NEW TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE.* VARIOUS attempts have been made to
dispossess the Tales from Shakespeare: Designed for the Use of Young Persons, by Charles and Mary Lamb, from their place as the popular version of the Shakespeare stories. The book was published now nearly a century ago—it appeared in 1807—and that is a long time for a work of the kind to "flourish," if the phrase may be thus used. The great literary masterpieces have to be interpreted afresh for succeeding generations. And so much has been said about Shakespeare since 1807, so much has been done towards appreciating him better, that the time may well have come for a real success in this direction. It will be remembered that the more gifted member of the Lamb partnership, Charles, did but a small portion of the work, six only out of the total of twenty, these six being tragedies, and so, by reason of the simplicity of their p,
lots far easier to deal with than the comedies. Curiously enough, Charles's own attempt in this kind of writing, the Adventures of Ulysses, never achieved the popularity of the Tales from Shakespeare. The book is not forgotten, but its circulation has not anything like equalled that of the Tales, though these were largely the work of a far less skilful hand. Anyhow Mr. Sidney Lee, a quite unimpeachable authority, strongly commends this new venture, for which, indeed, Miss Macleod's literary reputation will command at least a favour- able hearing. More it would be rash to predict. A brief inspection, however, will convince the reader that this new rendering has been very well done. Possibly the old and the new will "divide the throne."
One point on which Mr. Sidney Lee insists in criticising Mary Lamb's work is that she did not give the plots of the comedies in their fulness. It must be admitted that it is a serious defect to have Bottom and Company omitted from the Midsummer .Night's Dream, and no appearance in As You like It of the "melancholy Jaques" and that inimitable couple, Touchstone and Audrey. None of the plays has a better constructed plot than Twelfth Night. Shakespeare uses the element of the resemblance of twins, which may easily become farcical, if not tedious—so much one may see in the Comedy of Errors—with supreme skill. By help of it, to give one instance only, he gets out of the difficulty of the apparently hopeless passion of Olivia for the false Cesario. The fooling of Malvolio, the exposure of Sir Andrew Ague- cheek, the role played so skilfully by Sir Toby, the duel between the two terrified combatants,—any one of these would have furnished a tolerable play in itself. Miss Macleod keeps the threads of the plot distinct with much skill, takes care to make every point, and does her work generally very well. We may give as an instance her rendering of the exquisitely comic scene of Malvolio meditating aloud on his future greatness, with Sir Toby and Sir Andrew listening :—
Having been three months married to her, sitting in my state,' he mused, gesticulating to himself, as if all he described were really_ taking place, 'calling my officers about me, in. my branched velvet gown, and telling them I knew my place as I wished them to know theirs, I would ask for my kinsman Toby. Seven of my people, with an obedient start, make for him; I frown the while, and perchance wind up my watch, or play with my— some rich jeweL Toby approaches, bows humbly to me." Shall this fellow live?' cried the exasperated real Toby in the box-tree. 'I extend my hand to him, thus quenching my familiar smile with an austere regard of control—. And does not Toby give you a blow on the lips, then ? ' fumed the hearer= saying, "Cousin Toby, my fortunes having cast me on your niece, give me the privilege of speech. You must amend your drinking habits. Besides, you waste the treasure of your time with a foolish knight." " That's me, I warrant you,' put in Sir Andrew. 'One Sir Andrew—" I knew it was I, for many, call me fool,' said Sir Andrew, quite pleased with his own penetration."
Twelfth Night, we may observe, occupies more than thirty- seven of Miss Macleod's pages; The Taming of the Shrew is very properly compressed into about half the space ; while As You like It stands, in respect of length, in a mean between the two. Hamlet, as one might expect, runs to fifty pages. Generally, the sense of proportion has been well observed.
Mr. Gordon Browne's illustrations add another charm to a very attractive book. Some of the single figures, in particular, are specially charming; the girl, for instance, who is looking into a box labelled "Contents."
Th e Shakespeare Stfl' Mary Macleod. With Introduction by Sidney Lee. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. London : Wells Gardner, Darton, and Co. Val.]
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