticforehis own fears nor

set

shadowings
which eclipses his will
not

limits have his

to

his

love.

The

moon,

after

love

augurs shall live in the

same

declared
verses

deadly, ; and reappears (107). Day by day he

;

repeat

paternoster of love

for

age

kills it

(108),but
The lover's of his

life. givesit new the and apparent falseness, suspicions

rather

ness fickleinto

affections, the
which surrounds

misfortunes
his
name,
are

of

his

and life,

the fuel

scandal for

all made in

all-consuming,all-embracing love
The
"

Sonnets
the

109-112. the into ideal

two

next

sonnets

describe

the

of idealizing mind of
I

imagination turning the

an

eye

that In
as

creates

out

eye into mind, and of chaotic masses the

images
"

beauty.

Sonnet
if the

115

poet
seem

corrects to

former
now

sonnets, such
love

76, 105, 107, which

lover feared

say

you best," as of love, instead grows it is of life. as

as

for

the is

future
a

of his
that

remembering that love and that growth is the continually,

In the next

babe

condition

of love
love

Sonnet, 116, he

celebrates

marriage of true minds, a union far above alteration like a star in the heavens. In the motion, guiding life, or tions series of four sonnets next (117-120),all the moral aberrathe of both then flame when
sets

the lover

and

friend of

are

first condemned
to make
even

and its

consumed the
once

in the furnace

love, in order
still better the flow
even

hotter. the

Better tide

is made

by

evil

turns, and
with
to

of

improvement
contradictions
"

in, everythingworks
aberrations all discords
nature

it,and
the in
one

and for
true

contribute
are

great conclusion
final concord.

resolved

the

The

of evil

is,however, distinctly allowed, and the

it contains
to

soul in it

of

goodness
Evil

which

is made in the

to

consist

not

anything
causes.

intrinsic is
a

evil, but
of

reaction

which

which analyticpower, pares prefor the of perfected love. great syntheticprocess After the touching confession of evil and its uses, the lover proceeds to state the paradox (121) that it is better to be thought so. to be evil than evil The reaction from produces good under the organizingand healinginfluence
of love. itthe the But the evil

kind

report chases

hope of perfection. The lover rectitude strongest way his own

f2

love,and with away therefore asserts in

;

in

Sonnet

122

he

6S
defends
away

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S
the

SONNETS.

himself

for
which

seeming
in

carelessness 77
he
to

of
him

the table-book

which
had

Sonnet such

had

giving given to
full of of

his

friend, and
His
"

been
no

returned

notes.

memory
To

needed

reminders

his

friend

keep
to

"Were

adjunct to remember in import forgetfulness

an

thee
me.

Unkindness
becomes Time
a

is

turned

into

kindness, and
In

carelessness
123 he fies deof

sign of careful
and is not

memory. his registers ; his

Sonnet
the

love

has

character

In helped by any temporal records. 124 he enlargeson the eternal character Sonnet of his love. It is not of state, varying with the child fortune. It thralled depends not on the accidents of smiling pomp or discontent. It fears not the heretic policy which prefers the temporal to itself altogether the eternal, but proves and politicby showing itself invincible unchangeable. It seeks external and not refuses to base honours, (125) its claims and favour But to immortality on form. its of sacrifice is one highest act and eternity,
:
"

"

take thou is not

Which
But

my mixed

oblation,poor
with
me

but

free.
no

seconds, knows
for thee.

art

mutual

render, only

As

he

had

used
so

the
here

language
he
uses

of the

Lord's
of of the

Prayer
an

in

Sonnet
more

108,
solemn

the

language

act

still

than

The wastel lover

external bread and the

the prayer, is but ceremony internal

oblation the

Eucharist.
a

offeringof
two

piece

of

; the

effect

is that
if the

hearts, the

ideal

and mutually give love,mingle together,

themselves that with this the

to each
was a

other.
a

Then,

as

poet remembered
concludes

rite of
"

he proscribedreligion,

exclamation

Hence, th"(u suborned

When
most

informer
stands

true

soul,

impeached,

least in thy control.

