III THE SECOND PART OF HENRY IV. T is uncommon to find the fame spirit I and intereft diffufed through the féquel, as in the first part of a play: but the fertile and happy mind of Shakespear could create or diverfify at pleasure; could produce new characters, or vary the attitudes of those before exhibited, according to the occafion. He leaves us in doubt, whether most to admire the fecundity of his imagination in the variety of its productions; or the strength and steadiness of his genius in fuftaining the fpirit, and preserving unimpaired, through various circumftances and fituations, what his invention had originally produced. We We fhall hardly find any man to-day more like to what he was yesterday, than the perfons here are like to what they were in the firft part of Henry IV. This is the more aftonishing as the author has not confined himself like all other dramatic writers to a certain theatrical character; which, formed entirely of one paffion, presents to us always the Patriot, the Lover, or the Conqueror. These, still turning on the fame hinge, defcribe, like a piece of clock-work, a regular circle of movements. In human nature, of which Shakefpear's characters are a just imitation, every paffion is controlled and forced into many deviations by various incidental difpofitions and humours: The operations of this complicated machine are far more difficult to trace, than the steady undeviating line of the artificial character formed on one fimple principle. Our poet feems to have as great an advantage over ordinary dramatic poets, as Dædalus had above his predeceffors in fculpture. They could make a representation of the limbs and features which compose the human form. He first had the skill to give it gefture, attitude, the eafy graces of real life, and to exhibit its powers in a variety of ex ertions. We shall again fee Northumberland timid and wavering, forward in confpiracy, yet hefitating to join in an action of doubtful iffue. King Henry is as prudent a politician on his death-bed, as at council; his eye, just before it closed for ever, ftretching itself beyond the hour of death, to the view of thofe dangers, which from the temper of the Prince of Wales, and the condition of the times, threatened his Throne and Family. I cannot help taking notice of the remarkable attention of the poet, to the cautious and politic temper of Henry, when he makes him, even in speaking to his friends and partifans, diffemble fo far, in relating Richard's prophecy, that Northumberland who helped |