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1
2
3
1
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"7 ^ .^^
w
V'
iA
I I
f
A BOOK ABOUT SI lAKHSI'K ARK.
i
i
WILLIAM a H A K. E S P 1^ A 1< E.
I
A B () O K A 15 () I' T
S"
\ K !•: S V i: A R K
Mrittcii tor JJouiui IPcoplc
l;\
j. \. MCI i.w K A I r n
( " /i ilil I ,11 \ ) .',; )
5^ ^'
; f
T II (JM AS N i: I.S()\ A \ I
» s < > \ S
iSnS
I
cox T i: X j^ s.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
WIIKN SJIAKK.SPKARi: WAS A I JO",
Tin: IIO.MK IN IIKNLKV STUKKT,
Tin; VULfTH UF A (IKNIl.S,
SIIAKK.SI'KAKK I.N LUNL.O.N, , .
siiakksi'i:ai!i:, tiik i-oiit, ....
A MIDSr.M.MKK-NKJUT's DIlKA.M,
THK (;loi5i: tmkatui:,
SIIAKK.SI'KAKK AS A\ KNGLISIl HISTORIAN,
KI\(; LKAH,
' •■•• §••• ....
MACIJKTIJ,
THK CKKKK AND ItO.MAN TKAGKDII.S, ...
"TIIK TK.MI'KST," ....
WILLIA.M SIlAKI.Sl'KAItK, IMiNTLK.MAN, . .
AS OTIIKItS SKK III.M,
SIIAKKSFEAUK, THK LAV HIBLK,
STH.VTFOUD-OX-AVON TO-DAV,
9
2<J
30
40
53
(J4
7!)
90
103
119
VX>
ir.e
I7r»
ISO
I'J8
r
JH
i.l.ST OK ILL! STKATIONS.
-♦♦-
. 1
I
uiLtJAM Ml \kim'i:ai;i;, .... rru„t,,f.„r,
Tin; .m.wi'um;, ., ... jg
niM\(; i.s Tin; si.\Ti:i;\Tii cK.sTri;'., .. 4{>
KtiKI S .M.\Ki;,s lll.s (o.MI'I.AI.NT T«» TIM: Ml Ki:, .... JI5
hi;m;na TiiMjN<; dk.mi.tiiii s of iiii;mi\s fi.h.iii with
LYSAM)i:i;, .... , . .... .... (15
Tin: (^lAititKL I5i:t\vi:i:n oisKiutN am< titama, .... G9
oHKitoN s(/n:i:ziN(; riii: .u ici: (.\ titanias kvklids, (.:»
TITANIA FALLS IN r.oVK WITH IJOTTOM. .. . ... 73
THi: I'l.AV .... ... . 73
in:\ joNsoN, .... .. . ... 89
HiniAlil) l'iluN(.I\CI\(; SKNTKNCi; OF IJANlSliMKNT (».\
HIS roi si.\, .... .... . . .... 95
.mkftim; |{i:tw i:i:\ i;(»lin(;f5I:oki; and V(»i;k. ... 05
HKNUV AT Tin; siKci; OF iiAi;Fi,i:i i;. .... ... loi
Tin: Ml itiJFK OF Tin; I'i.incfs in iin; ti»wi;i;, im
I.FAi; IHVIDKS His KIN<;i)O.M IJFIWFKN (ioNKIill, ANIt
ItliUAN ... . . .... . 105
LFAU IN Tin: ST(il;.M . ... ... 10.-,
kknt in Tin-: stocks, .. . m
LDMiNi* i'i:i;siAiiiN(; (.i.orci.sTKit that i;im;ai{ in-
TENDKI) TO .MLKDi:i; HIM, ... .... ... HI
death of lfaii, .. . ... ... ii,s
VJll
LIST {)l' II.LUSTIIATIONS.
f"i
■;!i
l'1
1 1
■ ' :a
TO
MACiiETll, UASqiO, AND TJIK WITCUKS,
MACUKTU AND LADV MACIiKTJI,
MACIJETJI AHOUT TO MLllDKIl DUNCAN,
JIACI5 II KILLING TIIK (JUOOMS, ....
MACDL'KF AND .MACUI:TII FKillTINtJ,
LADY MACBKTII \VALKIN(J IN IIKR SLi:i<:i', .
.MARK Antony's o' \tion,
MAUK ANTONY AND CLKOPATUA, ...
TIMON (aVI\(; (JOLD TO ALCiniADKS AND OTIIKUS,
Tllli SliNATOKS KNTHKATINCJ Tl.MON TO UI:TUUN
ATIIi:NS, ,
PROSPEHO AND MIHANDA,
FERDINAND LED IJY AUIEL's SONCJ,
ARIEL LEADING STEPIIANO, TRINr:ULO, AND CALIBAN
INTO THE BOG,
THE BANQUET VANISHES,
IMOGEN I\ THE CAVE, ....
GATEHOUSE, KENILWORTH CASTLE,
RUINS OF KENILWORTH CASTLE, ..
WARWICK CASTLE,
ANNE hathaway's C0TTA(;E,
SHAKKSPEARe's HOUSE, AS IT APPEARED BEFORE THE
LATE ALTERATIONS,
ROOM IN Shakespeare's house, .
Shakespeare's house, as it is, ..
CHURCH OF the HOLY TRINITY, STRATFOItD-ONAVON,
BUST OF SHAKESPEARE IN THE CHURCH (»F THE HOLY
TRINITY, STRATFOltD ON-AVON,
INSCRIPTION ON SHAKKSPEARES GRAVE,
1L»1
ILT)
]2:»
IL'!)
l.-il)
r.v.)
143
U'.\
153
157
157
103
191
VJ.}
195
199
203
207
211
215
0111
<>•>)
U
*
A BOOK ABOUT SJIAKESBEARE.
-♦♦-
CHAPTER I.
WHEN SHAKESPEARE WAS A IJOV.
'' Tilings in motion s(M»nor catch the eye
Than what not stirs."
Troilusfnid Crissido, iij, 3.
'T'^'HE world was wide awake when Shakospuarc
-■- was a ])(^y. For tlic thousand years iiiturvfii-
in^^ bL'twcon tlio early Christian era and modern times
Europe had been asleep ; hut when the av/akenino- came,
the iVIiddle Ai^es seemed nothino- hut a had dream.
Al)out the middle of the fifteenth centuiy, a hun-
dred years behav Shakespe.ire s birth, Italy, the pre-
cocious child oi' the south, be<^\'ni to I'ouse the other
nations of Europe. She it was who Hrst opened lier
eyes to the fact that life upon this eaith is of interest
and value for its own sake ; that neither church nor
10 \\\U:S SIIAKKSI'KAIIE WAS A I50Y
s.t;ito lias tlic ri;;lit to kc*']) a man I'rcjiii dcv(.'l()i>iii""
cNciy [)()\VL'r ol' iiis iniiMl.
Lt'aniiiiu- was no lono(.r confined to the ehurcli, nor
power to the <;rcat noljlcs. No lonovr was evcrv
licart oppressed witli tlie Ix-liel' tli.it the woi-|<l was
soon coining- to an end. Like a bov let loose tVoiii
«
school, iMirope had diseovei'ed that it was cooil to
be alive. Men eao-crly crossed the dark o-ap ui*
ceiitni-ies to o-rasp hands with the ancients, and learn
I'roni them what it was possible for the race to do
and to be.
The revival of liTe and energy was common to all
lands, but the lorm that it took in each vai'ied with
the national a])ilitv and disi)osition. Italv for ex-
ample, with classic literature at her l)ack, made the
greatest stride foi-ward in ])oeti"v nnd romance. Pe-
trarch and JJoccaccio lu'came schoolmasters to tlie rest
of Europe in these two subjects. Our own S])enser
studied with the one, Shakespeare with the other,
and Ariosto is called the father of all modern v»riters
of C(»liie<|\-.
France was the (piickest of Italy's pujjils : but the
slowei- Xethei'lands learnec] in time to tiiiht for her
independence, and her development was shown in
the famous painters Rubens, Vandvck, Kuvsdael, and
WHi:\ SHAKKSlMvMJH WAS A MOV
n
Rt'i>i])ranflt. Tilt' last named, who lias lu'cii clnis-
ti'n('<l the " Sliakt'spcai-c ol' Holland, "' was bai'dy ten
yt'ars old when oiu' Sliakt's])(>ar(' died : I nit each man
was tlic liioh-watrr maik to wliicli the universal ti<le
of i^'i'eatness rose in liis native land.
Trnlv there were i-iants in those da\s. The
mighty nion of Spain spent their streneth in navioat-
in<;- unknown seas with the help of the ne\vly-in\ cnted
mariner's ('om])ass. The tin\' earaxcls in which the\-
set sail look like tovs to the seamen of tonlav : hut it
was from the deck of one of these that folumhiis .irst
caueht sieht of America. Kne-Iish sailors made haste
to follow the Spaniards over the ocean, to ])lant
colonies of peaceful settlers wheri' the latter went
onlv for coiKiuest or for "old.
The new world thus disco\'ered was not more won-
derful than the world of hooks o[)ene(| up hy the in\ cn-
tion of })rintin^-. The man who cannot read is limited
to that which conies under his personal ohservation. lie
who reads has the heneHt of the e\[)erience of othei-
men in other lands and in all ai;es of the worlds his-
tory. It is no wonder that the heads of the nations
were fairly tui'ne(l hy this suddm wi<leninii- of the
mental horizon, oi- that man should sa\' to himself, -
'■ I am hiigiT tlmi I tlioU'^ht.'
12 WHEN shakp:speare was a boy.
M i
He was ready to set up liis own conscience as a rival
to tlie judo-nient of tlie eliurcli.
Tlien, as now, Germany was tlie njost concerned
about those tliinos that relate to the iinier life of
man ; and when the liihle, so lono- th.e property of
churchmen alone, was printed, and within reach of
whoever could read it, a reformation in reliuion was
the natural result. The reformincr wave reached
En(rlan<l from Gei'many in due time, and carried her
latterly to an extreme point of fanaticism : hut when
Shakespwire was a boy, the sober island had thrown
oft' the yoke of old authoi-ity, and had not yet become
stiftened with the Puiitan harness.
Every science and every art felt the stinuilatino-
spirit of the time, and the climax was reached in
the reion of Elizabeth, when Enohmd exceMed her-
self in practical achievement. Francis liacc^n made
as bold a. break from old methods in science as
Edmund Spenser did from the old school of poetry.
" :\Ieri-ie Enoland " freed herself from every kind of
restraint.
The whole population was no more than that of
London to-day, and but three-cjuarters of the soil was
cultivated. There were no larone towns, and the small
ones were separated by miles of road so bad that the
WHKN SHAKKSPKARE WAS A liOV. ].S
people travelled little, and were forced to make
variety I'or themselves at home.
^lany holid.iys came in the year, and each was
made the excuse for endless oames and merriment.
There was in every villaov an open cryvvn with a
may-pole in the centre, romxl which the lads and
lasses danced on the Hrst of May, and the Christmas
festivities la.stvd for twelve day.s. Much fantastic
ceremony was as.sociated even with more ordinary
occasions. Sowing-time, sheei>shearino-, and harvest-
home were annual functions of the oreatest import-
ance, when o-entleman and farmer vied with each
other in the (piantities of meat, beer, and wine they
placed before their ouests. Veiretables were scorned,
and tea and cotlee were not yet in use : l)ut surprises
in the way of rare " pasties " were the order of the
day. It is not improbable that the leoend of the
'* Four-and-twenty blafkhinls haked in a pie
is founded upon fact.
Queen Elizabeth would thorouohly appreciate such
a "dairity di.sh," for the unexpected in any form
pleased Her Majesty highly. When she rode throuoh
the forest, pretended nymphs and .satyrs peeped at
her from behind trees : and once, when she visited
h'
U WHKX SnAKKSI>KAPvK AVAS A P.OY.
tln' city of Xoiwicli, Cu])i<l ]tivsciit('(l Ih'i- witli a
jroMcii MiTow, to siiiiiil'v that licr eliai'iiis could llv as
I'ar aiul ])i('i('(' as deeply.
\'icto)'ia travels I'loiu Windsoi- to Balinoi'al as little
olksei-ved as jiossiMe. and lie)- Taiiiily likewise ])rerer
toattract no attention upon their joui-neys : l»nt Eliza-
beth (]eliiihted in dis])la\-. When she made a rovnl
pro^^'ivss thi-onn'h her kinetlom, there were in her
honcjur masks, shows, and revels ol" eNci'v descrip-
tion. She eloried in the sonnd of trumpets and
hne'les, in the sii-ht ol' hoi'ses alnu^st as eail\- dressed
as the men and women ol* her coni't.
The Karl ol' Leicester entertained hei-at Kenilworth
Castle, fourteen miles from Shakespeare's l)ii'th[)lace,
when the lattc'* was al)oiit tweKc vcars old : and a
!i\'elv l.id of that ae'e was not likel\' to miss heai'in*''
ahout, if he did not actuallv see, some of the wonder-
ful sii>]its that for tweKc whole da\-s were to he seen
in that " palace of princely pleasure."