Sonnet the

126

series hence

and

imperfectin form, and though belonging to in its general tone, has no special place therein, it was is appended as a mere tag to it. That
is

placed here, and not at the end of all the Sonnets, is a first series down to this place farther proof that the whole who is so rarely for their object the have lovelyboy 27 that Mr. Gerald to after Sonnet alluded distinctly
*'
"

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

69

Massey
intermediate
true
reason

thinks

himself Sonnets
to

entitled
be is not and its

to

consider
to

most
women.

of

the The

addressed mentioned in its

why
elevation

sex

is

that

in

the

gradual through
more

of

love,

transformations
more

successive

stages,
more

object
with

becomes less definite

and
sex,
or

generalized,
human

spiritual,
This
to

definite

personality.
reference toned
to account to

consideration
"

does

not

absolutely
so

preclude

the
sonnet

sweet
as

boy,"
108.

even

in it is of

late

and
reason

religiously enough
reference

But cessation

quite
the of

for the

the manhood

sudden and

continuous the beloved

personality
it
on

object imaginative

after love

Sonnet
is

27,

when

will second

be

remembered

just

entering

its

phase
In and

of this of

abstraction brief sketch

and of

analysis.
the with it has connection the

of

these

sonnets,

their
sonnet
more

agreement writers,
than which
trace

acknowledged
been

philosophy impossible
the makes often that bare
are

of
to

other do

manifestly
ideas,
and is

their them This

leading together,
thread the
covers

thread them

of

connection into
a

binds series. and

consistent

concealed

by
upon which with

the

variety
it
we

splendour

of

jewels
the

strung
skeleton

the

philosophic
traced of with

poet
the and this

have

most

exuberant which the main the

not

tissues,
is

profusion
But

thought
all which may

images
wealth
was

simply
outline
current

astonishing.
of

under
idea

the

pre-existing
of the

part
if

of

Platonism

epoch
and

be

traced,

easily,

at

least

with

precision

certainty.

70

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

SONNETS.

CHAPTER

VII.

VULGAR

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

IN
which

the the

second
progress
"

series of the

of Sonnets
"love of

correspondsto the in the of the former man series,so the right fair beauty which corresponds to the lower love is betokened in the second series by a gypsy-likewoman, with black
"

Shakespeare represents despair." As the beauty higher love finds its fitting symbol

eyes and
but
as a

hair, and
sentiment

complexion
not
as an

"

coloured

ill."

The

poet

represents this

love

and natural original feeling, arising from the disappointment of

looks for true higher aspirations.First, the lover who beauty cannot find it,but only its counterfeits (Son. 127), he surrenders himself and so in his despair to the black eyes which do not pretend to possess the true beauty, but by their very contradiction the
to

it become of this

its

most

eloquent
the

lover beauty representatives. By to its attractions stands, resigning himself (128), clearly what hell is it to a knowing leading him, but unable its temptations (129), appreciating its real to conquer him but confessing its mysterious power over deficiencies, (130). Secondly,in absence by himself alone," thinking
" "

side

on seem

his mistress's fair to him

not

face," he wonders
; and

how that

her

blackness

can

he

concludes

it is

only

in

her

deeds,

face, that she is black (131) ; or that if she is black, it is only in mourning for his pain (132) ; in his eyes. and this compassion of hers makes her beautiful fancy is strengthened by his friend's judgment. Thirdly,his own
His friend has has ended been carried messages
to

in her

and

from

his

mistress, and
the

fancy therefore

has

poet, whose

friend's The by supplantinghim. vated caught by the hooks that captiby judgment is thus confirmed

VULGAE

LOVE

IN

THE

SONNETS.

