CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

CXXIII.

MADAM,

I Wonder how that Person you mention in your Letter, could either have the Consci∣ence, or Confidence to Dispraise Shakespear's Playes, as to say they were made up onely with Clowns, Fools, Watchmen, and the like; But to Answer that Person, though Shakespear's Wit will Answer for himself, I say, that it seems by his Judging, or Censuring, he Under∣stands not Playes, or VVit; for to Express Properly, Rightly, Usually, and Naturally, a Clown's, or Fool's Humour, Expressions, Phra∣ses, Garbs, Manners, Actions, VVords, and Course of Life, is as VVitty, VVise, Judici∣ous, Ingenious, and Observing, as to Write and Express the Expressions, Phrases, Garbs, Man∣ners, Actions, Words, and Course of Life, of Kings and Princes; and to Express Naturally,

to the Life, a Mean Country Wench, as a Great Lady, a Courtesan, as a Chast VVoman, a Mad man, as a Man in his right Reason and Senses, a Drunkard, as a Sober man, a Knave, as an Honest man, and so a Clown, as a VVell-bred man, and a Fool, as a VVise man; nay, it Ex∣presses and Declares a Greater Wit, to Express, and Deliver to Posterity, the Extravagancies of Madness, the Subtilty of Knaves, the Ignorance of Clowns, and the Simplicity of Naturals, or the Craft of Feigned Fools, than to Express Re∣gularities, Plain Honesty, Courtly Garbs, or Sensible Discourses, for 'tis harder to Express Nonsense than Sense, and Ordinary Conversa∣tions, than that which is Unusual; and 'tis Harder, and Requires more Wit to Express a Jester, than a Grave Statesman; yet Shakespear did not want Wit, to Express to the Life all Sorts of Persons, of what Quality, Profession, Degree, Breeding, or Birth soever; nor did he want VVit to Express the Divers, and Different Humours, or Natures, or Several Passions in Mankind; and so VVell he hath Express'd in his Playes all Sorts of Persons, as one would think he had been Transformed into every one of those Persons he hath Described; and as sometimes one would think he was Really him∣self the Clown or Jester he Feigns, so one would think, he was also the King, and Privy Counsellor; also as one would think he were Really the Coward he Feigns, so one would think he were the most Valiant, and Experien∣ced

Souldier; Who would not think he had been such a man as his Sir Iohn Falstaff? and who would not think he had been Harry the Fifth? & certainly Iulius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, and Antonius, did never Really Act their parts Better, if so Well, as he hath Described them, and I believe that Antonius and Brutus did not Speak Better to the People, than he hath Feign'd them; nay, one would think that he had been Metamorphosed from a Man to a Woman, for who could Describe Cleopatra Better than he hath done, and many other Females of his own Creating, as Nan Page, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, the Doctors Maid, Bettrice, Mrs. Quick∣ly, Doll Tearsheet, and others, too many to Re∣late? and in his Tragick Vein, he Presents Pas∣sions so Naturally, and Misfortunes so Probably, as he Peirces the Souls of his Readers with such a True Sense and Feeling thereof, that it For∣ces Tears through their Eyes, and almost Per∣swades them, they are Really Actors, or at least Present at those Tragedies. Who would not Swear he had been a Noble Lover, that could Woo so well? and there is not any person he hath Described in his Book, but his Readers might think they were VVell acquainted with them; indeed Shakespear had a Clear Judg∣ment, a Quick VVit, a Spreading Fancy, a Sub∣til Observation, a Deep Apprehension, and a most Eloquent Elocution; truly, he was a Na∣tural Orator, as well as a Natural Poet, and he was not an Orator to Speak VVell only on

some Subjects, as Lawyers, who can make E∣loquent Orations at the Bar, and Plead Subtilly and VVittily in Law-Cases, or Divines, that can Preach Eloquent Sermons, or Dispute Sub∣tilly and VVittily in Theology, but take them from that, and put them to other Subjects, and they will be to seek; but Shakespear's VVit and Eloquence was General, for, and upon all Subjects, he rather wanted Subjects for his VVit and Eloquence to VVork on, for which he was Forced to take some of his Plots out of History, where he only took the Bare Designs, the VVit and Language being all his Own; and so much he had above others, that those, who VVrit after him, were Forced to Borrow of him, or rather to Steal from him; I could mention Divers Places, that others of our Famous Poets have Borrow'd, or Stoln, but lest I should Dis∣cover the Persons, I will not Mention the Pla∣ces, or Parts, but leave it to those that Read his Playes, and others, to find them out. I should not have needed to VVrite this to you, for his VVorks would have Declared the same Truth: But I believe, those that Dispraised his Playes, Dispraised them more out of Envy, than Sim∣plicity or Ignorance, for those that could Read his Playes, could not be so Foolish to Condemn them, only the Excellency of them caused an Envy to them. By this we may perceive, Envy doth not Leave a man in the Grave, it Follows him after Death, unless a man be Buried in Oblivion, but if he Leave any thing to be Re∣membred,

Envy and Malice will be still throw∣ing Aspersion upon it, or striving to Pull it down by Detraction. But leaving Shakespear's VVorks to their own Defence, and his Detra∣ctors to their Envy, and you to your better Im∣ployments, than Reading my Letter, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and humble Servant.