Thei'c is a passae'e in the MiiJsii i,i inri'-y't/Jil's
Di't'tnn which is supposed to refer to this occasion:
it shows tliat Shakespeare was not ])ehind the other
]»oets of his time in paN-ino- to the rcn'al i.idv tlie
sort of compliment she most a|)prcciate<l. 'idioueh in
realitx' a woman of fortv, he calls her 'a fair \estal
('.):)tO
I
h
I
T n K M A V I'll I, i;
If
J,
1
WHEX SITAKESPEARK WAS A ROY.
17
throncfl l)y the west." .nid iniplios tliat in spito of
CnpiVl's arts — foi- Lricestcr was snj)pos('(l to bo in lovo
witli luT —
'' Tilt' iiiipniivl votaress jjasscd on,
In maiden nu-ditation, fancy-froe.''
rmwii-up nion and women of tliat day were liko
the cliildrcn of our own in tlieir deli<rlit over a pa-
creant: and the drama — sometliincj tlioy could see with
their own eyes and liear witli tlieir own ears— was to
them what it never would he in this blase mid of
the nineteenth century, when we plume ourselves
upon no lon^rer needincr pictures in our story-books.
Shakespeare and his contemporaries lixed in a fairy
tale, and went to a day-school for the development of
the imatjination. It would never enter their heads to
question the existence of sprites and fairies, elves and
goblins. Elizabeth herself consulted the stars, and all
the common people believed in witches. The public
mind liaving but recently escaped from the bondacre
of believincr only that which the church allowed, went
to the other extreme of believincr any and every thiri^r
that was presented to it in a pleasincr form, however
improbable. Children nowadays speedily out<rrow
that most loncr-Hved of popular fancies, Santa CMaus ;
but when Shakespeare was a boy there was no doubt
18 wnKN s:iAKKsn:.\i{i<: was a boy.
ill tlio niimls uvcii ul' ('Mrrly iK-opIc aruuinl liiin that
tht'i't' were; many inisccn |>(»wcis in earth, air, and
water, whose inlhienc*' I'oi' e-ood oi* e\ il everv sensihle
man nuist take into aceour.t. 'I'lie tales thai were
tuM ol' tlie evxls and I'lMldeSSes (»i' oMeli time would ])('
as true to him as those that (tur lads leaiii of the
kines and ((ueens of (Jreat Uritain,
Th(3 personal character of the sovei-ei^n was a
mattei" of nnich oi-eater moment then than it is n(nv,
wlien tlu' royal ])ow« r is so lai*;^'ely limited hy i^arlia-
ment. Queen Victoria's inlluence upon the nation is
principally moral and social, hut (^)ueeu Kli/alx'th held
the destiny of Kn;^land in the hollow of her hand.
That in spite of her vanity and untruthfulness, lier
stimnness and crueltv, she was fullv sensihle of tho
extent of her power, and ali\'e to its duties and rcspon-
sihilities, no one can douht who carefully reads Enelish
history. She shrank fi-om the pei-secution <'ithei' of
Catholics or Ti-otestants an<l showed her wisdom in
welcomini;' to her i-ealms refu;4t'es fi-om other countries,
who tauii'ht the Kniilish man\' useful trades, and who
helped to .i;'ive to London the cosmo])olitan tinee
that assisted in the echu-ation of William Shakespeare.
En<dand had lately lost her ])ossi,ssions across the
Chamiel, and France was still unfriendly. Spain was
.M
!
MiiiiN siiAKi:sn:.\i;i: was a i;()V. id
;i <i«'a(|ly I'oc ahroad. .iikI Scnilan.l and lnlati<l scaicrlv
l<'S.s tiouMrsoiiir at lioliir; l.iit Kli/al.ctli was (Irtcr-
iiiiiM'd. altoNc all lliiii;;s. tn keep |i(a('c witliiii lirr
l><>rdfis; ami {(cac'c is iici'cssary l(» j»I'(»i;itss in art.
as it is to material pi-ospn-it \'.
Not (.11.' di' tln' stout iiniskctrri'.s (>i' liai*d\- scaiiicM
ft.
liad a sti«ini;fr lose I'or tlir Hiotlici' i-oimtrw a st roiiovi-
df, ,iiv to sec ]](•]■ I'oi-finost ainon;^' the nations, than the
•• \ ii-;iin (^►ucrn " Ik-i'scH". Sli.- was at oner tlir cause
and the rU'rct ol" that stiu'dy hrliel' in tlicnisclvi's
with which all liri- snltjccts hrcanie inTused.
Slial<<'spcai-t' and oilin* schoolhoys would Irai'ii as
a priinai-y lesson that no Si)aniai(l or otlier in\ade!-
iinist ever he all(.wed to set loot on the l.eloved island.
They -ivw up with a I'ei-vent love lor the actual soil
ul" their native land. Why apologize lor its
'■ ('lilii.-ar fo'^'^y, raw. aii<l d
nil ;
its iiurruitfuluess compared with more southern climes:
Us lack ol snow-capprd mountains and statel\' i-ivcrs :*
There was no douht whatever that it was not oidv
the most heautil'ul. ])Ut the hravest. the ha2)pie.st
country in the whole world -
■' Tlii- |ircci(iii> >tiiiif -•■t ill til-- -il\.r .^c.i.
Tlli> l)lt',-..sr(] plot. t!ii> rartli, tiii> ivallii. till.- Kli- la IK i. "'
CHAITER II.
THE IIOMK IX HEN LEV STIJEET.
s
" A int-rry lifiirt ^'ocs all tin- day,
Yuur sucl tires in a iiiilc-a."
The Winttr'H Tale, iv. 3.
PIAKESPEARE is ol' tliosc who cm
" 8111110 at tlif claims of long descent."
Tradition takes us no further back tlian his orand-
father, Richard Shakespeare ; not a lord of the soil,
but a tenant-farmer, livin<^ at Snitterfield, a hamlet
in Warwickshire. There Henry, the uncle of the
poet, continued to reside ; but his father, Jolm
Shakespeare, the only other son of Richard, forsook
the farm, and followed a trade, takin<^ up liis abode
in Henley Street, Stratford-on-Avon.
This village in the middle of the sixteenth century
contained about fourteen hundred inhabitants, and
the streets were notoriously dirty and ill-kept. Pi<^s
and poultry were the only scavengers. Drainage
was not at all understood, and sewers liad never
Till-: iio.Mi: IN m:Mj:v stijmkt.
'21
})«'(')» li«'.ir<l (»r. Wlit'ii it raiiifil, tin* walrr iiia«l( its
way to tilt' lowest lr\rls in flijMiiuls oi' its own
I'lioosiii;,^: and .Mr. Ilalliwcll - IMiillijips t<lls us that
'• strcanilcts ol' a watt'i'-powcf sutlicirut I'oi- tin' ojuTa-
tioiis of cMU'M-iiiills nicainlciifl tlii<ni;,di the t«nvu."
'riicrc wtTf pui»lic piles, to wliicli the \illae;('is were
supp()SL'<l to cairv the refuse finui their houses when
it .set'Uied ill <laii;4er of ohstructiii;,' the thoroui;lifaiv.
The oldest record found of the name of John Shakc-
spcar<' states that he and several othei-s had In-eii
fined for not reducine- the size of the duiin-heap
l)efore their doors.
Proljahly he ae(|uired better hahits when he married
in l.")57, for liis wife, .Mary Arden, had heeii Well
])rou^ht up, and was quito an heiivss for those times.
Robert Arden, her father, farmed his own land at
\VilmeC(jte, and owned property also at Snittertield,
the home of IJichard and his s(jn Henry Shakespeare,
and it may liavo been in this way that the two
fjimilies became actpiainted.
The Henley Street to which John Shakespeani
l)rou;;ht liis bri(le was comj)osed of wooden houses,
each with an overhan;;in^' upp«'r story, and thatched
with leeds. Fires wen- fre(juent in the villaee, be-
cause chimneys were by no means common : but t]i(3
\ '
00
Till-: IIOMK |\ IIKXLKV STKHKT.
I
1
SliukrspcMi'c liousc h.-ul (I1K-. Iliick and stone wcic
l)(';;i 111 linn- to he uscl to till ii)> tlic s(|univs i'oniicd
l»y the oTcat Im'uiiis tliat caiiic tliroiiuji to tlic outside
walls, Init wiiidow-o-lass was a rarity. The diaiiioii ]-
sliaped panes weiv oi" Ik. in. sutlicieiitly tivinspaivnt
to 1''^ ill tlie lin-lit. JHlt not flear enolluli to l)e seen
tlimui^di, so that to <;a/e out U[)on the passer-hy one
must " open the lattiee."
Wall-paper was, of course, unknown, and Mistress
Sli.akespeare could not afliird to cover the loui;!)
plaster with rich tapestries, accordin-- to the custoiu
ot wealthy liousewives. She nnist content lierself
with what were called '• ))ainled eloths," on which
were texts and rude pictures of \V]],\v scenes. Pewter
dishes woidd he the hest she could set out Uj.oii Iter
rta.Kcn tahlecloth, and lier rurnituri' wouM be ol' the
rudest <lescri])ti()n.
John Shakespeare was originally a elover, hut,
like most of liis neiohhours, he seems to have da])l)led
in more than one kind of husimss. From making-
*^loves of sheepskin he came to tra<le in wool, then
to deal in corn. Tt has been stated that he also
kilK'(l the animals whos( skins he re(|uired. and sold
the meat, tlius makiiii;' himself a butcher as well.
His foi'tunes im))roved upon his marria*'v with ]Marv
TMK \U)M\: IN HKNI.KV STHKIIT
-2:]
Ardeii. aii<l li," i-osr in ih,. cstiniation ol" his I'dlow-
towiisincn, wli(j in i:,(i,s uuvlv liini tlu-ir liio), hailiil*
(.))■ ma Vol'.
Accordiiio- to ilic parisli ivoisici-. tliciv were Ixini
to John Sliakcsprai-c and Mary Ardcn. Ids uifc,
two c'liihhvn, hotli i^ii-ls, who died in inlant-v l)ci"ore
William c-amr in i:)(i4. A ^ivat |,l;,nu,- li;„i luvn
dcvastatini^' the homes ol" Kuropt' and tliosf ol" London
also, and the \ci-y year ol' Shakespeare's })ii-th it led
-ailh deadly hliuht upon Stratl'oid, wheiv the wax-
had l)eeii i)ivpared I'or it hv the unhealthv (-(.ndi-
tion ol' the streets and houses. Many ol" the villaoeis
wrvv taken, hut the hal.y William was spaivd to In's
]»arents and the woi-jd. When he was two and a
liall' years old his hiothei- (iilheit was Ix.i-n. Thi-ee
years later eame Joan, then Anne, and then lliehard,
who was ten y<'ars youne'er than Will.
The t'athei- and mothei- of this little I'anuly could not
wi-ite their own names: hut th(y wej-e determined
that their two small hoys. Wi'liam and ( Jilhej-t, should
liave the education they had heeii uiiahle to ac(|uire
iu theii- own childhood. IJeToiv h.-in-' admitted to
tlie Free (d'ai ar School in Sti'atl'ord one must 'he
able to read; and it is piohahle that William Sliake-
speare was taught hy some of tlie older lads in the
24
THE mniK IN HENLEY STREET.
town, while he in liis turn would instruct his younger
brother. The line in Two Gentlemen of Vcroiia —
" Tu .sigh like a schoolboy that had lost his ABC "—
probably refei's t(j the means by which these first
lessons were learned.
Han (rill fT from his waist the child Shakespeare
would likely have somethin<,^ tluit resem])l<.'d a small
school-slate. This was the horn-l^ook, the ancestor
of the "sampler" of our mothers. Within the
wooden frame, in place of the slate, would be a
thin sheet o^' horn, tlie usual substitute for oUiss,
and throu;L;'h this, upon a printed pa<(e, could be
read the letters of the alphabet, the connnonest
short syllables, and the Lord's Prayer. Sometimes
there was a wooden back, but often the sheet of
vellum or paper was pasted directly ujion the horn.
No boy could be admitted to the Stratford Free
Grammar School till he was se\en years of ao-e, and
therefore it is taken for oranted that in the year
1571 the name of William Shakespeare was placed
upon the roll. Judoino- hy the way he ridicules
schoolmasters in later life, he had no love for the
profession. ChiMren were so harshly treate<l in
those days, it is not surprisino- tiiat the schoolboy
THE HOME IX HENLEY STltEET
9-;
crept " unwilliiiuly to school." All tcachin<,r iisod
to be (luiic under the supervision of the churcli ; and
the Guild Hall, wliere Shakespt'are went to school, was
next door to the Guild Chapel —botli institutions of
old standintr. The schoolroom was in the upju'r
story of the former, and there did William be<dn
his struook-.s witli Lillys Latin Grannnar. The few
vohunes of classics then in use were rare enou«di to
be chained to the schoolroom desks.
Ben Jonson said that Shakespeare knew " little
Latin and less Greek;" but Hen J(jns()n, thoui-h a
bricklayer by trade, was a very learned man, and
in his eyes his friend would ever appear unleai'ued.
