PROLOGUETOCOLERIDGE'STRAGEDYOF"REMORSE"
prologuetocoleridge'stragedyof"remorse"
(1813)
thereare,iamtold,whosharplycriticise
ourmoderntheatres'unwieldysize.
weplayersshallscarcepleadguiltytothatcharge,
whothinkahousecanneverbetoolarge:
griev'dwhenarant,that'sworthanation'sear,
shakessomeprescrib'dlyceum'spettysphere;
andpleasedtomarkthegrinfromspacetospace
spreadepidemico'eratown'sbroadface.—
omightoldbettertonorboothreturn
toviewourstructuresfromtheirsilenturn,
couldquincomestalkingfromelysianglades,
orgarrickgetaday-rulefromtheshades—
wherenow,perhaps,inmirthwhichspiritsapprove,
heimitatesthewaysofmenabove,
andapestheactionsofouruppercoast,
asinhisdaysoffleshheplay'dtheghost:—
howmighttheyblessouramplerscopetoplease,
andhatetheirownoldshrunkupaudiences.—
theirhousesyetwerepalacestothose,
whichbenandfletcherfortheirtriumphschose.
shakspeare,whowish'dakingdomforastage,}
likegiantpentindisproportion'dcage,}
mourn'dhiscontractedstrengthsandcrippledrage.}
hewhocouldtamehisvastambitiondown
topleasesomescatter'dgleaningsofatown,
and,ifsomehundredauditorssupplied
theirmeagremeedofclaps,wassatisfied,
howhadhefelt,whenthatdreadcurseoflear's
hadbursttremendousonathousandears,
whiledeep-struckwonderfromapplaudingbands
return'dthetributeofasmanyhands!
rudewerehisguests;henevermadehisbow
tosuchanaudienceassalutesusnow.
helack'dthebalmoflabor,femalepraise.
fewladiesinhistimefrequentedplays,
orcametoseeayouthwithaukwardart
andshrillsharppipeburlesquethewoman'spart.
theveryuse,sincesoessentialgrown,
ofpaintedscenes,wastohisstageunknown.
theair-blestcastle,roundwhosewholesomecrest,
themartlet,guestofsummer,chosehernest—
theforestwalksofarden'sfairdomain,
wherejaquesfedhissolitaryvein.
nopencil'saidasyethaddaredsupply,
seenonlybytheintellectualeye.
thosescenichelps,deniedtoshakspeare'spage,
ourauthorowestoamoreliberalage.
norpompnorcircumstancearewantinghere;