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the

faces,
rances
hrine at
inon rea-

re is yet no
ney instruct
andals which
ght us to wear
he most ancient

DRAMA-its im-
its object and
and end-for the
is surely now the

should we know of the
meric poems? Twenty-
ars ago, when those mys-

the characters, which the learned Pheni-
cian and Egyptian had brought in vain
to the singing Greek of the Heroic
Ages, began, in the new modifications
of national life which the later admix-
tures of foreign elements created, at
length to be put to their true uses, that
song of the nation, even in its latest
form, was already old on the lips of the
learned, and its origin a tradition. All
the history of that wonderful individu-
ality, wherein the inspirations of so many
ages were at last united-the circum-
stance, the vicissitude, the poetic life
that had framed that dazzling mirror of
old time, and wrought in it those depths
of clearness-all had gone before the art
of writing and memories had found its
way into Greece, or even the faculty of
perceiving the actual had begun to be
developed there.

And yet are the scholars of our time
content to leave this matter here, where
they find it! With these poetic re-
mains in their hands, the monuments of
a genius whose date is ante-historical,
are they content to know of their origin
only what Alexander and Plato could
know, what Solon and Pisistratus were

encing the publication of these bold, original, and most ingenious and interesting
upon the real authorship of Shakespeare's plays, it is proper for the Editor of
Monthly, in disclaiming all responsibility for their startling view of the question, to
ey are the result of long and conscientious investigation on the part of the learned
ent scholar, their author; and that the Editor has reason to hope that they will be
d through some future numbers of the Magazine.

VII.-1

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York

MILLER & HOLMAN,
Printers and Stereotypers, N. Y.

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EDITORIAL NOTES, 101, 214, 326, 435, 546,

659.

American Literature and Reprints.-Pliny
Miles's Postal Reform-Wilson's Mexico
and her Religion-The Moral and Intel-
lectual Diversity of Races, by Gobineau,
Hortz, and Dr. Nott-Dr. Hare's Investiga-
tion of Spirit Manifestations-Lewes's Life
of Goethe--Dr. Griswold's Poets and Poetry
of America-Reed's Lectures on English Hiз-
tory-Mrs. Sarah J. Hale's Library of Stand-
ard Letters-Talfourd's Life and Works of
Charles Lamb-Harper's Classical Library
--Watson's Xenophon's Anabasis and Me-
morabilia, and Edwards's Cicero-Caste, a
Story of Republican Equality--Lily--Wood's
Modern Pilgrims-Widow Bedott Papers-
Mrs. Wirt's Flora's Dictionary--De Quincy's
Klosterheim-Sterling's Onyx Ring-Du-
ganne's Poetical Works-Bayard Taylor's
Poems of Home and Travel-A Batch of
Children's Books--Cranch's Last of the Hug-
germuggers-The Mysterious Story-Book-
Out of Debt, out of Danger-Bears of Au-
gustusburg.

Publishers and Critics-Allibone's Critical
Dictionary of English Literature-Read's
House by the Sea-Songs and Ballads of
the American Revolution-Walter Savage
Landor's Writings-Cousin Veronica, by
Miss Wormley-Ravelings from the Web
of Life-Blind Girl of Wittenburg-Amy
Lee-Lily Hudson-Glances and Glimpses
-Life of St. Bernard-Olmsted's Seaboard
Slave States-Miss Murray's America-

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Squier's Central America-Dr. Kane's New
Book-Wells's Year Book of Agriculture-
Willis's Church Music-The Criterion-
The Crayon-The Home Journal-Frank
Leslie's Illustrated Paper-Rufini's Dr. An-
tonio.

Novels-Edith; or, The Quaker's Daughter-

Lanmere-Wolfsden-Home-The New

Purchase-Dreams and Realities of a Pastor

and Teacher-Early Greek Romances-

Napoleon's Confidential Letters-Life of

Jeffrey, by Lord Cockburn-The Attaché

in Spain-The Day Star-Life of Washing-

ton, by Washington Irving-Grace Green-

wood's New Volume of Tales-Woman's

Faith - Creole Orphans-Lost Hunter-

Natty, a Spirit-Zoe-Sumner's Speeches.