The boys in the hiuhei- forms of the (Juild School
spoke Latin (piite fluently, and Shakespeare says of
himsL'lf that he understood it pretty well. Me knew
enouo-h to distrust his own scholai-ship and to appre-
ciate a <,rood translation, catching- the true sjiirit of
the classics as only Keats in modei'n times has done.
But it was never in "dead-school ciam " that
Shakespeare surpassed his neiuhhours. Th(.' insi(rht
into human nature which was the strono- point
of his manhood would have been unnatural in a
striplino-, and it is doubtful if his * wn parents ever
dreamt that Will was in any respect different from
26
Tllb: IIOMH IN IIKXLKV STKIOET.
I
otlirr boys of liis ao-c. H,. wouM K' brouoht up, like
tlio ivst, to cai-ly lisiuo-, wailiu*,^ upon Jiis parents
at tlicir two meals a day, and takiuo- Ins own wlien
they liad finished, eleariuu- the tal)le, and bein^' po-
lite and usel'ul in many wavs that would be vastly
astonishin:;- to youno' En_i;'land of to-day.
"Gentle Willy " was no precocious i^^enius. There
are left to us no traces of l)o\isli rhvmes or youthful
marvels. In childho()<l he was drawino- u}) impres-
sions as the sun draws up moisture from the eartli,
to return it ai;ain in the refreshinu- showers of his
prime.
Professor W. J. IJolfc, in his admirable little book
" Shakespeare, the Ijoy," has i-iven a most intv'- 'stim'-
account of the conmion o-ames and s])orts of Shake-
speare's time. There were, for example, " ho(»p-and-
hide," the old name for " hide-and-seek : " " hood-
man-blinde," or " blin<hnan-buf : " "nine-holes," a
oame played with small balls to be rolh^l into holes :
" pi-isoner"s-base : ■' "rounders," th(^ ancestor of base-
ball: " cherry-])it," which consisted in seeino- who
could throw the most cherry-stones into a liole in the
<;'round : and - lo^<;-ats," an ancient form of quoits, to
which Hamlet refers in the i-rave-diooimr scene.
Will Shakespeare would tish and swim in the
I
THE HOME IN HENLKV STHKKT.
27
Avon; and one writi-r is positive tliat lie must have
kept pio-eons, l)eeanse lie ivt'ers to tlicin so often in
his l)lays. Whether he had any ol' his own or not,
their o-racrtul movements flntt^-i-ino- ahont the wooden
spire of the villao-e church would o-ivaliv ])lease the
fanciful chihl.
Jean Paul Richter savs that evei-v poet ou<dit to
choose^ to have himself horn in a small town, so that
ho may otow up havino- the advantai;v of hoth town
and country life. This was Sliakcspcaiv's l(,t, and
the undulating' meadows, the smooth-llowino- rivei-,
the stately forest, did not leave moiv lastino- marks
upon his boyish memories than did the stii-rino- life
of the world of which he cauMit manv 'dimoscs in
Stratford town. Li\ino- entirclv in the countrv, he
mio-ht have been simply a natun poet, if the oreatcst
of them: and had he spent his whole life in London,
the rustle and stir of that miohty city would suivl\-
have made him less sensitive, less easily impi-esscd
with the peculiarities of humanity as he studi('(l
them there.
Stratford-on-Avon was far enough out of the wav
to encourao-e meditation, but not so ivmoto as to
foster mental stao-nation. It was the junction of
two old Roman roads, ami the highway between
28
THE H()3IE IN HENLEY STREET.
i !
■5 i
Oxford and Biniiiiioliain. Tlicre were four loiiff
arms reacliin*^ out into tlio country in as many
directions, and these brou<,dit in troops of travellers
to' spend the nioht at the famous Bear Tavern. The
railways liave lon<^ a<;-o killed off' these larcre inns
that used to flourisli in the small Eno-lish towns
— inns lar^^e enou^^h to acconnnodate the travellin(]f
gentry and their host of servants. Only he who
liad nothing to lv)se dared journey unattended.
Nowadays men an<l women are swiftly whisked
from one part of the kingdom to another, and when
the express train has thundered past the tiny station
the village sleeps as before. Great soldiers, poets,
statesmen, pass through, and
"Lf-avo not a rack behind."
But in Shakespeare's time sixteen miles a day was
rapid transit. Travelling at night was dangerous
and difficult, for highway robbers and bog-holes
abounded, and many were the wayfarers of different
ranks who put up at Stratford-on-Avon.
We can picture our auburn-haired, brown-eyed
young hero peeping from some dark corner of the
big inn kitchen, listening with open mouth to the
travellers' tales told around the fire. Tliey would
THE HOME IX IIEXI.E^ STllKET
29
^'^
10
IS
IS
'^
10
)n
;s,
be tjilos not of Enolan,] alono, l)ut In-oiK-lit from all
tlio worlrl over l)y sailoi- or soldier, friar or iiohlf-
nian's servant. These passing- ojimpses of tlic out-
side world would Ix' stamped all the more vividly
upon liis youthful mind because they were but
passing.
IS
IS
es
it
id
le
le
Id
CFTAPTKR ITI.
THE vorTH OF A (;i<:xius.
"Tic tliat will hrvc a cake out of tin- wheat must iict-ds tarry tlic
y!:v\\u\\\v^." -7'ri)i/iis uinl C/v.s'.s' /'/'/, i. 1.
QT1IATF()R1)-(JX-AV()X is in Waiwicksliiiv, tlio
*^ central coniitv ol* Kni-l.-uifl, and to this dav the
most wooded. Youn<;' Sliakespeare liad but to cross
tlic Avon to be in tlie i'orest oL* Aivlen, tliat ancient
Ixmndary Ix-tween Welsli and EnoHsli temt(ji'v. -Manv
a time, lyin^" on tlie oivc.Misward, <j;-a/ini;- upward witli
i)i'i_n'lit bi'own eyes at tlie interlacino- bi-anclies of some
i;ran<l old oak, lie woidd be peoplino- with I'aiiy kin_i;s
and ((Ueeiis, eKcs and sprites, a world of his own,
which he did not foresee that he would excr allow
the narrower v\()ild of men and women to share with
him. He was no sickly bookworm, but a keen lovei-
of outdoor life, and many spots in the immediate
neio-hl)oiu-hood of his nativ(> village would tempt his
roving steps and stimulate his l)oyish imagination.
i
! 1
TUK VoiTir or A CiKNirs.
81
Tli.'iv was O.vci.tiy. r.ir fMlllr.! l.y (l,r l„.n»ic li.Ir ,,r
I (iodiva: thr ..I.I toNvn ..f Warwick, a wli..|.. v..lii„ 1'
mn.aiK'.', with its IVontispi.r.". Warwick Castl... l.a.lly
in want .,!' ivpair, hut carrying th.. n.in.l hack t.. tlic
I (lays of the C^nisa.I.Ts. At Kvcshain was an (,1.|
I inoiiastcry, a survival .,1' the (.i<.htli c.-ntury, tli.,u-h a
" no-ht sumptuous and InVh s,,uarc tower ol' stone " ha.l
l)t'<'M M.l.le.I shortly hel'ore th.' Hel'orination.
The lad wouM no d.,ul,t be pi-.,.,.! of his county,
<>r th.' ])rains of its inhahitants. as w.-ll as iA th.'ir war-
like character. So far l,ack as the days .,!' AllVe.l
we read of that u-o.,.l kino- s.'u.h-no- t.> Wai-wickshire
i'or his scholars. It was the hor.l.'r-lan.l hetwe.-n the
Celtic an.l Teutonic settlers of Knolan.l, an.] tlio
natives, beino- of mixed l.lood, pai-to.)k of th.' (,uickn.'ss
.'Hid s._'nsil.ility that we see in th.' n.o.lern Celts, the
Welsh or the Fr.'uch of today, as well as the d.'pth
and enerc^y charact.-ristic .>f th.' (I.'ni.anic racs. The
Shakespeares were of Xorinan an.l tlie Ardens of Saxon
descent, and Will Shakespeare in hin.s.-lf cond,in...|
the best features of both strains into one n.atchless
iiielod}'.
If it be true that men are more apt to inh.'i-it
the quaiities of their mother than those of their
fathe
(!>:,(!)
1-, it is to Mary Ar.l.-n we must look in
our
:}
1
32
THK VOUTI* OF A (iKNirs.
('inlr.'iNoui' ti) account for the cxtiJioivliunrN' al»ilitv
oi" lie)' cl(lcsf sou. lie was ])i-ol»al)ly iiidchtcd to
licr I'oi' a sound constitution, ami I'oi' tliosc sterling'
l)C(|Ucsts u[)i*iL;litncss, oi(lcr. ])»'rs('\ ci-anec, and coin-
nion sense, which lie possessed in so lai'e'e a de^iTee,
Uut is it not true, as ('olerid<n. savs : "Talent. l\'in«»:
in the undei standinii-, is oi'ten iidiei-ited : '••enius,
heint'' the action ol* the i-eason an<l iniaj-ination,
I'arely oi* ne\er '" :* Slial\es))eare was the child of the
whole world the outniowth oi' the ai;'e.
Warwickshire was a ( atholic county, and J(jhn
Shakespeare's name a|)])ears in nioi'e than one list of
those suspected oi' heini'- I'avoui-ahle to the old i'elii»'ion.
In I'^lizaheth's reion to he a (atholic was a crime, and
IVIaster Shakespeare could not liave l)een made chiei'
maii'istrate, iioi' have enio\'ed manv of the riiihts and
privileges of the town, if he had not, outwardly at
h'ast, conl'ormed to the 1^'otestant faith. He seems
to have been a versatile ovnius. ardent and im[)idsive,
as befitted his (Ndtic oriiiin, and fond of di'amatic
entertainments, if we are to judii'e from the fact that
the earliest record we have of such a ])eri'ormance in
Stratford (Juild Hall is dated durin^^ his municipal
reii^n.
When his son William was four or tive years old,
1
M
TIIK Yor-Tlt OK A UKNirs. ;«
.. tl„-,.tn<.„l eoM,|,„i,y visit,.,! tl„. t„wM m„l «■( „,, ,„„.
"( Onh- prin.itiv.. sl„nvs, Tl„.y w,ml,l l„. |ik,.ly t„
-''■'■ '''■"' " '■' l"'>-f"nn,in,v |',„. ,|„. ,n,iy„r an.l „l,l,.i-
""•"' i" '"-'I'-i' t" .i^aiM tl„.ir sancii,,,, t„ ,,l,,v ,„ „,„
pooplo: n,„l is i( stn.M,i„u ;, |„,i„t t„ i,„,,,'.i,„. tl,..,t
lUtlo Willy was t»k,.M l,y |,is |',„1,„, t„ s,.,. ,l,is n„l,.
l-lay, tl„i(. 1„. M,.v,T f„r-„t tli,. sp,.,.t,,el,-, m,„1 iI,„i 1„.
""•'■" '"'"•■"■'l lii« first |,.ss„n i„ t|,„ |„,„ „„,,|„^,, ,,(.
spiviliiiiir ti) liis f,.ll,)u-incn !
\V]ut\u;- ,»■ not !„• was i„ili,,(,.,l at so ,.„flv ,,„ „„v
tl.m. is no >vason to ,IoMl,t 1„. w„„l,| s,.,. t|„. ilranuM.r
""■ I"'Ho,I at its l„.st i„ towns not laHVon, Stmtr,,,-,!.
Cov-Mtry was sp.t-ially la.,,,.,! f,„- its ,Mvst,.n,.s a,„l
so was tl„. „l,l eityor ClH.st,.,.. TImmv was a s,Ti,.s
ol plays ,„■ paovants wliicl, took i„ tl„. wliol,. story ,.r
<'ivatio„,an,l sonu-tin„..s tli.Mv wonl,l l„. nuv play,,l i„
^■v.;v str,.,.t. TlK. tl„.atr,.s w,.,-,. on lo„r wl„.,.is an,|
two stori,.s l,i.|,_th,. „pp,.r ro„n, lor tl,. sp,.etaol,..
tlie l,>w,'r f,ii- a <hvssin;;-rooi]i.
Tl„. l,oys of tl„. nin,-t,.,.nH, cvnturv stn,lv r,.|i..ions
liistory in .S„n,lay sehool, l,„t tl,,- hoys of ,1,,' sixt.vnti,
l«inH.,I it tlnr>„^rl, ,1,,. n,e,li,nM of tins,. Miracl,. I'lays
"''"'" "'' '•""'«■'' «*•■'«" in tl„. op..n air tl„. .Iratna'lie
tal<.s of tlK. Hibl,. w..,v act,.,! I„.f.re tl„, w ]„,•
eyes of la,ls th. u.ajonty of wl,o,n no^•,.r l,.ar>K.,l to
I
'M
Tin: vonir (»f a (JKxirs.
fi!
i'(\'i<l. 'I'ln' iiistnictioii ^n\rii ill tlu' pulpit was
sccoikI.m'N' to tliJit ^iiNrii 1»\' tilt' stfi''*' ! !'< n' wlifit wt-rc
tlic l{i'\. Mr. liOiujwiiids «lis('()urs('s upon tlif powers
ol* «'\il (•((iiipaicfl with tlic si^lit <»!* Sat.iii liiinsi'li'. in
lioi'Ms, li(»(»r, aii<i tail, jildttiii;;- \isil)ly and amliMy I'nr
tin' destruction ol' one or other ol' the IJihle heroes :*
J)in'ini»: the Middle Ajjes those ])erl'oriiiances had
heen used l»v the church i'ov the instruction ol' tlie
people. They were e-i\(>ii in sacred e(litices, and tho
actors were all priests or choristers, who were not at
all ])leased when la\'iiien heean to invade their domain.
