Specimens of the Table Talk of S.T.Coleridge | Page 9

Logic of Ideas and of Syllogisms W. S. Lander's
Poetry Beauty Chronological Arrangement of Works Toleration
Norwegians Articles of Faith Modern Quakerism Devotional Spirit
Sectarianism Origen Some Men like Musical Glasses Sublime and
Nonsense Atheist Proof of Existence of God Kant's attempt Plurality of
Worlds A Reasoner Shakspeare's Intellectual Action Crabbe and
Southey Peter Simple and Tom Cringle's Log Chaucer Shakspeare Ben
Jonson Beaumont and Fletcher Daniel Massinger Lord Byron and H.
Walpole's "Mysterious Mother" Lewis's Jamaica Journal Sicily Malta

Sir Alexander Ball Cambridge Petition to admit Dissenters Corn Laws
Christian Sabbath High Prizes and Revenues of the Church Sir Charles
Wetherell's Speech National Church Dissenters Papacy Universities
Schiller's Versification German Blank Verse Roman Catholic
Emancipation Duke of Wellington Coronation Oath Corn Laws
Modern Political Economy Socinianism Unitarianism Fancy and
Imagination Mr. Coleridge's System Biographia Literaria Dissenters
Lord Brooke Barrow and Dryden Peter Wilkins and Stothard Fielding
and Richardson Bishop Sandford Roman Catholic Religion Euthanasia
Recollections, by Mr. Justice Coleridge Address to a God-child

TABLE TALK
December 29, 1822
CHARACTER OF OTHELLO--SCHILLER'S
ROBBERS-SHAKSPEARE --SCOTCH NOVELS--LORD
BYRON--JOHN KEMMBLE--MATHEWS
Othello must not be conceived as a negro, but a high and chivalrous
Moorish chief. Shakspeare learned the sprit of the character from the
Spanish poetry, which was prevalent in England in his time.[1]
Jelousy does not strike me as the point in his passion; I take it to be
rather an agony that the creature, whom he had believed angelic, with
whom he had garnered up his heart, and whom he could not help still
loving, should be proved impure and worthless. It was the struggle not
to love her. It was a moral indignation and regret that virture should so
fall:--"But yet the pity of it, Iago!--O Iago! the pity of it, Iago!" In
addition to this, his hourour was concerned: Iago would not have
succeeded but by hinting that this honour was compromised. There is
no ferocity in Othello; his mind is majestic and composed. He
deliberately determines to die; and speaks his last speech with a view of
showing his attachment to the Venetian state, though it had superseded
him.
[Footnote 1: Caballaeros Granadinos, Aunque Moros, hijos
d'algo--ED.]
* * * * *
Schiller has the material Sublime; to produce an effect he sets you a
whole town on fire, and throws infants with their mothers into the
flames, or locks up a father in an old tower.[1] But Shakspeare drops a

handkerchief, and the same or greater effects follow.
[Footnote 1: This expression--"material sublime"--like a hundred others
which have slipped into general use, came originally from Mr.
Coleridege, and was by him, in the first instatnce, applied to Schiller's
Robbers-- See Act iv, sc. 5.--ED.]
Lear is the most tremendous effort of Shakspeare as a poet; Hamlet as a
philosopher or meditater; and Othello is the union of the two. There is
something gigantic and unformed in the former two; but in the latter,
every thing assumes its due place and proportion, and the whole mature
powers of his mind are displayed in admirable equilibrium.
I think Old Mortality and Guy Mannering the best of the Scotch novels.
It seems, to my ear, that there is a sad want of harmony in Lord Byron's
verses. Is it not unnatural to be always connecting very great
intellectual power with utter depravity? Does such a combination often
really exist in rerum naturae?
I always had a great liking--I may say, a sort of nondescript reverence--
for John Kemble. What a quaint creature he was! I remember a party, in
which he was discoursing in his measured manner after dinner, when
the servant announced his carriage. He nodded, and went on. The
announcement took place twice afterwards; Kemble each time nodding
his head a little more impatiently, but still going on. At last, and for the
fourth time, the servant entered, and said,--"Mrs. Kemble says, sir, she
has the rheumatise, and cannot stay." "Add_ism!_" dropped John, in a
parenthesis, and proceeded quietly in his harangue.
* * * * *
Kemble would correct any body, at any time, and in any place. Dear
Charles Mathews--a true genius in his line, in my judgment--told me he
was once performing privately before the King. The King was much
pleased with the imitation of Kemble, and said,--"I liked Kemble very
much. He was one of my earliest friends. I remember once he was
talking, and found himself out of snuff. I offered him my box. He
declined taking any--'he, a poor actor, could not put his fingers into a
royal box.' I said, 'Take some, pray; you will obl_ee_ge me.' Upon
which Kemble replied,--'It would become your royal mouth better to
say, obl_i_ge me;' and took a pinch."
* * * * *
It is not easy to put me out of countenance, or interrupt