[83] THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE, OR LITERARY MISCELLANY, DAVID DALE, Efq. HAVING been difappointed of a memoir of this enterprizing and truly benevolent merchant and manu facturer, which we were promised, and which we still hope to receive, we must postpone, until a future op portunity, entering into a detail of his life. We shall therefore briefly obferve, that he is a native of Glafgow, where he has distinguished himfelf as well by the extent and boldness of his commercial speculations, as by the difplay of his public and private virtues. The Cotton Mills and vil, lage of New Lanark, confifting of above 1500 inhabitants, of which he is the founder and fole proprietor, afford the most striking difplay of his opulence as a manufacturer, and his benevolence as a man. Mr Dale is one of the Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures, and cashier of the Royal Bank in Glafgow, and one of his Majesty's Juftices of the Peace for the under ward of Lanark. In 1784, Mr Dale feued the fcite of the Mills and village of New Lanark, from the prefent Lord Juftice Clerk, with fome few acres of ground adjoining. This fpot of ground was at that period almost a mere morafs fituated in a hollow glen, and of difficult accefs. Its only recommendation was the very powerful com mand of water, that the Clyde could be made to afford it; in other refpects, the distance from Glasgow and bad roads were rather unfavourable. The first mill was begun in April 1785, and a fubterraneous paffage of near 100 yards in length, was also formed thro' a rocky hill for the purpofe of an aqueduct to it. In Summer 1788, a fecond one was built, and was nearly roofed in, when on the 9th of October, that year, the first was totally confumed by accidental fire, but was again rebuilt and finished in 1789. Mr Dale has fince erected other two, all of which are driven by the fame aqueduct. In March 1786, the fpinning commenced, and notwithstanding of the fevere check by the total destruction of the first mill, the manufactory has been in a conftant progreffive state of advancement. In March 1791, from an accurate account then taken, it appears there were 981 perfons em ployed at the mills, whereas there were, in November 1793, 1334 ESSAY ON LITERARY FAME, AND THE HISTORICAL CHARACTERS OF SHAKSPEARE. From Effays, by a Society of Gentlemen, at Exeter. Nec magis expreffi vultus per aenea figna the most durable and extenfive naQuam per vatis opus mores animiq. viro- ture, but the only means' of preferv ing every other species of celebrity. The pyramids of Memphis, and fome ftupendous edifices in India, indeed, exift, after a vaft fucceffion of years; rum Clarorum apparent. Hor. 1. 2. Ep. I. THE fame acquired by literary talents, is not only in itfelf of and and nothing, in all probability, but an internal convulfion of the globe, will overthrow fuch immenfe piles: yet they have not tranfmitted to pofterity the names of thofe monarchs, through whofe vanity, fuperftition, or munificence, they were erected. The finer defigns of ancient art are almost totally loft: the exquifite performances of the ftatuary and the painter are mouldered into duft; but Praxiteles and Zeuxis will always live to fame, though not by their own efforts; for the pencil of literature alone, paints to diftant ages, and its colours fade not amidst the revolutions of time. neque Si chartæ Gleant, quod bene feceris, Mercedem tuleris. Hor. l. 4. Od. 8. Without the bard or the hiftorian, the monarch builds, and the artift defigns in vain. Without their affiftance the tribute of applaufe cannot be levied on pofterity. "Dark, (fays Offian,) are the deeds of other times, before the light of the fong arofe." And Horace, to the fame purport, remarks, that "heroes exited before the Trojan war, but no divine bard recorded their fame, and their deeds are concealed in night." L. 4. finally established on the credit of fome literary man, a filent, but not inattentive fpectator; living unknown, and dying unregarded.Whim, caprice, or fashion, generally govern the world's opinion concerning living authors. The favorites of the day have feldom ftood the test of time. The immortal "Paradife loft," was contemptuously faid by an author of confiderable eminence," to have been written by one Milton, a blind man :" and almoft a century elapfed before his merit was properly known. He has been truly compared to a flow, fubterraneous ftream-it pursues its filent courfe in darkness, but at length bursts into day, and is adorned with the radiance of heaven. Shakspeare, for a longer period, obtained but a very moderate degree of eftimation. For a fhort time, indeed, he enjoyed the gale of popular applaufe, and flourished, in the words of a kindred genius, "like an oak, that pours a while its green branches to the fun, but is foon eufolded in the skirts of a form, and clothed on high in mist.” Their fame is now established, and cannot, unless the world relapses into barbarism, fuffer a fecond eclipfe. In the days, however, of "the hero William, and the martyr Charles," when Blackmore was knighted, and Quarles penfioned on account their poetical pre-eminence, the plays of Shakspeare were seldom acted, and Milton was fcarcely known. So flowly does genius emerge beneath the preffure of caprice or ignorance! of Ód. 9. Notwithstanding this obvious truth, the man of letters is commonly regarded with indifference, poffibly with contempt, by his cotemporaries, who act in the more elevated depart. ments of life. Such, we may fuppofe, has ever been the cafe, for the fub. flance of human nature, however the outward form may vary, is ftill the fame. The statefmen and generals of our age, like most of their predecef. fors, (for fome exceptions have occurred) little reflect, that whatever character they are to fuftain with pof. terity, will not depend on the adulation of their creatures or the huzzas of the people, not even on the applaufes of fenates or munificence of Ith ladies' queftions, and the fool's re kings; but will, in all probability, be A voluminous writer, called Cartwright, who is filed by Wood "the moft feraphical preacher of his ageanother Tully-and another Virgil," in a poem addreffed to Fletcher, thus familiarly treats his great predeceffor: Shakspeare to thee was dull, whose best jeft lies plies. Old Old-fashioned wit, which walk'd from to fame by having depreciated Ho town to town In trunk-hofe, which our fathers called the clown: Whose wit our nice times would obfcenenefs call, And which made bawdry pass for comi cal. Nature was all his art-thy vein was free * As his, but without his fcurrility. These encomiums on the fuperior chastity and urbanity of Fletcher's mufe, appear fome-what fingular to us. Pofterity differs in opinion from Mr Cartwright; who, notwithftanding his numerous publications, and celebrity in his own days, may probably be only known to futurity by the ill-grounded cenfure he has paffed on Shakspeare, as Zoilus lives mer. If we are to judge from the con. gratulatory verfes prefixed to Beaumont's and Fletcher's plays, we must conclude that these dramatic bards were confidered as fuccefsful rivals to Shakspeare, previous to his death, which happened in his 53d year, A. D. 1616. In the year 1642, Shirley, in his prologue to "the Sifters," laments the neglect fhewn to his performances, and intimates that they were frequently acted to empty houfes. Dryden, in his " Effay on Dramatic Poetry," published in 1666, remarks, that Shakspeare's language was a little obfolete, and that two of Beaumont's and Fletcher's plays were exhibited to one of his. Shadwell, What idea could this "feraphical preacher" entertain of obsceneness and fcnrrility (which feems to be here introduced as fynonimous to vulgarity,) in thus complimenting Fletcher on the nicety of the times? Shakspeare is not free from licentioufnefs; but, compared to him, exhibits the purity of a veftal. His violations of decency are too grofs for quotation. Of his fuperlative vulgarity I fhall select one inftance, and it would be difficult to find in Shakspeare, or indeed any author, an equal quantity in fo fmall a space. Chilax, a veteran officer, is fuppofed to carry on an intrigue with a prieftefs of Venus, in whole temple he received a fevere blow from a clap of thunder, which, as he expreffes it," gave him on the buttocks a cruel, a huge bang."