PHILOSOPHY

OP

SHAKESPEAEE'S

SONNETS.

LOITDOIT:
BY
PRINTED

SrOTTISWOODH
AND

AND

CO.,

NEW-STRBKT

SQUAUB

PARLIAMENT
STREET

INTRODUCTION

AN

TO

THE

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

BY

SONNETS.

EICHAED

SIMPSON.

LONDON
N.

TEUBNER

"

CO.,

60

PATERNOSTER

1868.

ROW.

PREFACE.

Tfe

following

chapters

Chronicle,

where

collections

Shakespeare's

stand

will

of

rewards

the

Clapham,

ideas

pains

February

and

be

of

in

of

17,

it

some

1868.

long

is

which
poem

commentator.

They

as

ago

were

notes

that

hoped

in

use

The

from

appeared.

made

Sonnets,

they

sequence

first

they

from

compiled

reprinted

are

as

pointing

both

out

needs

to

they

the

and

CONTENTS,

PAGE

CHAP.

I.

THE

SHAKESPEARIAN

LOVE

PHILOSOPHY
.

II.

THE

ANALYSIS

OF

16

LOVE
.

III.

IV.

THE

THE

PHASES

THREE

OF

ORDER

TRUE

OP

.27

LOVE

THE

36

SONNETS
.

V.

IMAGINATIVE

LOVE

IN

THE

47

SONNETS
.

VI.

IDEAL

LOVE

IN

THE

60

SONNETS.
.

VII.

VULGAR

LOVE

IN

THE

70

SONNETS
.

VIII.

75

CONCLUSION
.

THE

PHILOSOPHY
OF

SHAKESPEAKE'S

SONNETS.

CHAPTER

SHAKESPEARIAN

THE

default

IN

I.

direct

of

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

information, tlie

of Shakespeare's

student

pliilosophywill naturally first turn to his

The
epic poet relates facts as he finds
lyricalpoems.
his own
in story ; the lyric poet reveals
them
feelings,
of his own
and
the
motives
and
thinking
acting ; the
dramatic
epic and
lyric tells the story
poet is both
"

like

the

one,

and,
and

acting

persons

lil^e the

other

speaking

in

exhibits
obedience

his

dramatic
the

to

inner

Hence

the lyric poet is most

springs of their natures.
he
is consciously and
tionally
intenpurely^-personal,because
But
the dramatic
exhibitinghimself.
poet is personal
the
and
which
he
because
thoughts
too,
feelings
puts
of his characters
all ultimatelydrawn
into the mouths
are
from

his

consciousness.

own

Not

that

these

characters

of what
their creator
is.
representations
he
he
Their
is, but what
production reveals, not what
himself.
not
feels he might be, or should
be, if he were
been
If Shakespeare had
Othello, or lago, or Hamlet, or
acted
Falstaff, or Henry V., or Hotspur, he might have
But
then
he was
and thought as they do in his dramas.
can

be

taken

himself, and

as

not

another.

"

am

that I

am,"

as

he

says

in

of

one

have

might

affords

he, the

actual

person.
his
examine

Venus

is the
And

the

been

what

other

he
than

the

dismiss

alone

sonnets

the

and

moods

of

his

dramas,

and

Lucrece

which

purely personal.

are

feeling and

still moods
In

does

to

therefore

will

Adonis

and

author.
he

had

lyricalpoems.

bringing out
delicacy,but
so

if he

clue

of

knowledge

knowledge of what
Shakespeare, reallythought and did in his
no

these

Among

tlie

done

obvious

We

own

the

and

thought

himself

The

Hence

his sonnets.

dramatic

are

stories,

thought with lyrical

to
completely external

are

these

the
poet goes out of himself;
poems
Lover's
it
Complaint. But in the sonnets

in the

poet who

speaks

; it

is himself

of

the

whom

he

describes.

facts

presupposed in certain
have
been
sonnets
purely imaginary, still there also it
may
is the
man
Shakespeare who
professes to tell us his
which, though
feelings and ideas in regard to relations
is almost
so
natural, that personal character
imaginary, are
how
to
as
easily manifested
by his determinations
the
"act
on
supposition of their reality,as it could be by
though

his

some

in

action

real

circumstances.

in

For

these

sonnets

Shakespeare is not tellingus what he should be if he were

lago or Othello, and not Shakespeare ; but what he should
be if,remaining what
he
he
were
placed in certain
was,
imaginary relations with others.
If
this
all, we
were
might approach Shakespeare's
with
chance
of finding there
the
sonnets
some
feehngs,\
But'
dispositions,and judgments of the poet himself.
when

examine

we

them

so

there

little

into

seems

the

in

limited

monotonous,

to

be

myriad-minded
that

the

to

extract

first

we,

their

of

range
from

gained

And

man.

all, find

of

so

subject, that
of
insight

them
then

them

in

comes

the

strictlyoriginal,but mere
that all the great poets who
echoes
expressed themselves
it as
of verse
in this kind
ased
of a
a
recognized medium
that
notorious
so
special kind of philosophy. This was
of this philosophy had
made
the usual texts
sonnets
students
and
discussion.
In the
nineteenth
subjectsof dialectical
to wrap
be thought superannuated trifling
century it would
thought

sonnets

are

not

"

up

in,

or

anything deeper
Dante's

or

out

than

Petrarch's

of, what
its

seems

mere

We

superficial

poetry

sense.

as

we

listen

to

love

song

may

read

Handel's

or

'

SHAKESPEARIAN

THE

Beethoven's
of

the

tlie

music, thoronglilyenjoying

excites,but
world

it for the

seeking in

never

and

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

We

of life.

to the

key

should

emotions

mysteries
think

soon

as

it

of

extractingphilosophy out of a nursery rhyme. But even

this seeming absurdityis none.
The
rhyme is a
nursery
extinct
of an
deposit,a fossilized remnant
philosophy.
three
First
the \
comes
Philosophiespass through
grades.
''
the
or
earnest, or religiousgrade; next
mj^thological,
poetic grade ; last of all the old woman's, or children's
tale.
tales were
the legends of a
Grrimm's nursery
once
theology ; they next gave form to the imaginationsof a
whole
people; and they have finally
degenerated into what
Thales
first reverenced
the originof
water
as
they are.
all things; Pindar
used
the philosophy of Thales
as
cal
poetibut
it
could
be
turned
to
now
no
machinery ;
practical
but
In
the
to
the
lovesame
point a joke.
purpose
way
in its full earnestness
in Plato and Dante
philosophywas
;
in
it became
Petrarch
and
it
Shakespeare ; and
poetry
ironical
for
became
an
an
subject
amusing essay in Burton.
As serious men
extract
primeval mythology out of nursery
tales,so, if we wish to comprehend the philosophy of the
old sonnet
must
writers,we
put our minds into sympathy
with
their pretensions,
admit
and
their claims
to be the
-

teachers
their

of the

works

of their

men

the

in the

of

merely exponents

admitted

the

claim.

Grande,

tells him

work, the
the

reader

subject,the

makes

opening
that

in

his

Virgil his

form,

the

end

science

ideal

sage,
his Paradiso
to

of

poem,

of

wisdom, and
contemporaries

their

cantos

that

as

of

as

in

trinal
docevery
six things

note
diligently

must

agent, the

serious

as

teachers

and
feeling,

Dante

and, in dedicatingthe
Can

be

to

did, in fact,make

that of natural

schools,or

present day.
great poets claimed

The
not

of studies

text-books

Aristotle in the medieval

times, who

"

or

object,the

philosophy; after which the words

themselves
have
to be
interpretedin their three senses,
literal,moral, and
anagogical. His two
philosophical
and
the Convito, are
works, the Vita Nuova
mentaries
simply combringing out the recondite meaning of his own
When
certain physiciansand natural
and canzoni.
sonnets
philosophers disdained
poetry as no real science,Petrarch
defended
it.
of the poet," he wrote, "is
"The
business
title,and

the

kind

of

b2

to

not
pose,

of lying,as
the nnleamed
feign,in tlie sense
snpbut
of putting toto feign (fingere) in the
gether
sense
and
the
truth
of things
beautifying; to adumbrate

moral
the

natural

or

veil

of

because

out, with

of

Basil.

the

the

the

all the

The

of truth

stripoff

colours, to
the

of

with

which

the

in its

discovery
(0pp. p. 905,
the
spiritual

search."
forth"

the

philosophicalcritic in turn has to

external
sensuous
hibit
metaphor, and exthat lies beneath.
Similarly Santil-

of

crust

removal

"bodies

poet

; and

the

them

cover

interest

more

difficultyof

1581.)

essence

artificial

pleasant fiction,on

shines

truth

in

poet's truth

lana, the

of
invention
an
Spaniard, defines poetry to be
useful
things, which
being enveloped in a beautiful veil,
are
arranged, exposed, and concealed
according to a certain
and
calculation, measurement,
weight." (Apud Morley,
i.
so
History of EvglisliPoetry^ 31.) Montaigne even
goes
far as to say that philosophy is little else than
kind
of
a
sophisticatedpoetry.
And
the poets were
of thought and
accepted as masters
"

science.

Professors'

for the
whole

sole

branch

comments

to

or

commentaries

these

which

met

The

on

most

of Casa's

is

solelyof

old

on

is

names

to

published
of

notes

similar

found

are

treatise

new

in the

among
works

system of philosophy in the form

of

be

Italian

only
a

canzone

contain

poems

listen

Many

one.

to

associations

small

generally to

some

The

della Mirandola

comment

into

up

appear
considerable

commentators.

of Pico
of

broken

Petrarch

on

lectures.

been

lecture

there

other
sonnetPetrarch, Casa, and
sixteenth
century literarysociety in Italy

academies,

sonnet,

ties
universi-

Dante,

have

to

appears
called

in Italian

founded

were

of expounding Dante
purpose
; and
literature
which
consists
of Italian

upon
the

In

teers.

chairs

lecture

editions

Some

Benevieni.

by Torquato

Tasso

on

the

sonnet
vita mortal, che

Questa
Brevi
E

The

two

and

our

sense,

rational

'n

una

trapassa,

o'

due

oscura

our
Tasso, mystically mean
life. Some, he says, only live

second

lecturer

ore

says

first hour

things, the

nottume

fredda.

hours,

the

the

life of

their eyes to intellectual

open
sequent
taxed
For
this he was
by a sub-

; others

hour.
in

irrational

the

same

academy

with

making

Casa

SHAKESPEARIAN

THE

say that
nocturnal

of

imitators

and

the

of

world

into

"

little

sonnets

own

like

or

Dante

the

that

see

of the

into

its

to hear

common

the

poems

commentators.

Love's
Shakespeare's dramas.
Court of Navarre
forming itself

the

members

of which

commented

upon
written
evidently

the

proposes

When
the

Thorpe

of

circle,it may

academy,

about

divides

them.

wrote

and

Shakespeare's

under

similar

stances.
circum-

"

"

Nuova.

we

of academies

lectures

academe,"
were

"

friends

originalgenius
he

They are first mentioned

by Meres in 1598, who
his private
Shakespeare's sugared sonnets among

calls them

whom

exhibits

sonnets, and

recited

the

explainsone

Lost
a

latter

; and

meetings
and

imitators

Labour's

of

divides

"

commentators

in

fact

culture;

Tasso

he distributes
investigators.Thus
into three
tators,
grades the gods, the imi-

letters

life consisted

This

the

our

disputationthen

that

those

"

of

one

critical

the

and

classes

dark,

of

observing

two

artistic

kind

the

was

worth

into

men

those

the

is

It

intellectual

of

Such

hours.

cold and

life was

intellectual

our

fashionable.
and

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

we

be

presumed,

of "enthralled
company
his theorems
in the sonnets

think

of

publisherprefixedto
in 1609.

need

this,we

of the
interpretation

the

like the Navarrese

"

To

feel

dedication
the

souls"

to

of the Vita
no

which

first edition

difficulty
Thomas
of Shakespeare's

the

only begetter of these

insuing sonnets, Mr. W. H., all happiness,and that eternity
promised by our ever-livingpoet, wisheth the well-wishing
in settingforth.
T. T."
the sonnets
adventurer
As
are
addressed
Mr. W.
H.
partlyto a man, partlyto a woman,
have
been
their only begetterin
(whoever he was) cannot
of sole parent, sole inspirer,
the sense
sole object; and
or
the only alternative that has been
thought of is to suppose
that "begetter" means
But
collector.
W.
H. was
thing
somethan
the
it
to
more
collector;
was
him, Thorpe
that
the
had
made
the
poet
promises of eternity
implies,
sonnets

"

then,
but

the

which

with

if not

under

sonnets

written

to

his influence.

abound.

him,

Even

written,

were

So he

the
not

later

sonnets,
only for him,

merely one the dumb

eloquence of whose
beauty had forced Shakespeare to write
whose
to him
and
one
arguments
disputationspro; but
voked
the poet to embody his conceptionof the "two
loves,
of
and
comfort
despair," in his magnificent series of
We imagine W. H. to have been either the Earl
sonnets.
was

not

of

Southampton

wealth, wit
had

beauty, who

and
back

come

other

some

or

had

brimming

travelled
with

over

birth

of

man

young

into

and

Italy, and

academies

and

love-

Petrarch
and
which
he
Platonism, upon
philosophy, with
Shakespeare, and by his discussions
disputed with
begot
the

sonnets.

Shakespeare is always a philosopher,but in his sonnets

is a philosopher of love.
A.11 the great sonnet
he
writers
affected
derived
one
was
particular philosophy, which
the Banqiiet of Plato.
Socrates
was
originallyfrom
posed
supof this school of thought, and
to be the first founder
Shakespeare's adherence
called
his

his

in

of

turn

epitaph

TJieages,"that
matter
one

"

what

else, past
this

sustaining
knew

I know

the

"

well

small

force

ingenio,"

declare,"

that
a

to

love.

In

that
In

Socrates

the

universe, and

he

that

known.

could

schools

writers, discussed

the

books

this

matter

and

be

who

in
the

every

sophy
philo-

the

great

knew

love

From

the

passed to Dante
became
and
Petrarch, and
a
distinguishing characteristic
revi^^l of the sixteenth
of the Italian
Italy
century. Prom
and
it radiated
taken
was
through Europe,
by Surrey
up
treated
such
and
with
by none
depth
Spenser. But it was
has
all his
devoted
and
variety as by Shakespeare, who
and
and
sonnets
perhaps half his plays, to the
poems,
subject.
Platonic
The
philosophy, as adopted by the sonnet
Platonic

and

all

itself into

was

small

one

Platonic

the

of

in

I surpass

matter"

as

he

Socrates

says

present."
enlarged

of

kernel

notorious

so

nothing whatever, except

belongs
as

was

Socrates

"

mind.

it

to
"

science

method

of

love.

For

its

passion for the beautiful,or rather, as

Love
Plato
says, for begetting or creating in the beautiful.
solicited
and
act of the mind, excited
is an
by a beautiful
object,and having for its object the production of a new
of, the old, or already existing,
beauty in, and by means
beauty. Beauty, on the other hand, is that quality which
Truth
renders
is understood
anything an object of love.
Beauty is
by being true but loved for being beautiful.
become
the only metaphysical quality which
can
an
object
Thus
it is both
and
physical
metaof the physical sense.
physical
it excites,appertains
love, the passion which
; and
and
that of spirit. It is
to both
spheres that of matter
matter, love

is

the

"

SHAKESPEAEIAN

THE

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

enables
it to assume
tlie
community of love wMcli
of universality.It is both material
and spiritual,
character
both active and contemplative. It comprehends the whole
of the
its generation, upholding, and
universe
movement
It lies at the foundation, not only of every
act
progress.

this

"

of

every

agent, but

also of the

brought into being, and

and diversityof the two

eternal

creative

which

act

upholds, the whole

variety
of things and ideas.
worlds
Love
which
in this system equally describes
is a word
the transcendental
action of God, the intelligent
activityof man,
of the animal, the nutritive
the sensitive activity
activity
mechanical
the chemical
of the plant,and
or
activityof
and masses.
is the doctrine
of
Such
inorganic elements
Love
is theology,logic,morals,
Petrarch.
Boethius
and
natural
history,and astronomy. It is the sphere of
politics,
which
all sciences are
superficialsegments. Apprehension
all ; Reason
It is a
all.

affirms

still

doubts
kind

of

all ; but

denies

or

Love

ciles
recon-

Hegel's idea of the

universal Becoming, of which
Being and not Being are the
It is the principlein which
all contradictions
two
moments.
find their ultimate
restores

solution

to

and

reconciliation

differentiation

in

sameness

prelude

which

; which

maintains

identityin spiteof distinction,and fuses together subject

and
and
matter, perception and thing, the
object,mind
This
ideal and
the real.
conception of love imparts a
specialethical character to the love philosophy. Its great
mark

is toleration.

It

does

not

fix

its view

on

isolated

tude
regard truth as consistingof a multiof independent truths ; but
it looks
at truth
as
a
and in which
system which comprehends all realities,
every
in
connection
and
is
mutual
ence.
dependcomprehended part
and
not
For
evil
different
it,good
are
substances,
but evil is good misplaced. In things evil there
is a soul
of goodness ; and reformation
consists^not in annihilating
the evil thing,but
in translating it
in developing that
it which
soul of goodness within
gives it life and vigour,
and
it erringlyseeks.
in directingit to the good which

truths, nor

does

it

"

Hence, in all controversies it finds

doctrines,instead of exaggerating

losingboth
eclectic.
to

by seeking the
there

is

via media

point
be mutually destructive,and
For

where

for both

room

like

one

between

the

the

fanatic, or

them

contradictions

coalesce

like

rival

concave

like the
cease

and

PHILOSOPHY

OF

the

and

convex,

inside

of the

character

PEAEE's

SHAKES

love

outside

of

philosophy

SOJS'N'ETS.

bowl.

This

ethical

be

move
expected to rethe philosopher from
any very conspicuous part on
ever
howworld's
are
stage. His theories
impracticable,
beautiful
dreams.
Petrarch
as
was
a thorough
men
speci-

the

of the

kind

"

beeches,

a.

woodman,

the
rough eclogues under
greater presumption, tempering my

with

or,

rather

scholar, or

solitarywanderer, spouting
tall

may

my

the bitter laurel,more

fervent in working
fragilereed under
than
love of literature
happy in my works, with more
than
sectarian, but
knowledge of it. No
hungry for
weakness
truth, the difficulties of which, coupled to my
and ignorance,and my
fear of entanglingmyself in errors,
make

often embrace

me

unit

of the

doubt

which

appeared

to

Jonson

world

low, have

In the

dually
grato

self,
my-

of

Milton

and

by modern
historyof human

divisions.

I,

it

characterized
The

Thus

doubting
everything,except
doubt
about."
to
sacrilege
Seyiilium Lib. I. Ep. V. 0pp. p. 745.)
this description
fits Shakespeare as he

part of

former

of the

and

consider

(Petrarch, Berum
The

truth.

Academician, attributing nothing

an

affirmingnothing
that

lowest

multitude, the

become

itself for

; the

is

he

as

critics.
culture

first,the laws

sought in
activity,is

latter fits him

of

the

causes

which

into

two

great
of

movement

the

through his
creative
In the second, they are
conscious.
In
sought in phenomena which are independent of him.
the first division,the encyclopgedia
consists chiefly
of human
sciences
logic,psychology, ethics, language. In the
natural
second, it consists
or
chiefly of the inductive
The
sciences.
love
philosophy belongs to the first "era.
for the second, the great problem of
For that, as well as
philosophy is to find a universal
principleor notion which
unites and comprehends in itself the unity and diversity
of
are

of

separates
man,

"

the
in

worlds

two

the

matter

sera

that

principle. The

love

the

first

of

of

mind

matter

when,

of

In

such

be

the

man

was

by

and

But

mind.

it could

only

be

supposed to be this
philosophy belongs to a period when
love

should

supposed
concentration

be

to

have
of will

a
or

real
the

action
due

on

ciation
enun-

magic spells,material efiects could be produced.

to
of opinion love would
a state
naturallyappear
of things,
principlethat solves the contradictions

shows

and
ideal

LOVE^^^Si^KgiffiSSJ^'^ 9

SHAKESPEAEIAN

THE

tiow contraries
It

whole.

understood

thus

was

single and
philosophers

into

be united

can

the

by

by Empedocles,
things by the play of
explained
three forces
love, and hatred ; by Aristophanes,
necessity,
who
"There
mingled all
were
no
gods till Love
sang
with
the
different
of the
things ; and by the mixture
whom

quotes in Plato's Banquet

Phsedrus

who

evolution

the

of

all

"

different

Heaven

undying

of

race

which
on

by

Good

blind

"

"

or

even

desire

instinctive

defined

was

gods." Love
lifeless things. All

blessed

.'illthe

animated

covet," and

the

all

which

was
were

things

of schoolmen

chorus

the

principle
urged
end.

natural

their

towards

that

"

be

to

Earth, and

Ocean, and

be, and

to

came

tend

wards
to-

respond

appetiteof each thing has its term in

the good. All things, even
those which
unconscious,
are
of appetite,
desire the good." Love, the root
and
queen
for such
as
was
philosophers the law of the universe
to

Aristotle

The

"

"

"

Boethius

says:

"

Hanc
Et

ligat

pelagus regens

et

ccelo

Hie

imperitansamor.

si frena retniserit

Quidquid
'

seriem

return

Terras

continuo

Et

nunc

quae

Pulchris
Certant

invicem

amat

nunc

Bellum

gerit;

socia fide
incitant

motibus

solvere machinam.

(Boet. de Consol. Phil

And

8.)

ii. met.

is the
Great and wonderful
614)
of love, which
so
mightily and so fast binds the
power
least
immense
to the
by an invisible but not insensible
which
union, and rules with equable force things between
there is no
parity. What a scope must this principlehave
in

Petrarch

who

men

together
nature

earth

with

the

sea

(0pp.

the

The

air

shores, nor

faithful

lover

to

unite

would

not

with
know

their

stars

can

bind
of

elements

the

fire,nor the
their banks, nor

courses,

universal

Love

make

unequal equal, and

tied them

unless

the

together.
.

be

to the

in which

all contradictions

the
loved

philosophicpoet

swallowed

it

incongruous

not

the

appeared
tive which

sensible,when

and

would

almighty and sacred

It is his privilege
to
the

and

brute

; rivers

water

its

rational

are

even

*'

p.

up

to

the

be

solved

Thus

turn."

"

the

one

cause

love

principle

great afiirmanegations,and, for its votaries,

were

all

in. his

to

10

PHILOSOPHY

held

the

SHAKESPEAEE'S

OF

which

key

secret

SOITNETS.

unlocks

all

the

of

treasures

knowledge.
is the

Such

For

sonnetteers.

its

give,after Plato, a
love
end.
to

method,

ladder

of six

according to
the

Italian

the

Platonic

academicians

degrees,by which
from
its imperfect beginnings to its complete
ascends
The first step belongs to the outward
eyes, the second
inward

the

memory

fourth

beauty

the

universal

idea

the

idea

is found

is transferred

of

from

third

step the
visible

imagination of
of

material

beauty.

mind

; the

plating
contem-

beauty contemplates itself,the

body

In

the

series

new

be in and

to

beauty.

or

In

memory.
and
reason,

step begins

the

steps

of

eyes
into

merges
becomes

beauty
The

of love

substance

the

of the

soul, from

to

fifth

step

the

the

thus

and

mind,

material

love
lectual
intel-

to

intellectual

vision,

with the individual

only conversant
the
lightof
beauty, receives
beauty in itself,"by becoming able to perceivethe beauty
of minds.
The
the loving soul gathers
last step is when
of intellectual
difierences
beauty in
up all the degrees and
all-comprehending divine
mind.
one
(Crescimbeni, della
six steps are
Bellezzch,
grouped in two sets
p. 14.) These
of three.
First, love guided by the outward
eyes devotes
itself to the visible
beauty which happens to strike it.
Under
the guidance of the memory
this beauty becomes
larities
generalized;it is stripped of the accidents and particuthe
of perception, and love becomes
fancy. Under
devoted
to the
one
guidance of the idea, love becomes
objectin which it sees or itaaginesall the imaginary properties
it
of beauty to be individualized.
Thus,
begins
in
And
with
ends
and
the
one.
through all,
amj, passes
the whole
now
begins the second triad. The one in whom
idea
of sensible
only represents
beauty is individualized
such beauty to the mind
of the lover ; apart from
him, or

which,

to this point,is
up
soul and
its idea of

ideal

in relation

objectis
Hence
in

sense,

is the

present

in

as

he

fourth

get

we

and

minds

of

beloved

others, the

one

himself, but

This

eyes

of many,
undistinguished from the
idealized individual is contemplated,not as

but

the

the

to

"

the

memory,

to

representedin
step,wherein, by a

the

mind
we

is

love
that

get

to

of the

loves.

the

Next, by

generalizethis

he is

mind.
idealizing
of intellectual

kind

beauty

rest.

here
a

and

kind

individual

now

lectual
of intel-

mental

SHAKESPEARIAN

THE

it becomes

beauty, and
the general

idea

is

the

that

is at

beauty

Divine

mind.

three

begins

with

reaches

the

once

Thus

first; and

tbe

the

one,

of all minds.