71

(133, 134). And imaginativestage of sensual

The ideal In the that
to

another's

these love. lower

three love

steps complete the

stage of

this

begins with
confessed
I and me." Will

Sonnet
to his

135.
mistress

previous sonnet the poet had "he [the friend]is thine, and
will
"
"

gaged myself mort-

thy

"

thou

hast

both

him

First,
to

boot, thy and Will in overplus,"confounding by a verbal quibble his and perhaps his friend's name Will with his mistress's own and aiming no longer at her beauty,but at her convolition, sent and her kindness, even her kindness that was though of an abandoned For as his imagination had overpowered woman. his eyes, his had powered overso corrupt partiality his heart's judgment, and made it think that a several the wide to be it knew world's plot which that as Shakespeare common place (137). It is possible drew called was largely on Sidney, who Willy by
thou hast
"
"

then, he tells her

"

will,and

"

"

"

"

his

friends,these
of lawless

later

sonnets, intended
are

to

illustrate the
to

progress
and the
to be

love,

purposely made
his into
"

Sidney'snotorious
a

with intrigues of translation which he

suggest Stella,"Lady Rich,

real
her.
to

kind
sonnets

their

famous thus
a

dedicated

meaning of Secondly,

having
towards vices truth

idealized

vicious the

corrupt love, and given it its bias its indulgence,the next stej^is to make
of virtues. Its falsehood

bear

semblance

becomes

(138), its inconstancykindness (139), and hypocrisy its life (140) ; its follybecomes its torment, and thereits atonement .forein some sense (141) ; its sinful loves and hates virtuous become (142), thoroughly confused and the the lover with contents himself mere finally dregs of his mistress's love ; asking only that he may have
his and will thus with

her, because
love

she

has

her the

will ideal in in

with

others

settingup inconstancy as
(143)
"love love
:

qualification
morals,
ticism scep-

of the

lower in

for

communism

philosophy, and
of the lower of in

pantheism
despair."
its ideal the

idealizations

And

are religion the thirdly,

the
last real their
we

stage

of the

state

exhibits love.

the In

between incompatibility imaginativestates the

see

it and
two

higher
can

kinds

of love with the

as coexist,

in

Sonnets "the

40, 41, compared

female evil

133-135. better his

Now,
to

however,
the

tempteth

angel from"
be
a

lover's

side, and

"would

corrupt

saint

72
devil
who abandons (144). Bat tlie man prefers to be dependent on his "female kindness (145), though it leads him to all his body and starve luxury, to pamper This love conducts its victim
"

"

the

higher love
unkind of outward soul

evil's"
sorts

his

(146).
same

to

and frantic,

at

the

time

conscious,
For

madness
sworn

I have
art
as

thee
as

Who

black

and thought thee bright, fair, hell,as dark as night (147)

" "

to

voluntary blindness
of his
to acts
an sees

(148), to
and

complete
to

and

fawning
loves
a

submission

sentiments of reason, of hate

his mistress's the halfthe all

caprices(149) ;
more,

the

more

it

abeyance just cause

which

(150), to
even

playful,half-serious devotion brutal most enjoyments (151) ; honesty through devotion to one
of

conscience
and
to

to

the

loss

of

whose

kindness, love,
while he

truth,
them Thus

and

constancy
seen

he

had

defended
defence series the

knew

to be

utterlyincapableof
that both of all the

(152).
of sonnets of go regularly love ; and in

it will be

through steps the each, corresponding step is treated in an analogous As the first series begins with the earnest desire to way. immortalize the beauty of the beloved itself in offspring, see one the second so begins with declaringthat beauty is its ofispring bastard. This dead, and despair for the future of beauty is naturally connected with the immorality of this lower love the with murderous, bloody, savage,
scale
"
"

rude, cruel
Gerald
"

"

nature

ascribed
to

to

it in
as are

Sonnet
the
"

124.

Mr.

Massey
of the

wishes

eyes
from

mistress

that prove in these sonnets

to

Sidney'sSonnets
was

the Stella,
"

same

mourning borrowed clearly Penelope woman,

great pains
to

Rich,

their
"

heroine wires the

more

the identify It would

black with

also ; and he which grew

takes
on

the head

of Shakespeare's

gypsy have been

own

golden
to

locks purpose

which

Sidney sings.
speare's Shakein his dramas.

the

to refer to

conceptionof black-eyedwomen
Labour's for
"

Bironin hair
women

Love's

Lost

talks of his mistress's and

mourning
put
on

the

false hair

eyes and complexion which

just as the lover speaks in Sonnet 127; and in Shakespeare's earliest play, Titus Andronicus, he Aaron had made needs no say that the only face which paint is the black one"

VULGAE

LOVE

IN

THE

S"l^E^p,.., "RN\A.
hue,
hue.