M'he infant drama could not always i-emain in the
swaddlin<^-l)ands which the mother churcli had pro-
vided I'or it : and Ix'Tore lon<x the leadino'-stiinii's were
hroken, ami the voumistor became so coarse and
uproarious that the maternal parent disowned it
entirely,
Halliwell-Phlllipps saj's that "the period of Shake-
speare's ])oyhood was also that ol' what was practically
the last era of tlie real ancient Eneiish mvsterv." In
the I'eiii'ns of Henry the Sixth and Heni'v the Seventh
it had iM'iiun to iiive wav to the Morality, in which
tlu' actors represented certain (|ualities o-ood and ])ad.
In })lace of Adam and Eve, a couph' of youths ai'rayed
in white leather; Ilerud, wearin<j red cloves; or
nil: vuj Tif OF A (;i:.Mrs.
.T)
1^
I -mills j>i|.,,,, i„ ;, .,,,.„ ^.1,,^.,,^ l„;il..|i.sl,i„o ;, I,,,.,.
•'''•''• ''''"••■•' .ipiM-.iiv.l As.iiic.. .in.l (iri„.r.,,sitv. Aii-vr
■""' '•••"i''iicr, in lnn,i;m si,.,,,,., UMiiin- uiti, ,,,cli ntl.rr
«■'"■ ll"- |M.ss...ssin,l ,,r t|„. I,,.,,, '|'1„. ,,„|,|j,. ^^.|„, ,,.,,,
always li|<,.,| „,niv t|,;,,, .., spic nl* rm, „,ixr.| will,
''"'''■ '■'■l',^'<'", Wiv |..tll \n part with J;.- (Irvil. w|,n
''■"' '"'"" ll'"' H.,wii nf tlir .Miraclr l'|;,y,s : S. . II.- Was
--iM'rally k.-pt ,,11. alonw' wifj, Vi,.., tl,.- i,„„v i„n«|,.,„
('<>iiic(|iaii.
.ImIim Shakcspraivs paticiiaor cf u j.at was (liu„i|i,,|
l-y tl..' iianir .,1' thr .Iran.a may l,a\r Imit his cnMlit
with the -n.wiM- spirit of I'uritaiiis,,, i,, Stratlnnl.
•ml th.-rr was also a strral< <,!' th.' sp.rulator in his
tvMnp.,siti(,ii. lir mad,, many vmtinvs, an.! di,! not
'"ana-c tlim, systematically was prrhai^s t.,., mud. a
.i.-K-l<-(.r-all-tivi.|..s to l,r master ..I' «,!i,.. At aiiv latr,
1h' was far In.m hrino- s., o,„„l ... l,„,sinrss man as his
son Williani turned ,,ut to I,,., and it is recorded that
'"' '''•' n..t o(, to church for I'eai- ol' h.-iuo- taken up
Tor deht.
The fortunes of the Shakespeare household had
^I'-c-lined, and that is prol,ai,ly the reason Will |,.ft
•school at thirteen, instead ,,r remainin- till he was
fifteen or sixteen years of aoe, as n.ost of his plav-
fdluws did. He would not be averse to leavin^.' the
36
THE YOUTH OF A GENIUS.
Guild Hiill A'*{ul(*iiiv, of whicli he was not over fond,
juid assistincr his futlicr in liis business, wliatever
tliat ]i?q)pened to be. Tlie more varied its cliar-
acter, the more varied experience of life would youncr
Shakespeare l)e oaining. One old writer asserts that
when it was Will's duty to kill a calf, he made an
oration, and did it
" After the high Roniiiii fashion."'
No doubt liis poetic mind would cast a olamour
over the humblest employment, and though he had no
choice in his lot, he would brino- his daily tasks up to
his own level, instead of sinkino- his soul to theirs.
Many ouosses have been made concernino- the
occupations of William's youth. One bioorapher is
positive that he must have been an ushei in a school ;
another, that he studied medicine ; and a third, that he
was in a notary's otiice. It is possible that in assist-
in*;- liis father in civic duties he may liave gained the
gnisp of legal terms which enabled him to employ
Hiem so accurately in his plays.
The first sorron' that we know about coming into
the life of young William was the death of his little
sister Anne, which took place when she was seven
and he was fifteen. This event would bring the
THE VOUTIi OF A (J EX I U.S.
:i7
siisceptihU' licai't of tlu' lad I'or the first time lace to
tact' witli tlie trutli lie ai'terwards put into the iiioutli
ol" Hamlet's mother, —
"Thou kuiiw'st 'tis coiiiiiion ; all tlint lives must dif,
I'assiiii^' tlirouj^'li nature to ftiTiiity."'
f
A year latei-, Ivlmund, the vouniiest oi' John and
Mary Shakes[H'an''s raiiiily, was horn. In the home
in Henley Stri'«'t, there were left lour l)oys, ol' whom
William was the eldest, ami one little ^irl, Joan,
Times did not improve with the ratlin- of thr floek.
He had to sell some oi' his wife's pro[)erty and to
m()rt^'ai;e his own. The pranks and laughter ol* his
sons must often have been suljdued hy tlie cloud of
an.\iety up(jn the hrow of father and mother; hut
what poet could feel Kaii;" depresst-d with indoo!'
troubles, wlien there was the whole outdoor world of
nature waitiui-- to chcri- him ,'
Besides his Uncle Heiny at Snittertield, William
had country connections on his UKjther's side : and
there is nothin<'' more ch'liii'htful to the i-rowinj'' lad
in any century than a \isit to a homcK' fai-m, where
he becomes personally aciiuainted with tin' ""nibbling'
sheep," joins in the feedini;- of cattle and poultry,
lielps in. tlie rakinu- of hay or the cuttin*^ of oats,
38
TIIK YOUnr OF A GENIUS.
Ul
il ;
in
and works liard at employ inents tliat in later life cease
to be aniusenients.
There would be nianv welcomes awaitino- Will
Shakespeare at the end of his country walks, ])ut
sweetest of all must have Ijeen his welcome at Shottei'v
the hamlet a mile away, where Anne Hathaway lived
on a farm with her parents.
Our literary world would canoni/e the man who
could furnish these items: Wh n and where William
lirst met his sweetheart : what he said— what she
said ; and how it came to pass that a lad of eiii'ht-
een became the husband of a woman of twentv-six.
Leavino- school so youni;-, and enteriiii,^ so early upon
a business life, may have made him old for his 3-ears,
while she mav have been i)articularlv youiH'- for hers.
Her want of education, for one tliin^-, would keep her
youthful, and hers may have l)een the stvle of En«dish
beauty most charming- in maturity.
The facts of the case the most persistent investi-
'••ator has been unable to discover, and that is just as
we should fancy Shakespeare liimself would wish it to
be. To the lover's talk between Lorenzo and Jessica,
Romeo and Juliet, Ferdinand and Miranda, he will let
us listen as we will : but to what passed between him-
self and Anne Hathaway he will have no eavesdroppers.
1 t
THi: YOUTH OK A (JKMIH.
80
In olden tinu's tlu' I'oiin of lit'tiotlial \vas l)v inanv
people co!i.si(leivfl as bindinu- as a niarria«^«'. Henry
the Eio'hth made her previc^us enna^enient to North-
mnberland his excuse Tor divorcing- Anne IJoleyn.
It was probably in the snnnner ol' loS^ that sucli a
pliohtino- of ti'oth passed between William Shake-
speare and Anne Hathaway, although the formal
reo•istratio^. of their marria^^e was not written in the
books of the parish vnitil the end of November in that
same year
The followino- May their daughter Susanna was
born, and the next year, 15.S4, the twins, son and
daughter, Handet or Hanmet and Judith Shakesoeare.
p
CHAPTER TV.
SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON.
" lluiiie-kt'Ci)ing youth Ijavc f\er lioiucly \\it>.''
Tit:(} (l( nth iiu K of Vii'DiKi, i. 1,
T3EFORE lie was twenty-one years ol^l Sliake-
-L-' speare liad a wife and tlu'ee children to
support, and his I'atlier was not in a |)osition to lielp
liini ; neith"r was liis fatlier-in-law, for the Hatlia-
ways Ijelon^ed to a lower ((rade of society tlian the
Shakespeares. This is one ^'eason oiven for William's
settin^^ out, as many another youno- man has done, to
seek his fortu)ie in London : but his deer-stealino- a<l-
ventures may also have had sometliino- to do with it.
Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlecote Park was one of
the land-owners who employed a laroe stati' of keepers
to retain his deer within the hounds of his own pro-
perty, for whenever they strayed they ])ecame fair
^ame for whoever could shoot them. Lively youths
iii hot pursuit of a sta^r would find it hard to pause
i
SHAKKSPKAHK I\ LONDON.
41
at the limit wliere it ceased to Ije lawful to liuut one,
and deei'-stealint( became a fashionable sport much
art'ected by Oxford students. The ready sale for
venison to London tavern-keepers would increase the
/est of more needy poachers.
Tlie tradition has been for many v;'ars th'iiilv fixed
in Warwickshire minds that Will Shakespeare was
brouoht before Sir Thomas Lucv, Justice of the I'cace,
and severely fined, or locked up— perhaps both — for
stealino- Ids deer. The buddino- poet still fuithei-
incensed the orcat man of the neiohi.ourhood ])y
usino- him as the subject of some doii-^erel rhvmes
which he nailed aoainst the o-atos of Charlecotc Pai'k.
Later in his career he made the same m'ntkniaii
ridiculous as Shallow in Tlw Merrij Wires <,/ Wux/sor,
and referred to him contemptuously in The i^^aunni
Port of King Henry the Fourth. This is the only
instance, so far as we know, of Shakespeare usino- for
material Ins own personal ad\entures.
From all that we can u-ather, tlie bard was not a
model youth before he left Stratford : but he had
sutticient backlxme not to be uttei-lv ruined bv the
temptations into which he was plunged upon his
entry into London.
' Tn the time of Elizabeth, coaches beino- vet un-
42
s!iakksim:ai{K in i.ondon.
coimiioii and liiiH'(l eoaclit'.s not at all in use, thuse
who were too proud, too tcndrr, or too idle to walk
went on liorscback to anv distant ])nsin('ss or diver-
sion. Many eanie on horseback to the l)lay, and
when Shakespeai'e lied to l^ondon from the terror of
a criminal prosecution, his first expeclicnt was to wait
at the door (jf th(.' play-lunise and hold the lujrses of
those that liad no servants, that they mij;lit l;e ready
aoain alter the performance. In this othce he became
so cons[)icuous for his care and readiness, that in a
short time everv man as he aliiihted called for Will
Shakespeare, and scarcely any other waiter was
trusted with a horse while Will Shakespeare C(juld ])e
had. This was the lirst dawn of better fortune.
Shakespeare, tindin^' more horses 2)Ut into his hand
than he could hold, hired bovs to wait under his in-
spection, who, when Will Shakespeare was sunniioned.
were innnediately to present themselves, ' I am Shak«'-
speares boy, sir.' In time Shakespeare found hi;^her
employment : but as Ion*;- as the practice of ridini;' to
the play-house continued, the waiters that held the
horses retained the appellation of Shakespeares Boy.s."
Such is Dr. Sanuiel Johnsons account of William's
(Jebtif in London ; but Halliwell-Phillipps, the most
recent authority, objects to the theory tliat Shake-
1
i
SHAKESPKAin': IX LOXDOX.
48
spoaiv tied to the onpital a penniless i'lieitivo. }fe
says that in all pi-()l)a))ility he rode up to T.ondon.
and having- no fnrther use for In's hoi-se. sold it to a
certain James Burbaoe wlio kept a livery stahle, and
was al,-,o proprietor of " The Theatre " in Shoreditch,
the tirst Imildin^- of tlie kind in Enoland. Sliake-
speare may liave been emi)loyed by Bur])aee to take
care of the liorses of In's customers outside the pla}'-
house, and the occupation would be by no means un-
congenial to any one so fond of liorses as tlie future
poet appears to have Ijeen.
In the play Rlch<fr</ TL he makes monai'cli and
(^n-oom reoivt the loss of roan Piarbaiy almost more
than the loss of the kingdom: and he takes pleasure
in descril)ino' Prince Henry's oalhint hoi'semansln'p
{F'n'st l\irt Hnu'ji IV., iv. 1). Tlie oraphic picture
of the stallion in ^7'/^^^^■ (nx/ Adfrnis testities that he
knew the points of a o-ood hoi'se : and in The TiniiiiH/
of the S/nrw (iii. 2) he minutely describes a ])ad one.