—" Had not my intentions been honeft," he adds, "I had paid for't elle too. "I'm monftrous holy now and cruel fearful. "Oh, 'twas a plaguy thump, charged with a vengeance." The Mad Lover. A 5. This paffage is not only remarkable for its vulgarity, but for its containing, in the fame line, a peculiar phrafe in modern ufe, both by the great vulgar and the fmail. Cruel, among the Devonshire peafantry, is fynonimous with monftrous in fashionable tircles. The perfon, whom the latter would denominate monftrous handsome, monftrous kind, or monftrous good-tempered; the other will ftile, with equal propriety, cruel handfome, cruel kind, and cruel good-tempered. The word, however, was formerly in more general ufe to fignify any thing in a fuperlative degree. This meaning is frequently annexed to it in Fletcher's plays; and the clowns in "the Midfummer-night's dream," are faid to "con their parts with cruel pain." But the most fingular circumflance relative to the word is, its having the fame fignification in a foreign language, that it now bears in a provincial dialect of our own and its receiving in a tranflation, not improperly, though it may be prefumed, undefignedly, the correspondent phrase of genteel vulgarity. In Andrews'" Ancient and Modern Anecdotes," a Duchefs of Orleans' letter is quoted, (p. 391,) in which the acknowledges herself to be cruellement laide, "monftrous ugly." " The exprelfion is not, however, deftitute of claffical authority to fupport it; for days in Hcmer, is fometimes introduced as fynonimous to valdé. † He died, according to Wood, at the age of 30, in 1643. Above fifty copies of verfes, written by the most eminent wits of Oxford, were prefixed to his plays and poems, which were publifhed together foom after his death. well, in the prologue to a comedy that came out the lollowing year, obferves, "That which the world called wit in Shakspeare's age Is laughed at, as improper for the ftage, In confequence of which, himself and other wits of the time, generously condefcended to alter many of his plays, and accommodate them to an audience, grown, we may prefume, rather nice and faftidious; having been for fome time in the habit of at tending to the chafte humour and attic elegance of Mrs Behn, and Tom Durfey! In 1707, Shakspeare was fo little known, that Tate published a tragedy; called "Injured Love, or the Cruel Hufband," and mentioned in the title-page, that it was written by the author, (meaning himself,) of King Lear. He had, indeed, altered it from Shakspeare, and must have depended on escaping detection from the obfcurity of the original, or have fuppofed that it would hide its diminished head, and fink into oblivion by means of his superior production: he mentions it in his preface as an "obfcure performance commended to his notice by a friend." Steele, in the Tatler, which came out in 1709, gives two quotations, as he fays, from Shakspeare's Macbeth, (No. 68, 167,) but the paffages there quoted are only to be found in Davenant's alteration of that play. He mentions, likewife, fome ftriking incidents in "Taming the Shrew," as circumftances that occurred in a family with which he was particularly intimate. (No. 231.) In the first inftance we are furprised that Steele hould have fo imperfect a knowledge of Shakspeare; in the fecond, that he fhould truft fo much to the ignorance of his readers. From this period, however, and chiefly by means of the judicious and elegant affociate of Steele in the Spectator, Shakspeare as well as Milton, became more generally known to the world. Yet fo late as the year 1750, Dr. Hill, a man not deftitute of tafte, and during fome part of" his many-coloured life," a theatrical critic by profeffion, introduces in “the actor, or a treatise on the art of playing" fome lines, if you will believe him, from Romeo and Juliet ;" given as the author gives them; not as the butcherly hand of a blockhead prompter may have lopped them, or as the unequal genius of fome bungling critic may have attempted to mend them." In another place he again plumes himself on the peculiar accuracy of his quotation; and yet no fuch lines are to be found in Shakfpeare, they are copied from Caius Marius, and Otway is their only just proprietor. He inferted, indeed, entire fcenes into that drsma from Shak. fpeare's Romeo and Juliet, for which he made a very flight acknowledg ment. Other critis have been equally unfortunate, and quoted, as Otway's, fome beautiful paffages which he had ftolen from * Shakspeare. In the Auguftan age of Charles II. as it has fometimes been abfurdly