ON THE PLAY OF THE TEMPEST, WITH REMARKS ON THE SUPERSTITIONS OF the middle AGES SOME ORIGINAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHARACTER OF WRITINGS AND GENIUS OF SHAKSPERE. READ BEFORE THE SHAKSPERE CLUB, 6TH SEPTEMBER, 1839. Patrick MacDonell BY P. MACDONNELL, (Formerly President of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh) London. JOHN FELLOWES, 36, TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD. MDCCCXL. The Play of The Tempest, as it was last performed 3d June, 1839, at the Theatre Royal COVENT GARDEN, under the management of The Music selected from the works of PURCELL, LINLEY, and DR. ARNE, and arranged by MR. T. COOKE. ON THE TEMPEST. THE POET'S EYE, IN A FINE FRENZY ROLLING, DOTH GLANCE FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH, FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN, AND AS IMAGINATION BODIES FORTH THE FORM OF THINGS UNKNOWN, THE POET'S PEN TURNS THEM TO SHAPE, AND GIVES TO AIRY NOTHING A LOCAL HABITATION, AND A NAME. MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. It has been well observed, that the play of the TEMPEST, carries us beyond the limits of nature, without forsaking sense ;-its enchantment no doubt has given to fiction all the appearance of reality; but the genius of poetry having now in modern times, left the abodes of supernatural beings, the poet revels no more, in those uncontrolled and boundless dominions of fancy. Shakspere, however, wrote congenial to the period in which he lived; the lofty powers of his imagination knew no bounds, and in soaring far beyond the regions of terrestrial existence, to please the taste, and suit the prejudices of his day, he has given to the world, a magnificent proof, of the |