Lastly,

individualized, and

three

lore

we

and

universal

once

the

singular
steps correspond to

last

"

the

intellectual

love, like the sensible,

through the all, and at last
in all.
Thus, the scale of
one

progresses
and
one

all in

beauty

more

the

11

PHILOSOPHY.

LOVE-

correspondsto the scale of logic simpleapprehension,

and gives a prelude to the
ment
movejudgment, and reason
of the Hegelian category
Identity,Difference,and
have, first,the apprehension of beauty
Comimmity. We
through the eyes, the judgment of beauty in the memory,
the reason
of beauty in the ideal ; and, again,the apprehension
of beauty in our
own
soul, the judgment of beauty
in all souls, the reason
of beauty in the one
all-embracing
love

"

"

"

Such

soul.
idea
is

is the

of reason.
First,the
process
in its rough and primitiveunity ; next
it

is conceived

universal

dissipatedinto
reunited

are

these

thinking depends on
alternate
expansions
lungs.
"

This

ladder

of

eyes.

; the

clang
is

the

anchor

eyes

love

when

face

upon
Hence

the

they

the

comes

of love.
absence

has

confine
and

the

take

its

it from

through
the

the
the

mind,
condition

memory
for

these

"

intellectual

the

more

love

is born.

questionis,what

This

is to become

in space
closed,or removed
Love, if it is to last, must

of love's

the

mind

of

it ; and

pleasures?
the

eyes

next

the

ments
frag-

love, all

templated.
closelyconlove through the
attention like a cymbal's

birth

from

own

whole

becomes
It leaves

"

is the

Like

the

of

to be

sightit must
necessityof absence
Will
deny,"
you

stage ;

new

deserves

arouses

are

eyes
on

"

upon

The

feed

contractions

stage

face

simple afiair.

of

beautiful

pulsations of

and

love

Its first
A

these

fragments and parts ; next

into an organized whole.

wide

into memory.

for the

true

all

tokens

ment
develop-

Petrarch, " that

says
Unless
perhaps you would
empire

to the

is its proper
of the second

to act

enter

deepen

which

free

from

; and

that

the
can

alone,

eyes
seat."

sence
Ab-

stage of

looks

memory
remind

the memory
object. And anything serves
reminder
and
a
pempsfison. Such
comparisons
withouti absence/
Memory is at the same
would
forgetfulness
: wit^DutTforgetfulness
memory

love.

of

it

absent

as
are

possible
imtime

be

un-

12

PHILOSOPHY

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

distinguishablefrom
falness that robs

SONN^ETS.

perception: it is the alloyof forgetand definiteness,

images of individuality

its

and

which
makes
them
into
gives them that indistinctness
which
fit a whole
kind,
general representations
Forgetfulness also purifies
the conceptionby lopping ofi* the less
striking accidents,and leaving nothing but the nucleus.
The
beautiful
face fades away
into an inconstant
conception
attaches
of beauty, which
itself to every
beautiful image
which

the

every
loved

such

image

mistress

as

Thus

one.

the

your
breath
that

of

of the

splendours

lapsingmemory
analysisof beauty
first

stage

but

of

of the

that

beauty
recognize beauty in
beauty of that face
no

forms.

And

of his

all

the

now

lover

The

constancy.
all these

inconstant

of

refuse

them

cultus

his
his

worship, but

in

beauty

to

his

As

with

your

Constancy gathers up,

You

and
memory,
Then
to the

the

in

the

did

these

idea

present beauty

his mind
in

and
a

lover

constant

his beloved

see

has

of

he

not

relative

play."

the

manner

"

senses

are

no

chosen

her.
his

it

the

out

objectof
perceives
the

overcome

absent

one.

that

demonstrates

"

large lengths of miles ;

longer entirelyhis own,
with

her

phrase,in part

died

left him

thus, in Platonic

to blot

absence

across

live with
may
returned, his life and

that

away,

I with

shadow

rays of beauty which

Inconstancy allows the sight to

in the world.

he

only

does

only a

afiection,all the scattered

have

selves,
them-

heart

lover

them

gives

for

shipping
wor-

"

"

can

so

into

of

constant

he

to

the

sees

is seduced

be

The

mistress.

forced

many
his. first trial,the trial

lover

should

memory

manifestations

new

up

true

recognizes

now

reflected

undergoes

forgettingthat they
mirror

and

at

up

which

Love,

face,is

things, because

hinted

means

exclusive, and

beloved

use

patch

or

this

mind.

the

your
consistenc
in-

without

enhance

to

upon
and

is intolerant

nor

roses,

may,

beauty. By

is forced

the

comparisons,and

universe

her

are

lips like

for

Nature

treat

absent

of his
presence
like stars,
not

in

absence

to

of

token

eyes

your
violets," in her

the

in the

and

Your

"

mind

the

poet who

same

ransack
all the

enables

symbol

have
said,
may
neck
ivory, nor

nor

and

present,

eyes

to

reside

that

Persuaded

mistress's

are

no

and
to

he

that
but
that

himself

his afiection is

longer single.

SHAKESPEARIAN

THE

in

lives

Eacli

other, and

maintains

acts, and

and

the

in

his

that"

Hve

also

alone, but

with

the

soul

which

as

says

by

"

comes

in company
into him
passes

loving death,

his

he

ethical doctrine

This

is

beloved

the

is the

man,"

says
is but what

man

accident

an

the

has
the

of

change

knowing,
mind

in the

form
souls

live

double

image

life in

of

the

known.

"

mind

known

it enters

and

The

unity

in

mind,

of

every
a

new

loving

two

have

the

thus

contemplation

unity

ideal

of

the

in

three

sensible

the

which

whose

beauty

beautiful

are

And

they
is

beauties

scattered

to

and

This

of

knowing

with

the

but

double

takes

; so

being.

the

AH

to it.

the

of

of

mind

itself is

form

new

thing

lives."

is the

knowledge

takes

that,

so

lover

knowledge is
being and the truth

which

memory,

resemblance

love

of

; for

referred

are

lives in the

to their

beloved

as

collect

senses

logical doctrine

The

the

guarantee of constancy.
the

longer
object,\

no

it were,
suppressed themselves, and
themselves
in a new
existence, in which

have,

enveloped

the

knoweth.

and

into

the

the

the

"and

Bacon,

is ; the truth
of
As
the
mind
one."

is all

of

and

knowing

which

that

of

identification

knowledge

to

himself

in

thinks,

Crescimbeni

as

"

passed into her ;

gained not one, but two

counterpart

he

"

his has

of

the

identityof

the

he

home

new

being

own

to

Thus

"

13

LOVE-PHILOSOPHY.

proportion
first steps

beauty

are

completed.
The

three
of

in

the

when
of

sensible

eyes,
it sees

the

higher grades

soul.

lives

but
the

into

intellectual
in

beautiful

Love

of love

does

begin with
beauty. Love

the

mind.

It

face

; but

it lives
with

comes
on

the

version
con-

is bom

into
the

the

being
beauty

decay
decay of the
sensible beauty which
engendered it. It survives age and
If it still lives when
wrinkles.
the beauty which
begot it
is dead, its life has
to depend on
other
clearlycome
some
the
of
the
soul, no
beauty on
beauty
longer on that of
And
the
this intellectual
love
body.
through the
goes
It begins with
same
the indigrades as the sensible love.
\idual
soul of the
beloved
as
apprehended
one,
by the
loving consciousness
; it enlarges into love for the
general
of the
nature
soul, as distinguished by the judgment ;
and it perfectsitself in love for the universal
soul as
prehended
comfor
the
universal
sacred
by reason
soul, the
not

"

"

"

"

14

PHILOSOPHY

universal
the

OF

"

love

differences
These

SHAKESPEAEE's
itself

which

of souls

in

SONNETS.

comprehends

and

unites

all

general.

loves, the love of sensible and that of intellectuaL

other
in their
beauty, are
counterparts of each
and
their
be described
essence
operation ; their processes
may
in the same
If love
terms.
begins with corporeal
not
without
the
beauty, it is, as Crescimbeni
sumption
assays,
two

that

"

beauty of body is naturallya conclusive

of beauty of soul, because
is only an
the one
argument
offshoot
of
the
other, according to
perfection of the
Ariosto's

words

"

Che
Tutto

Such

is

the

se

la faccia

pud

benigno, et

necessary

del

tutto

dar

cor

fede

discrete'

era

of

assumption

"

in

love

its lower

is established, and
love
is
grades. Afterwards, when
without
to
it
refutes
the idea,
strong enough
supports,
go
and
contrasts
with
even
beauty of mind
beauty of body,
that
confessingwith Duncan
"

there is
To

find the mind's

scale of love with

This
the

examples

of

poets.

individual

concrete

its six
The

Byron. The
eclectic, busjang itself in

the

poetry

of

about

blue

writing
parts of beauty

in

third

eyes,

steps

lowest
for

woman

or

no

construction

art

in the face.

may

stage

her

be

illustrated

is the

love of the

charm,

sensuous

second
a

degree is where
subtle
analysis of

black

hair, or

separate epigrams
this

and

such

songs,

by

as

in

love

is

beauty,

component
as

Herrick

analyticalprocess reunites
the
lover
its scattered
limbs, and
worships universal
beauty either in the face,which is its symbol, or in nature,
which
lyricalpoems
displays it at large. Wordsworth's
In
the
this
fourth
in
are
degree, or first step of
grade.
intellectual
with
love, the lover is no
longer taken
up
corporealbeauty, but with that of the mind and character ;
how
the
the poet no
man
looks, but what
longer remarks
he is, and
gives us, not a pictureof his face,iDut of his
grade gives
personality. This is epic poetry. The next
beauty. This is
us
a philosophical
analysisof intellectual
the ideal of lyrical
poetry. The sixth grade puts together
separated in the analysis,and contemagain all that was
does.

In

the

degree

SHAKESPEARIAN

THE

plates
every

that

concrete

kind

of

includes

all
the

beauty

action

individual

the

in

This

Shakespeare's
without

of

to

love

invent

us

to

them

biographical

come
bethat

or

exhibit

their

into

to

be

to

them

facts

has

poetry.
found

be

explaining
put

which

to

dramatic

will

which

beauty,

combine
is

love

soul

intellectual

men

Sonnets,

obliging
or

highest

This

philosophy

friend's

that

compreliends

that

perfection,

which

characters.

wliicli

beauty

and

loves,
of

symbol

idealized

order,

intellectual

other

15

LOVE-PHILOSOPHT.

they

as

new

fit

and

their

key
stand,

arbitrary
allusions.

to

CHAPTER

ANALYSIS

THE

LOVE,
either

of

of

the

or

both

according
mind

the

only,

genius

or

evil

dasmon

noble

but

the

material

both

to

it

is

of
of

means

mental

beauty,
to

says,

especially

the

Shakespeare
It

youiig

is

the

to

two

those

love,

with

says

receive

than

the

on

corporeal

themselves

devote

itself

vulgar

directly

more

devote

science

and

virtue

beauty

to

to

in

daemons

of

only

to

20, nothing
of

love,

not

with

limits

which

by
loves

more

the

civil,

he
of
and

conversant

prone
who

is

token,
minds,

being

their

the

beauty
its

men,

and

it is

impressions

are

of

directed

As

The

to

also

but

prevails,

as

women.

contrary,

Civil,

is

whose

men,

beauty,

beauty
employ*-

the

love,

is

con-

best,

love

beautiful

than

women

Sonnet

the

the

beget

to

chivalrous

or

.It

mind

body

not

first

and

pleasures.

own

corporeal

apt

of

continues,

noble

the

love

the

are

The

spiritual, but

and

more

are

its

of

Varchi

love,

the

is

hearing-

plebeian

or

but

sake

the

beauty,

prone

more

body

loves

overstepping

of

daemon

good
love,

the

the

Vulgar

kinds,

divine).

and

love,

Love

regarding

loves

without

but

the

called

sight

with

only

not

only,

three

spiritual beauty,

love,

beauty

composite

passions.

mind,

senses,

domestic

and
for

loved

function

symbol

civility.

soul

of

2 da

mind

of

composite
or

of the

the

animal

or

three

The

the

composition.

only,

(sometimes

senses,

and

modesty

body

love

body,

the

loves

of

love, is called

affections

or

the

Amor,

to

be

may

of

d^

this

And

mind,

beauty

as

be

may

both.

and

spiritual

ing only the two

social,
hiilDiiaTi,
also

mind,

only

the

only

body

or

genius.

or

templateschiefly
oFthe

directed

of

the

of

chivalrous

or

1561), being

intellectual

or

daemons,

called

(Lezioni

proportions

love

or

body

the

to

Varolii

the

only,

body
of

love

or

body

the

ed.

Ima,

lez.

LOVE.

OF

Benedetto

says

parte,

II.

are,

purpose.

intermediate

to
as

ANALYSIS

THE

OP

in his sonnets.

passions,wliicli Shakespeare describes

says (Son. 144)
:

I have

better

The

intermediate

and

love

vulgar

"

is

spirita

are

suggest

chivalrous

ill."

love, domestic

in his

dramas

represents the

love,

and

poems.
entirely to the

is addressed

sonnets

manrlghtjair," who

still;

me

coloured

woman,

illustrated

of

despair,

rightfair,

man

"

"

and

do
spirits,

passions

first series

The

angel

worser

The

of comfort

like two

Which,
The

He

"

TtVo loves

"

17

LOVE.

daemon

of intellectual

directed
to him
l5Te"; thesonnels
are
passionatein their
affection,but the affection is one of the purest friendship;
certain
and
the twentieth
a
sonnet, not "without
ness
coarse-

imputation of a
have
Greek
which
would
at once
sentiment
changed the
comfort
of his love into despair. Shakespeare's conception
made
clear
from
will be
extract
Pico
more
by an
of

thought, entirelyprecludes any

Mirandola's

della
notices

The

man.

Cavalcanti

prega," Benevieni

ti

says,
celestial love

is that

Canzone.

made

Love

calls

him

simply

he

reason,

Benevieni's

on

Guido

whereas

that

"Donna

comment

vulgar

He

woman,

Amore,

love

holds

as

the

imperfectto a perfect
thing ; and the Pythagoreans symbolized imperfect nature
Besides,
by the male.
by the female, and perfectnature
he adds, vulgar love is more
sant
converappropriatelymade
relation

same

to

as

an

it is prone
to material
males, because
such\
no
pleasures. Heavenly love, on the contrary, runs
the spiritual beauty of
is towards
bent
risk, but its whole
is much
the mind
and intellect,which
more
perfect in men
with

than

in

females

than

for the most

part, loved

some

the

worth

corporeal beauty.

They

who

enhanced

loose

who

women,

perfection,but,
With

such

Theophrastus
make

occasion
tlie

have

the
of

beauty

not
men

of generous
by its union

all the

most

Nicomachus.

soul, whence

have,
mind,
with

strayed after herds of

to any grade of spiritual

them
into
Circe,
love,he says, Socrates affected

beasts.
not

only

ingenuous and subtle young

loved
Zeno, Orpheus Musseus,
Their

corporealbeauty
raising themselves

of

of this love

transform

like

So Parmenides

Athenians.

votaries

man
young
of his virtue

raise

never

chaste

Alcibiades,but

to

the

Wherefore

women.

that

intention

of

those

to

the

of the

simply

was

they

loved

contemplation

body

is

an

emana-

the
of

18
tion

and

leads

to

on

beauty

and

;
consequence
of
the beauty

we

rise

may
and

to

Grod, the

at

from

sublime

more

love.

three

Phaedrus, proposes
to

man

Alcestis

"

and

Orpheus

Admetus

and

In

Patroclus.

general Greek

the
his

the

last

Justice

and

Plato
that

of

love
of

; one

and

Eurydice ;

and

Achilles

exemplars

the

angelic
of

first fountain

says, is the fruit which

"icinus
notices
Marsilius

templation,
con-

of

all

from

sought
Plato, in

of

of

one

to

man

third

soul

the

degree

beauty. This, he
his

of

beauty

angels, while

arrive

the

mind, and,

womaa

woman

to

man

the

"

man

"

perhaps, in

the

the

highest love ; it was

but masculine
not feminine
beauty that fired the imagination
and
with
the glowing sentiment
idealizingpassion which
which
the stimulus
of philosophy,and
raised a man
was
above
the vulgar and selfish pursuitsof life,and even
above
With
the
the fear of death.
Plato, personal beauty was
of sense
between
the world
the
and
one
point of contact
world

ideas.

of

in

themselves
in

notion,

visible

no

beauty, love,

he

itself to

mind

the

another

step it passes

beauty

in

shape, but

character

and

Beauty

of the
the

to

over

objects,bodies

all

could

Temperance

youth. With the vision

taught,begins ; after a

beautiful

the

was

well

as

became

of this
time

visible

corporeal

it transfers

beloved

youth; by

generalized
minds.

as

clothe

idea

of

Thence

it

enlarges itself to comprehend the worship of beauty in

templation
public institutions,in arts and sciences, till it ends in conThat

the

love

of

for

man

self-beautiful.

man

corruption, is shown
Essay (Livre I. cap. xxvii.) de
Greek

from

de

Estienne

be

as

ardent

does

not

"

says,

loved
There

in his

my
are

friend
three

the
a

nearest

as

most

do

His

afl'ection for

is
for

Medici

represented

his

friend.

(Pt. ii.

his blood.
on

mystical unions
nature

"I

"

"

one

two

Sir

if he

loves

never

yet,"

but

woman,

soul, my

to

" 5, 6) hopes

commandment"

virtue, my

of

perfectcommunity

of women,

of

that

as

yet entirelyfree

VAm'die.

affection

true

three persons
in one
person
For though indeed
they be
"

and

Shakespeare
fifth

ardent

as

length in Montaigne's

at

was

Eeligio

the

"break

cast

of

that

as

before

his friend
he

Boethie, which

Browne

Thomas
he

la

will, passing the love

and

soul

be

can

Shakespeare's sonnets,

in

described

of the

worship

and

have

God
natures

soul in two

reallydivided, yet

are

in

one

bodies.

they

so

ANALYSIS

THE

nnited

they seem

as

than

distinct

two

but

and

one,

souls."

And

19

LOVE.

OP

rather

make

earliest

of the

some

duality
English

absent
to an
poetry that is left to us consists of addresses
of
which
of Shakespeare's
reminds
one
friend, the tone
In

sonnets.

the

called

poem
absent

Codex

the

lord.

Wanderer.
it

Then

"'

In

That

he

And

his lord
and

the

in

days

(p. 442), " The Exile's Complaint,"

poem
solitarylaments that although he and his lord had often

have

that
been

yet
the

but
nought should
part them
separated,and nothing remains

imaginationof the
"

The

absent

far

There
Under

Plato, love

With
unites

two

it is
;

of

sits

friend

with

is not

storm."

the

merely

bands

by
persons
also the
passion for

reminiscence

sorrow,

"

rocky shelter,

the

death, they
but

country !

my

Whitened

ness

in former

he

giftsenjoyed."

similar

promised
and

lays

head,

and

when

His

kisses,

his knee

on

Hands
As

of his

exile dreams

it the

to him

seems

Embraces

And

(Ed. Thorpe, p. 288), is

Exoniensis

of virtue
the

of future

mutual

and

we

see,

and

the

immortality.
high feelingis founded low* down on the stimulus
passion. Love indeed, if it is to be perfect,
suppresses
stimulus, or
it into

diverts

it from

its natural
Yet

something quite different.

in the

highestand lowest
generation.The impulse,in the

bias,and
Love

of

this

forms
trans-

is universally,

alike,an impulse of
brutal form, seeks onlymaterial
human, it consciously
pleasure; but as soon as it becomes
bestow
seeks to
an
immortalityon what is mortal, to render

lastingthat which
is to produce a

fades

and

forms

dies.

Its first human

impulse
immortalityby generating,
for beauty, a new
beloved
to
through a person
person,
replace the originalone in its decay (Plato,Sympos. c. 32,
the immortalityof the species
p. 207), and thus to preserve
semblance

destruction

amidst

the

Beauty

is the

fuel ; and

of

of

the

l^ve

individual.
kindled

c2

sentiment
prehis estimation

Still in

this

rather

kind-

infinite,the regretful

than

sometliing better

friendshipwhich

by

Of

this

impulse

beauty is not

pre-

PHILOSOPHY

msely the
i(TTiyap

of

love

ov

beauty,but

SONK-ETS.

generationin

of

6 epioc, a\Xa

kuXov

tov

SHAKESPEAEE'S

OP

the beautiful.
teal tov

ttjqyevrrjtrewQ

tokov

it'

the

which
doctrine
(Sympos. p. 206). It is
Shakespeare puts into the two opening lines of his sonnets,
K-aXw

Tu)

to be

it

as

the text

were
"

form
"

"

itself

"domestic"

love."

"chivalrous

For

there

"

manifests

impulse

purified and

exalted

in

in

the

it is transformed

love;"

"civil

or

of this

it is

whole

desire increase,
die."
might never

we

therebybeauty'srose

simplestand lowest
in the
vulgar love

The

of the

motto

fairest creatures

From
That

the

and

the

is not

impulse

towards

the
perpetuation of corporeal beauty, but towards
of mental
creation
sympathy is
beauty. The material
Then
union.
the
comes
transfiguredinto intellectual
in
in
those
few
whom
"celestial love,"
privilegedpersons
to the
the facultyclimbs
contemplation of beauty in its
the

; when

Idea
have

no

(Si/mp.c.

the

c.

and

root

conceives

3)

to be

love

has

it has
and

that

is material

in

the

and

suppress,
fruit of art and

earth,

Ave

desires

not

the

in

material.

nounce
pro-

only

A^ilgar

But

in the

suppressed,or rather
act.
purely spiritual
corruptionof which
into the

An

science.

which

desire

the

to transmute

flowers

sweet

imperfect love

fails to

this transformation.

"vulgar love"
thought it worth
and

need

Adonis.

fires

this animal
and
is neither

the evil dasmon

the
nor

sense.

But

later sonnets

poem

the

the

chivalrous

Cressida,the
contrast

it

to

"

between

contrast

of animal

love

also devoted

are

permits voluptuousness
Their
hope of increase.

tempter, the Cleopatra,the

of

and

is

Shakespeare

us.

devote

Lacrece

love, which
suppress
the wife

to

The

The

Tarquin.

detain

not

his while

the civil love of Lucrece

the love

mind

is

into

(TAmore, L. iii.

vision

always

transformed

its roots

his Venus

which

is

Messer

fancy (says

This

it."

civil love

The
has

the

gold or
generation
or

woman,

of all love

the

make

to

complete

or

Thus

Diaceto, I Tre Lihri

da

to

higher love, all

transfiguredand
Love

man

sight any
beautiful,suddenly the

in the

and

this, saj'-sPlato, he will

to

"

through

enjoy it,but

to

beauty of
35, p. 211).
When
type.

Cattani

Francesco

attained

for the

eyes

colours
is

has

man

to

shadow
over-

heroine

mistress, but
"

between

bad
the

to

angel

the
"

of

civil love

'

TEE

and

the

chivalrous

civil love

is

the

of this love

love

Pope

articles.

The

which

love

chivalrous

The

love

his mistress.

end

the

The

Amoris, attributed
IV.