/3

Coal
In

black
it

is better than
scorns

another
another

that

to

bear

Thus, for
became the

certain
new

purposes fashion of
"

a a

hope, but

despair

not

the

Cleopatra's, beauty which representednot fairest reproductiveness of

gypsy

face, like

"

creatures," but the mourning retrospect of a barren **egret, The idea of Sonnet solacing itself with present licence. out 128 is borrowed of his by Ben Jonson, Every Man Fastidious Brisk Humour, iii. 3, where says of his lady and sweet her lute, You the subject of her see fingersthere.
"

Oh,
...

she

tickles

it

so

that

she

makes

it

laugh

most
a

divinely.
thousand in another

I have

wished

times."

The

earlyplay of

myself to be that instrument 129 is found thought of Sonnet Shakespeare's Pericles :

"

One

sin,I know, another

as near

doth
as

provoke
to

Murder's Poison

to lust
are

flame hands

smoke.

and

treason

the

of sin.

It is to
sonnets
remorse

be

noticed and

that
occur

the two
in the the

most the
same

directly religious
series. the For lower

(129
criminal

146)

second

of conscience
as

holds

place in
As such
so

love
are

passions in
to

higher.
are

passions
for
to

obstacles and

the

them,

purposes

of a pure progress of amendment,

love,

sorrow

obstacles

the
that

of a guiltylove. Again, it will be noticed progress in the imaginativestage of this lower love, conscience

againstthe
stage
the conscience
-on

animal has

tests proin whereas its ideal passionsonly ; to protest in generalagainst the care
at

lavished

the

body
when

the

expense

of the

soul.

For

as

higher love,
does
"

virtues,so
every

idealized, expands into political the lower love, when idealized, ramify into
eye, and

lust
one

of the of

pride
sonnet
"

of life."

Sonnet

146

reminds

Sidney's last
me,

Leave
And Grow

thou, my

Love, which reachest but to dust mind, aspire to higher things.

which
never

rich in that

taketh

rust

Whatever

fades but fading

pleasurebrings.

imitated from the close of phraseology seems This blisful regno Chaucer's Canterbury Tales : may and the glorie by men purchace by poverte espirituel, loweness, the plente of joye by hunger an 4 thurst, and And its
"

74

PHILOSOPHY

OP

shakespeaee's

sonnets.

reste

by

travaile,

and

tlie

lif

by

detb

and

mortificacioun

of

synne."
Some
have find
seen,

of in in

these
some

later of latest

sonnets

find

their earliest

parallels,
dramas
;

as

we

Shakespeare's plays. speech

Your

others
we

them

his

Thus,
to

with the mob

Sonnet

147

may

compare

Coriolanas's

"

affections

are

sick

man's

appetite,
increase

who

desires evil.

that

most

Which

would

his

While of

Sonnet Catherine

149 in

finds

curiously
VIII.
^

exact

parallel
29
"

in

speech

King

Henrij
Which
of
to

ii., 4,
friends

your

Have He
That
were

not

strove

love,
?

although
What
your

knew
of did

mine had
to

enemy him my derived

friend
anger,

mine
I

Continue He
was

in

liking?

Nay,

gave

notice

from

thence

discharged.

Perhaps
be

these,
may the that their

and be
sonnets

several taken

other

parallelisms
an

which that the

might
position com-

produced,
of

as

indication

was

continued of their But in

over

long
was

period
not meant

of

time,
order

and of

the

order

arrangement
as

the
to

composition.

they

were

all

illustrate

some

special
would

phase
all

well-known fall into to

philosophical place,
them
and

system,
it
true

they
be
an

naturally
for the

would

easy

task

poet

give

their

arrangement.

CONCLUSION.

75

CHAPTER

VIII.

