t in the
writing, than there is in any of the French. For a pattern of a perfect
play, he is proposing to examine "the Silent Woman" of Jonson, the most
careful and learned observer of the dramatic laws, when he is requested
by Eugenius to give in full Ben's character. He agrees to do so, but
says it will first be necessary to speak somewhat of Shakspeare and
Fletcher; "his rivals in poesy, and one of them, in my opinion, at least
his equal, perhaps his superior." Malone observes, that the caution
observed in this decision, proves the miserable taste of the age; and
Sir Walter, that Jonson, "by dint of learning and arrogance, fairly
bullied the age into receiving his own character of his merits, and that
he was not the only person of the name that has done so." This is coming
it rather too strong; yet to stand well with others there is nothing
like having a good opinion of one's-self, and proclaiming it with the
sound of a trumpet.

"To begin, then, with Shakspeare. He was the man who, of all modern
and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive
soul; all the images of nature were still present to him, and he
drew them, not laboriously but luckily; when he describes any
thing, you more than see it--you feel it too. Those who accuse him
to have wanted learning, give him the greater commendation: he was
naturally learned, he needed not the spectacles of books to read
nature, he looked inwards and found her there. I cannot say he is
every where alike; were he so, I should do him injury to compare
him with the greatest of mankind. He is many times flat and
insipid; his comic wit degenerating into clenches, his serious
swelling into bombast. But he is always great when some great
occasion is presented to him--no man can say he ever had a fit
subject for his wit, and did not then raise himself as high above
the rest of poets,

'Quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi.'

"The consideration of this made Mr Hales of Eton say, that there
was no subject of which any poet ever writ, but he would produce it
much better done in Shakspeare: and, however others are now
generally preferred before him, yet the age wherein he lived, which
had contemporaries with him, Fletcher, and Jonson, never equalled
them to him in their esteem; and in the last king's court, when
Ben's reputation was at highest