Shakespeare and Dr Rowse
Sir: Allow me to protest vehem- ently, if a little belatedly, against your indecent verbal caricature of Dr A. L. Rowse ('Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Historian'), which you have actually tried to pass off under this illustnous author's own name. There is a real danger that some simple folk may believe that he is responsible. But what such 'crackpots' may believe is not of much account. Those familiar with Dr Rowse's Shakespearian publications, so remarkable for urbanity, generosity, modesty and fairmindedness. will hai/e in- stantly detected the audadious fraud. Caricature of this kind is a delicate. subtle art: it must not lapse into gross exaggeration. Is it in the least plausible or in charac- ter to make Dr Rowse twice pro- claim that he is responsible for 'the best biography of Shakespeare that has ever been written', or to wind up an impassioned and abusive effusion with a list of poets who have appreciated his poetry, which must therefore be 'certainly good enough for the third-rate literary journalists and critics who ignore it'l No, sir. you have gone much too far: br Rowse and his many ad- mirers have legitimate cause for
complaint. Before publishing your preposterous and malicious libel. you should have thought of the pain that inevitably it would cause its distinguished victim, so invari- ably considerate of other critics' feelings and so totally averse to self-glorification.
Ralph Edwards The Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall. London sw I Sir: Since Samson with the jawbone of a penny ass His vengeance great upon the Phil- istines did wreak. No slaughter-wonder in the world has come to pass Like that we witnessed on your pages just last week. I mean the mighty trump that hordes of scholars dead And scholars yet unborn condemns to silent sleep. And ladies too forbids—what hue soe'er their head— To start again ingenious pen, and ink to weep. All puzzles solved: the sole beget- ter now is known Thanks to bright light by Clio shed on mystery Which e'en Erato's slaves will henceforth gratefully own Scarce rates a footnote more with- in the Sonnet History. But if this be sure, then why the Rowsean rage At what he finds a deaf, unheedful atte? David Meredith R.R. I. Box 245 Al, Pennington, New Jersey 08534
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