Tr.idition has it that the tirst employment Shake-
speare took inside the theatre was that of call-boy,
or prompter's assistant. It was his duty to tell tlie
ditierent actors when it was time for them to o-o on.
Before loner we ]i,>ar of his takino- small parts, Imt lie
never rose to distinction as a player. Adam in As
44
SHAKESPEARl!: IN LONDON.
1 >
Voa L'lh' It and " tlu' ({host" in Hauilcf were about
t\\v extent ol' liis achievenientH.
Actors were lieM in very low esteem, and tlie lives
of most of them justitied the prejudice. Some were
university men, much better educated than the raw
country youth from Stratford, but few of them had
his balance of chai-acter. The anchor lie l«*ft at home
in the shape of wife and children may have lielped
to steady him, besides the desire to assist his parents,
now <»;ettinn' up in years, and his youn^j brothers and
sister. He had early learned what poverty meant, and
knew that it rested with himself to repair the broken
fortunes of the whole family.
Of what he did between tlie years 1587 and 1502
we liave absolutely no evidence, but at the hitter date
lie was ])oth actin<ij and writin^^ for the sta^ije. He
had beo'un l)y adapting; the works of older dramatists,
and his success naturally aroused the envy of some.
(Jreene writes of him as "an upstart crow beautified
with our feathers," "an absolute Johaviiri^ Fdrfotuw,''
" in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a
countrie."
Behind the scenes and upon the staoje was the best
point of view from which to observe the public taste,
and most of the dramatists of the time were actors as
SHAKKSPKARK F\ I.OXDOX
45
well. Fully ;iwaiv of tin- (Irticioiieics in liis sclinoJiiKr
Sliak-cspcaiv would o'ladly accept su^<;vstions IVoiu
playei's and inauaovi-s : and all tlie time lie was lav-
incr up in that iinpjvssionaUe mind of jn's a stoiv ol'
ideas upon men and things iV.r t'utui-e nse. No-
where else could he have reaped such a harvest ol'
observations.
London in the latter part of the sixteenth centui'v
was a condensation of all the characteristics of the
famous ao-e of Queen Elizabeth. Adventurers from
all the world over fathered there, to make theii- for-
tunes or to speml those alrea<lv made: and listenin<'-
to their stoi'ies, Shakespeare's imagination would cari'v
hini to many lands. 'le had friends in all classes of
society, and that is why he was ;d)le to cause In's
characters to talk like lords, oi- labourers, oi* whatever
they happened to ])e.
On account of the difficulties of tr'Wellin(,^ the
countiy districts seemed much farther removed from
the metropolis than they now are ; and when Shake-
speare l)ade farewell to his family, they would tak(i
leave of him as if he were depai'tinn- to a far countrv.
We should be apt to for.ovt that Lojidon was ev<'i-
a walled town did not the names of some of the
central streets — Hishopsoate, Aldo-ate. Hillin<.s<rate,
40
SHAKIOSIMOAHK T\ l.ONJJOX.
M()ormit<s Liidiifitc, Xcw^iatc, AldtTs^i-ati' sii<fm'Ht the
l){irri(n"s that once existed ]j('t\v<'<'ii eity and sulnirh.
In Shakespeare's time tliese walls were a solid fact ;
and very necessary did the c^ood folk consider them,
f(jr just outside dwelt the ritirafl' poi)ulation.
Elizabeth's ecjui'tiers built liouses for themselves in
Middlesex, Essex, and Surrey: and the peacefulness
of her reioii induced many citizens also to withdraw
from within the sheltering; city walls and <^o to live
in the C(juntry.
The present Oxford Strei^t was a rural road leading
to Uxbrid^^a' ; Piccadilly was " the way to Redinge ; "
Covcnt Garden was a <jjarden in reality ; and when an
invalid needed chtin<,'e of air, he was sent to a con-
valescent board in <;--house out in Holborn or Blooms-
]3ury. The Strand was actually the bank of the
Thames, and a fashionable (piarter, where the nobility
had their town houses. They doubtless found it in-
tcrestino; to watch from their windows the traffic
on tlie river, which was the principal hiehway of the
city. Intercourse between the two shores was kept
up by watermen, as plentiful, in proportion, as the
cabmen of our time : for London Bridw, with its
curious ed<ijin<Tj of shops and booths, was the only one
in existence. The gay companies of citizens bound
\
SHAKKspKARH i\ London
47
ior thM;i„l,r Thcativ .„, r,;.i.!:sM,.. tl,. }.,,( ,:i- s.mtli-
WAvk lyilin- l„.twrrli tlir pivsnit l,n.|uv ,.r (1,;,| MMlil,'
mimI IJiMcklViars IJri.lov, w,„iM take l„,,,t ,it lllack-
tViai-s stairs, and l.r laiwlcl ,,( Paris (lanlm sL-iirs („,
tlK' SOUtl.rni Si.k' „f (1„. rivrp. wl.rncM' tlMV Nvnul.l
liavc l)ut a stoiR.'s-tlnow tn walk.
(VmiM wo b(. MuMcnly transpnitr.l (<. tl,,. b,,ul.,n
or I5!)() to soc its streets of ,,„aint woodri, Ih.ms.'s,
each with its oal)!,. c,,l to tin- stivct, wr nnVl.t
iuuv/uw ourselves in sonu' sort of I'aney I'air. wlu-ie
every one hut ourselves was in eostunie. Wr slioul.l
liardly reeoo-nizo oM St. rauls with its spire instead
ol' a dome outside, and inside a e.-ow<i of traders
walkincr a])out with their hats on, and .nakin- ehanoo
at the baptismal font. The cathedral was a fiivouriL
.i^^ossipinc^-o-round for ovntle and simple hefore the
h.troduetion of newspapers. Kvery trade and pro-
fession liad its distinctive dress, and there would be
no mistakino- a lawyer for a cai-penter.
Shakespeare, could he see it, would consider the
masculine dress of to-day ],oth din-y and ridiculous.
As soon as he was able to aflbrd it, he xvould doubt-
less approach, as neai- as was fitting- f.>.- a lium])le
player, to the costume of a man of fashion. His
colours v.'ere scarlet and black, and instea.l of an over-
(9a6) A
r^
■1.S
SIIAKKSl'KAin-: IN LONDON,
coat, In- woiiM Wi-.w a ;;i'M('rriil cluak liaiiiiiiii;' IVnin
tilt' sliouMi'i-s ((» Im'Imw till' waist. iHih'iitli lliis wmiM
ijt' llir flollidt't what we sJionM ciH ;i jacktl oi- MuUsr
— lit'ld ill liy a liii'fllc. (»r ]ia<i<l<'(| mihI lii<iiiiilil tt>a Iniiu'
point, Sdiiiclliiijn- |i|<,. j||,. |,r;ikr<l Waists tilt' WtillH'il
wtdv. r»i'|t»w tilt' iloiildt't wtniM Im' sct'ii till' truiik-
lii>si', also jiailtltMJ out rtiiiinl tlif tliii;]is: aiitl Ih'Iow
tliciii ait'aiii wt'i'i' (III' sttickiiiu's, sniiirtiiiirs tiiililiN lit-
fiiii;' tilt' It'i;" lip ti) tin liDsi'. ami soiiit'tiiiit's patMi'tl
anil ili'awii up u\fr tliciii. In a wnnl. tin' Idri'i-lirs
or liosi' wci'i' \rr\' sliort aiitl tin' stocking's M'vv Iniii-'.
It was a costume that axr i^i'i'at IVccdom to tlu'
lowt']' liiiiKs, ant] tin' lai]. ''aiin'!! tin' saiiic tliit)U<:ii
the I'artliin^alt' tliry carrirtl round tln-ir waists. It
kxjkril likt' a circulai' slirll'. IVom which the skirts
huni;' as lull as curtains. Tin- sexes wci'e alikf in
tlii'ir iiartialitv lor liuirc ncck-rutls, t.autl\' Liinllrs,
necklaces, and jewellei'V ol' all sorts. No colour was
too bs'liiht with which to pull' a sleeve or slash a
douhlet, no silk, \elvet, or eniljroidery too i*ich and
I'are I'or personal adornment.
To us there would be sonn'thini:' incongruous in the
sio-lit ol' thesi' tine dames and gallants pickini;- theii'
steps thi'ouii'h London's filthy streets. Had (^)ueen
Kli/aheth walked much, she would have needed a Sir
I
It
<ii'ts
' ill
lies,
was
;h a
and
1
I
DIMXU IN riiK .SIMIKXIII ItMLllV.
fll
SILVKKSPKAKE L\ F.(l\imk\. 51
Walter Halciuh ahvays at hand to llnow an clruant
cloak in the wwl that she n.iuht p.-.ss the inuhUvs
(Irv-shud.
To all this eleo-ance of dress was joined nnieli
coarseness of life and niannei-s. We are shoeked at
the lanouaoe of some of the fine ladies in Shake-
speare's plays: ),r.t h.- deals nunv h^niently with then,
than do several of the other writers of the time.
Queen Klizahcth's earprt eover.'d her tahle, and on
her floor she had rushes strewn in layers. 1^he top
layer was freipiently renewed, Imt the l,,wrr W(«re left
to preserve all the serajjs thai fell to them. There
would be plenty of these in the <linino-,,)oni, for the
tahle manners were hy lio means np to the present
loyal tandard. Kli/al)eth certainly owne.I a tahK-
i'ork, the hirst in the kino-dom : fmt she would prohahly
look upon it elii<'fly as an ornament, and pref.T to use
liv'r finuvrs, as hei- loyal suhjeets di,|. It is to he
Jioped that her medical adviser prescribed a hath
more fre.piently than was considered necessary lor
the preservation of health in the common peopjr.
But we need not pri.le ourselves upon th,- supei-i-
onty of all our mo.lrrn customs. Three hundred
years a^o, to rise at six, dine at or before mi.l-day.
and o-o to bed at nine after a second heartv n.eid
I
52
SHAKKSPEAUE IN LONDON.
was tlie usual rule. Elizalx'tli and her ladies read
Greek, and wen; fond of tlieolotrical discussions. The
wliole people had an intense love for the beautiful, a
desire foi- the thin^rs of the mind, aiul a passion for
true art — the demands which Shakespeare was so
admirably to supi)ly.
1)1 i
I
id
It'
a
or
so
I
ciiAini^:ii V.
SHAKESPKAHK, TlIK POKT.
"Sliiur furtli, tlum Stum' uf I'uctri."— lii-N Jonson.
'^T"*'HK scientist or literary man ol" our (jcniury who
A wislies to Icaru at first liaiid tho very latest
tliat lias been thouolit and said upon the su])Jec'ts
most interesting^ to him will study the (Jerman lan-
<;'uaoe ; but in Shakespeare's century every one who
aspired to culture must know Italian.
The man from whom it is likely that Shakespeare
took lessons both in French and Italian was one
John Florio, who certainly taught lanouaovs at that
time, and was a friend of the dramatist. In tho
British Museum is an old ])ook beai-inw- Shakespeaivs
auto<rniph on the tly-leaf, and sai<l to have l)een his
property. It is Florio's ti-anslation of Montaigne's
"Essays," the read i no- of which would be an awakener
to the half-educate(] rustic from Stratford-on-A\-on.
I>oth Florio and Shakespeare were givatly in-
tn
s 1 1 A K i:s p K A n v: , 1 1 1 1<: p( > i: t.
(k'ljtod i'or tlirir succoss in lilo to tlic Earl ot" South-
ninpton, a wcaltliy iioljlcman of fine literary taste.
Patrcjiian'i,' IVom the <;reat was iiulispeiisa])le to men
of letters : hut few hestowed it with the discriinina-
tiou sliowu hy Southampton, who, though nine years
youuijer than Shakespeare, discerned his superior
talents, conceived a personal artectit)n for the strui;-
<;lini;' <lrama(.ist, and oave him substantial aid at the
time he most needed it.
To this youn<j^ earl Shakespeare dedicated his
poem Vciia.s und A(h>n'n<, introducin^j^ it as "the
tirst lieir of my invention " by which he probably
meant the first production not intended for a sta^e
mana^'er. The inihience of Italian poetry is promi-
nent both in this work and in Tlic l{(ii>(' of Lticrcce,
published two years later, in 1504, and also dedicated
to the Earl of Southampton. In both there is an
over-abundance of figurative lan^'ua<j^e, that leads one
to suspiH't the poet cared nujre for his manner of
savini*' a thino- than for what he had to say. These
two, the principal non-dramatic poems of Shakespeare,
are not interestin<4' in subject to many readers of to-
day ; and if he had written nothin^j;" else, we mio-ht
never have heard his name. It is because they are
the early work of our (greatest poet that we pick
'&
I)
SMAKKSPKAKi:, TIIK POKT. 55
tht'in out I'lom the mass of similar vcisc written
about tlie same tinio — talcs ot classic liistory put into
lii<j;]i-soun(lino- metre.
