Project Gutenberg's The Critics Versus Shakspere, by Francis A. Smith

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Title: The Critics Versus Shakspere
A Brief for the Defendant

Author: Francis A. Smith

Release Date: December 10, 2008 [EBook #27485]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's note

Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. Minor punctuation
errors have been changed without notice. Printer errors have been
changed and are listed at the end of this book.

THE CRITICS

Versus

SHAKSPERE

A BRIEF FOR THE DEFENDANT

By

FRANCIS A. SMITH

The Knickerbocker Press
New York
1907

COPYRIGHT, 1907

BY

FRANCIS A. SMITH

THE CRITICS
_versus_
SHAKSPERE

A BRIEF FOR DEFENDANT.

By FRANCIS A. SMITH,
of Counsel.

Many years ago, I was retained in the great case of THE CRITICS AGAINST
SHAKSPERE, the most celebrated on the calendar of history during three
centuries. Unlike other cases, it has been repeatedly decided, and as
often reopened and reheard before the most eminent judges, who have
again and again non-suited the plaintiffs. Appeals have availed nothing
to reverse those decisions. New actions have been brought on the ground
of newly discovered evidence; counsel have summed up the testimony from
all lands, from whole libraries and literatures, and the great jury of
mankind have uniformly rendered a verdict of no cause of action.

Ben Jonson said that Shakspere "wanted art"; the highest appellate court
decided that "Lear" was a greater work than Euripides or Sophocles ever
produced. Voltaire, the presiding Justice in the court of French
criticism, decided that Shakspere was "votre bizarre sauvage;" the world
has reversed his decision, and everywhere, except perhaps in France, the
"Henriade" is neglected for "Hamlet."

During the sevente