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  • May 1, 1798
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The Freemasons' Magazine, May 1, 1798: Page 29

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    Article A BRIEF ENQUIRY INTO THE LEARNING OF SHAKSPEARE. Page 1 of 4 →
Page 29

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A Brief Enquiry Into The Learning Of Shakspeare.

A BRIEF ENQUIRY INTO THE LEARNING OF SHAKSPEARE .

A CCORDING to the biographical plan we originally proposed to ¦ *• •*¦ ourselves , this would be the proper place to give some accountof the life of our inimitable Shakspeare ; but , on examiningwhat materials > ve were possessed of for this purpose , we found them so very scanty and unsati . factory , that we were piesently induced to lay aside all thoughts of such an attempt . Whatever material circumstances could

be got together , in relation to this matter , Mr . Rowe has already collected ; and , to give an abridgment of a work that is in every body ' s hands , we thought would be impertinent and superfluous . We have been at a good deal of pains to acquire some anecdotes concerning this great genius , but tradition has failed us ; and we have applied to our friends at both theatres , aud elsewhere , in vain . The very few

particulars that are handed down to us about Shakspeare are a strong confirmation of Mr . Pope ' s assertion , viz . that ' Shakspeare and Ben Johnson may truly be said not much to have thought on immortality . ' ' Shakspeare ( whom you and every play-house bill j Style the divine , the matchless , what you will ) For gain , not glory , wing'd his roving flight ,

And grew immortal in his own despight . " Shakspeare was very far from having an immoderate share of reputation amongst his contemporaries , who f left the extolling his works , and the erecting of statues to him , as a legacy for posterity . The English , who have ever been famous for ill-timed gratitude and posthumous generosity , have at length done that justice to his memory ,

which their forefathers would n ..-t do to his merit . But , alas ! what is a man the better for the tributes that are paid to his ashes ? The writers of lives , erectors of monuments , and other favourers of defunct excellence , are rather the oppressors than encouragers of living worth . But this by the bye . Amongst allShakspeare ' s innumerable admirers , there has not been , perhaps , one but has given into that

extreme vulgar error of his being a man of no letters , and absolutely unindebted to any of the antients even for a single thought . That nothing is more remote from truth than this notion , will fully appear from the specimens annexed ; and it is beyond measure amazing , that such manifest imitations should have escaped the attention of so many critics and scholars . It may be fairly said of our Shakspeare , as it was of an eminent Roman , Contemnebai litems potius quam nes-

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1798-05-01, Page 29” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 17 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01051798/page/29/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
LONDON: Article 1
TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 2
MEMOIR OF THE COUNTESS OF DERBY, Article 3
DESCRIPTION OF THE SOURCE OF THE RHINE, Article 4
WISDOM AND FOLLY. Article 7
HAWKESWORTH'S NOTES on ROBERTSON'S HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. Article 10
LETTER II. Article 12
PROCEEDINGS OF A GREAT COUNCIL OF JEWS, Article 14
COLVILLE. Article 17
THE LIFE OF XIMENES, ARCHBISHOP OF TOLEDO. Article 23
A BRIEF ENQUIRY INTO THE LEARNING OF SHAKSPEARE. Article 29
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 33
THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. Article 38
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 41
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 45
POETRY. Article 47
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Article 49
IRISH PARLIAMENT. Article 55
HOUSE OF COMMONS. Article 56
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 57
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Page 29

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

A Brief Enquiry Into The Learning Of Shakspeare.

A BRIEF ENQUIRY INTO THE LEARNING OF SHAKSPEARE .

A CCORDING to the biographical plan we originally proposed to ¦ *• •*¦ ourselves , this would be the proper place to give some accountof the life of our inimitable Shakspeare ; but , on examiningwhat materials > ve were possessed of for this purpose , we found them so very scanty and unsati . factory , that we were piesently induced to lay aside all thoughts of such an attempt . Whatever material circumstances could

be got together , in relation to this matter , Mr . Rowe has already collected ; and , to give an abridgment of a work that is in every body ' s hands , we thought would be impertinent and superfluous . We have been at a good deal of pains to acquire some anecdotes concerning this great genius , but tradition has failed us ; and we have applied to our friends at both theatres , aud elsewhere , in vain . The very few

particulars that are handed down to us about Shakspeare are a strong confirmation of Mr . Pope ' s assertion , viz . that ' Shakspeare and Ben Johnson may truly be said not much to have thought on immortality . ' ' Shakspeare ( whom you and every play-house bill j Style the divine , the matchless , what you will ) For gain , not glory , wing'd his roving flight ,

And grew immortal in his own despight . " Shakspeare was very far from having an immoderate share of reputation amongst his contemporaries , who f left the extolling his works , and the erecting of statues to him , as a legacy for posterity . The English , who have ever been famous for ill-timed gratitude and posthumous generosity , have at length done that justice to his memory ,

which their forefathers would n ..-t do to his merit . But , alas ! what is a man the better for the tributes that are paid to his ashes ? The writers of lives , erectors of monuments , and other favourers of defunct excellence , are rather the oppressors than encouragers of living worth . But this by the bye . Amongst allShakspeare ' s innumerable admirers , there has not been , perhaps , one but has given into that

extreme vulgar error of his being a man of no letters , and absolutely unindebted to any of the antients even for a single thought . That nothing is more remote from truth than this notion , will fully appear from the specimens annexed ; and it is beyond measure amazing , that such manifest imitations should have escaped the attention of so many critics and scholars . It may be fairly said of our Shakspeare , as it was of an eminent Roman , Contemnebai litems potius quam nes-

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