The

facultyfor which
its roots

in

it

book

text

King Arthur,

to

Code

of

tion
connec-

higher antiquitythan

no

Innocent

has

21

LOYE.

considering.

of

and

servente

capable of showing

one

Andrew,

contains

thirty-

nary
is that ordilegislates
sensual

(Art.
non
plena pubertate amare),
which
riage
might naturally and properly end in mardecet
amare
(Art. XI. Non
pudor est
quarum

VI.

Masculus

and

solet

short

in

its

allowed
and

if

to be

the

the

The

ears.

lover

successful

the

it

failed

and

attain

to

The

of chivalrous
to

cut
own

senses

the

were

eyes

beyond gazing

go

thinking of,
were
acknowledged.

lovers

was

its

only

love

forbidden
his

love

therefore

was

married.

was

nature

chivalrous

love,

lovers

vehicles

hearing,or

or

civil

our

in

as

development,

end

special

nisi

Yet

nuptias aifectare).
from
quite distinct

on,

that

is the Codex

chaplainof

OP

is worth

marriage ;

between

but

AIs^ALTSIS

Two

love.
A

of

grades

lover

of

the

lower

initiated by the lady giving

grade (the ecoide) was
him
gloves or girdle; one of the higher grade (the ami)
the first and
by her giving him a kiss
generallythe last
he could hope to receive from
It is to this kiss that
her.
"

Art. XII.
ex

refers

affedu

love

and
eyes
in coamantis
assidua

amans

sine

tinetur). The
adaptation of
to

man

of

it

that

office of

; the

Platonic
a

of

between
and

the

to

the

as

by

hers, and
protect her

other

the

often

his

Quilibet

was

servente

called
M.

was

his

Fauriel

When

lady,his
swore

The

to

against

of
and

regulation

took

follower.

of

de-

kind

woman

Verus

man

and

woman,

man

amantis

imagine

woman

that

strict

Art. XXX.

coamantis

feudalism.

Church.

before

the

transgress

of the

and

lord,

occasions

friendshipbetween

man

vassal

by

ami, he knelt

palm
death,
She, on

to

love

is said
relationship
blessed

as

intermissione

forms
feudal

to

coamantis

suae

all other

(Art. XXIV.
cogitatione finitur.

receivinga knight

infeodation
their

the

between

place of the

On

nisi

mind

chivalrous

the

by

forbidden

was

of

actus

alterius

amans

cupit amplexus).

non

chivalrous
limits

(Verus

the
The

complete feudal

dame

dominus,

to have

been

and

times
some-

knight was accepted

two
hands
joinedpalm
her faithfully
till
serve
a

all

evil

and

outrage.

hand, accepted his services,promised

22

PHILOSOPHY

her

"him

him

tenderest
with

up
married

SHAKESPEAEE's

OF

Chivalrous

love, because
of the

in

love

and
fancy are
eyes
ideal. The
lady is not
French

is

passed,and

in

Fouque's
knight
of
conception chivalry. He would
that

mistress

wife

would

could

have

had

her

her husband.

been

than

enforced

this

chivalrous

conjugiiab

causa

raptures and

but
the

North.

the

find

natural

idealized

no

pleasure,
for

beyond

the

yvvri

of

religiousveneration
utilitarian

for

limits.

It

worship,but

woman

The

Southern

sought

idea

mother

stewardess, but

joys and
thoughts

exhibit

scere.

the

Omnis

of
for

not

still less

awe

and

In

amans

that

was,

children,

the

far

nurse,

the

they

able

were

But

state.

Germans
wife

in

their

worship.

it the

man

housekeeper,

his

wdth
sense,
was

his

to share

servente-husband

repentina coamantis

to

seemed

chivalrous

coamantis

kind

surpassing

commune

prescribedby
in

eraipa

had

companion

in

mistress

terror

the
it to be

to

either

combination

from

friend

presence

consuevit

Art. XVI.

of

races

and

servant

necessarilya
or

whose

his

Europe,

either

was

marriage

marriage

one

utilitarian,the

Germans

allow

w^as

was

of the

very
veneration

not

love, which

women

women,

receive

could

sorrows,

in

suzeraine

XV.

could

recta."

relationship,never

the

intact
in the
even
preserve
Southern
the
imagination such

Avas

defined

Teutonic

She

to

preposterous.

excusatio

was

she

Code

the

of

body

This

that

score

the

unenthusiastic.

TvaXXaKrj for
But
housewife.

love.

lady

no

necessary,
of Southern

limits

or

rigidly
of

chivalrous

made

have

not

more

hand,

est

habits

the

could

His

lady destroyed the

domestic

wife.

Parliaments

of

among
the
love

or

or

these

the

Greek

the

refined

or

fancy

home

impulse

commonplace,
Jor

with
real

In

of

awe

mistress,but

of love

the

and

accurate

an

own

he

law

non

married

accordance

could

his

first article
amore

between

division

had

nob

voluntary.

is not

have

Provencal

The

domestic,

favours

Sintram

other

to another.

quite

her

relationship. On the
give up a servente on

"

in

life is

his

married

all the

bounds

and

to

The

impossible,the

the

no

servente

allowed

that

the

by

nation
subordi-

been

was

w^ith

chivalrous

servente, but

There

between

Marriage

have

not

inconsistent

was

nor

supreme,

raised

ring,and

the

marriage

to his mistress

lover

of

The

him

affections,gave

kiss.

SOXNETS.

to

Code

(Art.
aspectu palle-

the

visione

cor

tre-

ANALYSIS

THE

amantis)

miscit
of
him
of

by

It is

imagination of Fouque

force

celestial

consist

tendency

would

of

that

such

so

extreme

it.

The

annihilate

it.

Yet

relation

domestic
it

subjection
continual

the

was

as

English poets to change the mistress of

wife.
Mr.
proofs
Morley points out many

our

chivalry into

with

mar

Familiaritywould

of the wife

and

contemplation
only in the Northern

marrias^e could

this.

depositary

the

regard as

assiduous

of

love.

that

to

was

to
grace, communicable
and
fidelityto thoughts

kind

he

whom

"

23

LOVE.

OF

Chaucer's

was

Taine

M.

endeavour.

the

on

Surrey was the first to do

so.
Spenser (in the Amoretti) was probably the first who
exalted
wife
mistress.
into
a
a
Fouque completed the
ideal in his French
knight.
love
Chivalrous
gives us this ideal.
Shakespeare never
other

of

hand

that

says

is not

woman

the

Earl

of his world.

element

an

of

the

Even

forward

shippers
wor-

marriage
the end of their hopes, and receive their year'spenance
as
fact in his biography.
with
This is a significant
discontent.
life
whose
He
Michel
Angelo, a man
probably resembled
the artist was
was
a dualism, in whom
sharply separated
Michel
from
the
house-father
the citizen.
and
Angelo's
his
long correspondence with
nephew turns entirelyon
domestic
hint about art or philosophy.
a
matters, without
It exhibits
him
maintainer
and ruler of his family,
the
as
quiet, steady,cautious, practical,unsentimental, concise.
in Love's

If

want

we

the

his

sonnets.

the

chivalrous
kind

same

Labour's

other

side of his

Shakespeare's
love, with

of character.

look

Lost

we

must

character, we

turn

to

suppression of
rites,pointsto the

characteristic

its fantastical
If

to

had

his letters to his

wife,

or
they would probably be entirelyoccupied with domestic
should
philosophy, no
expect no
municipal affairs. We
eesthetics,little historical gossip. We
might find a close
of the net
of his plays, but
calculation
proceeds of one
it was
which
of the idea on
structed.
concertainlyno indication

Yet
to

whom

to

find

they

great
is

one

or

man

men

strive

to

have

some

confidant

It is their bliss
impart their ideas.
to whom
capable of understanding them, one
without
measuring their
speak interjectionally,
is the
where
completing their thought. But

they

may

words

great

to

may

find

generally forced

his
to

equal ?
content

Greatness
himself

with

is

solitary.

the

mere

He

mask

of

intelligence,with

woman

or

the

enthusiastic

an

blue

deep
friend.

of

eyes

confiding

take
Imagination must
instead
serve
sign must

place of judgment, and the

the
domestic
of
relations
of
the
thing signified. But
wife
and
soon
man
destroy the illusions of imagination,
is more
than
and
the artist
no
one
exposed to be miserable
demand
his wife
should
from
who
intelligent sympathy
his
with
tion
condias
a
thoughts as well as with his moods
affection,
of marital
to have
Shakespeare seems
his ship upon
avoided
this rocJ^ ; Milton
it.
speare
Shakeran
the

his

kept
his

home

active
and

his

recipients of

aff'ections
and

town,

artistic

Socrates

for

his

sought

sentiments.

wife

and

elsewhere
He

dren,
chil-

for

was

the

Nestor

how
to keep his
Virgil,and knew
affections
domestic
un
poetical dreams,
entangled with
to the
true
plain, uncoined, and homespun constancy of
his own
Henry V.
And
when
love
Shakespeare suppressed the chivalrous
of woman,
he extracted
of its peculiarities,
and
with
some
modified
his Platonic
them
friendship. In the Platonic
is a beautiful
mind
the
the beloved
idea
one
youth whose
mind
in his beautiful
lover forms
begetting a beautiful
But
receives.
one
body. The lover gives all,the beloved
as

well

as

and

"

in the

chivalrous

idea

the

tables

turned

are

the

lady,

the

the dispenser; the Knight

one,
generous
the source
of
waits
her bounty ; her eyes are
to him
upon
all strength ; they furnish
not
all love, all knowledge,

beloved

one,

is the

which
rouses
only the stimulus
guides him, and the end which
in Biron's
be read
speeches in
in the
the

lady

lover
adorn
feudal

Sonnets

is not

pours
his
lord

the

the

out

soul;
and

Platonic

all
but

his
he

chivalric

Love's

wealth
is

of

the

mistress

whose
beauty from
eyes
his
all
knowledge, and
strength,

the

hand, the Italian

the

of

Platonists

the

mind

into

may

larly
Simi-

Lost.

takes

youth

light that

All this

Labour^
who

beloved

the

him..

blesses

friend

male

but

him,

place of

whom

the

educate

and

"master-mistress,"

the

in one,
lover

all his

love.

to

the

incarnation

derives
On

all
the

his

other

Renaissance, while they

and
Petrarch, yet
authority of Dante
of

acknowledged the
only, and suppressed the chivalrous
reallyfollowed Plato
of love,
kinds
ideal.
ultimate
They admitted
only two
a
vulgar and heavenly. In vulgar love they admitted

THE

kind

of

ANALYSIS

superiorityin

her

the

force

love

the

lover

is

mind

which

his

own

of

mind

in

which
the

the

beloved

which

he

becomes
the

bestows

lover

love, but

him

lover

greater ;

the

only becomes
a

wax

the

man,

In

becomes

of

ideal

his

youth
Shakespeare, on

the

woman.

also

the

the

after

remains

not

he

to

form, the youth is the

the

recipientHke

beauty of
produce beauty

it is the

is therefore

by

in

heavenly

this relation

In

and

lover

in

but

"

desire

youth.

The

contrary, the

lover

him

gives,
is formed

forms.

chivalrous

the

; he

lover

the

moved

fonnd

they

because

superior, because

youth

The

beauty.

mistress,

beloved

keeps the mastery

the

the

makes

25

LOVE.

OF

in

vassal, as

takes

he

woman,

wife's

whom
all the
position, the positionof one
on
sacrifices are
imposed, whose
duty and happiness are selfand
long
liferenunciation, self-abnegation,
perpetual fidelity,
a

sacrifice

in

submission

by

word, the positionof

and

himself
In

man

be

to

exalted

the

in his

thus

shown

that

in

highest

of

spouse

had

he

nursed

the

have

must

masculine

feelings. Hence
and
let

the
gave
shame

such

unique
painting women

eyes,"
"

me

up

or

feminine

mother

what

it

"

will ; when

The

motherly

the

into

mine

are

is

"

the

woman

eyes,

holds,

custom

element

own

and

the

these

no

the
gone
ness,"
shrewish-

humour,"
{Twelfth Night) "rash
swells up to
hystericajpassiowhich

every
The
two
"

from

will

play

her

as

possessed

the
to

power

his

was

woman,

came

"nature

"

It

"

expressionsas
tears,"

to

since.

It

him.

the

to

"

"

he

within

woman

attained

and

all my

"

say
will be out."

woman

professes
worships.

woman

whom

the

is

his

natures,

with

capable

of prayer

state

the Lord

of
plays, the power
before or
one
ever
painted them
theory that each human
being,man
both

element

Christian

the

as

feminine

something of the same

the first series of Shakespeare'ssonnets
shows
artistic friendships,
cultivated
his feminine
he had

element, and
was

the

friendshipthere

and
feeling,

how,

In

well

as

is

there

every perfect man

this development.

Christian

conquers

purity.

In
of

who

one

the

"motion

that

elements,
mother,

present,
another, but never

tends

one

to vice

derived

Shakespeare

sometimes

one

in

from

(Julius Ccesar)
madness
(Lear)
man," (Cymheline.)

the

father,the

other

regard as everywhere
sometimes
predominating,
to

seems

reallydivorced.

great

"

sensation

"

26

PHILOSOPHY

the

brings

out

again,

cries

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

Cymbeline,

woman.

"

out,

SONNETS.

what

am

his

all

finding
mother

children
the

to

birth

"

of

An

three."

brings

occasion

the

out

which

for

calls

Coriolanus

man.

is

iron

an

said

resolution

stand

to

if

"

as

a
,

author

were

man

And

Cleopatra
of

nothing

of
"

says,

these

sought
Richard

makes
of

soul

my

which

they

Such
founded

upon
exhibits

sufferings

the

the
and

no

and

these

these

only
but

female,
still

female

beget

two

and

Not

and

soul

are

same

thoughts

the

self-

breeding,"

no

thought

contented,"

by

another,

and

"

contrast,

He
the

prove

"

speare
Shake-

elements.

I'll

themselves

have

itself

female

and

and

intellect

world."

kin."

other

placed,

thoughts,

"

each

modified

perpetually

Shakespeare's
it

the

father

male

like

's

brain

"My

are

intercourse

was

and

little

as

by

perpetual

the

this

self-sufficient,

none

male

breeding

generate

propagating,

he

still

people
contrasted

In

soul

of

brain

me."

say,

my

generation
thoughts

II.

knew

resolution

My

in

woman

and

himself,

may

be

generating
and

theory

formation

contradictions

of

practice

the

the

the

tender,
of

patient

this

thoughts.

new

from

gathered

by

Sonnets,

gentle
love.

he

where
heart

by

PHASESsidf^OiP^iS^lA.

THEEE

THE

CHAPTER

THE

LOYE,
has

LOVE.

OF

sonnet- writers,
philosophical
twofold
movement
one
a
altogetherinternal,
be called its mania, phrenzy,or enthusiasm;
its ecstasy.
reaching from within outwards

as

which

III.

PHASES

THREE

27

^y

conceived

the

bj

"

the

may
other

The

first is the soul's

"

warfare, and

of its

manifestation

the

strength; in the second the soul finds its peace and rest.
The unlovingsoul is in a state of dull stupefaction
; it is
and a
Love is first a disturbance
its own
lees.
on
settling
worked
by a thorough dislocation,
change,a transformation
consequent rearrangement,of the forces of the soul pent

and

so
shaking of a kaleidoscope,
by the earthquake of love, the component
into
and
enter
new
figures,
change places,

up within herself.
in the soul shaken
elements

combinations.

new

in the

As

Love

is

volcanic

or
revolutionary

to a country
givesa new conformation
to society. But
as
organization
peace is the end
is the object of the disturbing
rest in its end
so

force like that which

or

new

of war,
force of love ; and this rest is found
which
wrenches
the soul from
seek

its true
is

Love
tion.

life in union

an

act both

In both

with

of the

aspects

it has

the

in the ecstatic
itself and

objectof

it to

its love.
of the afiec-

and
intelligence
its three

ment,
move-

sends

states

its

"

original

its mania, and its ecstasy.

embryonic state of immobility,
witli
which
be
soul
the
a dulness
Intellectually
begins
may
made
idleness, or by the
perpetual either by clownish
of universal ploddingwhich
leaden contemplation
prisons
"

and
spirits,"
up the nimble
"
which
entirelykeep the
of their
books."

heavy toil,"
Love

is the

"

dedicates

itself to

brain," and

save

base

spiritwhose

show

"

slow

"

"harvest

no

authority from
incubation

arts

others*

infuses

the

28

PEILOSOPHT

first vivific
life

true

SHAKESPEARE's

OF

motion

When

soul.

tlie inert

into

SOI^NETS.

it enters

begins,and
with
.

the

motion

of all elements

Courses

cas
as
thought in every power,
And
to
a double
gives
power
power.
every
Above
their functions and
their otiices.

It

stirs

phrenzy

the

up

swift

first mania

divided

in

the

Plato

into

soul.

This

four

kinds

mania

or

the

by
phetic
prothe
mania
inspiredby Apollo,
mystic orgiastic
of Bacchus, the poeticenthusiasm
inspired by the Muses,
and the supreme
of love
cated
communiand
mightiest mania
Phito held
From
all of them
by Aphrodite or Eros.
the
versal
greatest blessingsto arise. He
appealed to the uniconviction
noble
that
they were
something more
than
direct
sound
and
were
gifts of the gods.
sense,
the
in
Shakespeare, in the famous
speech of Theseus
Midsummer
NigJifsDream^ on\j recognizes three of these
phrenzies those of the lunatic, of the lover, and of the
chieflyin their
poet ; and, unlike Plato, he regards them
was

"

furor

"

intellectual

aspect.

He

looks

at

them

all

disturbances

as

attains
imagination or fancy,which in all three cases
all the
other
an
exaggerated development, overshadows
the man
to be of
faculties,^nd makes
seem
imagination
in all three
all compact."
He
the one
law by which
states
The
the phrenzied imagination acts.
cases
seethingbrains
the
apprehend some
shaping fancy
feeling,for which
creates
some
immediately
supposititiouscause, which the
cool reason,
when
appealed ta, refuses to acknowledge.

of the

"

Such

tricks hath

strong imagination

That

if it would

but

It

In

these

comprehends

some

apprehend

bringerof

phrenzied states, the

always comprehends

or

some

that

joy,
joy.

apprehended joy

suggests

as

its necessary

or

feeling

tant,
concomi-

stance
imaginary subforce which
the feelinginto the mind.
insinuates
or
Thus
the melancholy apprehended or
felt by the lunatic
comprehends or includes in itself the imaginary perception
or

of

rather

"

more

devils

as

its

than

bringer

vast

or

hell

cause,

can

hold

an

"

the

tender

ings
feel-

apprehends comprehend, in the vivid

impression which they make, the imaginary perceptionof a
beauty in his mistress' brow which little corresponds to
which

the

lover

THE

the

PHASES

the

undescribed

and

reality:

of

THREE

OP

29

LOVE.

varied

and

emotions

comprehend in their 'tiery luminousness

of them,
airy
imaginary typificationsand embodiments
nothings,to which onl}^his pen gives their place and their
and with which
he peoples the vacant
name,
spaces of earth
the

poet

heaven.

and

But

these

the

bounds

the

mind

forward,

phrenziesor manias have hitherto not; broken

of personality. They have
mightily stirred up
caused
it to dilate and contract, to press
; they have
itself

spread

to

spheresof thought.
they

have

and

outward

man

can

no

look

into

mirror

same

also

to

this

does

the

and
not

self

merely

seem

Avhen

merely

that

under

the

in

of

conceptions
self"
his

eye can
aid of

reflective

the

knowledge is ; and the

to see himself,enables
him

man

knowledge.

Shakespeare by
that strengthening
immediately makes

to indicate

which

it

it.

does

he

or

mean

imagination, when
monstrous,

are

confronted

another,

to

Nor

the

phrenzies,

till

it

it with

our

than

the

we

the

to

himself

possess
conceptions of

the

between

caprice. Knowledge,

adjunct

an

its

test

to

communicate

can

that

barriers
confronted

not

own

belief

and

we

spur

sent

and

without

his

measure

another

convince

its

is,there

enables

knowledge
felt

than

depths

own

which

see

our

itself

other

Where

mirror.

of

its

walls

compelled it

tells us, is "but

himself
more
see

Shakespeare

not

have

things, they

standard

any

the

all space, all

it out of itself ;

to occupy

even

they have

dov/n

realities,and

external

by

But

broken

not

abroad,

empty,

with

realities,and
unregulated, false,
with
He
into
them.
brought
harmony
also,that
means,
the
the accurate, philosophical
knowledge,
objectof which
of ourself and of our
is the contemplationand consciousness
mental
acts and
own
states, does not begin its existence in
of direct
of self- contembut
the form
plation
self-contemplation,
in the

mirror

For

of external

speculation turns not

travelled,and

Till it hath

it may

Where

soul, in

Man's
sees

not

of forms
reflect.

itself

"

see

to

"

itself

is married

there

itself.

Shakespeare's conception,is
is a mirror, a glassy essence,

till it is
Thus

phenomena

all

confronted

with

such

speculationbecomes,

an
a

eye which
retina void

forms

in his

it

as

can

terminology,

"reflection,""reverberation," "communication,"

or

com-

30

of the

munity

mind

knowing
and

is in darkness

mind

SHAKESPEAEE's

OF

PHILOSOPHY

with

SONNETS.

the

ignorance

known

till it is

object.

provoked

The

not

only
by the presence, but by the reaction of external things. All
all the fancied
its imaginary causes,
bringersor upholders
the operators of the feelingswhich
it assigns as
which
be
shown
to
it a^jprehends,are
nothing till they can
be
reflections of realities,brought back
again to be
them.
to
tested
alongside of them, and thus married
union
Where
such
impossible,the fancy dies. If
proves
unintelligible,
without
the soul external
things are imperceptible,
simply blank,

and
external

just

far

so

far

they

as

married

are

other

hand

knows

its

and

without
acts

own

embodied

in

objects

it knows
the
apprehend. And
of these
significance
objectsonly
of the
to the
intelligent
powers

worth, and

the

meaning,

reflected

are
can

senses

It

is blind.

soul

they

as

the

which

so

the

things

the

on

within
the categoriesof its selfsoul, so far as they come
the soul finds
consciousness, of that intelligence
by which
within

itself

the

For

this

forces.

which

another, is

the

at

is the

the

Without

it the

imagination and
plodding thought

brain."

When

love

tiveness

and

of

the

leaves

the

makes

and

"

lives

rectified

is

nature.
in

"
"

the

inquisi-

new

character

new

harmony,
study his

new

bias

book

and

action

on

objectits

beloved

marriage

with

gain a

senses

soul

one

immured

"

sharpness, the ethical

intellect new
subtlety, new
nature

of

reason

new

strength,the
rhythm. Lopsided
"

the

comes,

union

and

love

intellectual

the

the

senses,

all external

identifies

ethical

time

same

of

likeness

Shakespeare

reason

philosophy. Love,
with

and

measure

its

academy.

imagination;
passions,fear
Plato

was,

in

how

the

first

shudders,

man,

the
with

which

the

the
the

sense,

struck
and

beautiful

softens the

sought

the

the

skin,and

its beneficial

beginnings of
it inspired.

the

which

awe

For

He
beginning of wisdom.
dart
with the love-inspiring
is

beauty

wings
causes

of

god, then

which
his

him

he

of

again is

has

fear

describes

terrors, then

with

overcome

object as
of

emanation

refreshes

its

those
lies in its power
over
desire, which
chieflyinfluence the will.

and

solelyin

action

lies in

love

side

moral

the

to have

seems

of

side

intellectual

The

beauty,
rences
reve-

heated

received, and

soul, opens

the feathers to grow

their
once

pores,
more.

