. Richard the Third and the primrose criticism .... CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG AND COMPANY1887 .J^S^**/ f Copyright, By a. C. McClukg and Co., 1887. ^l^i7Ci 7 I ASK you to listen to a few words: first,a few general remarks on criticism, andthen an illustration of them from the play of Richard III., or rather from the absence ofcertain things in the play of Richard III.,which, to my mind, seem to indicate that itis not Shakespeares work. I propose to say a few words on one ofthe plays usually attributed to him, — a playin respect of which I find myself in the posi-tion of poor Peter Bell, seein
. Richard the Third and the primrose criticism .... CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG AND COMPANY1887 .J^S^**/ f Copyright, By a. C. McClukg and Co., 1887. ^l^i7Ci 7 I ASK you to listen to a few words: first,a few general remarks on criticism, andthen an illustration of them from the play of Richard III., or rather from the absence ofcertain things in the play of Richard III.,which, to my mind, seem to indicate that itis not Shakespeares work. I propose to say a few words on one ofthe plays usually attributed to him, — a playin respect of which I find myself in the posi-tion of poor Peter Bell, seeing little morethan an ordinary primrose where I perhapshoped to see a plant, a flower of light. Imean the play of Richard III. James Russell Lowell,ChicagOj Feh, 22, 1S87. CONTENTS. ^art I. PAGE The Primrose Criticism ii Part II. The Historical Basis of Richard III. 65 —•— ?Part Histrionic Richards . . 109 PART I. THE PRIMROSE CRITICISM. Your reasons are too shallow and too THE PRIMROSE CRITICISM. The pale primroses,That die unmarried ere they can beholdBright Phcebus in his strength, may have contained virtues of beauty andsuggestion which escaped tlie peculiar eyeof Peter Bell. There may have been a lan-guage in them which to other eyes revealedideas of taste, design, wisdom, creation. ToPeter Bell and his Primrose Criticism manyanother object of beauty in nature, art, andliterature has appeared to be but common-place, though it bore the impress of highorigin, and carried in upon other minds ex-quisite sentiments and edifying historical tragedy of Richard III. ex-cites no admiration in the common-sensemind of Peter Bell. He fails to discover itspoetic and dramatic merits, but, more par- 12 RICHARD THE THIRD. ticularly, seems to be oblivious to those mas-terly touches of energy and grandeur whichdeclare its author to be Shakespeare. Prim-rose Criticism assumes to be synonymouswith Common Sense, which is the only safeguide in the study o
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