The first Lcjudon tlieatres were in the suburbs,
almost in the couuti'v, near enouiih to "iven tieMs
and liediroi'ows to keep alive Shakespeaiv's love of
rural life. But the home of his boyliood must have
been i'resli in liis mind when he painted some of the
ex(iuisite pen-pictures in Vntns ((ml Adonis: "the
purblind hare" pui'sued hy liounds ; tlu; two silver
doves; tlie milch doe and fawn that recall Charlecote
Park ; the red morn ; the M'ind that is " hushed
before it raineth : " the mornin<r sonir becinnino-
" Lo, here the «'entle lark : " and the evenin**- one. —
"Look, the worhr.s couifortiT with wcury \;i{\l
This day's hot task hath fuded in the \v«st."'
lliC li(ij>r of Liirrrrr shows an advance in depth
ot thouo-ht and intensity of feelino- ; Imt to the cud
of his literaiy la])our the poet was nev(.'r untrue co
nature, his earliest love. This affection was thoi--
ouohly sixmtaneous. He did not, like Wordsworth,
withdraw himself from the life of the world and seek
foroet fulness in nature. 3Ian with Shakespeare is
always of first importance, but ever and anon he
' !
56
SllAKESPKAUE, THK POET.
hrin^rs i'l-oni out of doors a bit ol' dccoivitivo .sta<re
sottiii^r iu the best possible taste.
It is not the ora,i,l,.i. features of nature tliat most
fre(iueiitly appc^al t(; liini. He describes shipwrecks
iu Winfrr's Tuk aiid Tlw, Tnuppnt, storms at sea iu
Othdlo and Khuj L<,r ; but lie has not tlie passionate
love for old ocean that many poets sin<r. Inland
))nrn and bred, the sea is to In'm the symbol of
relentless force —
I
"Til." watery kiii^r,l,„„ whose aiiil.itions lirad
Spits iu the face of ]iva\ v\i."-^JIcnh<iii( of Vcnur, ii. G.
" Have I not heard the sea, puH'ed up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar cuciiafed with sweat ? "
Tainini/oftkefihnir, i. 2.
Xor is Shakespi'are deeply in love with loft^^
In'lls, thouo-li liis thirty-third sonnet beo-ins,—
"Full many a glorious nioniing have T seen
Flatter the un)untain-tops with sovereign eye."'
Warwickshire is an undulatinu- woodland county,
and " Gentle Willy " was most at home in the forest.
There have been found in his works no less tlian
thirty-one references to the oak, so that nuist have
been his best-loved tree. A wood begets tranc|uillity ;
8HAKKSPEAHK, TUK POET.
57
floes not distract the ear as sea or iiiouiitain iiiav,
iroiii "the still, sad music of lumiaiiitv.'
Loves LiihiAirH Lost, the iirst eiuirelv original plav
of Shakespeare, is a tliiit,^ at eonveiitioiiah'ty, deiiioii-
stratin*,^ the laws of iiatiiiv to he more powerful than
any rules a man may lay down for himsof. It is a
"llowery" drama in two senses of the word. Floral
allusions are frefjuent, and it is written in the orna-
mental Italian style — is full of the (piips, conceits,
and plays upon words that are not found in the
poet's later works.
The rhymint; couplet which he had learned from
Greene he also oave up when he found that it
hindered the exact expression of his th()u<dit • and
thouo-ht became to Shakespeare before lon^- of more
value than style. His ideal of beauty chanovd from
the Italian love of form to the Ijeauty of expressive-
ness that one sees in a paintino- by Rembrandt.
The evil of excess in love and the effect of the
passion upon a practical man, which are the strikino-
features of Tlie Two GoitU'nwn of W-roao, are repeated
in later and better plays, just as Biron and Rosaline
are further developed in Beatrice and Benedick.
IjOVcs Labours I^ost, Tlw Two Ch'nth'nwii of Verono,
and Comedy of Errors have the balancing of partners
!
li
58
SFrAKIvSPKAHK, Tll|.: J'oKT.
notic«'al)le in Sliak.'spcaiv's first att('i.ii)ts at d
litcnitun'. 'I'lic Kino- ol' \
raiii.Uie
avnnv aiK
1 tl
ircc
^^('iitlcincii faco tho Vviu
attt'iidaiit
ecss oi' France and lu-r tin
fi>
attendant ladies ; tlio t
wo ^^cntlcnicn of Vei
])al,
ona
nice two
ladv-1
ON't'S
tl
HTc arc a pair ol' lathers
and a couple ,,i* downs. The rolh'ckino- I'un ol* tl
ic
hurles(|ue (uiiu-tfi/ of /
mistakes ol' identitv
i^rroi'K
is I'onnded u})()n the
ai-isni
.<;• I)et
ween two pairs ol'
twnis, and its serious under-i)lot, original with Shal
spcarc, alone sa\es it from 1
Ke-
I'ai
)cino- an out-and-out
cc
Had the phonoorapli 1
inio'lit have had
)een invented in 1504, it
in its repertoire a nierrv tale of
rr(/rs
bei*
ore
the first production ol' the Cuinnh/ of h
the law students of Gray's lini and their Vule-tide
quests,
spacious and cle^rant open-roofed hall of
^J^l
Grav's Inn, th
c erection of whicli w
IS com
the 3^ear lotiO, is one of the only two build
remaining- in London in which, so f
any of the plays of Sliakesp
pleted
m
nii;s now
ar as we know.
1
care were perf(jruied in
lis own
time" (Malliwell-Phillipps).
As Shakespeare became master of his art, he forsook
the end-stopped line which retarded the flow of hi.v
ideas, indulged in 1
ess and less of the smart
verse-
1
SMAKKSrKAl?!-:. TIIK l»()KT
59
wriliiio- 1,,. li;,,] l,.;,nic(l I'loiii Kvd, the wlttv di.ihxruo
in imitation ol' Lyly, wlio Mas the inventor ol'
"«'n))Iniisni," an.l ailvanced to the stately I. lank v, iso
of C'ln'isto[)lier Mailowc.
Tt is IVom iiitej-nal evidence of tin's soit tliat a
clironolo^T of Shakespeare's plays lias piincipnlly
been attempt.-d. The practical jokinn-. tlie over-
llowine- iinan-ei-y, the absence of tine taste and ti-ne
l)athos, tlie solilo(|uies introduced to ex])lain ])lot an.l
chai-acters, are all put down as niaiks of tlie eaily
))lays. With them also we take leave of the terma-
o-ant women epitonn'/ed in T/w T<nnn)<i <>/ fhr S/wnr,
which some critics declare was wjitten l>y Marlowe
and merely retouched ])y Shakespeare.
Uo is the poet of love, hut love with him is not
the i-omantic sentiment cherished hy the a^c of dii-
valry, which set woman on a piiniacle to he idolized
solely on account ( f lier sex, hut a human l)ein<»'
to be loved, hated, feared, or protected, according
to lier ])ei-s()nality. Coleri«]nv's detinitio;. of lo\-e-—
''A perfect desire of the whole beino- to be united
to some thino- or ])einn- which is felt necessai'v to its
perfection ])y the most ])ei-fect means that nature
permits and ivason dictates" is moi'o tellin^dv illus-
t rated in Uoineo and Jalirf than in \\\\\ of the othei'
00
STTAKESPEAllK, TFIK POET.
III
I
pl.i^'s. Tli.'it is wliy SlmkcspcaiT diosc tlio story f«H'
(li'Minatization.
As with Tltf Tnu> ({nilh'uK'D nf Vrroiia, i]\v scent' is
Iai(l in Italv, tliat land oi' romance to all men of tlie
time; and the fervid, ;'l(j\vin«'' laniiuaoc of the Ionci'h,
Mei'cutio's animal spirits and luxuriant i machination,
the street-hrawlin*^ and the vindictiveness of hatred,
are in keepinn- uitli the southei-n tem])eran>ent.
'^riie poet seems to deli^lit in the exuberance of his
own fancies, which flow natui'ally into rliyme. He
makes use of everv kind of lyric verse— Komeo's
declaration at the l)all : Juliet's solilo<|Uy on tlie
bi'idal ni<j;lit : tlie partin«i' of lnis])and and wife next
mornino'. ft is told that Shakespeaiv himself acted
tho part of i'riar Lawrence, that type of moderation,
one of tlie hairiers swept away hy the overmasterin<;'
passion of the l)lay.
Shakes])eai-e's first attempt at oi-i^inal ti'ao-i'dy can
hardly be called a tragedy in the sense that Machcfh
or Klin/ h'<ii' is so named. Komeo and Juliet, the
boy and i;irl suddenly matui'ed by love, liad each
chosen the last pei'son who on<;ht to be loved on ac-
count of the feud between their families : but they
do not sutlei' from
" The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune "
.i
% 'f
;|l
stiakkstkaim:, tiii: imh<:t.
61
iil'tn- tlic iiijiimci' ol* llniiiirt or Otlirllo. One caw
iiMr<lly ivcrivt tli.-ir .Milv (Iratli : it is so l.cautil'ullv
titlino- it sliould taUc place Im-I'oiv (lir lilooin has Ix-m
ru])l)»"(] ofl' tlu'ii- ardent youiin- atr.ctioii. Tlic " stai'-
crosscd lovers" do iK.t die in \ain, t'oi-, as stated in
tlie prologue, tlieir
" MiH;i(hfiitinv(l |iilci)U< Mvi 1 tlii'dus
Do w itii llirii' (l.'utli liiuy tlitir |.;iifiits' striff."
Sliakespeare would, of course. l»e pleased at tlie
way in wliicli /tnnHu a ntl ./n/irl, pi-oduced at the
Curtain 'I'heatre, took London l»y storm in l.")!Mi: hut
aljcjut its puhlicatioii he care<l no inojv than he did
for that of any of his di-amas. The works that he
proudly l)rou,nht before the ))ul)lic in hook- form weiv
l^cints (I i)(l Adoii'is and Tin' Raix' of /.iirrccc, for
these stam])ed him not as ;i mere actor, 'a hase,
common fellow," an ada))ter of old ))lays and a wi-iter
of new, hut a poet in (ha] and in truth.
T]h' SoDHcf.^ take fai- hieher rank as ])o<'trv, hut it
is probable that lie intended them only for pri\ate
circulation amon^' his friends. Dramatic poetry must
bo strictly impersonal, and it would be a ivlief to
Sliakespeare, in the midst of his busy woi-k foi- the
theatre, now and then to drop into an uttei-ance of
liis own feelino's.
02
Sn.VKKSPKAIlK, Tin-: POKT.
TIh' lincH —
1
" NVIn'ii ill tlis),'riic<' with fuifimr ;unl nn'ii's vyvn
I iill aliiiic hfUffp my mitciist xtatr " —
iiulicatf a strMiijir fit of (lie l)lii('s in one who was
ainj)ly i^il'tcd witli
'T'liccrfuliu'MS, without wliidi iii» iniui ciui Iti' a pitft."
'I'Ih' <lr|)i'('s,si()ii would (lonl)tl('ss ])o tcinpoi-aiy : '»ut
we iiilcr that the actor-autlior was not inditirrcnt to
tlio ])uhlic cstiination ul' liis prolV'ssion that h«' found
it ^-ainnn; to !)(' looked upon as a van'raut, tit oidy to
make i'olk lauiih, and not to be rco'ardcd as a serious
worker, worthy ol' a place anion^' decent citizens.
" Aliis I "tin cl'iu' T have gone lien* aiul there,
And made myself a motley to the view ,
« "ored mine own thoughts, sold oheaii what is most deai."
The sonnet is witli all poets hin'lily prized for its
power of condensed expression.
"With this same key Shakespeare unlocked his heart.""
Of the one ]iun(h-ed and fiftv-four sonnets, a
Innidred and twvnty-six are laid upon the altar of
friendsliip, the rest upon tlie altar of love. W. H.,
the " only begetter " wlio inspired the greater number,
i
siiAKKsri: \i:i.:, nn.: roirr.
i;:j
Ji,
is now ;,^'li..rM||y suppos,..! to li.iw Im.-u Willi. III!
"•''■'"•'•I' ''^'"•I "l" INiiil.iuk,., wIm.s,. IiiM-l, n.i.k I ,;.v li IV.'
••'''>'l«'iv.l a.|vis.-il)|r the foiuM-aliiMiit ,.r his id. iititv.
Moiv iiitnv.stiiiH- to us is thf ivvcJMtiMM .,1' th.;
writrr's iiuinl.l,. opinion nl" liimsrll", (,|' l,is scjisitix.',
Invinu- l„,i,-f, wjiicl, MTipvrs wlicn lu" ffMl'S tllMt Jlis fli.M.I
lias sli-ht,..! l.ini lur .•m..ili..r pn^t, wlini lir kiKjw that
'"' ''■■'•^ '"'<•" '■••'•■^"' <<• liiiii ill .1 diirnviil .,uac( i, hut
wliicji lurnivrs all thiiiws, and is loyal to tin- ciid.
It was the lasjiioii of thr tliii." for the laii"ua<',.