THE

Then

lie

tells

sometimes

how

us

relieved

tormented

been

the

and

part of
lessness, and
forth

with
her

is destined

is

of

tendency
drowns

the

then

joy,

again

and

made
and

With

only

love
With
of

with

make

it

the

enumerates

shame-

from

that

object
poets of

and

Sappho
the

downward

intoxication

an

and

vicious

beautiful

enhances

Plato
to

And

the

serves

which

his followers
of

means

has

of all these

cure

fear.

awe.

excitement

reason.

the

tells us, the

puts off its

and

soul

unbridled

He

soul.

throbs,

beauty, he

through

is laid hold
the

this

lover's

this

and

boils
of

to be

humbled

simple reverence
school

interval

an

swoons

the

soul

"

of

presence
the
soul

whole

31

LOVE.

sleepless wandering about

the beautiful
see
objectwhich

to

In

pains.

time

and

more

cause

OF

strangeness of the affection,and

phrenzied, frantic,
once

the

with

the

with

longing

PHASES

THREE

the

citement
ex-

purifying

and terror, the

signs of awe
the
are
shrinking, which

trembling, the sweating, and

developed by the agency of love, and declares them to be
the signs of the struggle of the inferior and
material
part
which
the
of
is
of our
love
nature,
through
being
agency
subdued
and
into
the
brought
captivityby
superiorand
In
spiritual faculties.
conformity with this the Codex
Amoris
(Arts.XV. and XVI.) declares the trembling of the
lover to be the constant
and indispensablesymptom
of true
chivalrous
how

he

For

her

love.

fainted

Hence
and

Dante

swooned

his Vita

at the

him

to

was
presence
passionand unworthy

in

Nuova

tells

sight of Beatrice.
frost and
blightof all

mere

the

thoughts ; she inspired a flame

kindled
and humility in his heart
charity,
forgiveness,
her salute wrought in him
intolerable
an
bliss,which
his soul, but
made
his body like a corpse.
be the
to
"fallingsfrom us, vanishings," seemed
throes
the
the

of the

flesh.

The

the

awe,

pulse, were

within,

Love

thus

signs and
of

might
story

became
inward

blushes, the
of the

destined

kind

grace
and

groans
to confession

go
of Don

and

was
a

possessed

or

trembling,the impotence
index

an

which

which

natures

involuntary sighs

feverish
on

diabolic

of

to

; and

fied
vivi-

These
death

obsessed
of

speech,

eyes

and

transform

the

soul.

its outward

cipline
through its diswatching, just as they

went

men

perform

Quixote'sdevotion

which

mighty strugglegoing

fasting and
and

sunken

sacrament, with

and

us

is

their

only

penances.

The

slightexaggera-

32

PHILOSOPHY

tion

his heroes

drive
the

on

caricature

and

of

into
of

virtues

down

sets

the

the

their

fastingand

desert,to meditate

Dulcineas

; but

the

and

clothes.
the

cud

in

kind

same

groaning,tears

hair, unheeded

unkempt

sonnets.

reality. Shakespeare

of love

notes

as

shakespeaee's

OP

does

there in

not

nudity

his comedies
of ascetic

he
tices,
prac-

sighs,waning flesh,

lover

of

this

kind

apart, chewing
fancy,keeping out of his
mistress's
view, and yet fancying that all he did had secret
influence
his claims
her heart.
her, and advanced
over
on
and tremor
which
Platonism
treated
Thus, the awe
the
as
walked

of

of

under
great internal
struggle,had grown,
artificial system
of the
the
to be a kind
of
romancers,
not produced by
a state
magical charm, an afi'ectation,
any

symptom

Sonnets

the

of the

lover,

love,

assumed

but
struggle,

internal
In

have

we

when

in the
of this.

none

have

we

them
He

its counterfeits.

not

of his

faints
; he
and self-renunciation

fruit

of

it

The

lived
as

ecstasy of

ethical

ceased

lover

"

the

in the

of

is in

heart

My

love

still

its final

was

the

and

thy breast,"

lived

he

person
"

loved.

But

the

tion
devo-

seem

double

knew

life

"

Such

phrases

encloseth
to

with

warm

he

stage,in which

the

well

my

frigid

us

blood

enough

Thee

have

8ave

where

he

the

I not
thou

up in any chest
not, "though I feel thou

lock'd
art

gentle

closure

of my

art,
"

breast.

the expressionby in sinua.ting

a distinction
justified
his own
living and acting self and that soul of his

ecstasy of

in the

As
As

easy
from

That

with

breast

Thy

living philosophy,though

friend's breast

The

part like

hyperbole they expressed

between
which

his

his love

himself

be

to

bosom

Within

And

awe

real efiects ot

strengthweakens

his love.

now
heart," and the like,which
poor
in Sliakespeare's
conceits, were
days

of

and

inspiresis a riper
merely physiologicaleffects of

these

than

struggle.

emotion.

nervous

the

which

that

tremor

all,are
put beside

is

; the abundance
when
he writes
of

an

The

at

imperfectactor

him

placeof

love

had

taken

up

its abode

in

his

might

my
is my

I from

soul which
home

myself depart
in

thy

breast

doth

lie.

of love.

ecstasy of love brings the lover into direct relations

the person
beloved, ai"d thus imparts to love a new

\
THE

character.
and

Love, while

fantastical.

it fixes itself
person,
one, and

PHASES

THEEE

the

It is

on

nothing

real

onlyin

it is

and
passion,

fancy,is foolish

the

will,and till
the love,the loving

tillit is in the

object.But

may remain
to various objects,
as

emotion

the

33

LOVE.

OF

of love

yet be directed in succession

it climbs the scala amoris^or degradesitself from a higher
to a lower kind of love,or is obliged
to change by the mere
of time.

and waste

wane

writers

that of Mr.

not

was

the doctrine of the old sonnet

But

God

lends

sings:

"

love ; something to love

givesus

He

He

Tennyson.

us*;but

when

love is grown

that on which it throve

To ripeness,
and love is left alone.
Falls off,

They, on

the

contrary,held

that when

objectfell off,

one

which
behind it,
on
higherobject
the widowed
getting
forlove at once
fastened itself,not faithlessly
the object
it had justlost,but finding
it againin a
better and
plained
exhigherform in the new object.This was
be
of
abstraction
to
successive
intellectually a process
who
tells us to abstract from
Ficinus,
by
body its matter

it onlyrevealed

and

we

place,and

abstract

better and

have

changein
and

mind

keep

have

God.

pure Light,or
to be a process

God
men,

On

the

other

of mind

form

onlythe

angel; from
multiplecompositionof forms, and
we

the

; from

time, and

position,
multiplecom-

abstract the

angel to
we

hand

have
it

to

simple form,
was

explained

by Blosius,who finds in
or
souls,or
every beautythat exists apart in angels,
But
in
neither
or animals,or
plants,or suns, or stars.

system is the
widowhood

of accumulation

widowed

ever

finds her

upwards on the
Thus, as Plato tells us
Lycis,the
affection can
be transferred by association from its primitive
objectto new ones, and yet the primitiveobjectwill
stillremain the real one ; the other objects
onlyoperating
the mind by recalling
to it,and carrying
it back to, its
on
love.
he
Thus, the affection for the new
primitive
objects,
is
the
affection
for
the
old
under other denominations
one
only
says,
and disguises.
But this is onlyan analogous
case
;
it hajipens
when the absent lover clings
to every show which,

ladder

reminds

to be

love left alone ; she

occasion for a step

the

of love.

him

in the

of the beloved

They
Drawn

one,

and

declares of them

of delight
but sweet, but figures
after you, you pattern of all those.

were

all-^

itself to many

lends

Here

love

being

false to its

all

It

great object.

collateral, all inferior

object, and
Shakespeare's one

live

main

friend

is

objectswithout
higher stage when

objects are

snmmed

second

in

life

all former

bos')!!! is endeared

Thy

collateral

with

him.

And
And

friendshipsrevive

art the

images

Their

must

objectsin

by

enthralled

and

of
the

where

supplies

the

not

the heart*'

"

for absence

not,

object
"

show.

and

of

Then

of love
which

for eyes
but the

This

Theri it grows

that
love
proves
the image of the

^hat

presence.

secret

breast

own

see

his

real

outward

the

eyes

eyes

reality,the
his

live

doth

and

nature

to

for

the

that

where
buried love
grave
I loved
I view in thee.

by necessity progressive. It
be
loving higher objects,or loving the same
First, it is born in the eyes,
higher manner.

is

ever

"

all hearts

love

in

Thou

For

the

Thus,

by lacking have supposed dead,

there reigns love, and
all love's loving parts,
friends which
all those
I thought buried

Wliich

in

np

"

is

the

draw

of

see

unknown

exactly
object carries in
what
they see, paint

beloved
but

image

ranges
absent
to

comes

the

not

the

lover

pendent
inde-

which

exists

in

the

lover's

is

love

appropriately called
sake
fancy." It is the activityof the feelingfor its own
of itself,
and not yet solidlygrounded
-"love enamoured
in any
a
wandering ship ready to anchor
bay.
a Proteus
its ideal within
It is naturallyinconstant, for it bears
; and,
fit this ideal
in the phrenzied glow of its imagination, it can
imagination.

stage

"

"

"

first to

real

one

pei'^on

and

then

another

to

to

"

Hermia,

Helena, and back

again to Hermia.
Fancy,
each
is
and
ful
shameitself;
however,
cures
change
painful
shame
and
the
hand, and the joy of reon
one
turn
; pain
and

then

on

longer

to

the
loves

other, change fancy to

ideal
merely its own
"

fidelity.Fidelityno
an

ideal

that

fits in-

difierentlyto all realities ; but it loves an ideal that is

who
found
to
and
one
correspond to one
only to one
of the corporeal
satisfies the
ideal, in spite of the wane
first aroused
the passion. The
beauty which
fancy with its
corporeal images fades a,way ; and love is found to consist
in the
render, in a
marriage of true minds, in a mutual
and
mental
which, in spite of death
correspondence, on
pleteness
time, constancy stamps the seal of immortality, and comit
of infinitude.
For
impresses the semblance
"

THE

all lesser loves

gathers up
which

thus

brother

becomes

emerges

OF

PHASES

THREE

into

35

LOVE.

the

sovereign love,

one

all in all ; and the love of the known

known
through death into the love of the un-

God.
and

unity which
to
speak of

is then

There

allows

us

of

and

lowest,

underlies

the

the

lowest

in

all kinds

highest in
of

terms

terms

the

of

loves,
of the

highest.
by its

mystics is said to transform

into
the
interpretationthe Bacchic
couplets of Hafiz
drunkenness
devout
For there is a spiritual
most
hymns.
is like the
the logicof one
well as a material
as
one
; and
all kinds
of
unites
The
logic of the other.
unity which
close ; and
love is far more
the religiousinterpretation
that
of the
be far easier than
must
Song of Solomon
speare's
the first reading of ShakeOn
of Hafiz's anacreontics.
Sonnets
to see
seem
we
only the passionatelove
for an earthlybeauty. The next
reading may reveal to us
that this love is as much
directed
to the beauty of mind
as
to that of body. A third
reading begins to dim the personal
outlines
the object of Shakespeare'slove begins to
than
universal
expand into something more
general,more
the
individual
friend
immortality
something to which
and infinity
themselves
not strangers. As this gradual
are
growth in meaning is strictlyin accord with the precepts
of the philosophy which
Shakespeare followed, it would
A

Persian

school

of

"

be

absurd

to

which
out

overlook
it

of

gives

Sonnet

for

Sonnets

of the words
in

it,or

108.

to

scandals

such

40-42,

of the

neglect the
or

Lord's

out

natural
as

of the

Prayer to

Religious allusions

may

have

tion
explanabeen

tracted
ex-

profane application
an
earthlylove
abound

in

the

love-poetryof a Piatonist without the slightest

profanity;
for they only express
of the identityof
the poet's sense
love in all its forms, and the community and
inter changeof the terms
ableness
appliedto its various phases.
Thus, love of all kinds goes through three phases ; first
it is dormant, then phrenzied,then
ecstatic. And
its end
of the intellect by marriage with
is the rest and
peace
truth
and
of the soul hj its marriage with the
or
reality,
Both
and
presses
objectivemind.
intellectually
morally it exthe progress
of the soul from infinitesimal beginnings
to

an

end

all but

infinite.

d2

36

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE'S

CHAPTER

THE

TRUE

first
THEcarries

ORDER

edition

SONNETS.

lY.

OF

SONNETS.

THE

of

Shakespeare's Sonnets, tliougliit

no
positiveevidence of being issaed under the
author's
superintendence,yet on the other hand bears none
of the marks
of surreptitious
and unauthorized
publication
in
the
which
are
so
conspicuous
originalquarto edition of
the several
plays. The printing is exceptionallycorrect
for the time, and the book
is dedicated
by the publisherto
Mr. W. H., the
is
only begetter of the Sonnets, who
for whom
the poet made
all
apparentlyidentified as the man
the promises of immortality which
For him
they contain.
intended 1
they had been written or arranged in definite series,
of a known
to illustrate the progress
philosophy. There is
them
to suppose
to the printer,
no
that, in delivering
reason
he would
broken
their continuity and
have
confounded
their
order; and we
ought therefore to suppose, till the
contrary is demonstrated, that the order in which
they
"

"

stand

is that

It is true
have

which

that
taken

accidental, and
them

in

was

intended

of those

most

it for
have

who

granted

therefore

by

their

have
that

taken

the

author.

written
their

on

order

libertyof

the Sonnets
is

merely
arranging

larities,
according to supposed internal simiand
events.
or
relationshipsto persons
But
of
those
writers
who
have
thus rearranged them
none
have
to
the
trouble
to enquire
seem
given themselves
whether
it might not
be possible to explain them
as
a
series in their present order.
sumed
They have first of all assome
theory that the Sonnets are historical,or
that they are
versifications of separate sentiments
mere
and have thereupon proceeded to group
ing
them
afresh,accordto the persons
events
or
they are supposed to touch, or
new

groups
external

"

"

TRUE

THE

according

sentiment

the

to

OP

OEDER

each

37

SONNETS.

THE

may

chieflyto

appear

enunciate.

yet, if

And

these

in the

lightof the
poetical Platonism

examined

are

poems

sonnet-philosophy of that
since
which
had
inspired compositionsof this kind ever
is quite natural, and
their rise
their sequence
they need
new
no
grouping to make them into a singleorderly poem.
in this light,
Indeed, examined
they appear to be articulated
The
most
and
subtlety and care.
arranged with rare
that the 154
it appear
makes
nets
Sonsuperficialexamination
series.
The
divided
into two
first,consistingof
are
to a fair youth ; the second, consisting
of
126, is addressed
to a black-haired, black-eyed,
the remaining 28, is addressed
common

"

"

dark- featured

and

It

woman.

farther

that

appears
force ever

the

growing,
depicted in the first series is a
and
obstacles, and becoming ever
triumphing over
purer
brighter; while the love sung in the second series is bad
in its origin,interrupted but not
morse,
destroyedby fits of reand worse
is
with
Such
time.
and growing worse
of
of the book
the
Sonnets.
And
general construction
Shakespeare tells us that his intention was to exhibit two
The
such loves.
opening quatrain of the 144th Sonnet is
love

as

follows

"

Two

loves

The
the

better

The

worser

former

other
and

love
no,

without
is

but

other

full of

the

"

eternal

there

The

these

change.

Sometimes

war.

the wearied

series of Sonnets
trials.

perfect and

is, however,
to

the

indiSerence
two

higher

kinds

alternation

attempt

love

at perfection.

one

triumphs,

despair of
sense.

love

undergoes

are

its

In

the

of yes

"

definite

"

The

In

of
of

infinite

perverse,
it the
sense

no

final

it returns

endless.

true

perpetualapproach
and

their

is both

time

it is the true

or
progress
any
fraudulent
fickle,false,and

any

at

are

the

false infinite

contradictory,and
conscience

revolutions, but each

strength

which

is the

It

amor

its

renewed

motion

circular

friendship and concupiscence,

of the schools.
concupiscentioe

to

and

has

love

to itself with

have, of comfort and despair,

still :
do suggest me
spirits,
angel is a man
right fair,
coloured
ill.
spirita woman

answer

amicitice

amor

The

The

loves

two

like two

Which,

selfand
times
some-

victory,
the

science,
con-

the. two

put through

probation of

38

PHILOSOPHY

Shakespeare's

OP

absence, suspicion,
jealousy,and
better is

by

also

evil stillmade

its

triumphs

It

proves
lower
love

The

triumphs

disenchantments

the

over

also

of

"

and

error,

better."

probation.

sonnets.

that

goes
under-

jealousy,

over

experience,triumphs

the

the unsusprinciplesof morals

(Son. 129), over
tained
struggles of good resolution
(Son. 146), and over
the
it finallyperverts and
stings of conscience, which
blinds
(Son. 151). Although these two kinds of progress
in a form
treated
which
is perfectlyabstract
and
personal,
imare
of
nothing prevents our
supposing that many
ever

illustrations

the
real

events

may
be

may

philosophicedifice.
of

Sonnets

the

the

here

historical

be
often
The

used

that

"

the

as

makes

and

persons
materials
for

only postulate

advocated

real

which

is that

the

the

theory

they

are

in

first intention

to the exposition
philosophical,devoted
of the received
sonnet
philosophy,and only in the second
intention
biographicalor historical,and therefore using
in complete subordination
real events
to the philosophical

ideas.

theory both requiresand

This

of sonnets
and

the

in

both

that

the

of each

same

cyclic character

is similar
similar

series.

This

discovers

; that

sonnets

occur

that in both

is found

sonnet

answers

in the

relationship
may

; that

to

the

series
gress
pro-

sonnet

equivalent phases

be traced

throughout ;

that
the
order
of the sonnets
in
distinctly
proves
both
series is right,or
at least that
series are
the two
in each
principle,striking "each
arranged on one
by
that
becomes
the
mutual
so
one
ordering,"
counterpart of
the subordinate
the other, just as in the dramas
plotsare
plot,which
they imitate either
counterparts of the main
It is not unor
natural
or
ironically,
by contradiction.
directly,
this
that Shakespeare should
method
both
employ
The
and in his dramas.
in his sonnets
importance of such
for the interpretation
of the poems
structure
is
a double
of it the author
scarcely to be exaggerated. By means
in a great measure
explainshimself. He gives us a number
the two
series are
in contact, thereby
of points at which
divisions
of each
series,its salient and
marking the main
significantpoints of transition, and its parallelism with
This parallelism
be readilyshown.
the other:
can
the desire of love to see
As the first series begins with
itself in its ofispring,so the second
beauty immortalize
and

it

ORDEK

TEUE

THE

OF

39

SONNETS.

THE

begins with the confession that beauty is profaned and

One
begins with
disgraced,and its ofispringbastard.
hope, the other with accents of. despair,for the future of
amicitice looks forward
to eternity,
beauty. For the amor
looks
the amor
only to present pleasure,and
concujAscenticB
of the

is reckless

of

sonnets, No.

musical

two

the

the

This

future.

While

second.

8 of the

deepest mysteries of
for

only

the

with

something

and

lips of

the

latter
the

different

from

which

the

the

poet

occupied
music,
fingers
of
spiritin a
expense
the

Sonnet

14

"

ransacks

"

wiry
thoughts are

129th

in Sonnets

128

scriptions
preconcord

"

declares

with
to be, is parallel
concufiscentice
beauty,the ruin, tlie cold decay, the wastes

which

No.

and

reasons

the

amor

unthriftiness

the

in

and

the

"

The

the
find

to

art

performer.
"

shame

of

waste

the

first series

former

while

ear,

very

the

in

increase,

confounds

the

in

is found

contrast

the

of

the
of

waste

Time, the

poet charges

is unwilling to fulfil the

Beauty which
duty of
so
preservation. In his eyes, if lust is "murderous,"
is selfish Beauty which
does
for posterity
not care
;

on

self-

also

"

For

thou

That

The

art

so

possessed of

the

point where

hate

murderous

stick'st not

'gainstthyselfthou

to

conspire. (Son. 10.)

approach each other

is in Sonnets
21 and 130.
The
two
parts
are
perfect counterthe
turn
on
same
thought of the folly of
; both
for the object of
to find comparisons
racking invention
of turning heaven
itself into
love, and
mere
paint to
be worthy of the highest love,
it. A person
colour
may
or
deeply stir the lowest passion,and yet be nothing
may
The
like sun,
stars.
two
of
or
following sonnets
moon,
series give this thought a development which
the second
it lacks in the first. Attractiveness
consists
in something
next

different
in

even

from

two

resemblance

something

that

to

series

the

is distinct

great works
from

the

of nature

usual

ideal

of

beauty.
The

next

series, and

point of

is in Sonnets

contact

133, 134

of the

second.

40-42

These

of the first

evidently
imaginary incident,that in all rearrangements
of the sonnets
they are put together. The
earlier set is, however, clearly addressed
to the
better
worser
amor
angel," the later to the
spirit." The

refer to the

same

real

so

or

"

"

40

PHILOSOPHY

amicitice
asks

if it is not

dies

for

such

no

earlier

however

needs

to her

the

differ

the

quarrel with

to

lover, but

afford

lation
conso-

laxityof Sonnets

mistress

also

robs

seeks
love

who
him

another

not

still have

may
is not

of his

faithful
only un-

In

friend.

with
series,though the lover is contented
nothing
his friend's whole
with
this
heart, yet
engrossing

first

but

affection

he

only earnestlyinvites

not

him

expresslyleaves
Mine

be

him

free in his relations

thy love,and

thy

love's

use

the

with

common

lies

plane, which
vulgar
The

to

of

next

placewhere

"

that

(Sonnet 20.)

domestic

the

and

135

the

136.

love

of

rior
infe-

wife,or

two

series touch

The

two

latter

is such

Love

character.

whatever

that

of your
Will,
ill of it. In both placesthe lover
heart

dares

which

higher
the

mistress.

same

touching the

distinguishedby the puns upon the name

edition the final coupletof
the original
by

it,has this in

it lives in

without

but

marry,

women.

their treasure.

love

with,
parallel

love

Sonnets

with

chivalrous

civil and

level of the

not

rise to

is Sonnet

superficially

are

of

57 is

"

Will."

fool in

do, he

you

expresses
jealousy. " Nor

In

distinguished

true

57

the

thinks

absolute
dare I

no

lity,
humi-

question

where

my jealousthought
of your
Let none
his friend.

with

be," he says to
you
may
desires,no wish, be violently

says to his mistress.

all in the unity of your

Think

suppressed,he
merge
who
the

to

friendlylove, as Shakespeare conceived

The

in

exclusive

superficially
resembling the
in this, that while
friendship

jealousof the friend who

only a mistress, the vulgar

friend, but
reason

the

love

baser

no

will

as

be

not

the

least it demands

compassion
passion. Hence,

(40-42),

set

At

much

the lover's

133, 134, which,

sonnets.

reciprocal.But

return.

but only so
fidelity,
to

Shakespeare's

OP

them
also

am

whole.

Will, approach you

This

Donne, Elegy

communism
III.

"

Women

of

them

will ; and
as

an

all one,

then

let me,
integral part of

vulgar love is found

for men,
are
ingredientin this
made

equally
not

him,

of
no
Constancydespair." Its only eternityis an everlastingchange, not
everlasting growth. As Donne
an
says again, "Change
of music, joy,life,and eternity."
is the nursery
Proceeding onwards, the 137th Sonnet, though materially
nor

is

me."

correspondingwith
43-47,

and

two

113, 114,

sets

of sonnets

all of which

in the
refer

to

"love

first series

the

"

violence

THE

TEUE

"wliiclilove puts upon

yet formallyhas
The

62.
and

the

the other.

67-70

the

love

of

the

indubitable

at

In

the

put him

him

of

falsehood

of

The
he

and

pleased to dote,"

which

she

spiritthe
wishes
if

to

he

is

face

if

time

warns

his

key

first

to

friend

Its

playing

"fire

him

out."
in

If I have

Those
And
Mine

On

travels

blenches
worse

newer

gave

essays

appetite I

of the

to

only

in

the

In

vals
inter-

the

same

Sonnets

of his

92-94,

friend's

falsity,

enjoy

kind

the

at

same

is like Eve's

virtue

is not

been

apple,
what

quoted

it
the

as

false

does

not

ranged,
again.

