his own
experience. But now and then one finds in them a glimpse of it, as the
lightning flash in the darkest night for an instant shows the heavens
and the earth. That others attempted to imitate him is clear enough;
that he imitated others, and least of all Beaumont and Fletcher, nobody
can reasonably believe who reads his opinion of the imitator in "Julius
Caesar":

"A barren spirited fellow; one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitations,
Which, out of use, and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion."

Matthew Arnold's verdict has not been reversed.

"_Others abide our question. Thou art free._
_We ask and ask--Thou smilest and art still,_
_Out-topping knowledge. For the loftiest hill,_
_Who to the stars uncrowns his majesty,_

"_Planting his stedfast footsteps in the sea,_
_Making the heaven of heavens his dwelling-place,_
_Spares but the cloudy border of his base_
_To the foil'd searching of mortality;_

"_And thou, who didst the stars and sunbeams know,_
_Self-school'd, self-scann'd, self-honour'd, self-secure,_
_Didst tread on earth unguess'd at.--Better so!_

"_All pains the immortal spirit must endure,_
_All weakness which impairs, all griefs which bow,_
_Find their sole speech in that victorious brow._"

* * * * *

Transcriber's note

The following changes have been made to the text:

Page 14: "a successful playright" changed to
"a successful playwright".

Page 33: "'T is but the short'ning" changed to
"'Tis but the short'ning".

Page 53: "piece was writtin" changed to
"piece was written".

Page 53: "two valiant Kinghts" changed to
"two valiant Knights".

Page 73: "Professer Wendell applies" changed to
"Professor Wendell applies".

Page 87: "German critcism has" changed to
"German criticism has".

Page 108: "is n't it just" changed to
"isn't it just".

Page 126: "throne where he was worn" changed to
"throne where he has worn".

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

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRITICS VERSUS SHAKSPERE ***

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