CONCLUSION.

autobiographical. It may be at racter chathat they paint the poet's ideas and conceded once his sentiments of what that they give us a good notion ; would have been in given situations. But the situations themselves, are they imaginary, or are they real ? Are for the framework devices to serve as they merely dramatic receive Can we true ? sentiments, or are they historically
are

THE

now question

once

more

how arises,

far tliese Sonnets

to be

considered

Sonnets
still to

40-42, 133, 134

their
common

as

true

histories

of the
we

poet, his
have in

friend, and
Sonnets
to take

mistress

If so,

should

explain the
the framework
to

directlycontradictory statements
It

70, 79, and 121.

the display

therefore, much is,

as a mere

more

natural

of the Sonnets

devised

progress
are

of love to the

imagination, best advantage.

But
the the

if the details writer's

great outlines
may
own a

be true. actual
true

of imaginary, still multitudes and opinionsare The sentiments thoughts, and they may hold in
of the facts of his life. It

solution would be

many

statement

detail is necessary for the easy to say that whatever be classed among the inventions development of the theme may is not so necessary ia of the poet ; while whatever the
'
,

But fact. on probably founded uncertain. be entirely test would his

"

own

death

in Sonnet of
a

74,

the

of such a application For of instance, talking his dead calls poet body

the

coward

conquest
did he

wretch's

knife."
while
"

Had his life

he
was

been in

stabbed, and

write

this sonnet

lame I, made by Again, in Sonnet 37 he says, and in Sonnet dearest spite Fortune's 89, Speak of my ; Are we to conclude lameness, and I straightwill halt." tions indicalame ? that he was Again, there are many really

danger

"

"

of time

in the

sonnets.

In

Sonnet

2 he

JSixes on

the

76
of

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAEESPEARE's

SONNETS.

age
with

forty as
In Sonnet

that 62

wliicli he

digs deep
"

trenches
heated

in and

field.

calls himself

beauty's chopped
the

tann'd and old.

autumn

antiquity." In Sonnet 73 he has twilightof life ; that is, he is at

But
on

reached least
an

forty

years

the

other

hand

when,
and

after

absence

during summer his friend, he

and
renews

autumn

his

a (97) spring (98) from poeticalexercises, he declares

(104) that it is three as Shakespeare was

in

since he first knew him. Now years born in 1564, he was forty years old should have

1604, and
before
"

his about

sonnets

begun
handed

some

three about in

years

1600.
the

Yet
H.

they were
of

MS. Earl

before-l598. If
of

W.

Thorpe's
"

dedication
"

is the

friend of the first Southampton, or if he was the series of sonnets, Shakespeare had the already attained with him highest grade of ideal friendship by 1596, for he

dedicated
had known

his Venus him

are

and

Adonis the

to him

in

1593, and

therefore 104 handed in

during
1598.
smell

three that The

1596.
about
*'

There

indications

years of Sonnet the Sonnets were line of

"

long play of
acted

before fester Edward

last

Sonnet
occurs

94,
in

Lilies that

far

worse

than

weeds

the

III.,sometimes
was

attributed in

to

speare. Shake-

This been

play
in is

published
in
or

1596,
The

after

having
which

in divers

places
1594
one

London. 1595.

It was, Earl of

therefore,

probably written
the line
occurs

speech in

in

which

the

of Warwick

approves
"

of his

determining to of eleven a spaciousfield of" reasons is worse in proportionto the rank or

"

daughter, the Countess the king's shameful reject

"

Salisbury,for
It consists that sin

suit.

to show
or an

of the and

sinner. form

Each of the

reason

power into is condensed is like

knowledge aphorism,

the

Panza's
we

of strings least think least that

of Sancho one speech therefore,a place where proverbs. It is, whole for author and where an originality, of open plagiarism. It is more line was quoted from Shakespeare's his private 1595 known or among afterwards adopted by Shakespeare
or

should

look

-would

scorn

then, probable, in Sonnets -already friends,than

from the that

this 1594

it was

play.
of

Yet

in 1 594

1595,

when

he

was

only about

thirty years
father, scored

a as age, he represents himself and tann'd with age. His indications

decrepit
of

time,

therefore,seem
dramatic

to be

imaginary, and
of the
poem.

to form

part

of the

framework

Once

more,

Sonnets

CONCLUSION.