I return

heart

my

more

proof,to try

an

the

lover's

"

tress,
mis-

counterpart to this,in
Sonnets
the
109, 110, where

proved thee
never

with

The

his absence

...

that

madness

his mistress
as
pursue
be accepted as
others

already

is

liim

ideas

two

burden, in the latter part, is this

series, is found

Like

the

be

to

"

beauty

has

mad,

"

kindness

his

lays

will go

voluntary madness,
this
My heart is

but
him

friend

that

wronging

pretend

deceived, to
all the heart, but

144

series.

lover declares

the
a

weeds, if his

Sonnet

will

least

live

that

than

worse

absent
she

the

his

sort, but

knowledge

have

cannot

to both

If the

the

spared
false,wishes

to be.

seems

in

the

unkindness

from
them.
spare
the former
series of

be

he

lilies

it makes

can

lover,

her

is

account

her

In

for

develope

fondness

experience

to

88-90.

are

it may
be.
his mistress
not to

and

others, asking only

and

are,

in

Sonnets

friend

at

not

senses

give no

can

140th

warns

141-143

lover's

in which

conduct, whatever

lover

the

and

seeming

to be so
faithless,
misery. He promises,

of his

does

Sonnets

in

to be

wrongs
nothing of the

if she

her,

to him.

she pursues

the

will do

faithful

of which

Sonnets

justifythe

to

; he
slander

judgment.

of

case,

heart

false surmise

and

and

intends

one

to that

139th

out

false,
Sonnet

and

eyes
with false

seeming

friend's

numbers

both

his
justifies

if he

his
justify

later

the

lover

him,

to

to

call upon
him
upon
and

false

in

eye

contrary way

counterparts
the

and

however,

with

the

deals

friendship. The

invites

once,

in

love

deal

blinds

Sonnet

them

with
relationship

blinds

love

138th

numbers

him, and

self-love

vulgar

Sonnets

real

make

to

as

so

"

SO:

THE

eyes

more

vulgar

The
in

pretence

earlier

of

sin of

the

much

sin

"

OF

OEDER

another
my

best

argue

friend.

youth,
of love.

wiirgrind
older

"

falsehood

"

42

PHILOSOPHY

His

to his true

his mistress

with

himself, with
the

of

Sonnets

"sickness"

have
and

while

in

his

of

the

and

self-torment

love

balances

his

149

baser

barrier

friend

with

that

tells his mistress

and

150
and

former,

of

unkind-

corresponding unkindness

of

the

love

The

that

the

by

lover

infidelity,
rightly interpreted,is

two

the

of the

endured.

the
Then

the

and

119,

excused.

balances

of

passion,

120

depth

recommend

of

between

and

love

and

"

Sonnet

the

seeing

counterparts

very

lover, in

unkindness

bring togetherthe
the

the

and

147

false

and

fever

madding

the

146,

false vision

bewailed

with

of

the

should

series

the

are

"

are

the

mistress

proves
inflicted

love, and
senses

in Sonnet

delirium

temporary

friend,

hess

that

quarrel with

new

the

and

been

Sonnet

lover,and
mutually

which

him

tion
lyricalreconcilia-

113, 114,
analogous
love
is discussed, and
118
Sonnets

the

lover

feverish

where

better

which

made

in Sonnets
concujpiscenticB

amor

of

where

brief and

in Sonnet

recognizesafresh the
his passion,in terms

the

oat," and

145, and a
half promise of amendment,

votary of the

148

After

love.

SONNETS.

fired liim

"

see, has

erringlove, we

return

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

nobler
of

torments

tells his

proof

the

friend
of

his

the

falsehood
of his
very
him
It is necessary
to her.
to
parallelSonnets, 121 of the first

the

second,

bring

it within

in

order
the

understand

to

moral

code

of

the

higher love.

In

Sonnet

'Tis better

to be

vile than

When

to be

receives reproach of

150

not

the

complains that
that has
insufficiency

vile

than

to be

love

perverts conscience

it is better

being.
it is his

lover

very vileness and

the lines quoted will mean,
vile,for vileness itself will
esteemed

vile esteemed

mistress's

enthralled
in love

sometimes

to

him.

So

be

command

really
affection,

and

thereby lose all love. Lastly,

the
of
each
a
comparison between
concluding Sonnets
series,124, 125, and 151, 152 (for 126 is merely a tag or
appendix to the first series, as 153 and 154 are to the
second),will show how the higher love in its last development
becomes
into a religion,
while
the
lower
sublimated
and

truth, the

manner
religion. In this unsatisfactory
of despair closes.
love
It has
bad
a
too good a philosopherto exhibit
was

alike

to bliss ; but

he shows

how

corner-stones

the

poem

of
of the

end.
all

of the

Shakespeare
paths as leading

two

kinds

of love

THE

he

which

OEDER

TEUE

toils

sings,one
lapses,the
halts.

of

powers

knows

weak

too

that

to revise

Thus

the

love

desire.

the

second

with

the

To

the

series.

second

column

series.
that
the

But
the

By

again,if
Platonic
it

has

two

second
three
the

besides

to be

and,

far

so

order

is

surelya great argument

in the

the

correspond

to

first series ;
preciselythe same

is

comprises

dedicated, to

are

found

are

shows

fully than

more

sonnets

26

remain

in which

order

to

their

read.

worth

of

contact.

while
The

numbers
first

tabular

in

the

series,those
of the
table

correlative,and

are

in

exhibit

to

of the

sonnets

examine

we

scale of

"

be

love,"

great
is ideal

to

remembered,
sensible

subdivisions.

Each
In

we

first

in

the

second

it will

both

the

the

by

be

arranged

the

shall find that

the

of the

treats

to

first is

of these

an

light of

in its main

prescribedform.

impression

divisions

love.

first series

the

rigidlyadheres

from

love

is

principle.

scale,it will
of

will

more

in the

This

series

two

in

whose

one

first

much

corresponding sonnets
glance at this comparative

of

; the

the

to

the

same

outlines

other

these

be

refer to the

column

on

perhaps
points

the

seen

each

first 125

But

that the sonnets

prove
author
intended
them
It will

the

other

the

casional
oc-

all

series of sonnets

two

and

only 26.

in both

form

the

parallelismextends,

found

of

casional
oc-

it.

proportionate number

in

evil,but whose

possesses,
of friendshipis treated

love

of

is

second

for the

spiteof
spite of

rapidly
in
independence

choice

all that

as

his

comparison of
they run
parallelto

that

in

descends

ends

43

SONNETS.

steadilyupwards

other

One

THE

change, that is,in immortality;

despair,in the self-condemnation

slough of
intellect

OF

That

transformation
ideal

force.

It

imaginative love, the

divisions

first division

love

separates into
is

(1) born

in

(2) nursed in the fancy through absence, and (3)

after the transition
to ideal
generalizedin thought. Then
with sense, the heart supersedesthe
love, sentiment
concurs
In this second division (1) the heart,more
trulythan
eyes.
eyes,

44

PHILOSOPHY

SHAKESPEAEE's

OF

SONNETS.

the

eye, furnishes the idea ; (2) the idea is purifiedin the

furnace
of jealousy; and
universal
(3) at last it is rendered

and

absolute

These

in the

six

steps

reason.

clearlymarked

are

Shakespeare'sSonnets.
kindled
through the
second

becomes
the

step, that

lover

from

step, the

his

26, and

continues

of

43.

The

into

sentiment, through

two

Sonnets

next

mark

the

the

friend's

subdivision
Sonnet

the

Sonnet

25.

"

of

absence

tion
dedica-

solemn
The

third

the

trials

the

to
next

of

and

stage

ideal

the

the

it

love.

is

The

power

feeds

love

the

on

of Sonnet
;

great

its creative

as

sense

sensible

second

not

65.

so

tion
convic-

This

constancy.

end

of

transition

shares

worth

continues

begins

all the

the

37.

46

ideal
eye, and the newly born
the
imagination of beauty

of

imagination

or

of
insufficiency

of imagination. With
powers
division begins ; the heart
now

on

beauty
perfectly

absence, is introduced
fancy over
dedicatorySonnet, 38, and continues down to

another

much

Sonnet

to

of

of

triumph

the

the

w^hereby

with

to

love

fancy
for the eyes
through
friend, begins with a

substituted

in Sonnet

with

the

have

we

first series

leading to the
eyes, and
desire of creation in the beautiful in Sonnets

chaste
The

First

the

in

first

The

next

general prelude

ideal

love

is

led

beset
it, which
through the chief dangers which
might
it
if
it
while
their
it
from
destroy
conquest
yielded,
may
its
and
its
Love
has
to
acquire
triumph
glory.
struggle
in succession
with
affectation, slander, death, jealousy,
This
humiliation, and the feelingof utter unworthiness.
continues

Sonnet

125

into

of its

love

The

the

are

of ideal

volition

thence

undistinguishable
infinite,and

invested, by the

attributes

of

infinite.

the

clearer

fervour

I. 1. Sonnets

I. 3.

"

"

1-25.
26"37.
38-45.

As

and

cooler, each
place,until love, perfectly
the
to

which
main

the

is

II. 1. Sonnets
II. 2.
"
II. 3.
"

Platonic

46"

really

divisions

"

I. 2.

to

love, gradually

facultyfor the

followingtable resumes
series of sonnets
according

first

of love

is the

From

its proper
itself supremely to that

attaches
purified,
infinite.

and

graduallybecomes
to take

96.

triumph

seizes

imagination, with

judgment

Sonnet

sentiment

objects it

object begins

the

of
the

religion. For

whatever

the

end

have

we

transformed
from

the

to

65.

66"96.

97"125.

of

scale

TEUE

THE

that

It is natural

love

the

scale

to the

respond

OEDEE

series of sonnets

second

it is hard

sensual, not ideal,and

is

Yet

idealized.

first

The

problem.

shall find

we

first.

the

clearlyas

so

45

SONNETS.

THE

OF

to

should

For

the

how

see

not

vulgar

it

be

can

that

Shakespeare solves the

through the eyes, is set forth

step, love

step, the transfer of love

in Sonnets
the sightto the fancy,is included
from
131, 132.
his mistress's
the lover thinks
In the former
face,in the
on
127-130.

in Sonnets

latter he

her

turns

The

condition.

into mourners
pitying his
eyes
of fancy,is
step, the generalization

black

third

133, 134.

in Sonnets

found

with

by making his
his friend^. The

ideal

is

his

with

even

Will," the

the

from

stranger

of the

name

mistress's

share

willing to

transition

representedin

135-137.

poet exhibits

The

lover

of love

"

second

The

will

this
his

mistress

imaginativeto

the

in Sonnets

manner

lover, becomes

volition, and

or

stage

tified
iden-

his

heart,

knowledge, is obliged to pass a false

The
her.
triumph of this false judgment
upon
falsehood, inconstancy,slander,the disillusion of the

in

spite
judgment
over

his

of

consciousness

the

senses,

jealousy,is

of wrong,
and
in Sonnets
138-143.

shown

of

cause

every

Finally the rest

the
of the series,144-152, exhibits
vulgar love in all its
bad
angel (144), by turns coaxing and
deformity as a
leading to despair,and graduallyworking up to a climax,
love in hate, with
darkened
till it becomes
and perverted
"

"

The

conscience.
may

therefore

main

be

thus

exhibited

II.

1.2.

131,132.

11.2.

133, 134.

II. 3.

"

"

the

series

two

the higher love and

that

sonnets,

which

perfectly symmetrical, and

other

any

the

doubt

all reasonable
one,

with

and

that

sonnets

144"152.

the

that

arranged
the

the

This

are

Platonic

the
in

celebrates

lower

love, are

agreement

fact

There

may

also
which

remain

with

beyond

proves

The

their
scala

present arrangement

arrangement.

clear.

light of

which

by implication proves
theory concerning them

and

of any
change in that

of the

in

celebrates

scale.

sonnets

138"143.

"

of

of

135"137.

"

by side,either
parallelismsor in that of

obvious

amoris,

1. Sonnets

side

therefore

series

"

127"130.

Viewed

right

I. 1. Sonnets
I. 3.

each

of this

divisions

is the

the

missibility
inad-

postulates

main

outlines

innumerable

46

difSculties

in
of

detail,

of

ideas
and

scale,
had

in

been

arise

the

bearing

"the

the

is

of

sun

is
the

at

growth

in

daily

is

in

turning

It

grows

causes

an

is

well

old,"

is

an

observed.

of

ideas

is

it

of

is

anon,

in
each

monotony

"

time

unless

telling
side
with
better

something

resembles

"as

same

each

each

which

and

the

which

the

continually

continually

but

in

difficulties

child;"

revolution,

undulation,
but

these

Love

development,

stronger,
appearance

so

and

ever

some

up

former

continual

up

growth,

of

sonnets

higher

But

subject.

burden

It

first.

the

and

earlier

reappearances

stages.

placement
mis-

apparent

the

in
found

be

to

earlier
of

new

told."

vibration
and

sonnets

second

new

than

later

nature

wheel

some

only

the

repetitions,

anticipations

ought

dismissed

from

what

sentiments,

which

from

arising

successive
the

the

other,

gradual

lM:AGmATIVE

LOVE

IN

CHAPTER
IMAGINATIVE

47

SONNETS.

THE

y,

LOVE

THE

IN

Shakespeare had formed

gradual ascent of Love

SONNETS.

the

designof exhibiting
through each degree of
its scale, from
the first conception of fancy in the eyes
to
heart
and
tinal possessionof the whole
the
intellect by
ideal love, he naturallybegan with a definition of the force
about
he was
whose
to describe.
Every word in
progress

WHEN the

this definition is accurate

From

That

"Fairest,"
the

to

:"

fairest creatures

we

thereby beauty'srose

desife increase,
die.
might never

the lover
attaches
says, because
in the
abstract, but to the one

he

fair

himself
fair

not

which

"

itself to him as the highest :

creatures," because
approves
"
desire of generation in the beautiful,"
love, defined as the

subject to change and death.

But
this desire of generationis founded
another
desire
on
still more
general; its roots lie in a still deeper ground,
that beauty's rose
desire
The
die."
the
might never
here
is full of import. In the range of its
word
rose
from
the
it reaches
associations
be
meaning that must
of the Rose to the sublime
given to it in much of the Roviaunt
applies only

to

creatures

"

"

"

conception

of Dante

Paradiso.

The

of

beauty

kindled
desire

"

by

of increase

when

the

love

; and

lovers
when

the

30th

aspirationfor the

is the
the

in

beauty
man

they

of

the

from
are

of

root

are

love.

and

31st

cantos

immortalityof the
The

of

rose

aspiration,when

fading creatures, produces

fairest of them.

and
both

woman,
men,

is the
causes

his

"

And
root

the

the

the

desire,

of domestic
lover

to wish

produce an excellent mind in the beautiful body of the

beloved
youth. But this Platonic creation hardly satisfies
for the mind
for immortality,
the aspiration
disappearswhen

to

the

youtli dies.

arisen

friend

would

before

another

urge

the

advice

to

Mr.

posterity.

to

had

Shakespeare's days there

of friendship,bj which
commonplace

current

likeness
that

Hence

Gerald

Cecropia

of

and

marry
her

to

his

transmit

to

has

Massey

one

pointed

out

Philoclea, in

niece

Sidney's novel of Arcadia

(Book
the
not
sentiments
general
only

III. pp. 431, 432), contains

of Shakespeare's first batch

of

arguments

but

Sonnets,
based.

are

"

best
to
your
the last line

the

As

Nature

made

be

mother

of

Sonnet

13.

of

But

echo

of

him

with

If
197)
yourself,you
the

cut

In

his

Shakespeare
who
has just been

of

seeds

step in
he

only

series

of

the

wilful

which

of

says

the

of

the

which

the

dilapidation of

gods

Moon

his

to

Parolles

Ends

of

worship
Shakespeare, men
use

the

armed

was

she
the

7th

which

was

refused

to

his

lect
neg-

trust,
he

often

begins

their backs

comes

with

in

of

drama

is founded

her

name

has

Leander, and
own

Sonnet

risingsun."

turn

first

Sonnets

First

and

Hero

Shakespeare's

The

Well.

the

which

Sonnet

the

scatter

thought, coupled

same

in

5th

he

youth

of

marriage.

Marlowe's

proverb

when
to

for

arguments

reproduces

that

the

with

in

age,
friend

the

malversation

estate

an

than

men."
French-

or

the

of

Egyptian

had

country

your

feeling of
aspirationof

excited

Then

this

(Langueti Epist., p.
like
beget children

beauty

shameful, unjust,

rhetorical

converse

Men

with

he

crystal

the
first

of

let your

in

Spaniards

the

One

life-interest.

mouth
"

father

Of
the earth.
like kind
is
fertility
upon
Shakespeare's friendship. In the first nine
his friend
to
on
general grounds ;
marry

Well

AlVs

with

this

Sidney's crystal ; then

which
others
find in
we
which

thousand

mutandis,

arguments

same

mouth

do

so

5 ; his remark
to have
suggested

seems

the

struck

with

urges
is wasteful,

and

much

love.

to

whip

mother,

they

in
Shakespeare, was
His
friend
Languetus

like

then,

makes

is destined

string

time.

throats

accordance,

with

of

had

You

wife, and
a
marry
be a better
servant

you
will

"

if you

which

on

child," is, mutatis

"

Cecropia's

"

child

you

one

Sidney,

into

put

of

monotony

8.

only an
pressed
he

the

Sidney's simile of rose-water

adopted by Shakespeare in Sonnet

say
glass is

Sonnet

of

so."

son

about

several

Queen
successor

on

beth's
Eliza"

On

the

other

on

the

settingsun,

hand,

IMAGINATIVE

the

and

in the

LOVE

to

only way
of

person

founded

retain

their

and

successor.

son

acoustic

an

on

THE

IN

homao^e is

phenomenon

49

SONNETS.

to

receive

it
is

The

8th

Sonnet

which

has

excited

so

of
to it the invention
trace
may
the twelfth
and
the harmonic
sesstops on the organ
of the
notes
two
quialtra. If two strings sound
any
triad
in complete accord, the third
will be
note
perfect
much

attention

that

we

"

in

spontaneously produced
vibration.

air

by
Shakespeare by
argument for marriage.
this

From

draws

the

an

Mark

how

husband

string,sweet

complementary
ceit
ingeniouscon-

an

another,
ordering.
Resembling sire and child and happy mother,
Who
all in one, one
pleasing note do sing ;
Whose
speechless song, being many,
seeming one
one

Strikes each

Sings this

in each

to

thee

by

*'

to

mutual

singlewilt

thou

none."

prove

this

point the arguments become less rhetorical,and

directlyto the feelings. Do you keep single
appeal more
for fear of wetting a widow's
eye? But the whole world
will be a widow
and weep
if you leave no copy
of yourself.
From

You

love

cannot

others

when

In Sonnet

10,
yourself
his own
personality; if you
"make

at least

Sonnet

l^th
friend

"

Dear

thee
he

poet first ventures

another

the

he

calls

his

entreats
affectionately

him

to

end

beauty'sdoom

is truth's

five Sonnets
able

war

"

and

he

truth

so, but

and

that
and

beauty

if he
date."

might

make

confer

shall

will not, his

Then
come

as

immortalityupon

he takes
war

on

from

Time,

him.

you I will
he says, " a

"

blessed than my
more
by means
by
by begettingliving pictures, drawn

way

himself

declares

poet, seeming to despair of being

his friend's conduct, declares that he himself,

his verses, will

"
with Time
You

14th

Now

the

"

new."

the
that

will do

in which

to influence

by
will

and

know

grounds,
In

and

in

on

to introduce

of me."

still farther.

love," and

murder

other

on

marry
self for love

reproduce himself;
prophet enough to
thrive togetherif he
"

this

will not

advances

my

commit

you

the

barren

He

graftyou
mightier
rhyme,"

"

skill."

Without

such

witness

will not
be
you
should
live twice, in it and

scriptionof
"

you

sweet
own
your
truth, he says, my de^
believed
such
witness
; with

of its

finally,casting

away

all

hope
E

in
of

rhyme." But,
persuading him, he
my

50

PHILOSOPHY

SHAKESPEAEE'S

OF

triumphantlyannounces
him"

his

own

SONNETS.

of

power

immortalizing

So long as men
can
breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee
Do
thy worst, old Time : despitethy wrong
live young.
ever
My love shall in my verse

"

...

"

This

was

beauty

of sonnet

common-place

of the

beloved

to

was

have

writers.

The

fading

everlastinglife in

the

Mr. Knight prints,in his illustrations of the

poet's verse.
of Spenser,Daniel, and Drayton,
Sonnets, similar sonnets
with
remarks
which
his unacquaintance
with
the
show

philosophy common

to them

writers.

sonnet

consists

They

considered

that

than

in

of

most

the

Love,

other
as

great

Aristotle

that
being loved
loving
than passive receptivity that it gives
rather
rather
than
The
lover
receives.
gives himself, and does
in order
to confer
The-.
so
immortality on the beloved.
of
is
seized
its friend,
with
soul, taken with the beauty
melancholy when it reflects that this beauty is only lent,
not
given, to the world; and its first aspirationis that
At
such
die.
first,while
never
friendsliip
grace
may
is more
in the wish
than
in the will, the incipientlover,
with
kind
of distant
a
respect, only urges his friend to
immortalize
himself; failing in this, he proceeds, timidly
says,
it is action

rather

and

in

"

"

_.

at
more

himself

associate

first,to
direct

and

personal

with

interest

his
in

friend, to express

his

existence,and

to

him.
something that shall immortalize
The
highest expression of this friendshipis doubtless
'Seneca.
In
self-sacrifice.
quid amicum
says
paro ?
mori
in
Ut
habeam
possim, ut habeam
quem
pro
quo
morti
et impendam."
exilium
cujus me
opponam
sequar,
undertake

"

"

"

In

the

first

of the

sonnet

Vita

Nuova,

Love

to
appears
and holding

Dante, carrying Beatrice sleepingin his arms,

the poet's heart in his hand.
He
wakes
her, and feeds her
with
then
the burning heart, and
The
departs in tears.
poet asks
Cavalcanti

his friends

That
And

To

he

heart

bore

fearful vision.

Guide

"

away,

for he

perceived

was
laying claim,
lady Death
fearingthis,sustained her with your heart.

die for one's

but

interpretthe

solves it

alone
Your

to

to your

ship;
highestexpression of friendsatisfythe aspirationof love. A

friend is the

it does

not

IMAGINATIVE

brief

LOVE

remainder
The

spends.

of

problem

immortality.
while

Cicero

love,
find

to

survives

one

of

than
it
purchase more
it proposed itself to the
of giving
surer
means

says
for

as

some

of

that

51

SONNETS.

THE

life cannot

writers, was

sonnet

IN

friends^ both^.lixip

two

the ..daad^.^tiiLJiEfiaL_3sdjd^
_

is

memory

bosom

the

of

to live.

duty

about

from

drink

to
O

report

Hamlet

God, Horatio, what

wounded

didst

Absent

thee

hold

ever

from

was

lover

awhile,
felicity
draw
thy

immortality of
appropriatelysought to
and

single resolution
tedious

heart, in

begins

the

Vita

her
which

that

durable

it with

the

the

of

the

and

made

brain
and

heart

resolve

and

Dante

to

preserve
say that of

"to

woman"

"

in

resolve

which

In like

eternal.

which

brass.

Commedia,

Biviua

rates
commemo-

distilled with

than

any

poet-

nothing beyond

costs

marrow

very

the

poet

blow, but in words

said' of

never

embalmed

was

memory

ends

bii'th to

gave

me

pain

The

confer.

by ofieringhis

Nuova

he
; and
which
was

in

breath

that

more

Beatrice

"

beauty captivatesmen,

monument

poison

Mnemosyne

way

the

whose

verses

a
a

from

labour

become

in

friend, not

was

in thy heart,

me

this

his

can

it becomes

Horatio, who

shall live behind

in this harsh
And
world
To tell my story.

It

then

name.

Things standingthus unknown,

If thou

and

regretjji^.

survivor

the

says to

of the

the remains

tender

Sometimes

evil

Thus

and

veneration

survivor.

the

his friend

rescue

his

preserved with

her

manner

Petrarch, who

begins by protestinghow incapable his lines

of expressingLaura's
are
beauty,graduallyfinds that they
confer
fame
her
(Son. 39), and carry her name
upon
the language is understood
wheresoever
(Son, 96), and,
after her death, boasts
that they shall give her an eternal
fame

"

E,

se

mie

rime

alcuna

cosa

fra i nobili intelletti

Fia del

nome

tuo

qui memoria

in

that

poetry givesimmortalityin

bust

can

one

rival.

