. William Shakespere : a biography. t senten-tious tragedy that ever was written, observing all the critical laws, as heightof style, and gravity of person, enrich it with the sententious Chorus, and, as itwere, liven death, in the passionate and weighty Nuntias; yet, after all thisdivine rapture, O dura messorum ilia, the breath that comes from the uncapablemultitude is able to poison it; and, ere it be acted, let the author resolve to fixto every scene this of Horace— Htec porcis hodie coraedenda relinques. As early as 1602, Webster was a writer for Henslows theatre, in conjunctionwith Dekke
. William Shakespere : a biography. t senten-tious tragedy that ever was written, observing all the critical laws, as heightof style, and gravity of person, enrich it with the sententious Chorus, and, as itwere, liven death, in the passionate and weighty Nuntias; yet, after all thisdivine rapture, O dura messorum ilia, the breath that comes from the uncapablemultitude is able to poison it; and, ere it be acted, let the author resolve to fixto every scene this of Horace— Htec porcis hodie coraedenda relinques. As early as 1602, Webster was a writer for Henslows theatre, in conjunctionwith Dekker, Drayton, Middleton, Chettle, Heywood, and Wentworlli a later period he was more directly associated with Dekker alone Hisgreat tragedies of The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi were pro-duced at the period when Shakspere had almost ceased to write ; and it is pro-bably to this circumstance we owe these original and unaided efforts of Websters genius. There was a void to be filled up, and it was worthily filled fThoinas Dekker ] Webster h»s placed his coadjutor Dekker next to Shakspere. We have bcfon-pointed attention to this remarkable mans early career. As he advanced myears he was wielding greater powers, and dealing with higher things thanbelonged to fhe satirist. In his higher walk he is of the school of nature .■517 WILLIAM shakspere: iinplicity. Hazlitt speaks of one of his plays, perhaps the best, with true<rtistical feehng:— The rest of the character is answerable to the beginningThe execution is, tln-oughout, as exact as the conception is new and is the least colour possible used ; the pencil drags ; the canvas is almostseen through: but then, what precision of outline, what truth and purity of tone, what firmness of hand, what marking of character ! It is as if there were some fine art to chisel thought, and to embody the inmost move-ments of the mind in every-day actions and familiar speech.* Dekker acquiredsome of h
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookpublisherlondon, booksubjectshakespearewill