77
another
in

78-86

are

devoted
is

to

one

poet,
to

who

supposed
Sonnet been have
"

to

subject jealousy of have supplanted him

"

his

friend's his

affection. friend

78 declares
so
"

that

his invocations have become

to
so

and frequent,

notorious, that

him,
But

and the

alien pen has every its productions to to dedicate

out singles
one

begun
the
same

imitate

patron.
in
parison com-

poet
with

competitor, to
"

whom,

he whom
a

attributes he
"

boat

heavy ignorance," "learning,""grace," "majesty" (78) calls "a worthier pen" (79), "a better spirit," of tall buildingand of goodly pride in comparison
own

his

"

dumbness

and

"

and

"

"

to his

"

own

worthless

boat," and

"

saucy

bark

rior infe-

had to have phrases which Fuller seems in mind he told of Shakespeare and Ben when Jonson's 81 and 82 contests he (80) ; and, though in Sonnets to seems others, jealous of many imply that he was "both expression at the end of the latter yet an your he shows that has only one competitor. This poets with strained of rhetoric touches competitor wrote to kindle (82) ; he buried the life he strove (83) ; his of praise" were "comments "charactered with golden and all the filed." He Muses quill, precious phrase by able was an spirit," writing in polishedform of wellrefined pen borne was (85). His "great verse" along under his spirit was proud full sail ; by spirits taught above aided to write peers a mortal by "compitch;" he was afllable familiar by an by night ghost which nightly gulled him with intelligence" (86). These details less distinctly to Marlowe to point more in the seem or character of Dr. Faustus, aided by Mephistopheles. Now Marlowe killed in 1593. The of jealousyrefer sonnets was to a period of absence comprising part of the third year of the friendship which if therefore, they commemorate ; and take the contain indications be to we historical,we they that between 1590 must and 1592 Shakespeare's suppose dear friend and Sonnets to some patron had gained such the that all notoriety, poets of the day imitated them, and of the monopoly of his friend's favour, and tried to rob him of them, Marlowe, succeeded that one in so doing. This is to historians, and a piece of history completely unknown bred only in the seething brains of the historical commentators the Sonnets. When on Shakespeare published his far
to

his

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

78
Venus

PHILOSOPHY

OP

Shakespeare's
lie

sonnets.

and

Adonis

in

1593,

poet. "If the first heir never "prove deformed, I shall it yieldme still so a land, for fear
. . .

appeared as a perfectly known unof my invention," he said,

after bad
a ear so

barren This

harvest."

proves become before

that known 1593.

neither
as a

in

in manuscript had he print nor a dramatist) poet (as distinct from the indications Each of the detail may
sonnets

Hence
be the whole

of of

jealousycannot
some

historical.

be
to

true
an

one,

but

compilationrefers only

ginary ima-

being.
It
a

is,however, quite clear that

dramatic had called
scene

Shakespeare had
1593. In 1592 Joliannes had

attained

certain

before notoriety him

"

Robert

Greene
the him
was

the

absolute

Fac-totum,
characterized
In

only Shakeas a

in the
out

country," and
in stolen Blackfriars

daw

dressed

feathers.

1589

he
was

already a partner
by
Nash
as a

in

the

Theatre, and

shifting companion, born to the trade he had left to busy himself of Noverint, which with the of art, though he could endeavours Latinize his scarcely had therefore devoted himself to the study neck- verse, and of Seneca's ten tragedies, published in English in 1585,
attacked whence he stole

beggar," and speeches." It

made 66 of the

many "whole

Blood is a sentences, like Hamlets," or "handfuls, of tragical

good

"

is curious which he has

"

to

see

what said he

use

Shakespeare
In

sentence

Nash

stole.

Sonnet

he laments
"

that
to

behold

And

desert a beggar bom, in jollity. needy nothing trimmed

In

Sonnet
"

67

he

complains
rnature

of

the

degeneracy

of

his

countrymen

bankrupt is,

Beggar'd In
has "A

of .blood to blush

through livelyveins.