The

time,

the

Sonnet
idea

Knight
reverts

of

Sonnets

he tells Malatesta

way that no monumental

might have greatlyenlarged

English poets who

20th
to

Mr.

(Son,55,sulla Morte.)

eterna.

of his miscellaneous

And

his list of

ponno,

Consacrata

make

the

once

more,

boast.

same

and

for

corporealreproduction.
E

The

the

last

poems

52

PHILOSOPHY

wliicli

were

Shakespeare's

OP

immortalize

to

the

sonnets.

beloved

youth were
inspiredby his

his

for they were

offspring,
thine
"from
knowledge I derive."
eyes
my
which
he
poet, in spite of the confidence
Bense

of his

diffident
like

woman,

in

some

eyes

Bat

yet the
feels

expresses,

and
powers,
says, in effect
that it is a pity you
not
are

You

"
"

"

are

so

Nature,

one.

of you.
You
should
be
deprived me
making you
man,
mistress
that cannot
be mine,
be, your love may
; as
my
whether
devote
not."
This
or
yourself to women
you
sonnet
vance
a
is^a transition. Its familiaritymarks
great ada

in

friendlyintercourse, while
relation

the

friend's

the

abandonment

to

of

the

is treated

women

in which

lightway
in

it marks

both

the

persuasions to marriage, and the

deficiencyof moral depth in this early stage of friendship,
which
is at present a mere
fancy,"bred in the eyes, and
the
desire
of
mortalizi
imcorporeal beauty, and
dependent on
"

Behind

it.
here

see

there

and

heart"

element

new

From

has

this

the

love
the

21st

reciprocalpassion.
realityof his friend's beauty

simply
though

says

scale

of love

thing,in

by

the

"

similar

Sonnet

the

before

this

becomes

poet, having

his eyes,

gems,
that of any

gentle

but

refuses

to

flowers, but
mother's
child,

or

Shakespeare's own
contrary to the theory of this
stars.

130, in the second

one,

different

this

friends

we

Sonnet

positions occupied
and

of the

presence
very
his beauty,and

InTo.98.

by

beloved,

It

to

series,
in

the

is

one

withdraw

frigidly
drag in that of the sun
and flowers ; and
another
and moon
thing,in his absence,
make
all beautiful
to
mere
things in nature
types and
which
memorials
of
his beauty.
This
is a distinction
has
made
little
seems
peculiarto Shakespeare. Petrarch
attention

from

as

the

seems

the

remember

we

as

two

or

moon,

fair

as

bright

so

practice in Sonnet 98
Sonnet, and of the
till

or

sun,

that it is

not

arising,the

of the

the

it with

love

with

In

compare

of this

"shifting change;"
yet acquired any moral force.

not

time

element

new

unacquainted

materialism

the

difference

between

regard to

the

He

tells her

his

present

similitudes
to her

placed between
be dimmed
by
the sky puts on

the

face

with
that

earth

which

if she
and

his

and

sun,

he

compliments

died, and
the

her

sun's

(Son. 18). When

mourning (Son.26) j when she

the

contrast

mistress

absent

soul

in
her.

were

lightwould
Laura
comes

goes

back

IMAGINATIVE

slie makes

fine

laurel, and
itself

She

the

stars

heaven

foil,and

his mistress.
her

makes

contains

She

conqueror's

Petrarch

were

robe

mere

is

like

it

as

53

SONNETS.

THE

(Son. 27).
Spenser erred

forth.

so

IN

weather

particular. He
sun

LOVE

this

necklace, the

and

all the earth's

in

for

ornament

riches

(Son. 15)

sapphires,her lipsrubies, her teeth pearls,her

eyes
forehead
ivory,her hair gold, her hands
silver,her smile
sunshine
(Son. 40), her fragrance that of April flowers
(Son. 64), her eyes brighter than sun, moon,
stars, fire,
and
and
like the
most
lightning,diamond, crystal,
glass,
Maker's
self. From
all this artificial conventionality
Shakespeare
are

separates himself.
with

So is it not
Stirred by
Who
heaven

"Painted
the

beauty

me,

himself

Elizabeth's

"

simply

means

The

reign.

glassafter she became

and

painted her,
Hamlet
have

"

"

"a

doth

was

"

never

would

and

refers

in fashion
herself

saw

old," as Jonsontold
sometimes

use.

woman,"

which

Queen

you

make

painting

"

yourselves
becomes

vermilion

Perhaps
Queen's

death.

"aces

and

Sonnets

But

false

68, 69,
the

at

hair

in

true

a
:

her

against
of Venice, and

hatred

of

"they
nose."

as

and

Labour's

of Athens.
epigram upon

wigs

was

it.

conventionalities

the

of

old
false

by

see

tives
invec-

Lost, The
also

one

"pace."

may
farther

Hall

the

"

Sonnets

we

"I

folio

after

of these

rule,

Love's

the

face

"

Shakespeare makes

an

mere

date
the

Tiwion

Harrington has
indignationwith rouge
his inmost

the

practicein

it,and

In

of fashion

out

were

127.

and

another."

to

late in

Drummond

"prattling,"and

face-paintingwent

'Jiant

Muse

his v^rse

(in the Quartos) says to Ophelia about her sex,

heard
of your
paintingstoo : Grod hath given you

face, and
1623

that
to

ornament

as

artificial handsomeness

"

with

as

painted beauty

Mer-

satirizes

Shakespeare's

outward

form

of

"

Taffata

phrases, silken terms precise,

Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation,
Figures pedantical,
.

and

of his artistic

feelingthat in the presence of a great

concentrated
passion all pedantry is out of place. The
wipes away from the memory
purpose
All
That

saws

all trivial fond records,

of books, all forms, all pressures

youth

and

observation

copied there.

past

54

PHILOSOPHY

He

hates

the

face.

The

the

Shakespeare's

OP

of the

use

(22) turns
philosophy:

of sonnet

for

another

upon

foi*

poetry as

common-place

"

All

that beauty that doth

Is but the seemly raiment
in thy breast doth
Which

Sonnet

This

much

rouge-pot as

Sonnet

next

sonnets.

be

must

togetherthey
only enamoured

show

taken

that

of

heart,
live,as thine in
of my

in

in

thee

cover

connection

this

me.

the 24th

with

stage of love the heart

The

form.

beauty'sexternal

is

reciprocal
of each lover
admiration
for the other's beauty,though it
effect that interchange of heart
is only
which
to
seems
fullypossiblein perfectedlove, yet does it in a very superficial
is
its
still
in
cradle
it
has
not
Fancy
yet
;
way.
"

"

"

from

delivered

been

draw

the

thraldom

what

but

of

know

the

eyes ; and
the heart."

eyes
The

they see,
another
place
common(23) turns
upon
and trouble
of the philosophy the awe
which
sesses
posthe lover and makes
him
the
in
tongue-tied
presence
of his friend.
This
trembling, prescribed by the Codex
Amoris, is spoken of in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Sonnets
not

Sonnet

intermediate

"

of

Dante's

Vita

Sonnet

34, where

neither

speak,

tongue

would

words

are

says

and

Nuova,

in

he says that

of

several

in Laura's

sigh;

and

it
recompense,
imperfect,like a dreamer's.

is

nor

nor

cry,

ask

that

friend

the

is not

he
presence
that
when

frozen,

believe

to

can

his
its

and

speare
Similarly Shake-

his eyes are

what silent love hath
to read
hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit."

his
;

These

but

ears,
"

writ

"

for

"

to

Sonnets

phases of love entering

The
25th
Sonnet
sums
by the eyes.
up the happiness of
this love : court
favourites live in the royal eye, and
die of
It is only the perpetual and
a frown.
present smile of

are

of
clearlydescriptive

Petrarch's, as

fortune

that maintains

the warrior's

Happy
Where

With

the 26th

scale of love.

Sonnet

of the
"written

clear that

I may

Love

the various

now

eyes.

fame.

But

I, that love

and

am

not

nor

be removed.

remove,

we

enter
learns

This

the

beloved

second

through
second

degree of

absence

the

dependent
in-

to be

part begins with

embassage," the dedicatorynature

Gerald
Mr.
Massey has wrenched

of which

it from

is

so

its

IMAGINATIVE

make

proper

place to

is the

introduction

will not

IN

the

show

to
verses

in

his

with

clothed

55

It

Sonnets.

all the

The

of absence.

poems
himself

are

SONNETS.'

THE

prefaceto

it tlie
to

venture

till his "bare"

favour

LOVE

lover

friend's

presence
his friend's loving

"

I dare to boast how

I do love
may
thou
Till then, not show my
head where
Then

thee

raay'stprove

me.

of the poet's
imperfect utterance
There
23.
clearlyrefers back to Sonnet
pen, this Sonnet
he said that his verses
expressed his thoughts better than
bare
till
his words
could
are
do; here, that these verses
and
meditates
them
them
the friend takes
on
alone, and
The
by his favour
puts apparel" on their tattered love.
sence
of aband
28th
Sonnets
27th
depict the first miseries
of
the
"shadow"
through this wretchedness
; but
friend
the
shines, brightening the day, and gilding the
gination
night for already the first efiect of absence upon the imaof Sonnet
is to mitigate the realism
21, which
abjures all hyperbole. In Sonnet 29, perhaps the most
of the friend's
exquisite of the series, the remembrance
In

its reference

the

to

"

"

is made

love

Bweet

the

30
; in Sonnets
stitute for all past and

of Kfe

in which

"all

losses

vanished

Sonnet

beginswith

26, with

of

loves

32

closes
a

kind

"

kind

"

"

of

progress

love

find

shall

we

new

sub-

life^

the

opening motive.
in my
verses
my
says to his friend, think over
in the other,
when
I am
think
them
over
supply their defects by your kind thoughts."
the

of

sorrows

the

images of dead
which
this little series,
of repetitionand
largement
enIn one
place the poet

restored," and

friends revivified.
Sonnet

again,it becomes

31,

and

are

for all the

antidote

one

the

that

absence

dead,
In

the

poet

"

and
dual
graonce

thought (in Sonnet 71), and begs his

his poetry alike after death, if
and
to
of
the remembrance
little series
brings pain. Another
Sonnets
begins with the 33rd, when the unkind thoughts
which
their appearance.
besiegethe absent begin to make
33 the lover doubts
of his friend's constancy :
In Sonnet
more

friend

to this

reverts

forget him

"

He
The

In the 34th

region cloud

the lover

hath

but

was

masked

endures

some

one

him

hour
from

mine,
me

now.

disgraceat

his friend's

56

PHILOSOPHY

hands.

But

in the
touch

can

SHAKESPEABE's

OF

he*declares that

35th
his

SONNETS.

love, and

that

he

to his friend's
misdeeds
accessory
Then, from the notion that the accessory

blame

that

absence

return

As

with

to

the

his friend

good report
his

is identified

becomes

his

unworthiness,

And

his

its

He

blessed

This

what

wish

It is characteristic
all the

more

best

second, it

I have

; then

his friend is

enters

in

thee,

happy

the

first

me

ladder

the

it dwells

which
In

and

I wish

of love

such

are

as

are

is taken

stage, love

is kindled

in

only by beauty ; in
sensible
imagination,and
affect this imagination

through the
which
qualities

"

the
is
not

wit.

and

38.
Sonnet
stage in the scale begins with
the 26th, it is a dedicatoryand
introductorysonnet.
that

declares

is all

poems

friend,who

due

is the
O

to

third

second

life ;

39, moralizes
to

make

as

to combine

which

have

Taken

in

in the

thanks

if aught in

on

in
friend,

the benefits

into

two

been

connection

clearlytell

of

data

imagination,and

whom

the
"

lives

lover

he has

gained,not
says,
this idea Shakespeare, in Sonnet

With

to

me

againsttliysight.

that, as Crescimbeni

so

twain,"

one

"

love idealizes the

all up

in his
appears
his
derive from

excellence

inspiration
they

Muse

perusal stand

lives."

but two

the

give thyselfthe

stage of

gathers them

whatever

tenth

Worthy

40-42

knows

(Sonnet

third

poet

one

the

comfort

he

times

ten

by the
only beauty, but rank, wealth,

The

this, with

report
beauty, birth,

his

early stage in

of this

eyes,

kindled

The

friend's

by separation.

substantial

is best,that

his

Even

of

to

share.

to

; and

concern

shadow

when

qualitieson

the

through

Like

also

maintained

blessed

less external.

or

The

have

so

36,

his friend

"

Look,

that

be

Sonnet

in

ask

consolations.

own

glory, the
wit, gives him

feels himself

him,

personal

friend's

wealth, and

37).

with

only

can

separation has

of

perpetual ; he cannot
bad
he would
name

whose

one

himself

by excusing them.
is equallyworthy

he concludes,
principal,
be

must

graces
dis-

or

makes

even

an

of

doubts

no

of

dissolve
one.

one

Then

life into
follow

stumbling-block to
with

teaches

absence, which

Sonnets

two,

three
all

The

as

how
well

Sonnets

interpreters.

133, 134, the

disgracefulstory.

"

lover

Sonnets
has

some

LOVE

IMAGINATIVE

mistress,

married

THE

IN

lie has

witli whom

woman,

guilty

go-between, and his

friend
supplants him.
Interpretedbiographicallyof the
his friend, the
poet and
story is shocking. It is also
tains
mainwho
improbable in the highest degree that the man
he
so
dignifieda silence about himself, or who, when
does
121, asserts
so
speak, as in Sonnet
clearlyhis own
superiorityto vulgar scandal, should have only lifted the
veil to let us behold
such a disgraceas this.
On the other
makes
Elizabeth
hand, Mr. Massey's interpretation,which
Vernon
the speaker and
Lady Rich the person addressed,
however
and
successful in
ingenious in its combinations
upholding Shakespeare'sdignity,can only itself be upheld
internal
organization of the
by destroying the whole
of them
Sonnets, and in some
making black
by literally
But
into white.
in our
naturally
theory they fall most
into place. The
love
of the friends
has
tried by
to be
jealousy, but in this stage of love the jealousy which
be
friend
would
preference for another
suspects a
in
the
premature ; its place is found
stage of ideal
love.
Here
we
jealousy,
require the more
superficial
which
would
keep to itself those specialgiftsof the friend
kindle
the lover's fancy. Now
could
the lover
which
not
be jealousof his friend's wife ; he has
seventeen
devoted
He

intimacy.

to

sonnets

He

could

20

he

has
"

love

Sonnet

119

to

women

which

he

makes
it is

Sonnet

some

in the

manner

to

real

alludes

excuse

20

it.

cause

have

we

to

He

this
owns

also the

with

relations

his

for

freedom
The

grants.

theft, to

In

blame

in Sonnet

35

into

foes

; in

Sonnet

it must
41

he

has

Sonnets

that

40 he refers

he

this

it,to

and
in
disgracefulin itself,
quite reason
enough why his friend
that

respect

fore,
poet must, there-

for it is

his friend

with

jealousy,and

indicated.

In Sonnet
separate from him.
declares
to the transaction, and
and

marry.
Sonnet

in

be

shows, cancels

devise

merely

and

to

mistress
in

free

him

to

jealousof his friend's

Mine

as

done

sure."
thy love, and thy love's use their treaHe
could not be jealousof his friend's
friend; for
jealousybelongs to a higher stage of love, that ideal
which
admits
of no
pluralityin affection,and which,
;

this

be

as

invitation

an

expressly left him

"

women

friend

theme,

one

not

his

uses

33, 34
forgiveit,

the

excuse

he

Sonnet

36

that

should

remain

more

not

explicitly
make

again excuses

him

it,

58

PHILOSOPHY

in Sonnet

and

love

42

he

finds

even

here's the

Sweet

The

conclusion

love

is not
the

joy
! then
flattery

is not

it

of love

friend and
my
she loves but

moral

On

affection.

the

shows

other

the

; but

It is

yet moral.

scale

"

as

yet

by

what

fancy is graduallytransformed
the

in

SONNETS.

fresli

of

symptom

"

But

and

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

hand,

are

me

one

alone.

imaginative stage of
a sentimental
fancy ;

but

stages this

from

sentimental

non-moral

it must

stages in the scale of love

into

be remembered

moral

that all

symmetrical ; the earlier

the later.
And
which
foreshadow
a general formula
may
in a lower application
be quiteimmoral
represent true
may
Mr.
Gerald
morality in a higher one.
Massey's interpretation
but
these
Sonnets
saves
Shakespeare's reputation;
The
are
capable of a better vindication.
highest ainor
is
amicitice
is
directed
of which
to
God.
man
capable
who
Now
reads Sonnets
that they
40-42 will see
any one
itself to the stage of
are
as
applicableas the Song of Solomon
If God
Love.
of an
divine
deprives a man
object of
ing
or
earthlyaffection,either by taking it to Himself
by raisin it an affection
which
guishes
to Him
supplants and extinall human
loves, the only permissiblefeelingin
is that which
in these
three
man
Shakespeare formulates
Sonnets,
They contain a genuine and unassailable
analysis
of their first and
of love, though the disagreeable nature
observer
to
obvious
meaning rather tempts the common
neglectexamining the real depth of their truth and beauty.
This

stage

of love

ends

are

with

short

series of three

nets,
Son-

nature
bring to lightthe unsatisfactory
It is shadowy and unsubstantial.
of this merely imaginary love.
It does not attain to the deep recesses
of the soul ;
which
it lives rather in the imaginationand senses,
tied
are
material
of which
elements
the
to the four
posed,
body is comthan
in the nimble
which
is
distance
thought to
is all one.
absence
With
or
nothing, and bodily presence

43-45, which

this transitional reflection

series of Sonnets
shown

us

the

generalizedin
the judgment,
whole
To

is

the

brought

first division
to

close.

of the first

Shakespeare

tljree steps of love, conceived

the
but

imagination,and
not

yet idealized

"

great

in

the

has

eyes,

in
again concentrated
not yet possessingthe

heart.

recapitulate.The

first

stage

of love

is

represented

IMAGINATIVE

Sonnets

in

LOVE

25.

to

the

twenty
his

to

nearer

and

respect,

59

SONNETS.

THE

first

coming

distant

the

In

gradually
with

IN

is

lover

object,
with

ending

presented
re-

ning
beginclose

"

intimacy.
love's

of

simple

lovers

two

Sonnets
its

26
It
nor

sorrows

(29).

sufferer

third

only
in

is

the

them
life

of

should
this
"

one

be

second
into

own

live

divided

dualism,
"

42)

elements

which
of

an

it

suggests

imaginative

fresh

and

of

and

the

these

trials

an

it

which

proof

to

ideal

it

stages
carry

love

love

(43

"

of
becomes

thp

not

surmounts
turns

dualistic

friends
reunion

friend

my

The

and

becomes

"

out

shows

that

expedient

of

it

hence

the

insuf"ciency

very

the

Love

them,

that

31).

offences,

45.

to

itself

jealousy

(30,

and

becomes
is

in

(35-37).

assimilates

even

first

helps
into

38

the

them

making

man,"
love

aij^J

as

all
and

and

the

are

rialistic
matea

transformation

45).

private

life

excuses

absence

by

(33-35)

Sonnets

that

(39)

it

of

Absence

proves

and

of

new

sinful

growth

essence.

and

am

by

tlirough

restoring

offender

the
in

stage

its

i^r-"^

sublates,"

wounds,

troubled

love,

(40

to

exhibited

to

ceases

for

me

conduces

stage

(32)

the

to

from

"depart

to

self-inflicted

as

"

the

put

nor

loves,

them

death

accessory

absence

how

of

an

raising

and

them

reckoning

former

all

survive

to

and

unity

shown

duality

station,

envelopes

say,

is

the

by
of

is

stage

unity

first

confounds

it

second

difference
It

which

this

troubled

the

express

in

Here

not

form,

expects

cries,

is

by

different

It

one.

would

Hegelian

25

to

The

37.

to

trials.

'21

apprehension,

into

(26-28)

Sonnets

Then

force

60

PHiLOSOPnY

Shakespeare's

OP

CHAPTER

IDEAL

LOVE

sonnets.

VI.

IN

SONNETS.

THE

love occupiesthe three lower

IMAGINATIVE
the scale, and
ideal love the three higher.
with

begins
beauty

mind.

This

change

46

47.

What

and

the

for

if

love

love, the heart

"

is

the

in

is indicated

the

is

born

sensible

its life is in the

eyes,

for the

to be

now

the

for

by Shakespeare in Sonnets
been
to the
prior stages of

has

eye

intellectual

love

As

later.

before,the

played

painter,and

"

the

lover's

Hamlet,

consciousness.

is to know

from
the

upon

the

has

absence, which

leads

"

him

and

to

why

he

should

(50

and

51)

the

show
The

how
"dull

to

much

be

ideal

flesh,""the

; but

to

in the

his

minds

and

fear

to

that

he

"

compared

itself,this

general topic of

that

of

absence

only

of

The

the

bears"

with

Sonnets

him

desire, and

"

intention
animal
the
in
in

"

cause

Petrarch's
The

"

no

next

two

he

desert,"

own

allege

with

transcends
that

his

can

passo."

sympathize
ardour

nets
Son-

(Son. 48). Then

I to keep him
have

(Son. 49).

beast

others.

friend

knowledge

love

of

subject in

the

to

claim

ciascun

mind

acquires,of

love

lover

of

"

we

hearts

recurs

what

be loved

should

its slowness

absence

but

confession

indietro

rivolgo

the

ferred
trans-

depends
knowledge is our
interpretthe
may

introducing the
he

loss

of the

says

when

self j_forthis

how

First

entire

This

after

leads

"

us

man,

therefore

to that

the

to show

self-knowledge.

himself

to

another

Love

form

of one's

Shakespeare then,

asks

self.

beauty of

reveal

typifiesthe

know

dictionary"whereby

which

46, 47,

To

one's

knowledge
and

grammar
tokens

in

is

of

Ideal

engraved the form of beauty

the heart's
tablets"
(Sonnet 24) so now, the heart
to play the painter,and to interpret
the friend's heart to

eye
on

substitution

grades in

lo mi
is to

powers.

the

appears
pains of

the

triumph

man,

LOVE

IDEAL

of

tlie soul

retnm,

of the

abreast

keep

be

mind

in its

carries this asceticism

except

have

of

love

vehicle

own

flesh

; no

fieryrace," and
"leave
to go."

can

therefore

"

52

Sonnet

further,and dispenses,
the imagination of the

even

with

occasions, even

rare

on

its

61

SONNETS.

THE

must

auxiliaries

weak

all such

IN

of his
the
lover
Every object reminds
stant
friend's beauty (53),but nothing can
represent his "conAnd
heart."
yet (54) it is not the visible beauty,
heart
invisible truth, which
but the constant
or
gives a

friend's

shape.

his

man

form, as
distil,to make

outward

mere

henceforth
and

few

in lovers'

Sonnet

With

poet

to

dwell

"

56

He

dulness."

friend

he

checks

his

of what
to

more
"

where

friend's

he

in

image

is and

was

chews
itself,

cud

the

burden

of

"

done

of

of the

last

what

he

he

demand

old records

"

child

account

finds it much

to find his friend's

"

written

(59).

birth

doing, and

an

He

Thus

meditation, and

former

is

deepest self-humiliation.

antique book,"

some

and

the
can

to search

first in character

second

he

slave, how

the purpose

The

love

doing? (Sonnets 57, 58).

is

(55)

in.

asceticism

spiritof

risingsuspicionsby

his

Being

thinks

wonders

ever

by a perpetual
therefore
gives play to his
of the bodily presence
of his

more

He

imagination.

live for

feelingcomes

and

kills the

once

of

vein

new

abstention
"

only

sonnets

its memory

eyes."
a

the

that

finds

truth, therefore,and no longer the

in Sonnet
is
5, the poet's verse

This

worth.

since

mind

love

retires

bears

again

at

into
"

by remodellingits

the
old

ideas. Such
pre-existing
new
a
higher character than natural
"crawls
to
nativity,which
maturity" and is eclipsed.
life which
The
the poet promises to confer
his
new
on
shall stand to times in hope
friend is one
that
(60).
In Sonnet
61 the poet asks whether
his friend's image
which
"visits him
often is sent by him, or is conjured
so
up
It
he
his
love.
his
love.
But
if
he
is,
own
own
replies,
by
the image, what
be his own
creates
must
worth
that is
All former
?
capable of castingsuch a shadow
tion
self-inspec-

thoughts,
birth

is

givingnew
altogetherof

to

"

"

ended

in self-abasement

self-appreciation
(62)
Methinks
No
And

As

no

; this

ends

in

very

:"

face

so

shape so true,
for myself mine

graciousis as mine,
truth

no
own

of such

worth

I all other in all worths

do

account

define,

surmount.

diff'erent

62
And
second

self,yet it remains
in

his

own

comprehend

it.