Travels.-Ewbank's Sketches of Brazil-

Jarves's Parisian Sights and French Princi-

ples-The Kansas of Mr. Green-Mrs. Ferris'

Mormons at Home. Philosophy.-Schweg-

ler's History of Philosophy-Mr. Tappan's

Elements of Logic. Science.-Elements-

Analytical Mechanics, and the Spherical

Astronomy-Annual of Scientific Discovery

-Gosse on the Ocean. Miscellaneous.--

Mackie's Life of Schamyl-Fourth Volume

of Poe's Works-Maginn's Shakespearian

Papers Dr. Raphall's Jews - Young's

American Statesmen-Barnard's Journal of

Education.

A Perceptible falling off of "Sensation Books"

-What is Likely to take their Place? Our

Young Writers-A few Words as Hints-

Appleton's Cyclopædia of Biography--Liter-

ary Criticism, and other Papers, by the late

Horace Binney Wallace-Dr. Gilman's Con-

tributions to Literature--At Home and

Abroad, by Margaret Fuller-Liberty and

Slavery, by Professor Bledsoe-List's Na-

tional System of Political Economy Ida

Pfeiffer's Second Journey-The Madeira of

Mr. March--Lieut. Brewerton's Kansas--

Bohn's Libraries-Smyth's Lectures on the

French Revolution-Beaumont and Fletch-

er-Defoe's Works-Memoirs of Philip de

Comines-Motley's Dutch Republic--Harp-

er's Classical Library.

European Literature England.-Burton's

Pilgrimage to El Medineh Help's Spanish

Conquest of America-Rogers's Table Talk.

Art Matters.--The End of the Opera-What
Mr. Paine did for Us-The "Italians" at
Paris and at New York--Fiorentini--Pozzi-
Carrion Evenardi-Angelini--Borghi-Ma-
mo-Zucchini-Mme. Lagrange-Miss Hen-
sler Mlle. Nantier Didiée-Salviani-Brig
noli--Rovere Amodio-Rio Janerio robbing
New York The Ravels-Pantomimes and
Theatricals-"False Pretenses" and our
Best Society Juvenile Comedians, what
they should do, and what they should not-
Christmas Gifts-"Books of Beauty," and
Beautiful Books-Illustrated Poems--Ten-
nyson-Keats's Eve of St. Agnes-Birket
Foster's "Allegro," and "Penseroso"-Mr.
Darley's "Margaret"-A word for Hiawa-
tha-Pictures: Scott and his Contemporaries
-Landseer's "Shepherd's Prayer." . 110

