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Article THE ASTROLOGY OF SHAKESPEARE. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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The Astrology Of Shakespeare.
ancl Avitnessed some of the princely SIIOAVS and pageantry displayed on tbe visit of Queen Elizabeth to her favourite , Leicester . There is probability in this , for the castle Avas only a few miles distant from the poet ' s homo , ancl this visit may have first turned bis youthful fancy to tho drama— " poetry in action . " His poetic genius stands miriA'alled , and his manners ivere no doubt singularl y refinedfor he is termed by his contemporaries— " the gentle Shakespeare . " His
, sonnets are written in an extremel y amorous vein , and although tbey are ostensibly dedicated to a male personage , still there is no doubt that tbe mysterious " Mr . W . IT . " was a Avoman . Shakespeare ' s marriage is said to have been unhappy , tbe general fate ot tbe poet , AVIIO rarely has the good fortune to choose as a mate one whose nativity sympathises with his own . Jupiter appears to bave also been powerful in aspect . He brought Avealtb
to the natiA'e , for Shakespeare contrived to amass a fortune . The bent of the poet's mind partook largely of what is termed the Jovial element . He shines most in comedy . Dr . Johnson says— "His tragedy appears to have been skill , bis comedy instinct . " Shakespeare was singularly free from ambition . He made no collection of bis Avorks , perhaps through the loftiness of bis ideal , which led him to be dissatisfied with his own creations , or perhaps through tbe
lack of appreciation of his family , who appear to have clone their best to cause bis connection with the stage to be forgotten . Ho is thoroughly oblivious of self ; we glean nothing of his individual life from his Avritings ; be transfuses bis soul into bis creations , ancl is as a voice from the spirit Avorld . We conclude , therefore , Shakespeare to have been of a mild , easy , goodnatured , and unselfish disposition , overflowing Avitb bonhomie , ancl deli ghting most in fancies ancl imagery of a pleasing character . His soul is not enshrouded in gloom like Dante ' s ; be is not Saturnine , but swayed by Venus ancl Jovial influences .
If we add to this a favourable aspect of Mars to Mercury , we shall account for the acuteuess of bis perceptions and also for the Bohemian tendencies ( the natural concomitants of the poetic temperament ) which may be gathered from legends of bis youth . There is no doubt that the portrait of Justice Shallow was drawn from tbe original Sir Thomas Lucy , of Charlecot Manor , ancl that the words— " You have beaten my men , killed my deer , ancl broken open my
lodge , " Avere actuall y addressed to the youthful scapegrace by the aggrieved magistrate . At the period of Shakespeare ' s arrival in London , tbe national mind bad been roused to enthusiasm by the preparations made to resist the Spanish Armada , ancl the national pride bad been gratified b y its defeat and dispersion . Doubtless the noble soul of Shakespeare shared these sentiments to the utmost , ancl some of his finest ancl most patriotic passages derived theii ; inspiration from this source . Take , for instance , tbe words of John of Gaunt , in which be alludes to the ruling star of England—Mars in Aries .
This royal throne of kings , this sceptr'd isle , This earth of majesty , this seat of Mars , This other Eden , demi-Paradise , This fortress built by nature for herself Against infection and the hand of Avar , This happy breed of men , this little world , This precious stone set in the silver sea , This blessed spot , this earth , this realm , this England
The age m Avhich Shakespeare lived A \* as noted for the new theories of philosophers in the science of Astronomy . The hitherto received planetary system of Ptolemy was gradually losing its adherents and declining in favour , except amongst tbe feAV who peristently adhered to old beliefs . The teachings of Copernicus , who published bis celebrated work on the revolution , of the beaA'enl y bodies a few years before the birth of Shakespeare , were eno-a ° -inothe attention of tbe learned . Tycbo Brabe , tbe successor of Copernicus , F 2
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Astrology Of Shakespeare.
ancl Avitnessed some of the princely SIIOAVS and pageantry displayed on tbe visit of Queen Elizabeth to her favourite , Leicester . There is probability in this , for the castle Avas only a few miles distant from the poet ' s homo , ancl this visit may have first turned bis youthful fancy to tho drama— " poetry in action . " His poetic genius stands miriA'alled , and his manners ivere no doubt singularl y refinedfor he is termed by his contemporaries— " the gentle Shakespeare . " His
, sonnets are written in an extremel y amorous vein , and although tbey are ostensibly dedicated to a male personage , still there is no doubt that tbe mysterious " Mr . W . IT . " was a Avoman . Shakespeare ' s marriage is said to have been unhappy , tbe general fate ot tbe poet , AVIIO rarely has the good fortune to choose as a mate one whose nativity sympathises with his own . Jupiter appears to bave also been powerful in aspect . He brought Avealtb
to the natiA'e , for Shakespeare contrived to amass a fortune . The bent of the poet's mind partook largely of what is termed the Jovial element . He shines most in comedy . Dr . Johnson says— "His tragedy appears to have been skill , bis comedy instinct . " Shakespeare was singularly free from ambition . He made no collection of bis Avorks , perhaps through the loftiness of bis ideal , which led him to be dissatisfied with his own creations , or perhaps through tbe
lack of appreciation of his family , who appear to have clone their best to cause bis connection with the stage to be forgotten . Ho is thoroughly oblivious of self ; we glean nothing of his individual life from his Avritings ; be transfuses bis soul into bis creations , ancl is as a voice from the spirit Avorld . We conclude , therefore , Shakespeare to have been of a mild , easy , goodnatured , and unselfish disposition , overflowing Avitb bonhomie , ancl deli ghting most in fancies ancl imagery of a pleasing character . His soul is not enshrouded in gloom like Dante ' s ; be is not Saturnine , but swayed by Venus ancl Jovial influences .
If we add to this a favourable aspect of Mars to Mercury , we shall account for the acuteuess of bis perceptions and also for the Bohemian tendencies ( the natural concomitants of the poetic temperament ) which may be gathered from legends of bis youth . There is no doubt that the portrait of Justice Shallow was drawn from tbe original Sir Thomas Lucy , of Charlecot Manor , ancl that the words— " You have beaten my men , killed my deer , ancl broken open my
lodge , " Avere actuall y addressed to the youthful scapegrace by the aggrieved magistrate . At the period of Shakespeare ' s arrival in London , tbe national mind bad been roused to enthusiasm by the preparations made to resist the Spanish Armada , ancl the national pride bad been gratified b y its defeat and dispersion . Doubtless the noble soul of Shakespeare shared these sentiments to the utmost , ancl some of his finest ancl most patriotic passages derived theii ; inspiration from this source . Take , for instance , tbe words of John of Gaunt , in which be alludes to the ruling star of England—Mars in Aries .
This royal throne of kings , this sceptr'd isle , This earth of majesty , this seat of Mars , This other Eden , demi-Paradise , This fortress built by nature for herself Against infection and the hand of Avar , This happy breed of men , this little world , This precious stone set in the silver sea , This blessed spot , this earth , this realm , this England
The age m Avhich Shakespeare lived A \* as noted for the new theories of philosophers in the science of Astronomy . The hitherto received planetary system of Ptolemy was gradually losing its adherents and declining in favour , except amongst tbe feAV who peristently adhered to old beliefs . The teachings of Copernicus , who published bis celebrated work on the revolution , of the beaA'enl y bodies a few years before the birth of Shakespeare , were eno-a ° -inothe attention of tbe learned . Tycbo Brabe , tbe successor of Copernicus , F 2