In

elements

exists.

crushed

"

still exists
his friend's

his pen

o'erworn

his

live

these

in

lines

of this

worthlessness
relation

to

by
the

will
"

the

black

stage of
lover

friend,whose

slave and

"

lines

to

only
beauty
that

care

defy Time,

which

after the

laid in the dust

ideal

love

the

are

to the

comes

defects; secondly,he

its

as

take

First,he recognizes

heart.

own

But

long been

three self-inspections
whereby the
of his

he

able

excellence

Time."

so

be

not

the

all its

have

must

would

shall

has

celebrate

features

main

he

by

wrinkles,

shall

they

or

friend,his

his

to

he

himself, however,

; and

traces

beauty which
(63-65).
The

in

beauty

that

true

person,

and

even

SONNETS.

refers all this excellence

he

though

SHAKESPEAUE's

OF

PHILOSOPHY

ledge
know-

its absolute

determines

its

he feels himself

vassal

he recognizes its real nobilitywhen

he
be ; and thirdly,
finds in it those
principlesof superlativeexcellence which

to

his

will

modesty

Henceforth

self-conscious

the

the

imagination,becomes
When

once,

him

allow

not

through

true

heart, and

this

the

lover, says Plato,

has

substitution

of fair

lover

therein

sensuous

has become

with

substitute
he

has

indicates

the concrete

in

spiritual

hitherto

shipped.
wor-

advance

an

to the

souls

abstract.

of
The

or
eyes for gold or colours
only for the beauty of souls, of arts,of
no

now

beauties, but
sciences, and of institutions.

outward

the

not

self-inspection,
the

understanding from

himself.

to

of love.
interpreter

soul, and
acquainted with his own
general, he is perforce obliged to
beauty for the material beauty which
And

attribute

to

He

faces,or

is

longer

no

distressed

the

fading of flowers, but

does not fulfil its high promises, by art
the soul which
its aim, by science which
misses
which
babbles, by political
of oppression
to
which
turned
institutions
are
purposes
and
revolutionarydestruction, and by a religion which
To this new
forswears
its faith.
phase of love Sonnet 66
beautiful
it is appropriate. In
introduction
is an
as
as
famous
with
Hamlet's
common
soliloquy,and indeed in
presses
harmony with all Shakespeare's later tragedies,it exthe poet'sdeep disgustwith the world, and society
by
by

as

the

he

waning

saw

them,

only thing
why, he asks in
the

and

which

Sonnets

declares

that

his

ideal

life tolerable

made

67
y

68, should

this

to

love
him.

love

was

But

continue

IK

LOVE

IDEAL

63

SONNETS.

THE

impiety and falsehood of the age ? In

of
order, he replies, To show false art what
beauty was
yore." Again, why, he asks in Sonnets 69, 70, should this
which
love live in a world
only slanders it ? Slander, he
ideal principlemanifests
an
replies,is inevitable when
alive

amidst

the

"

itself in
own

action

will

; men

this action

construe

their

after

fashion.
look into the

They

beauty

that, in guess,

Ancl

they

of

thy mind,
by thy

deeds.

measure

Sonnet
70 goes
worth.
simply approves
character
of the whole
far to prove
the purely philosophical
While
the love was
series.
templated
simply imaginative,and conbute
beauty, it was
only an outward
possibleto attrivious
lascisensual faults
all kinds of
(Son. 36) to the
And

thus

slander

"

"

"

has

grace
become

friend.

of the

"

Now, however,

that

type of ideal beauty, it is necessary

friend

the
to

of

say

him"
Thou

"

Thou

a
present'st
pass'dby

Either

In the two

Sonnets

next

in the

two

him, which
*'To
and

the

verses

urges
which

Mr.

Carlyle

well

then

me

should
the

on

days,

pour

consecrates

thou
out
to

make

short

his friend's

which
to

poet
he

prime ;

of young

(71,72) the lover with most

and his verses
to forget him

makes

once

that

love

unstained
ambush

he dwells

next

at

the

assailed,or victor being charged.

not

feelingbegs the friend

death, "if thinking on
And

pure

hast

leave

his whole
his

after

woe."

you

space
love more

must

intense

yet left

ere

to

strong

long,"

spiritinto

the

friend's

immortality.
Shakespeare the
sovereignpoet who
of" the passing forms
sent to take note
of chivalryand
was
In these Sonnets
mediseval
Catholicism.
he reallyseems
to
feel himself to be the last minstrel
and only herald of a beauty
But
that was
he has a supreme
dence
confialready out of date.
in his cause, and a confidence
mingled with diffidence
Hence
his unwillingness to link his
in his own
powers.
to make
love so indissolublyto himself
it perish with
as
Hence
with
his
him.
too, mingled
yearnings for death and
oblivion,his
in
-

his

verse.

in

sees

confidence
He

seems

"

that
to

his
feel

cause

that

will be immortalized
he

is destined

to

will
his memory
temporary oblivion, but that afterwards
to perpetuate
revive, and his writings will become
a power
the

ideals

which

they embody.

64

PHILOSOPHY

The

sole

to

his

food

of

ixionotonous

ideal
his

love

brain,
with

began

commit

beseeching

the

to

the

old

itself upon
record.
in
dead, but as it were

rise,and

to

of

the

lapse of
present waning

it to the

the purposes

what

is

this,

the

on

the

Drayton,

or

place
that

here

ideal

it

to

of

the

old

this

and

off

then

"

flow

registers the

Take

itself

once

of
"

effect

ebb

He

in order

arms,

the

The

life lies

acquaintance"

new

dial

in the

love

; the

future

purport of

is built

the

the

ture
Literain the

changes

of

reffection

the

on

the

present,

Sonnets, on
poet, Marlowe,
any
speare's
Spenser, reallyusurped Shake-

or

other

affections
The
should

nine

next

Whether

Daniel,

them.

from

record

spring
off-

past.

jealousy,will be clear.
or

ages.

already secured

present

After

it

and

marry
looks
for

it to your
mit
age ; transfer
; compaper
will come
to light in due
time, and
; it
of progress." For all advance
rests on

world

serve

this

reads

mankind

of

the

and

the

his

to

changing.
might paint

was

nurse's

Sonnet
and

mirror

development
of the

friend

world

In

take

"to

The

man.

is the

ideas

the

life,that

put

mind

of

gives his friend a note

his
thoughts, the
blanks.
As
tive
imagina-

its waste

to

life of

the

mirror

up

more

as

77 he

only topic

like

poet felt that

not

the

ment
singleattach-

present, it is the

or

and

to

his

ideal
love
himself, so
not, however, of the body, but of the mind.

"

and

him

entreats

children

leave

held

thoughts,
In Sonnet

of his

children

Absent

love.

verse.

and

book,

SONNETS.

Sonnets, 75, 76, record

two

next

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

course

be

of

W.

H.

of the
tried

by

be

cannot

requires

argument
ideal

an

mined
deter-

and

tual
intellec-

tried by an
tive
imaginajealousy,as imaginative love was
40-42.
The
in
Sonnets
fresh
from
poet,
jealousy
stay of the beauty he loved, and
lamenting the transient
from
proposing it as the model for future ages, to be preserved
of
truth- tellingrecords
in the
unaffected
verse,
that
the
is
should
be
indignant
naturally
subject
priated
approschool
the
whose
of
affected
ing
paintby men
gross
of rhetoric
strained
touches
distort
the
and
only
The
lover's object is to
truth
they pretend to describe.
To him, the
true
think
thoughts, not to speak fine words.
mind
of the ideal love in the heart
and
supplies
presence
"

"

for all lack

"

"

of education

and

skill.

He

has

not

to

ransack

LOVE

IDEAL

the

for

universe

this rich

Than

Such

the

his

Sonnet,
In

can

praise,that

say

The

he

the

his

on

friend's

here
self-depreciation
49

Sonnet

himself,

it

simply

was

known

as

It

in

quishes
relin-

previous

unworthiness.

own

of

result

yield

lover

additional

an

ever

to

seems

As

element.

comparison

self- reflection, to

by

it for

the

heart.

its

gives to

make

to

to his

he

(Son. 84.)

of art.

has

what

copy

you.

prevailed,and

this breach

attributes

are

Sonnets, 87-96, Love

rival has

claims

only to

more

alone

you

the

series of

next

jealousy.

Yet

none

"

has

highest aim
which
serves
individuality

object an
unique.
to

is

creation

In

love

65

SONNETS.

THE

comparisons,but

in his ideal

sees

IN

his

ideal

of

love.

in
Jealousy gives rise in the lover to a self-depr,eciation
The
first was
act
a mere
comparison with a third person.
is an act of self-judgment.
of self-apprehension
; the second
Such
self-judgment the lover practisesin Sonnets 87-96.
87 is itself suggestive of
The legalphraseology of Sonnet
the
of judgment.
In the
next, the poet excuses
process
his friend's lack of love by a confession
of his own
secret
makes
to Ophelia. He
faults,like that which Hamlet
owns

beforehand
Thou
As

But

he

once

; that

over

him

half
canst
not, love, disgraceme
I'll myself disgrace. (Son. 89.)

that, if

asks
the

would

in this alone

is

false,the

lover
His

has

taken

in his

know

cup

"

ma3''st take
wretched

make.

For

away.
it

(Son.91.)
such

If the

is unconscious.

colour

only

not

if this sweetness
For

with

"

sweetest

Lilies that

he

thou
most

me

never

(92, 93).

please the
captivatesthe mind

spiritualfragrance which

So

that

and

death

will

lover

be at
disgraced,it may
not
perpetuallyhang

loss

friend

Then

the

accepts the hypothesisof the friend's falsehood.

almost
rose

; and

ill

only bitterness

be
effectually

death

be

evil may

[thy love] away,

it cannot

be

to

is the

This

Wretched

Yet

is

threatened

(90).

All this

he

so

concludes

base

to

infection meet

things turn
fester

smell

"

sourest

far

by warning
F

worse

his

eyes,
;

weeds

friend

but

the
what

by their deeds
than

but

(Son. 94.)

that

though

his

66

PHILOSOPHY

beauty

covers

loses its
ends

with

noticed
ideal

the

same

the third

into

up
universal

the

are

the

96,

with

the

second
of

last

the

of

judgment,
love.

the

knife

of ideal

stage

the

in

hardest

love

which

It is to

second

be

stage of
36, the

itself,in
lower

same

The

final

transcendant
of

grades
with

universal

is the

this

universe
For

in

face to sun, and moon,

true that a soul is,in its

world, and

it is

and

corporeal beauty.
beautiful
a
compared with

which,
with

the

a
compare
the
other
is,on

nature, better

than

all

above

all sible
posshould
be

Sonnets

three

and

in

follyto

stars,it

own

These

found

was

21, disparage all the

spiritualbeauty

love, contains

comparison

though

sacred

stage is fitly

Sonnets,

Sonnet

"

ideal

all that

Hence

handsome

inanimate

objectof

beautiful

with

soul, the

sense,

love.

three

thorough contradiction
bright lamps of the
beauty of the friend.

the

"

stage of ideal love all the negationsof the

and
its scattered
rectified,
premissesdrawn

love," winch

introduced

hand,

time

existence

very

conclusion.

one

in

the

SONNETS.

couplet as Sonnet
in the second
stage of imaginativelove. For
situations
but
in a higher signifiever
recur,
cance.

one

judgment

the

Sonnet

love, ends

In

Thus

(95.)

in

negative operation

that

last but

in

"

to threaten

seems

blot,yet

every

edge

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

well-known

passage

in

S.

(x. 8). -The identityof words

Augustine's Confessions
and imagery in the two
writers will suggest an
identity
in their meaning.
100, 101, the poet
Then, in Sonnets
for her silence.
rebukes
his muse
Though her song cannot
immortalize
it. In the next two
improve beauty,it can
It is not becoming
silence.
Sonnets, 102, 103, he excuses
merchandize

to

and

his

Sonnet
three
a

in

only mars

verse

104

its three

love

he

great

declares

of love

singlewhole

"

"
"

one,

Fair, kind, and

Which

For

the final
To

all the notes

hubbub

that

which

that

his

and

seasons,

elements

the

in

describe

that he

of

world's

it cannot

love

105

has

that

still such, and

true

love

it the
can

the

have

often

never

is- the

lived
seat

find

of

united
truth

"

the

into

so."
alone,
in

one.

synthesis

poet takes

In

passed through

it has

ever

kept

mart,

mend.

beauty,goodness,and

three till now

stage

of

from

beauty, and

of all its elements.

old literature
uses

them

as

IDEAL

LOVE

neither

shadowings

limits

set

can

which
eclipses
his
will

the

repeat

The

fuel

paternoster of love

which

The

109-112.

misfortunes
his

surrounds

two

next

"

an

ideal

of

that

eye

kills it

age

creates

In

beauty.

sonnets, such

out

Sonnet

the

if the

love

you best," as
of
love, instead

lover

for

is

former
I

now

say

of his

babe

condition

Sonnet, 116, he

In the next

of

images

future

the

mind

the

"

to

remembering that love

and that growth is the
continually,

grows
it is of life.
as

idealizingof

corrects

seem

feared

Sonnets

in

the

poet

76, 105, 107, which

as

into

all made

eye into mind, and

of chaotic
masses

115

ness
fickle-

life,and

his

are

name,

describe

sonnets

imagination turning the

into

for

all-consuming,all-embracing love

for

the

deadly,reappears ; and
(107). Day by day he

verses

affections, the

his

scandal

the

his

same

after

moon,

declared

life.
givesit new
suspicionsand apparent falseness,the

lover's
of

The

love.

rather

(108),but

not

his

to

have

augurs
shall live in

love

67

SONNETS.

THE

propheciesprefiguringhis present love

these propheticforehis own
fears nor

been

they had
(106),but

if

IN

that

of love
love

celebrates

marriage of true minds, a union far above alteration

like a star in the heavens.
In the
motion, guiding life,
or
tions
series of four sonnets
next
(117-120),all the moral aberra-

as

the

the lover

of both
then

when

the
once

Better

hotter.

tide

the

in, everythingworks

and

aberrations

for

all discords

soul
in

of

which

is

love, in order
still better
the

flow

it,and
the
in

even

by

evil

final

improvement
contradictions

great conclusion

one

the

even

of

its

to make

"

The

concord.

is,however, distinctly
allowed, and the

intrinsic

Evil

to

resolved

are

goodness

anything

with

and

first condemned

are

is made

contribute

of evil

nature

of

turns, and

sets

true

friend

in the furnace

consumed

flame

and

it contains

evil, but

to

kind

is made
in

the

to

consist

reaction

not

which

of

which
analyticpower,
pares
prefor the
of perfected love.
great syntheticprocess
After
the
touching confession of evil and its uses, the
lover proceeds to state the paradox (121) that it is better
to be thought so.
to be evil than
evil
The
reaction from
produces good under the organizingand healinginfluence

it

causes.

of love.
itthe
the

But

the

evil

report chases

hope of perfection. The lover

rectitude
strongest way his own
f2

love,and with
away
therefore asserts
in
;

in

Sonnet

122

he

6S

PHILOSOPHY

defends
his

himself

the

for

the table-book

away

His

friend

been

needed

memory

77

Sonnet

in

had

SONNETS.

carelessness

seeming

which

which

friend, and

notes.

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

he

returned

such

no

of

giving
given to

had
him

to

full of

reminders

of

his

"

To

Unkindness
becomes

adjunct to remember
in
import forgetfulness

keep

"Were

is

an

to

turned

into

Time

love

carelessness

Sonnet

In

memory.
his registers
; his

and

me.

kindness, and

sign of careful

thee

has

123

the

he

fies
de-

character

of

is not

In
helped by any temporal records.
124 he enlargeson
the eternal character
Sonnet
of his love.
It is not
of state, varying with
the
child
fortune.
It
thralled
depends not on the accidents of smiling pomp
or
discontent.
It fears not the heretic policy which
prefers
the temporal to
itself altogether
the eternal, but proves
and
politicby showing itself invincible
unchangeable.
It seeks
external
and
not
refuses
to base
honours,
(125)
its claims
and
favour
But
to immortality on
form.
its
of
sacrifice
is
one
highest act

eternity,and

"

But

As

he

Sonnet

108,

The

lover

the

this

with

the

here

ideal

to each

themselves
that

the

; the

bread
and

render, only

was

internal

other.

Sonnet

126

the

series

and

hence

most

language

oblation
the

of

of the

offeringof

is that

effect

Then,

two

if the

as

Prayer
an

act

in

still

Eucharist.
a

piece

of

hearts, the

poet remembered

he
proscribedreligion,

concludes

"

Hence, th"(u suborned

When

Lord's

love,mingle together,and mutually give

rite of

exclamation

of the

the

uses

art

no

for thee.

me

language
he

free.

but

seconds, knows

the
prayer,
is but
ceremony

external

wastel

with

than

solemn

more

mutual

so

my
mixed

is not

used

had

oblation,poor

take thou

Which

"

informer

impeached,

stands

soul,

true

least in thy control.

imperfectin form, and though belonging to

in its general tone, has no
specialplace therein,
it was
is appended as a mere
tag to it. That
is

placed here, and not at the end of all the Sonnets, is a

first series down
to this place
farther proof that the whole
who
is so rarely
for their object the
have
lovelyboy
27 that Mr.
Gerald
to
alluded
distinctlyafter Sonnet
*'

"

IDEAL

LOVE

thinks

Massey
intermediate

Sonnets

true

why

reason

gradual

elevation

through

successive

definite

of

late

so

quite
the

beloved

of

brief

this
of

their

of

other

to

do

than

by

consistent

the

variety
it

upon
which

we

with

the

of

the

pre-existing

Platonism

least

of

with

trace

their

binds

them

traced

But

astonishing.

has

the

precision

of

its

on

will

be

second

idea

epoch

may

that

images

which

this

wealth

the

certainty.

strung

are

skeleton

bare

and

be

concealed

often

exuberant

most

was

them

makes

the

of

part

traced,

if

of

thread

the

is

covers

the

impossible

and

jewels

the

which

sonnets,

philosophy

ideas,

thread

poet

all

these

manifestly

leading

of

thought

under

of

been

This

with

and

it

when

together,

splendour

profusion

it

philosophic

have

of

personality

acknowledged

the

series.
and

and

connection

the
with

writers,

which

of

agreement

more

connection
into

sketch

is

cessation

entering

just

it

analysis.

and

sonnet

is

love

in

But

sudden

27,

not

even

108.

as

Sonnet

after

boy,"

sweet

the

or

sex,

does

manhood

the

to

object

abstraction

for

and

more

definite

less

"

the

in

becomes

sonnet

account

to

imaginative

phase

and

toned

that

consideration

the

to

reference

remembered

In

reference

enough

reason

the

This

The

transformations

its

with

the

women.

is

object

spiritual,

religiously

to

in

its

personality.

continuous

of

and

of

most

mentioned

love,

more

preclude

and

addressed

not

stages,

human

absolutely

is

consider

to

be

to

sex

generalized,

more

entitled

himself

69

SONNETS.

THE

IN

tissues,
is
main
the

not

simply
outline
current

easily,

at

70

PHILOSOPHY

SHAKESPEARE'S

OF

CHAPTER

VULGAR

IN

the
the

VII.

LOVE

series

second

IN

SONNETS.

THE

of Sonnets

Shakespeare represents
despair." As the beauty
higher love finds its fitting
symbol

of the

progress

SONNETS.

"love

of

correspondsto the
in the
of the former
man
series,so the
right fair
beauty which corresponds to the lower love is betokened
in the second
series by a gypsy-likewoman,
with
black
which

"

"

eyes and

hair, and

represents this
but

as

love

"

complexion

ill."

coloured

The

poet

originaland natural feeling,

arising from the disappointment of

not

sentiment

as

an

looks
for true
higher aspirations.First, the lover who
beauty cannot find it,but only its counterfeits (Son. 127),
himself
and so in his despairhe surrenders
to the black eyes
which
do not
pretend to possess the true beauty, but by
their

very

contradiction

to

the

it become

side

of

its

eloquent

most

this

the

lover
beauty
representatives. By
to its attractions
stands, resigning himself
(128), clearly
what
hell
is
it
to
a
knowing
leading him, but unable
its temptations (129), appreciating its real
to
conquer
him
but confessingits mysterious power
over
deficiencies,
(130). Secondly,in absence
by himself alone," thinking
"

"

on
seem

his mistress's

face," he wonders

fair to him

; and

he

concludes

how
that

her

blackness

it is

only

can

in

her

face, that she is black (131) ; or that if

she is black, it is only in mourning for his pain (132) ;
in his eyes.
and this compassion of hers makes
her beautiful
fancy is strengthened by his friend's judgment.
Thirdly,his own

deeds,

not

in her

His

friend

mistress, and

has

fancy therefore
the

has
ended

has

been

poet, whose

carried

messages

to

and

from

his

friend's
The
by supplantinghim.
vated
caught by the hooks that captiby
judgment is thus confirmed

VULGAE

LOVE

another's

(133, 134). And

imaginativestage of sensual
The

ideal

135.

In

stage of

that

"

will

thy

to

begins with

love

previous sonnet the poet had

"he
[the friend]is thine, and

the

mistress

love.
lower

this

steps complete the

three

these

71

SONNETS.

THE

IN

"

then, he tells her

"

hast

thou

"

both

him

Sonnet

confessed
I

gaged
myself mort-

and

will,and

to his

me."
Will

First,

boot,
thy
and Will in overplus,"confounding by a verbal quibble his
and perhaps his friend's name
Will with his mistress's
own
and aiming no longer at her beauty,but at her convolition,
sent
and her kindness, even
her
kindness
that
was
though
of an abandoned
For as his imagination had overpowered
woman.
his eyes,
his
powered
so
corrupt partialityhad overhis heart's
judgment, and made it think that a
several
the
wide
to be
it knew
world's
plot which
common
place
(137). It is possiblethat as Shakespeare
drew
called
was
largely on Sidney, who
Willy
by
thou

hast

to

"

"

"

"

"

"

his

friends,these
of

progress

later

lawless

Sidney'snotorious
and

to be

the

famous

having

love,

of

translation
which

sonnets

his
into

to

suggest
Stella,"Lady Rich,

"

their

dedicated

real
her.

to

meaning of
Secondly,

idealized

corrupt love, and given it its bias

its
indulgence,the next stej^is to make

vicious

bear

he

illustrate the

to

purposely made

are

intrigueswith

kind

thus

towards
vices

sonnets, intended

the

semblance

of virtues.