*'*' '''■'''"''>'i'il> to takr a ton.' as rxt rava-;nit as the
laiinuanv (,r I,,v.', and thnvt'oiv. in that respect, there
is little ditrerence hetween the soiuiets addressed tu a
man and tliose to a woman.
Tlir })lays take so lar-seein^- .-nid wide a view ol
I'Uinan (h'stiny. tliat they indine us to place theii
author above and apart iVon. the rest of niaid<ii,,;
l)Ut the Sunnrf.s disclose l.oth In's greatness and In's
M-eakuess. A man as other men are, in liis youth he
conunitted sins and lollirs for which he sutten d and
wliich he bitterlv reuivtted.
'• Wlin l.y iviH.iit;iiu.,. is ii,,t- sati>fi.d
Is IKir i)f llr;i\cll IK, I r.iitli."
Tl'i) (idllh iiiLii of I'truiKI, V.
(".'.")tj)
i ■ )■
CHAPTKll \I.
> i !
A MlI)8U.Al.Mi:|{-NI(JIITS pflHA.M.
'''I'hf piict's eye, ill ;| lint, flcuzy I'l il 1 i ll^-',
Dtitll ,!;]aiicc fidlll lic;l\cii tu i;iilh, li;illl caitll to llcaVfU ;
And as iiiia.i^iiiat iciii Imdics f'ditli
'I'lir fiiniis (if tllill-s UnklKiWll, the poet's ]icl|
Turns til. •Ill to sliaprs, and ^'^ '-^ t" iiiiy not hin;^'-
A local haliitatioii and a naiiir.'"
/^AF all Sliakcspcai't's ])lays, this is tin- (.iic tliat
^^ lias c-oinc down to us most iicarlv in llic form
in which it was orioinally wi-ittcn. It is a woj-k ol" the
i'amy, pure and simple-- a youthful diversion without
any sohei- under-current. The plot has l)een dei-ived
from ditlerent sou!Ves, tlioui;ii most of it is sni;i;('sted in
(vhaueer. Prohahiy written in honour of the mari-ia^'e
of a nohle fi'iend, S(MU]iami)ton or Kssex, the drama
is full of youthfn! joy of life. ^I'h,. jM^-t lia<l not
yet become al)soi-l)ed in i^raver ])rol)lems : he <loes not
analyze his characters. They play before us in a
fashion as unreal as if they were indeed a di-eam.
The scene is laid in Athens, the o'.iy southern city,
X'~-
..-^
C-
liUEl.s MAKKS HIS (OMl'LA i N r To TIIK l>t.KE.
HKLENA IKM.IN.. 1>1. M K ruiLS Ul HKUMIA
•ri'
•A'
.y-'>i
inn I .'«- .* iJ '^
•-rrrrnii-
^r;-'7-
S ILIuM Wliu J.Y-ANDl.U.
i
r, I
J
I
f
! i
! J
It
I
A midsummer-night's dream
C7
wliicli lias criv,.,! itself up to holiday-makiiio-, l\„. j,,
four .lays Duke Theseus is to !,<> u.airie.l to Mippo-
lyta, (jueeu of the Amazons. Besides the pivparations
which the oreat ones aiv n.akinn- to while aMav the
time till the event, some very small j^eople are takino-
an interest in it too. Oheron, kino- of the fairies,
and Titania his (pieen have " eome from thr fai-fliest
steep of India " to l)rin«,^o-(KKl wishes for the weddin--
and fairy n-,K)d wishes are worth havinu-. ]„ contrast
to tlh-se dainty little folk are half a dozen rouoh
tradesmen, wh<, have decided to learn a play to pvr-
form hcfoiv Duke Theseus and his bride.
I'lit all is not harmony in Athens as it ou-ht to
be nn so j<»yous an occasion. 1>,,(),- oh\ Kovus comes
hefore the duke with a hitter complaint that his
dau-htcr llcnnia will not marry J),"m("trius, the
hushand hr has pieked out for h,.,-, but pe.-sists in
sayiiio- she will wed none hut Lysander. The laws
were very strict about olje<lience to parents in that
country and in those days, and Th.>seus t.dls Hermia
sk. had better obey h.-r father, for if not she shall
«''"1ie- dir or 1h> sent to a mnineiv.
Hennia plans to vnu away .v ith Lysander: but,
Hiii i-tunately. she tells the secret to ILLna. her
wliwl friend, who o-oes straioh, and tells Demetrius,
I
68
J .,
A MIDSUMMKll-NKJIlTS DHKAM.
witli wlioni slic herself is in l()vo, lj(»i)ine' tlius to eaiu
his I'jivour. He, of coui'S(\ Hies in hot haste to the
woofj, tlu'ee uiiles out of tlie city, where Ilennia iv.nl
Lysand*'!' are to meet, and Helena ilies aft«'r liini.
There is no telliiii^ liow tliiniis miiiht lia\'e turned
out had not tlic^ faiiies taken a liand in the plot.
Oheron and Titania ha\'e had a (|uai'r 1, and in order
to torment his ([ueen, the fairy kin<:j has sent Puck
to iind a certain llower, the juice of which s(|ueezed
on (he eyelid of a sleepi r will make him or her love
the first pei'son the eyes lioht on when awaken-
ini;\ This opei'ation is to be performed on Titania
when some <;'rotes(|Ue object is at hand, to make her
ridiculous.
In tlu' meantime ()bero)i sees Helena chasino;
Demetrius through the wood, and thinks it a shame
for the man to scorn so lovely a ladv : so he tells
I'uck. whose other name is Kobin CJoodfellow, to use
the lK,sver u])on the eyes of the Athenian as he lies
down to sl.(>p, so that when he wakes up he will
return tlu' lo\'e of the poor o-ii'b who will doubtless
not be fir from him.
l^nluckilv neithei" the fairv kinof nor his mcsscnwr
knows about the other pair of Athenians who have
met in the wood ; and when Puck tinds Lysander and
W ii
Isii ''1
i
(>r
1-
la
:/iJr'
(V
10
^0
11
e
In
jl
ii: 11
I
A MIDSUMMER-NIGHTS DREAM.
71
Hc'riniji lyin^^ asleep, lie thinks, of course, that he has
found the liiiht man. and he s(|Uei'/es the love-juice
U[)()n Lysander's eyes. That would have heen all
ri;;ht if Heniiia had heen the one to awaken him ;
but Helena comes in between them, and Lvsandor,
o})eniny' his eyes, rests them first upon her, and thinks
no more of Ib/rmia, his own true love.
Piick finds o-i. his mistake, and finds also the other
man, to whoso eyes he likewise a])plies the charm : so
that Demetiius too tin-ns suddenly to adore Helena,
whom he had hated. No wonder the maid thinks
that both he and Lvsander are makin<: fun of her:
while Hermia is in despair, for neither will look at her.
Robin (ioodfellow is not half thi'ouyh with his
mischief. He comes upon the' six uneducated men,
who have met in the wood to rehearse the play in-
tended for the weddini,^ festiN'ities, and is on the alert
to play off some pranks upon them. When Bottom
the weaver, the loudest and roughest of the lot, with-
draws behind the scenes, he puts a <lonkey's head on
his shoulders, which so scants the other actors on his
reappearance that they all i-un away. This man
with the ass's head is the one who awakens 'I'itania,
queen of the faii'ies, upon whom the juice of the
charmed ilower has done its work. She loves Nick
72
A MIDSUMMI<:il-NIGIIT8 DREAM.
, I <
I*
mi
t
I i
Hottoni at lli'st si'olit, and luakos hvv fairies — Cobweb,
Peaseblossoin, Mustardseed — wait upon liini.
Oberou relents wlien lie sees his wile niakino- such
a fool of In-rself, and while she sleeps he touches her
eyelids with anotlu'r her)) that brinies her to her
senses. He C(3nnnands Puck to a})])ly the same
remedy to Lysander, who returns to his foi'mer lovo
for Hernn'a ; but Demetrius is allowed to keep on
lovin<;' Helena, and everybody is happy.
Even. Bottom the weaver and his chums are pk'ased,
because theirs is the play chosen for representation
before the (bd<e ; and iirutr old Eueus has to iiive in
and let his dau<;hter mai'iy the man she loves, because
the other no longer wants lier.
In A ^f!<Js^l_mrn('r-A'^l</Jl^s Drcdin there are tlirec
distinct stories, with three distinct sets of characters
— a love story, a fairy story, an<l a farce — bound
too'ether to make a harmonious whole. Some of the
beautiful sonos that Puck and the other little people
siuij^ would be appropriate in a fairy opera.
In
" A ti'dions brief scone of young Pj'vanius
And his love Tliisbe ; very tragical n'lrtli,"
Shakespeare satirizes the acting of the old tradesmen
guild-players.
%
f
'b,
. /-'-•■'
<.r\
■-^ •
-J
- ".r
.1 I
««
— ^--j y' J./
TITANIA »AM,S IN LOVE WITH HoiTOM.
u
..
THE 1-LAV.
rli
i
i/..
'
1 1
i'p i
h
1 1
li]:
5«
Jl'
: ■ '--
i. fc
fc
A MIDSUMMKK-NiCJiT's DKI-AM,
Tft
]\Ir. Oiiiidon, who li
tiiiKlon, who has wfittcii a liook (allr.l • 'I'lu*
SliakcsjH'iv Flora," says iliat iic niakcs swi-rtri',
more loviiio-, moiv copioiis moiiti'ii of plants and
llowi'i's tlian any otlur writer, n/»t prol'i'sscdly trcli-
nieal tli«- world lias rwv seen." The lIowci> aiv not
liotlmusc plants, nor rardy tlio oj.rdcn vaiictics, Init
those blossoms ol* the waysi(U' that hlooni t'oi- lich
and po(»r alikr. This pl;i\' is I'nll n\' thmi.
lierniia states that she and hei' friend Helena
"I Itiili faint |)riiiiln,>r-li((ls wcic woiit to lie."
Flowers and I'aii-ies are properly associated, and we
are not surprised U) lind it said ol" Titania, —
"Till- cowslips tall 111 !• |Hiisioncrs lir ;'■
an<l tliat Iter elves ai-e sent
"To kill (.-aiikn- in the imisk-ro.sc Imds.''
" Love-iu-idleiiess " is tlie liowei- whose potent
Juice, S(|ueezed upon Titania's eyes as she lies asleep
on the
" r>aiik whereon the wild thyme lilows,
\\ here o\iij)s and the noddiip^^ xiojct ;,tou <,
(^uitc over-caiiopied with lush woodliine,
With isweet luusk-roses and witli ej^lant iue,"
causes her on awakino- to embrace Xick Bottom
with the words, —
i'^
I
i
J I
; M
76 A midsi'.m^fkk-nkmit's Din: a.m.
"Siidiitli till' uuddliiiif tlif >\\ fci ||()iH'y>iiL'kl<'
Jlt'iitly t'litwist ; till- ft'iimlf i\ \ >-•
I'lnriiij,'-! tlif liHiUy Hugers nf tln' tlni."
Kimiiji IMii[),s()ii, who lias wiittcn up tlic auiinal
1()!»' (»l' SliaUcsprai't's (llamas, assurrs us that tlu'ir
author <li(l not lilsr doo's. He calls them eui's, aiwl
always us"s tln-ii' name as a tciiii of contempt : hut
this was a custom ol* the time, and pro])ahly no
otK'iKH' was meant to our i'our-l'ooted IViends. Jn
^1 M nlsn nniK'i'-X I'jhls hi'nim thei'e are descriptions
ol' liounds and liuntinii' liardlv to he ascrihed to anv
one who did not love hoth.
'I'herc; are some anachronisms in the play such as
the mention ol' <i'uns, and the talk of sendin;:' a eirl
to a numiery before there was such a thin*;' : hut
these little slips did not affect its popularity, which
continued after the death of Shakespeare, though the
Vuritan element was strouii" in the land. AVe read
that in Ui^ii, when ^1 Midsa i,i.)n('r-XI(jhfs Diraui
was performed on a Sunday ni^ht at the house oi
the Ijishop of Lincoln, the actor of Bottom's part was
sentenced by a Puritan judoe to sit for twelve hours
in the porter's room of the l)ishop's palace wearin<:^
the ass's head. Later in the century the farce was
considered so much out of keeping with the rest of
A MIDSl .M.M|.:K-M(i||'i',s DJJKA.M
77
the \v<H'l\, that til
• ' '■ iiiipiMvns on SliJiUcsjicar
tui'iH'd It mto a scpaiatr j»lay.
The tliivr raiiious j.ircrs writt.'ii foi- th,. opniinu- ,,!'
t)»''<'l<>i"' Theatre As Van Lihr ll, Tn'rlflh Xn/hf
M>ir/> A, In Alxnil Xnth
iixl
/'.'/ }>artal<r ol' llic IVrshliess
iikI vnacity ol" the Prr,i,n, hut iiitrod
ucf us to more
n-al jMTMMianvs. '|'|„.v aiv the civain of ShaUcspeaiv's
tain the hrio-htcst and [lUfcst wit. the
nird
K's — eon
happiest fancies, and the most cliai'ininii- v<)Un«'- women
Do we love hetter the saucy Heat I'lce, usiun- Imt sharp
toneiie to eoniM'al the softness of her heart: or the
winsome Kosalind, mas(pieradin^', like Viol
line attire ^ This was n feasihle device I'or the sta
hecuuse all tlie Women's parts were taken hv hovs.