King Henry
ruined the

Buckingham and winds nobility,

VIII.
book how

complains
up with the

that

Wolsey
"

reflection It

beggar's
to
see

outworths

noble's

blood."

is in

curious

strong

the

feelingof family was

Shakespeare,how anxious he was to prove his descent, and With of his ancestors. the "worship him, a gentleman whatever born is something better than a gentleman made self-made he had a far deeper he had for the honour man, who not only deserved but inherited sympathy for the man
"

CONCLUSION-.

79

his

honours.

We

find
most

Edward

II., but
of
to

productions
answer

the

feeling in Marlowe's strongly perhaps in the. Catholic Andreas as Philopater's day, such
the
same

Elizabeth's

Proclamation

of

November

Commonwealth^ and Parsons' s Memorial Reformation of England, and, curiously enough,

Leicester's

29, 1591, for the

in Pius
on

against Elizabeth, which of English exiles. the representations be placed on More reliance,then, can
the Fifth's Bull

was

founded

the

expressionof
of

opinions
Yet
there

in
are

the
some

Sonnets

than

on

the

indication

facts.
to.

unquestionable facts plainlyalluded

gone here and

Alas, 'tis true, I have

And made

there,
...

myself a motley Most that I have true it is, Askance and strangely.
. .

to the

view.
on

look'd
"

truth

O, for my
The

sake

do

you

with

guilty goddess of
did
not

That Than Thence

better

public
comes

means, it that

my for my which my

(110) chide, harmful deeds, life provide

.

fortune

public manners
name

breeds.
a

receives

brand.

"

(111)

be player cannot for the But when search misunderstood. we meaning of such Sonnets 107, 124, 125, which as apparently teem with obtain such allusions to facts,we no can certainty. Mr. Gerald Massey has very ingeniouslyexplained Sonnet \ \ 107 as a song of triumph for the death of Elizabeth, and of Southampton from the consequent deliverance the Tower. But all the Sonnet its place much better when fits into these supposed allusions are not of specialfacts, interpreted, of love. but of the general circumstances Not his own fears (of death diviningeyes" of ending all love) nor the The

references

here

to

his

callingof

"

"

the

old

poets mentioned
dead
can

in

Sonnet

106, which
into his
to to
come

had

made his had No

"

"ladies

and
set
a

lovely knights"
definite
terra to

figures of
love, which
an

friend,
been

supposed to be doomed the dying moon has emerged of the gloomy prognostications Uncertainty is now changed
stage of
love

end.

eclipse,and the have proved wrong. augurs into certainty, and this advanced
an

from

her

promises

endless

balmy
young

time

gives a again ; Death

death,
my

fresh

spite
love's

of

baptism to love; itself is vanquished rhyme shall live, and

the
crests and

This peace. love becomes

"

because,
shall be tombs

in my

monument

after

brazen

of

80

PHILOSOPHY

OP

SHAKESPEAEE's
Without
facts

SONNETS.

tyrants
even

are

Mr.
if the in

or affirming it is clear Massey's specialinterpretation,

wasted

away.

either

nying dethat

poet had

those

in them

his

mind, he expressed
into
a

them

general terms,

melting
it
was

down

vehicle

for the
express.

philosophy

which

his

principalobject to
that

Again, when

in Sonnet

124

he declares

his love

Suffers not in smiling? pomp, nor falls the blow Under of thralled discontent, Whereto the inviting time our fashion calls,

and

ends

with

as calling

his witnesses
The fools of time
as

Which

die for

goodness

they lived for crime,

he

speaks

as or

if

he

and which

his
was

friend

belonged

to

that
the

"fashion"

faction
and

discontented

with

of consequently liable to the thraldom prison life. But he may be speaking only generally, and that love never true suffers by such thraldom. asserting The fools of time be of Essex's conspirators men may be also faction, as Mr. Massey thinks ; but they may which subsist only for selfish ends, and friendships, politic die in an atmosphere of truth and honour, false loves as that true of which he one distinguishedfrom sings in Sonnet Love's not Time'-s fool." 116, Again, the opening 125 seems to speak of some of Sonnet specialpageant in which the poet "bore laid "great bases the canopy," and which for eternity," at once collapsed perhaps through for the sonnet the treacheryof some concludes with spy,
"

Government,

"

"

an

execration But the

us

upon
are

the
so

"

suborned

informer."
whatever guesses

terms to

that general,
can

they

may but may the

lead
we

make, they
look for

have

to

the
us

cannot
serve

absolutelytell
to illustrate
a

known

tion only indicate in what direcfacts of Shakespeare'slife, of the details. They any history,not to discover

unknown.