Its falsehood

becomes

truth

(138), its inconstancykindness

(139), and hypocrisy
its life (140) ; its follybecomes
its torment, and thereits atonement
.forein some
sense
(141) ; its sinful loves
and
hates
virtuous
become
(142),
thoroughly confused
and
the
the
lover
with
contents
himself
mere
finally
dregs of his mistress's love ; asking only that he may have
his

will

and

thus

of the

with

has

her

will

settingup inconstancy as

the

ideal

lower
in

love

(143)

of the

of the
lower

in

Sonnets

however,
the

love

"the

lover's

in

communism

despair."
its ideal

it and
two

kinds

the

female

side, and

evil

in

tempteth

"would

state

the

corrupt

qualification
morals,

ticism
scep-

the
last

exhibits

real

higher
with

others

religionare
the
thirdly,

And

of love

40, 41, compared

with

in

pantheism

of

"love

between
incompatibility
imaginativestates the
see

for

philosophy, and

idealizations

stage

she

her, because

can

love.

the
In

coexist,as

133-135.
better
his

their
we

Now,

angel from"

saint

to

be

72
"

devil

who
abandons
(144). Bat tlie man
prefers to be dependent on his "female
kindness
(145), though it leads him to all
his body and
starve
luxury, to pamper
This

conducts

love

time

its victim

madness

conscious,
For

I have

Who

art

submission

of

his

caprices(149) ;
the

more,

as

and

sentiments

them

sees

Thus

he

constancy

to be

had

same

that

seen

all the

and

the
half-

the

to

even

the

whose

the

loves

(150), to

to

of

loss

all

kindness, love,
while

he

knew

(152).

series

of

fawning

which

conscience

defence

both

and

his mistress's

to

defended

utterlyincapableof

it will be

(146).

the

"

of reason,
of hate

abeyance
just cause

playful,half-serious devotion
brutal
most
enjoyments (151) ;
honesty through devotion to one
and

soul
at

complete

of

truth,

his

"

(148), to

an

it

more

of outward

sorts

fair,and thought thee bright,

hell,as dark as night (147)

acts

to

unkind

thee

black

voluntary blindness

to

evil's"

frantic,and

to

higher love

"

sworn

as

the

of sonnets

go regularly
love ; and in

of

through
steps
the
each,
corresponding step is treated in an analogous
As the first series begins with the earnest
desire
to
way.
immortalize
the beauty of the beloved
itself in offspring,
see
one
the second
so
begins with declaringthat beauty is
its ofispring bastard.
This
dead, and
despair for the
future of beauty is naturallyconnected
with
the immorality
of this lower
love
the
with
murderous, bloody, savage,
scale

"

"

"

rude, cruel
Gerald

Massey

"

of the

eyes
from

wishes

mistress

their

was

identifythe

"

with

It would

gypsy
have
been
own

Bironin

to

Stella,the

to

heroine

black

it in

to

that
prove
in these sonnets

Sidney'sSonnets

Rich,

hair

ascribed

nature

wires
the
more

Sonnet
as

are

same

also ; and
he
which
grew

golden
to

the

which

Labour's
for

mourning

the

Lost

to

of Shakespeare's

Sidney sings.

to refer to

purpose

conceptionof black-eyedwomen

Love's

great pains

the head

on

Mr.

mourning
clearlyborrowed
Penelope
woman,

takes

"

locks

the

124.
"

speare's
Shake-

in his dramas.

talks of his mistress's

false hair

and

eyes and
complexion which

just as the lover speaks in Sonnet 127;

and
in Shakespeare's earliest play, Titus Andronicus, he
Aaron
had
made
needs
no
say that the only face which
paint is the black one"

women

put

on

"

VULGAE

Coal
In

Thus, for
the

became

it

new

scorns

purposes
fashion
of

despair

hope, but

hue,
hue.

another

Cleopatra's,
beauty which
representednot
fairest
reproductiveness of
face, like

gypsy

"

the

not

"

another

bear

to

/3

S"l^E^p,..,
"RN\A.

THE

is better than

black

that

certain

IN

LOVE

creatures," but the mourning retrospect of a barren **egret,

The
idea of Sonnet
solacing itself with present licence.
out
128
is borrowed
of his
by Ben Jonson, Every Man
Fastidious
Brisk
Humour, iii. 3, where
says of his lady and
sweet
her lute, You
the subject of her
see
fingersthere.
"

Oh,

she

it

tickles

The

sin,I know, another

Murder's
Poison

It is to

and

and

(129

remorse

of conscience
criminal

and

are

that

146)

the

to

purposes

provoke

flame

as

the

thousand

in another

in
the

holds

the

smoke.

to

of sin.

hands

the two

occur

passions in

obstacles

them,

treason

noticed

be

doth

to lust

near

as

sonnets

are

divinely.

most

"

One

as

laugh

myself to be that instrument

129
is found
thought of Sonnet
Shakespeare's Pericles :

earlyplay of

love

it

makes

she

wished

I have
...

times."

that

so

directlyreligious

most
the

second

series.

place in

same

higher.

of a pure
progress
of amendment,

As

such

love,
are

the

so

For
lower

passions
for

sorrow

obstacles

to

of a guiltylove.
Again, it will be noticed
progress
in the imaginativestage of this lower
love, conscience

againstthe
stage
the

has

the

-on

"

every

reminds

one

of

And
Grow

the

of the

expense

soul.

For

as

when

of the

Leave

at

idealized, expands into political

the lower
love, when
idealized,ramify into

does

lust

tests
proin
whereas
its
ideal
passionsonly ;
to protest in generalagainst the care

body

higher love,

virtues,so

that

animal

conscience

lavished

the

eye,

and

Sidney's last
me,

thou, my

sonnet

of life."

which

taketh

never

fades but fading

Sonnet

146

"

Love, which reachest but to dust

mind, aspire to higher things.

rich in that

Whatever

pride

rust

pleasurebrings.

imitated
from
the close of
phraseology seems
This
blisful regno
Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales :
may
and
the glorie by
men
purchace by poverte espirituel,
loweness, the plente of joye by hunger an 4 thurst, and
And

its

"

74

PHILOSOPHY

and

travaile,

by

reste

shakespeaee's

OP

lif

tlie

sonnets.

detb

by

and

mortificacioun

of

synne."
of

Some
have

in

seen,

find

them

may

these

later
of

some

in

his

Which

Sonnet

While
of

in

Catherine

finds

King

desires

his

we

mob

that

most

evil.

in

parallel

exact

speech

29

ii., 4,

VIII.

Henrij

147

are

curiously

the

Sonnet

we

others

"

who

increase

with

to

affections

would

149

Thus,

appetite,

as

dramas
;

speech

man's

parallels,

earliest

plays.

Your

sick

their

Shakespeare's

latest

Coriolanas's

compare

find

sonnets

"

Which
Have

He

not

mine

were

That

had

He

Perhaps
be

these,

produced,

in

the

and

order

of

illustrate

that
their

system,

they

it

be

true

would

taken

as

would

of

an

arrangement.

easy

task

indication

an

in

as

naturally
the

over

they

the

long

period

were

position
com-

all

of

the

not

was

well-known

meant

to

philosophical

fall

poet

might

that

arrangement

But

for

which

parallelisms

their

phase
all

notice

gave

continued

was

special

mine

of
did

anger,

Nay,

knew

discharged.

composition.

some

friend

your

other

order

although
What

liking?

thence

sonnets

the

several
be

love,

derived

my

from

and

may

of

time,

was

him

friends

your

enemy

to

Continue

of
to

strove

into
to

give

place,
them

and

their

75

CONCLUSION.

VIII.

CHAPTER

CONCLUSION.

questionnow

THE

once

far tliese Sonnets

arises,how

more

autobiographical. It may be at
racter
chathat they paint the poet's ideas and
conceded
once
his sentiments
of what
that they give us a good notion
;
would
have been in given situations. But the situations
themselves, are
they imaginary, or are they real ? Are
for the
framework
devices
to serve
as
they merely dramatic
receive
Can we
true ?
sentiments, or are they historically
considered

to be

are

40-42, 133, 134

Sonnets

their

friend, and

It

devised

displaythe

to

But

if the

the

details

the

writer's

solution

progress

great outlines
be true.

may
own
a

many

is,therefore, much

of the Sonnets

the framework

to take

we

poet, his

should

have
in

directlycontradictory statements

70, 79, and 121.

Sonnets

of the

If so,

mistress

common

explain the

still to

histories

true

as

actual

mere

of love to the

natural

imagination,
best advantage.

of
imaginary, still multitudes
and opinionsare
The
sentiments
thoughts, and they may hold in
are

of

statement

true

as

more

the

facts of his life.

It

detail is necessary
for the
easy to say that whatever
be classed among
the inventions
development of the theme
may
is not so necessary
ia
of the poet ; while whatever

would

be

But
fact.
on
probably founded
uncertain.
be entirely
test would
his
"

the

death

own

coward

stabbed, and

conquest
did

74,

in Sonnet

he

of

write

the
'

the

applicationof such a
For
instance, talking of
poet calls his dead body

wretch's

knife."

Had

this sonnet

while

his life

he
was

been
in

lame
I, made
by
Again, in Sonnet 37 he says,
and in Sonnet
dearest spite;
Fortune's
89,
Speak of my
Are we
to conclude
lameness, and I straightwill halt."
tions
indicathat he was
reallylame ? Again, there are many

danger

"

"

of time

in the

sonnets.

"

In

Sonnet

2 he

JSixes on

the

76

PHILOSOPHY

of

age

that

forty as

field.

In Sonnet

with

and
old.

years

wliicli

62

he

But

and

1604, and
before

about

"

Earl

hand

and

after

when,

beauty's
chopped

reached

the

least

forty

absence

an

a
(97)
spring (98) from
poeticalexercises, he declares

since he first knew

him.
Now
years
born
in 1564, he was
forty years old

sonnets

should

have

Yet

they were

1600.

before-l598.If

MS.

in

heated

"

and

his

renews

his

other

autumn

(104) that it is three

as
Shakespeare was
years

trenches

digs deep

calls himself

the

on

during summer
his friend, he

in

SONNETS.

antiquity." In Sonnet 73 he has

twilightof life ; that is, he is at

tann'd

autumn

SHAEESPEARE's

OF

W.

the

H.

of

begun
handed

Thorpe's

of

three

some

about

in

is the

dedication
"

friend
of the first
Southampton, or if he was the
series of sonnets, Shakespeare had
the
already attained
highest grade of ideal friendshipwith him by 1596, for he
"

dedicated
had

his Venus
him

known

1596.

There

about

long

*'

Lilies that

the

play of
acted

indications

before

1598.

fester

in divers

line

last

is

1594

or

in

one

The

1595.
which

the

determining to
of
eleven
a spaciousfield of"
reasons
is worse
in proportionto the rank
or
"

the

and

form

should

-would

least

think

least

scorn

probable,then,
Sonnets -alreadyin
from

the

play.

thirty years
father, scored

therefore,seem
dramatic

whole

for

look

that

which

It consists

suit.

to show
or
an

that

sin

knowledge
aphorism,

of Sancho
one
speech
proverbs. It is,therefore,a place where

that

friends,than

therefore,

Salisbury,for

of

power
into
is condensed

reason

of the

stringsof

Panza's
we

Each

sinner.

having

of Warwick

Earl

"

"

of the

after

speech in

daughter, the Countess

rejectthe king's shameful

in

speare.
Shake-

to

It was,

London.

94,

occurs

1596,

in

handed

"

attributed
in

104

Sonnet

of

weeds

than

worse

in

places

the

of his

The

therefore

1593, and

years of Sonnet
the Sonnets
were

published

was

in

approves

that

in

III.,sometimes

play

occurs

three

far

smell

Edward

to him

the

during

probably written
line

Adonis

are

This
been

and

this
1594

it was

Yet

is like

author
and where
an
originality,
of open
plagiarism. It is more
line was
quoted from Shakespeare's
his private
1595
known
or
among
afterwards
adopted by Shakespeare

in 1 594

or

1595,

when

he

only about

was

of

a
as
age, he represents himself
and tann'd with age.
His indications

to be

framework

imaginary, and
of the

poem.

to form

Once

decrepit
of

part

more,

time,

of the

Sonnets

77

CONCLUSION.

78-86

is

who

poet,

notorious, that

him,
But

and
the

poet

to

78 declares

been

he

boat

have

"

singlesout
his

"

one

"

and

in

his

become

begun
the

competitor, to

dumbness

another

his invocations

that

frequent,and

so

"

to

so

imitate

patron.

same

whom,

in

parison
com-

"

heavy ignorance,"
"learning,""grace,"
"majesty" (78)
calls "a
worthier
pen" (79), "a better spirit,"
of tall buildingand of goodly pride
in comparison
own

and

attributes

whom
a

"

alien pen
has
every
its productions to
to dedicate

with
he

subject jealousy of
have
supplanted him

one

Sonnet

have

friend

his

to

supposed

affection.

friend's
to

devoted

are

"

"

"

to his

"

own

boat," and

worthless

"

saucy

bark

rior
infe-

"

had
to have
phrases which Fuller seems
in mind
he told of Shakespeare and Ben
when
Jonson's
81 and
82
contests
he
(80) ; and, though in Sonnets
to
seems
others,
jealous of many
imply that he was
"both
expression at the end of the latter
yet an
your
he
shows
that
has
only one
competitor. This
poets
with
strained
of rhetoric
touches
competitor wrote
to kindle
(82) ; he buried the life he strove
(83) ; his
of praise" were
"comments
"charactered
with
golden
and
all
the
filed."
He
Muses
quill,
precious phrase by
able
was
an
spirit,"
writing in polishedform of wellrefined pen
borne
was
(85). His "great verse"
along
under
his spiritwas
proud full sail ;
by spirits
taught
above
aided
to write
peers
a mortal
by "compitch;" he was
afllable familiar
by an
by night
ghost which
nightly gulled him with intelligence"(86). These details
less distinctly to Marlowe
to point more
in the
seem
or
character
of Dr. Faustus, aided by Mephistopheles. Now
Marlowe
killed in 1593.
The
of jealousyrefer
sonnets
was
to a period of absence
comprising part of the third year of
the friendship which
therefore,if
they commemorate
; and
take
the
contain
indications
be
to
we
historical,we
they
that
between
1590
must
and
1592
Shakespeare's
suppose
dear friend
and
Sonnets
to some
patron had gained such
the
notoriety,that all
poets of the day imitated them, and
of the monopoly of his friend's favour, and
tried to rob him
of them, Marlowe, succeeded
that one
in so doing. This is
to historians, and
a piece of history completely unknown
bred only in the seething brains of the historical commentators
the
Sonnets.
When
on
Shakespeare published his
far

to

his

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

78

PHILOSOPHY

Venus

and

Shakespeare's

OP

Adonis

in

lie

1593,

appeared as a perfectlyunknown
of my
invention," he said,

poet. "If the first heir

never
"prove deformed, I shall
it yieldme
still so
a land, for fear
.

neither

proves
become

that

before

1593.

known

some

the

bad

indications
Each

historical.

be
the

ear

barren

so

harvest."

This

in manuscript had
he
print nor
a
dramatist)
poet (as distinct from

Hence

but

one,

after

in

as

jealousycannot

sonnets.

of the
detail may

be

compilationrefers only

whole

of

sonnets

of

true

to

ginary
ima-

an

being.
is,however, quite clear that

It
a

Greene

had

"

him

called

only Shake-

the

notorietybefore

dramatic

certain

as

dressed

was

already a partner

daw

in

absolute

the

In

1592

Joliannes

country," and
in

out

1593.

had

Blackfriars

Robert

Fac-totum,
characterized

feathers.

stolen

attained

In

1589

Theatre, and

he
was

shifting
companion, born to the trade
he had
left to busy himself
of Noverint, which
with the
of art, though he could
endeavours
scarcelyLatinize his
had therefore
devoted
himself
to the study
neck- verse, and
of Seneca's
ten
tragedies,published in English in 1585,
attacked

Nash

the

in the

scene

him

Shakespeare had

by

whence

66

many
"whole

of the

that

he laments

to

And

67

he

"

to

which

sentence

Sonnet

Blood
is a
sentences, like
Hamlets," or "handfuls, of tragical

good

is curious

"

In

stole

he

beggar," and
speeches." It
made

as

has

Nash

has
"A

to

In

stole.

Sonnet

Beggar'd

of .blood to blush

of

the

degeneracy

of

his

"

bankrupt is,

through livelyveins.

Buckingham
and
winds
nobility,
VIII.

the

beggar's

curious

said he

Shakespeare

desert a beggar bom,

in jollity.
needy nothing trimmed

complains

King Henry
ruined

use

behold

rnature

In

what

"

he

countrymen

see

book
how

see

outworths

strong

the

complains
up

with

noble's

the

that

Wolsey

reflection

blood."

feelingof family was

It

"

is
in

Shakespeare,how anxious he was to prove his descent, and

With
of his ancestors.
the "worship
him, a gentleman
whatever
born is something better than a gentleman made
self-made
he had a far deeper
he had for the
honour
man,
who not only deserved
but inherited
sympathy for the man
"

79

CONCLUSION-.

his

II., but

Edward

the

Elizabeth's

to

answer

most

of

productions

feeling in Marlowe's
strongly perhaps in the. Catholic
Andreas
as
Philopater's
day, such

find

We

honours.

the

same

of

Proclamation

November

Commonwealth^ and Parsons' s Memorial

Reformation of England, and, curiously enough,
Leicester's

against Elizabeth, which

of English exiles.
the representations
be placed on
More
reliance,then, can
the

Fifth's

opinions
Yet

Bull

in

there

Sonnets

the

Alas, 'tis true, I have

here

gone

made

sake

O, for my
The

do

guilty goddess of

That

did

Than

public

Thence

better

not

comes

with

you

my
for my
which

means,
it that

my

and

the

on

expressionof
of

indication

facts.

look'd

to.

there,

view.

to the

myself a motley
Most
true it is,that I have
Askance
and strangely.
And

Pius

founded

was

the

on

in

unquestionable facts plainlyalluded

some

are

than

29, 1591,
for the

...

truth

on

(110)
chide,
harmful
deeds,
life provide
"

fortune

breeds.

public manners
receives

name

brand.

"

(111)

be
player cannot
for the
But
when
search
misunderstood.
we
meaning of
such
Sonnets
107, 124, 125, which
as
apparently teem
with
obtain
such
allusions
to facts,we
no
can
certainty.
Mr. Gerald
Massey has very ingeniouslyexplained Sonnet \
\
107 as a song of triumph for the death of Elizabeth, and
of Southampton from
the consequent deliverance
the Tower.
But
all
the
Sonnet
its place much
better when
fits into
these supposed allusions are
not of specialfacts,
interpreted,
of love.
but
of the general circumstances
Not
his own
fears (of death
diviningeyes" of
ending all love) nor the
The

references

here

to

his

callingof

"

the

old

in

poets mentioned

"ladies

dead

friend,

can

and
set

Sonnet

lovely knights"
definite

been

terra

supposed to be doomed
the dying moon
has emerged
gloomy prognosticationsof the
Uncertainty is now
changed
stage of

balmy
young

spite
love's

love

time

gives a
again ; Death

of

death,

monument

106, which

my

to

to

into
his

from

figures of
love, which

to

come

No

"

her

an

This
peace.
love becomes

endless

fresh

baptism to love;
itself is vanquished
rhyme shall live, and
the

had

end.

an

his

eclipse,and the
have
proved wrong.
augurs
into certainty,and
this advanced

promises

after

made

had

crests

and

"

brazen

because,
shall

be

tombs

in
my

of

"

80

PHILOSOPHY

tyrants

SHAKESPEAEE's

OP

wasted

Without

either

affirmingor
it is clear
Massey's specialinterpretation,

are

Mr.
even

if the

them

in

away.

poet had

those

general terms,

for the

SONNETS.

philosophy

facts

melting

which

it

in

his

them

that

mind, he expressed

down

his

was

nying
de-

into

vehicle

principalobject to

express.

Again, when

in Sonnet

124

he declares

that

his love

Suffers not in smiling?pomp, nor falls

the blow
Under
of thralled discontent,
Whereto
the invitingtime our
fashion calls,

and

ends

with

his witnesses

callingas

The
Which

he

speaks

if

as

"fashion"

die for

he

Government,

as

his

and

faction

or

fools of time

goodness

which

they lived for crime,

friend

belonged

discontented

was

to

with

that
the

and

of
consequently liable to the thraldom
prison life. But he may be speaking only generally, and
suffers by such
thraldom.
assertingthat true love never
The
fools of time
be
of Essex's
conspirators men
may
be also
faction, as Mr.
Massey thinks ; but they may
which
subsist only for selfish ends, and
friendships,
politic
die in an
atmosphere of truth and honour, false loves as
that true
of which
he
one
distinguishedfrom
sings in
Sonnet
Love's not Time'-s fool."
116,
Again, the opening
125 seems
to speak of some
of Sonnet
specialpageant in
which
the poet "bore
laid "great bases
the canopy," and
for eternity,"which
at once
collapsed perhaps through
for
the sonnet
the treacheryof some
concludes
with
spy,
"

"

"

execration

an

But
may

the

lead

terms
to

us

have

we

but

cannot

may
the

serve

are

suborned

"

so

make, they

to

look

informer."

general,that
for

the

absolutelytell
to illustrate

can

us

known

whatever

guesses

they

tion
only indicate in what direcfacts of Shakespeare'slife,
of the
details.
They
any
history,not to discover

unknown.

Still
many

inspectionof the Sonnets

biographicalquestions regarding the
a

curious

instance. Sonnet
a

the

upon

paintingof

his

14

suggests

friend

after

that

he

had

saying that

will

suggest
poet. For

before
children

his eyes

would

81

CONCLUSION.

be mucli

he goes

this,Time's

Neither

Children
are

make

are

better

parent

live

he

"

says

yourselfin

eyes of

have

which

and

they

the life

his "inward

poet's pen

scarcely

with

they reproduce
pencil can reproduce
painter's

the
the

lines

pencil,"it looks
Perhaps, however, if
have

referred

called
to

if he

as

he

had

his

was

the

been

the

pencil

"

Time's

like GiuHo

master

some

worth."

"
had
says in the Winter^s Tale that
and could put breath
into his work, he
eternity,

of whom

himself

"

men.

this

"

Romano,

terfeit,"
painted coun-

pupil pen,
my
fair
outward

nor

life ;

than

fair,"or

draughtsman.
painter,he would
pencil; he may
he

you

pencil,or
worth

lines of

"

his "outward

When

in inward

being li"^ing
pictures,the

drawn

*'

his

lines of life that life repair,

the

So should

Can

than

on,

Which

of the

of him

better likenesses

he

would

beguileNature of her custom, so perfectlyis he her

ape." Again he speaks of his friend "growing" (18),
Time
lines
or
being grafted (15) "to
by eternal
an
expressionequallyapplicableto the poet's and to the
painter'slines,and concludes
"

"

"

So

can
breathe, or eyes can
long as men
long lives this,and this gives life to

So

"

gives life,while

their
says

eyes

men's

see

the

Mine

eye hath

who,

recite

Again

"

the

in

poet's,or

Sonnet

24

he

"

played the painter,and

in tables

like
Shakespeare a painter,

Dante,
Nash

can

painter'slines.

Thy beauty'sform
Was

breath

see.
thee

who

tells

gives us
when

through

he
every

Such, then,

us

art

hath

stelled

heart.

his friend

in his Vita Nuova

to understand
was

of my

of the

Burbage, or
angel

he drew

that

Shakespeare was
a
had
twenty-five years old,
already

and
the

thriven

like

by

man
"

run

none."

of Shakespeare's
biographicaluses
without
They suggest,
answering, questions on
matters
of fact.
covering
disThey illustrate the known, without
And
unknown
facts.
they furnish a certain key
his
inmost
sentiments
and
to
of perthoughts on numbers
sonal,
and even
social,political,
artistic,
religiousquestions.
of that philosophy of his which
made
They are a manual
him, in the estimation of the person who wrote his epitaph.

Sonnets.

are

82

PHILOSOPHY

OF

SHAKESPEARE's

SONNETS.

and
over
ingenio. They ouglit to be read over
they avowedly
again, in the lightof the philosophy which
profess. They will be found to illustrate and fall in with
the thoughts of the deepest writers on the subject of love.
in the world
When
but
St. Augustine says "There
are
two
loves, the love of God
extending to the contempt
the love of self extending to the
of self,and
contempt
of God," he gives the ultimate
expression of the whole
Socrates

scope

Sonnets.

of the

preceded
they have

our

poet and

chosen

his

Old

writers

those

theme,

who
have

and

have

new,

after

come

forced

been

those

to

who

him,
run

if
in

of stating
; for this love philosophy is a way
groove
nature
the realities of human
one
can
no
; and
say that the
enabled
Shakespeare to store, to arrange, to
system which

the

same

economize,

and

to

exhibit

marvellous

his

humanity is a system that has gone

philosophy which has been exploded.

LOSDOK

SP0TTI8W00DB

ASD

AND

PHIXTED

CO.,

PABLIAMBNT

out

BT

NK-W-STREKT

STBBET

SQUARE

knowledge
of date, or

of
a