sons, seeing they are not knighted as soldiers, in the field; though in these our days they are they are not therefore to use the horseman's title or spurs: they are only termed simply miles and milites, knights of the carpet, or knights of the green cloth, to distinguish them from knights that are dubbed as soldiers created or dubbed with the like ceremony as the others are, by the stroke of a naked sword upon their shoulder, with the words, Rise up Sir T. A., knight." THE Comedy of 'Twelfth Night' is amongst the most perplexing of Shakspere's plays to the sticklers for accuracy of costume. The period of action is undefined. The scene is laid in Illyria, whilst the names of the Dramatis Personæ are a mixture of Spanish, Italian, and English. The best mode of reconciling the discrepancies arising from so many conflicting circumstances appears to us to be the assumption, first, that duke or count Orsino (for he is indifferently so entitled in the play) is a Venetian governor of that portion of Dalmatia which was all of the ancient Illyria remaining under the dominion of the republic at the commencement of the seventeenth century, and that his attendants, Valentine, Curio, &c., as well as Olivia, Malvolio, and Maria, are also Venetians; and, secondly, that Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Ague-cheek arc English residents; the former, a maternal uncle to Olivia -her father, a Venetian count, having married Sir Toby's sister. If this be allowed, and there is nothing that we can perceive in the play to prevent it, there is no impropriety in dressing the above-named characters in the Venetian and English costume of Shakspere's own time, and the two sea-captains and Sebastian in the very picturesque habits of "Chimariot, Illyrian, and dark Suliote." Viola, the twin-sister of Sebastian, might therefore, by assuming the national male dress, be more readily mistaken for her brother, as it is absurd to suppose that she could otherwise, by accident, light upon a facsimile of the suit he appears in; and any manifest difference, either in form or colour, would tend to destroy the illusion, as we have already observed in the case of the two Dromios and their masters ('Comedy of Errors). We leave the decision, however, to our readers, at the same time referring those who think with us INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. THIS Comedy was first printed in the folio an unbearable violation of our sense of justice. He is "Precise; The leading idea of the character of Isabella is that of one who abides the direst temptation which can be presented to a youthful, innocent, unsuspecting, and affectionate woman-the temptation of saving the life of one most dear, by submitting to a shame which the sophistry of self-love might represent as scarcely criminal. All other writers who have treated the subject The general outline of the story upon have conceived that the temptation could which Measure for Measure' is founded not be resisted. Shakspere alone has conis presented to us in such different forms, fidence enough in female virtue to make and with reference to such distinct times Isabella never for a moment even doubt of and persons, that, whether historically true her proper course. But he has based this or not, we can have no doubt of its uni- virtue, most unquestionably, upon the very versal interest. It is told of an officer of highest principle upon which any virtue can Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy; of be built. The foundation of Isabella's chaOliver le Diable, the wicked favourite of racter is religion. The character of Angelo Louis XI.; of Colonel Kirke, in our own is the antagonist to that of Isabella. In a country; of a captain of the Duke of Fer-city of licentiousness he is rara. In all these cases an unhappy woman "A man of stricture and firm abstinence." sacrifices her own honour for the promised safety of one she loves; and in all, with the exception of the case of Colonel Kirke, the abuser of authority is punished with death. Whatever interest may attach to the narrative of such an event, it is manifest that the With profits of the mind, study and fast." dramatic conduct of such a story is full of But he wanted the one sustaining principle difficulty, especially in a scrupulous age. by which Isabella was upheld. After ShakBut the public opinion, which, in this par- spere had conceived the character of Isabella, ticular, would operate upon a dramatist in and in that conception had made it certain our own day, would not affect a writer for that her virtue must pass unscathed through the stage in the times of Elizabeth and the fire, he had to contrive a series of inJames; and, in point of fact, plots far more cidents by which the catastrophe should offensive became the subject of very popular proceed onward through all the stages of dramas long after the times of Shakspere. Angelo's guilt of intention, and terminate It appears to us that, adopting such a in his final exposure. Mr. Hallam says, subject in its general bearings, he has ma- "There is great skill in the invention of naged it with uncommon adroitness by his Mariana, and without this the story could deviations from the accustomed story. By not have anything like a satisfactory termi introducing a contrivance by which the nation." But there is great skill also in the heroine is not sacrificed, he preserves our management of the incident in the Duke's respect for her, which would be involuntarily hands, as well as in the invention; and this lost if she fell, even though against her own is produced by the wonderful propriety with will; and by this management he is also which the character of the Duke is drawn. enabled to spare the great offender without | He is described by Hazlitt as a very im Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses He is one who "Doth rebate and blunt his natural edge |