PROLOGUETOCOLERIDGE'STRAGEDYOF"REMORSE" - The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4 - Charles Lamb - 其他小说 - 30读书

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;

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