Still
many

inspectionof the Sonnets biographicalquestions regarding the

a

curious

will

suggest poet. For

his eyes

instance. Sonnet
a

14

suggests
:

that

he

had

before children

paintingof

his

friend

after

saying that

would

CONCLUSION.

81

be mucli

better likenesses he goes

Which Neither Can make

of him

than

his

*'

terfeit," painted coun-

on,
the

So should

lines of life that life repair,

this,Time's
in inward

pencil,or
worth
nor

pupil pen, my fair outward

eyes of
men.

you

live

yourselfin

Children
are

the being li"^ing pictures,

are
"

lines

with

which

they

drawn

lines of than

life ;
the the

of the

parent
he says

better

they reproduce pencil can reproduce painter's

the life
his "inward
as

"

and

his "outward

fair,"or
"

poet's pen

worth."
was

When

draughtsman. he would painter, pencil; he may

"

pencil,"it looks Perhaps, however, if

scarcely
have he have called
to
some

this

if he had

the the

he his

been
"

pencil

Time's

referred

master

like GiuHo

Romano,
he himself would

of whom

" had says in the Winter^s Tale that and could put breath into his work, he eternity,

beguileNature of her custom, so perfectlyis he her ape." Again he speaks of his friend "growing" (18), Time lines or being grafted (15) "to by eternal to the poet's and to the an expressionequallyapplicable and concludes lines, painter's
"
"

"

So So

can breathe, or eyes can long as men long lives this,and this gives life to

see. thee

"

"

while gives life, eyes

"

men's

breath

can

recite in

the

poet's,or
24 he

their says

see

the

lines. painter's

Again

Sonnet

Mine

eye hath

played the painter,and

in tables
of my

hath

stelled

Thy beauty'sform Was

Nash

heart.

like Shakespeare a painter, who tells

us

his friend of the

Burbage, or
angel

like ?

Dante,
who,

in his Vita Nuova that

he drew
man
"

gives us
when he every

to understand
was

Shakespeare was a had twenty-five years old, already

thriven

run

through
Sonnets.

art
are

and the

by

none."

of Shakespeare's biographicaluses without They suggest, answering, questions on matters of fact. covering disThey illustrate the known, without And unknown facts. they furnish a certain key his inmost sentiments and to of perthoughts on numbers sonal, and even social, artistic, political, questions. religious of that philosophy of his which made They are a manual him, in the estimation of the person who wrote his epitaph.

Such, then,

82

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE's

SONNETS.

and over ingenio. They ouglit to be read over they avowedly again, in the lightof the philosophy which profess. They will be found to illustrate and fall in with the thoughts of the deepest writers on the subject of love. in the world When but St. Augustine says "There are two loves, the love of God extending to the contempt the love of self extending to the of self,and contempt of God," he gives the ultimate expression of the whole Socrates
scope

of the
our

Sonnets.

Old those

writers
who have

and
come

new,

those
after
to

who if in

preceded they have

the
same

poet and
his

have
been

him,
run

chosen

theme,

forced

of stating ; for this love philosophy is a way groove nature the realities of human one can no ; and say that the enabled Shakespeare to store, to arrange, to system which

economize,

and

to

exhibit

his

marvellous out

humanity is a system that has gone philosophy which has been exploded.

knowledge of date, or

of
a

LOSDOK

PHIXTED

BT

SP0TTI8W00DB

ASD

CO.,

NK-W-STREKT

SQUARE

AND

PABLIAMBNT

STBBET