The Opera.-Mr. Paine-Banks and Richard-

son vs. Meyerbeer and Rossini-Mr. Paine

in Boston-What Boston did for Mr. Hac-

kett-Of Lagrange, Hensler, Salviani, and

Didiée Arditi's New Opera, The Gipsy-

The World of New York.-March, a Blusterer

and a Nuisance-A Herald of Spring-The

Cold and the Ills it brings-The Charms of

Winter A Christmas Dinner-Christmas

Around the Register--A Hole in the Floor

-Lord Palmerston's Definition of Dirt--

Snow in New York and Snow in the Country

The Streets, their Appearance-Snow-clad

Roofs Two Weary Months---Welcome is

March, Harbinger of Spring-Our Opera

House--Madame Lagrange-Philadelphia

and Boston-Miss Hensler-Brignoli Ro-

vere and Didiée-Arditi's New Opera--

Rossini and Meyerbeer-Our Philharmonic

Concerts Classical Berlin--Old Print of

Albert Dürer's Mr. Bristow-Gottschalk

-The Varieties - Wallack's-Burton's-

The Broadway--Miss Keene--Mr. Lenton

-Duke Humphrey's Dinner-She Stoops

to Conquer Mr. Walcot-An American

Comedy Mdlle. Rachel in America-Pri-

vate Theatricals- Good Pictures in America

Our Sculptors-Engravings after Cole's

Voyage of Life, by James Smillie. . 331

The Past Winter Our Highways-Broadway

like the Boulevards, Paris--" Was the

Fact"-Our Grandmothers-A New Eng-

land Legend-Winter's Tale-Burton, Miss

Laura Keene, and Wallack-Mr. Walcot-

Knights of the Round Table-Heir-at-Law

-Poor Plays and Poor Actors-Their Fault

--What is Needed--Craving for Amuse-

ment The Academy-Astor Place-Clin-

ton Hall-Mr Curtis's Lectures-Cordial

Criticisms- Crawford's Beethoven "Inau-

guration" in the Music Hall of Boston. 445

A Welcome to May-The Ancient Holiday-
Rustic May May in the City-May-day-
May in the Country and on Broadway-
Winter Gone-The Ball Room-Lord Mel-
bourne The "Ball for the Nurses"-Our
Opera House Signor Arditi-"The Spy"
-Brignoli-Hensler-Lagrange-Mr. Paine
-Maretzek-The Ravels-Our Theatres-
The Lecturers-Miss Keene-Mr. Wallack
-Miss Louisa Howard- Mr. Burton-That
Blessed Baby-The "Imperial Prince" of
the French A Layette The Dramatic
Fund Dinner-Judge Daly-The Academy
of Design.

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PUTNAM'S MONTHLY.

A Magazine of Literature, Science, and Art.

VOL. VII.-JAN., 1856.-NO. XXXVII.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS PLAYS;

AN INQUIRY CONCERNING THEM.'

OW can we undertake to account

HOW

for the literary miracles of antiquity, while this great myth of the modern ages still lies at our own door, unquestioned?

This vast, magical, unexplained phenomenon which our own times have produced under our own eyes, appears to be, indeed, the only thing which our modern rationalism is not to be permitted to meddle with. For, here the critics themselves still veil their faces, filling the air with mystic utterances which seem to say, that to this shrine at least, for the footstep of the common reason and the common sense, there is yet no admittance. But how can they instruct us to take off here the sandals which they themselves have taught us to wear into the inmost sekos of the most ancient sanctities?

THE SHAKESPEARE DRAMA-its import, its limitations, its object and sources, its beginning and end-for the modern critic, that is surely now the question.

What, indeed, should we know of the origin of the Homeric poems? Twentyfive hundred years ago, when those mys

tic characters, which the learned Phenician and Egyptian had brought in vain to the singing Greek of the Heroic Ages, began, in the new modifications of national life which the later admixtures of foreign elements created, at length to be put to their true uses, that song of the nation, even in its latest form, was already old on the lips of the learned, and its origin a tradition. All the history of that wonderful individuality, wherein the inspirations of so many ages were at last united-the circumstance, the vicissitude, the poetic life that had framed that dazzling mirror of old time, and wrought in it those depths of clearness-all had gone before the art of writing and memories had found its way into Greece, or even the faculty of perceiving the actual had begun to be developed there.

And yet are the scholars of our time content to leave this matter here, where they find it! With these poetic remains in their hands, the monuments of a genius whose date is ante-historical, are they content to know of their origin only what Alexander and Plato could know, what Solon and Pisistratus were

In commencing the publication of these bold, original, and most ingenious and interesting speculations upon the real authorship of Shakespeare's plays, it is proper for the Editor of Putnam's Monthly, in disclaiming all responsibility for their startling view of the question, to say that they are the result of long and conscientious investigation on the part of the learned and eloquent scholar, their author; and that the Editor has reason to hope that they will be continued through some future numbers of the Magazine.

•VOL. VII.-1

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