ftilled, Elkanah Settle, the city bard, divided theatric fame with Dryden; and Sir William Temple, generally reckoned the oracle of taste in his time, mentions Sir Phillip Sidney as "the greatest poet and the nobleft genius of any that have left writings behind them, and published in ours or in any other modern language.". He does not condefcend to name Milton in his Effay on Poetry; but evidently alludes to nim and Cowley in the following paffage: The reli gion of the Gentiles had been woven into the contexture of all the ancient poetry, with a very agreeable mix. ture, which made the moderns affect to give that of Chriftianity a place * See Johnson and Steven's Shakspeare. Vol. 1. 75. 3d. edit. -- alfo whilft the flame of genius that infpired the other, not a spark of which, poffibly, was noticed in his native Stratford, and which dimly fhone, or irregularly blazed (as caprice or envy urged the gale,) in his own days, kindled as it flew through the track of time, and now irradiates with permanent luftre the poetic hemifphere of Britain! how little did Sir Thomas Lucy fuppofe, when in the pomp and plenitude of magisterial power, he faw an idle youth ftand trembling before him, or heard of his precipitate flight from the terrors of judicial authority, that he fhould be tranfmitted down to pofterity, by the fame diforderly youth, under the humiliating appellation of "Robert Shallow, Efq. juftice of peace and coram!" alfo in their poems: but the true religion was not found to become fic-, tion fo well as the falfe had done; and all their attempts of this kind feemed rather to debafe religion than to heighten poetry." Who now can read the infipid productions of Sidney? who is not charmed with the fublime energy of Milton! but the fplendour of Sidney's character threw a delufive glare over his compofi tions, and the gloom of republicanifm annexed to the idea of Milton, caft a veil over beauties that could not otherwise have escaped obfervation. High rank and temporal grandeur is, however, of no avail towards fecuring literary immortality. The poems of a Nero, though lord of "the majestic world," perifhed with him. Thofe of Homer, an indigent itinerant bard, are tranfplanted into every polished language, and will live as long as ideas are by language communicated. The copious works of the British Solomon, who," trow. ed himself to be the oldeft and the wifeft king in Chriftendom," though bound in purple morocco, stamped with letters of gold, and embellished with clafps of filver, lie worm-eaten and cob-web-mantled even in the to ry's garret ; whilst the profane vul gar deem them of little other use than to inclofe the trifling merchan dize of the confectioner or haberdafher. Sometimes perhaps, ignorantly flagitious, they kindle their tobacco-charged pipes with thofe ve. ry pages in which he fulminated against the ufe of it, both as a king and a Christian. Compare with them the works of the vagabond Shakespeare; I fear he fearcely deferved a better appel. lation in his youthful days" the world was not his friend, nor the world's law" they were produced under almost every disadvantage. But how foon did the frigid beams of royal pedantry fhed "difaftrous twilight, "and fuffer "dim eclipfe!" It appears, therefore, that genius,, whatever temporary depreffions it may fuffer, is fuperior to all human power, or even 66 the might of magic fpell." Kings may dignify, dithonour, or reward merit; heroes and ftatesmen may live a while, in the mouths of men; while the vulgar, like the foilage of the grove, drop unnoted. Literary genius alone can confer the unfading wreath of fame on itfelf and others; can bestow it alike on the prince or peafant; crown with deathlefs glory, or brand with eternal infamy. Therfites, in the page of Homer, will live as long as the "king of men;" and Hoftefs Quickly will be remembered till the victor of Agincourt is forgotteu. The ideas which I have thrown out, were more particularly fuggefted and impreffed upon my mind by perufing the hiftorical dramas of Shakspeare. The wonder-working power of the poet's pen is there most eminently displayed. " Airy nothings" are embodied; our ancestors ftart from their tombs, and participate a fecond exiftence. His characters, whether thofe of kings and nobles of clowns, conftables, or pick-pock. ets, |