Not until the reopening- ol' the theatres after th
a, in mascu-
(ji>
Restoration were thei-e femal
;;rievance of Ki;ypt's cpieen —
es in any east, lienec the
I shall
81
Sniuo sfnic'iikiiiy ( '](•(. pati'a Ix.y my givatiif»."
10 would be an exceptionally hard character f
or
lads to ])ortra\' : ])Ut
1 a. '
in comedy thev would I
)e more
successful, for manv of thom ha<l I
)een (
hild
ren ot
the chapel or children of St. Pauls, trained t
husiness fro ,i their eai-liest years. Tl
sta
<)■',>
of children often
lese companies
acted Shfdvespeares plays as W(
k
I
78
A M 1 1 )S I' yi Al 10 ll-N IG IIT S D K K A M .
th(3 iiioro trivial productions wliicli Jolui Lyly wrote
specially i'oi' tlicin.
Tirc/ff/i Xi(jhf was ])lay"'(l Ix't'orc (^iK'cn Klizalx'tli
in tlie Christmas liolidays l(jOI-2, and it was pro-
bably on the fil'tli oi' Jannai'v that a [x'rt'orniancc oi*
the same took })lact' in the i^rcat hall oi' the Middle
'^rem[)le, almost the only place now left in London
wliere one of Sliakcspeare's ch'aiiias is known to liave
been jj;i\('n in his lirctimc
Happily for posterity, Sliakespeai'e was not ('(hicated
at a university. He was restrained bv no cast-iron rules
of art, but struck out for liimsrlf on a new line, i;ui.|t'(i
])y ln"s own ji'enius and tlie instincti\e feelin*'' for what
would touch his audiences. C'outempoi'anecjus writers
did tlie same, ])ut tlie\' dem'uei'ated into coarseness in
their endeaA'our to briuii' the (h'ama, l)ack to nature.
It is in lu's use of metaplior tliat a poet exhil)its
tlie bi'eadtli of liis sympatliy as well as tlu? keen
ol)sorvation wliicli sliows liim rt'send)lances ^vlu'ro
none
'iPl
)ear on
tl
le surlaee.
Tl
ic iireat (luartet o
comedies is brimmini:- witli illustrations of this trutli.
"Quips and sentences'' are but '" ])a])ei- liuUets of
(he brain "' {Murh Ado), and adversity is a "toad,
i;ly and venomous," whicl
u
1 " wears yet a [)recious
jewel in Ins head " {Af< Yua Like It).
J
vrnte
I
iln-tli
pi'O
ict' of
li.Mlc
)U(l()n
\ liavc
Licat('<l
1 vuk'S
r wliat
A-ritcrs
ucss in
tnrc.
xliibits
e keen
irtct ol'
trutli.
illcts ol'
" toad.
preciuus
(1IAPTK1J VII.
TiiK (iLor.i: tiii:ati;i:.
" I lliild rill' Wnl-ld l,lit :i~ thr U(il-|<i, (;i;itl;mO,
A >ta;^'(' wlici'i' v\f\y man nm-t | lay a pa it."
yiii M( rrliii lit III \'i iiii( . i. 1.
^^Hl''. iiiii\cf,sal rcxixal of lrai-niii-\ wliirli took
-■- liold (jf (acli nation <litrcivnt ly. in l'lni;laii(l
))!'o(lnc(Ml its LMvatr.st ctKccts thfoii^li tlif nirdinm (,|'
til'' 'Irani I. This foi'in snitid tin- dianiatic trmpcr
oi the time. Tlir mass ol' tlic propl.- never lc;inic(l
to ivad, and tlicy ivaclic(] tin- cnclianhd land oT
imagination liy means of eyes and eai-s aloiic. ll;i<|
lie lived in our lime, Shakespeare would lia\c liea<le.|
the noveli.^ts.
A loni;- leap had lieen taken from ihe hesi of the
^Fystei-ies and Moralities to the ivoiil.ir drama, which
William fotnid waitino- h.r him when he w<'n( i p to
(.ondoii. 'Idle transition was gradual from the (,I(|
style to the new. Jojin lltywood mad.' a dejiartiirc,'
liy writine; interludes, in which \'ice was no lonucr nn
(!).-.(;)
(]
80
TTTE (iLonv: tttt<:atre.
.'il)s(i-,'ict ion l»nt. jv l);i<l in;ni. and ( lonorosity a oyhxI one.
Ill tlic rcio'ii of Ivlwai'fl tlic Sixtli tlic first liistoi'ical
licrocs lia<l Ix'cn iiit rofluccl. an<] bcfoi'c lon^ iMi^lisli
])lav-wiMt»'rs were l'ollo\viii<'' tlic Italians 1>ack to llit*
rountain-licad of classic litcratni'c. J'x'n .loiison. Ilry-
wood, \Vt>l)st('r, and I'^icld studied tlic old (Ircek an<l
Konian writers, and learned from them tlic con-ect
method of construct ine' a drama.
^Moralities continued to be written to hcl[) or to
hinder the Reformation, and the first plays that we
should call [)lays had to ri\al the Miracles and
Aixsteries even durinii' the earh' ])art of Klizaheths
reii;i!. \\'hen Shakespeare was ])orn, the roots of
the ieiiitimate dnima were already in the ground :
and hy the time he attained manhood, it was a plant
of considerable growtli, much in need of his prunino'-
liook.
llie work of the ])ack woodsman liad been donv--
by (*hristoi)her Marlowe in classical traii'edy, by
( }eori;'e Peele in historical drama, and by liobert
Ch'eene in plays of home life, Thes._: men stood
head and shoulders above their predecessors, and
had Shakespeare not come forth to stand head and
shoulders aboN'e them, they wouhl to-day be renu'm-
bered as the o'reatest of l^^neland's di-amatic writers.
i
TlIK GLOr.E THKATRK.
SI
• to
we
and
■til's
ol"
MhI
lilt
iiiil'-
nic
HTt
)()(!
nid
11(1
Cill-
ers,
I
Any one of tlie trio wonld be a i-iaiit aiiioiiii- tlie
])l;iy-wi'iters of oni- centiuy.
Marlowe and I'rele were personal friends of Shake-
speare : l)ut like too many of tlicii- eonipanioiis, tliry
died iiiiscraMc dcatlis while still youii^ men. Actors
as a class Ix-iny* consi(lcred thoroni;li Nayahonds, had
to ci'ave the protection of some one in hij^h rank to
ensni'e ii'ood treatment on their iournevines. We he;ir,
amon<^ others, of the Karl of Warwick's serxants, the*
Earl of Leicester's serxants, the ser\aiits of tlie (jneen.
'^die company to which Sliakes])eare helonec'd called
themseU'cs the Lord ( 'hamhi'i'lain's servants, and they
played before their patron at c<'rtain seasons, eivint;^
performances the rest of the time, nnder his protec-
tion, ill London and tln'on^hont the country.
Arrivini:^ at a villaee they wonld set np their tent,
erect a wooden shed, or, more fortunate still, be
allowed to o-ive an exhibition in the coni'tAard of
an inn. From the overhaneine' n})per story of the
hostelry the aristocrats of the neiehbonrhood con-
descemled to witness a show, Avhile the common
pco])le stood below in the yard. It was these old
tavern enclosures that suii'ii'este<l the shape and in-
tei'ior ai-ranofements of the ivo-nlar theatres.
The lirst two erected in iMiii-land were the 'I'heatre
II
m
82
HI] OLOBK THFvATini
iwu] tlu! ('urtaiii, l)()tli in Sliorc'litcli. ;iim1 it was pro-
haMy on tlic Ijoai'ls oi' llic latlfi- (lint Sliakcspcaro
inailc his di'ltnf as an aetoi'. Wv tin- \"ai' hiOO there
were ten ])hi)'lH)US('S, all of them l)uilt out'-i<lc the
city, to cseajx' tlic restrictions of I'uritanie mayor
ami aldei'men, wlio Ijlamed the asseml)lin^ toufther
of so many people i'or spreading' pla*;'iU's, moral and
physical.
Shakespeare's earliest dramas were performed at
tlic Rose, a small theatre, the first one erected (1;5I>2)
on the south side of the Thames. His previous
writino' having' all been done for IMiilip Henslowe,
the " <;'raspino' manae'er " of the Curtain, it would l)e
a ])roud day for him when he became shareholder,
with the I vba_i;es, in the JJlackfriars Theati'e. This
editice was ouilt in 1500, upon the site of a monas-
terv of the same name which stoo<l between St. l^iul's
and the river. Like other private playhouses, it was
roofed in, and could be lighted, so that performances
nn'o-ht <if(3 on there durino' the evenino-s as well as in
the dullest wintry afternoons.
In 1599 James Burljao-e and his son Eichard, the
famous actor, pulled down tlie Theatre, and with its
materials raised the (llobe, on the other side of the
river. Shakespeat j was -'i [.artner in this enterprise
1
I
Till-] ni.oi'.i'] TiTEAinE. as
nlsu, 5^,1 jil't(M.n ,.1' l,is finest plays w^iv w,i(t..n for
p«'iT()rinancr at the (Holjc.
It was a laruvi- tlicativ tliaii Black iViai-s, an.] built
not I'ai- i'ruiu tliu Soutliwaik end <,l' London IW'uU^r,
closo to tlio, ]]vnv (Jardcn, near which Sliak(.s|H..-n-u
had his lodoinos
The (Jlol,o was a liiu],, oiu-ht-sid,"d, two-sto.y
huildin- made of wood, latlic.l and plastcml. 'j'ho
staov was nearly in the middl.", an.l tho divssin<;--
roonis l,rhind it. Thivo sides wciv lined with rows
oi' seats protected l,y roofinu- hut the central uround
or pit, was left op.Mi to the sky. Admission to the
pit was one pein.y, and i'or a shilline- eouM he securiMl
the best box in the j.lace. Theatricals had formerly
hvvn reserved for ],ioh ,lays and holi.lays, but in the
(dobo they were oiven seven (]ays in the week. Lord
Southampton is said to have been a daily atten<l.T at
one or othci' (jf the theatres.
The stage was strewn with rushes, an<l along its
sides, upon a doul)le row of stools, sat the m<.st
fashionable gallants of the day, collecting .ui their
little slates, called "table-books," the .piotations that
are most ofte,, i,i ,,ui- moiiihs to-.lav. Tli.'\- i.laxed
1 ''It
cards at intervals, and smoked tie new wee.l called
tobacco, lately brought from Virginia by Sir ^\'alter
8i
TllH GL0I5K TITKATKK.
; !
1 f '
KjilL'i<;-li. It is sti'jui^t' tluit Sliakcspearci never onco
iiioutiuiis tlio plant or tlic practice. Perliaps, as an
actor, lu; resented Ix'in^^ stilled witli tobacco while lie
was deliverini;' liis lines.
Th(3 <,n'ntlenien of fashion did not scni})le to criti-
cise the play and players, and the " groundling's " in
the pit were etpially free in the expression of their
opinions. That custom was hard u[)on actor and
author, Ijut it tau^-ht them their Ijusiness — showed
them how to satisfy those " powerful une(hicated
persons" who are fre(|uently no mean jud<4'es of what
is true to nature and what is not.
I'here was no means of liiflitiiiir the Globe, and
therefore the performances took place by dayli<^dit,
beginning at one or two o'clock in the afternoon
and lasting till three or four. A trumpeter from
the tower at the top of the theatre gave thi-ee
blasts to ainiouncc the opening of the P^'*}') <iii'^ '^
llag tlew from the staff so lonji' as it was ii'oinii'
on. ^lusic, so called, opened the show ; and it was
closed by a prayer for the reigning sovereign, pro-
nounced b\' all the actors kneelinii- on the staiie,
just as we sing '' God save the Queen ' to end our
entertainments.
The man who gave the prologue, when there was
I
THE cjLor.K Tin: A Till-:.
85
i
one, was always dressed in ])laek \fl\rt; and the
costumes ol' llie other actors were nl'tell old com1
dresses, veiy e-oi-uvous indee.l, hut o'eiierall y <|uite
inappropriate to the time ol' acti(,a of the play.
At the l)ack ol' the staL;'e was a raise(l platform, to
su_i;;i;-est city walls, or the Ijalcony from which Juliet
talked to Ivomeo. A ctu'tain of arras jiuiii;' in front
of this elevation, Ix'hind which actors off dnt\- con-
o-i't'o-ated, when no walls or halconies weiv needed, to
take a peep t]iroui;]i at the size and disposition of the
audience. A similar curtain huui;' at the fi-ont of the
staov, and when it was down hetween the acts or hefore
the play bee-an, there were o-ames, wrestling-matches,
Jio-s, and other dances from the youni;' m<'n of tlie jiit,
woi-thy ancestors of our hands of colle_i;v students.
Inhere was little attemi)t at sceuerv, thoueh the
stage was luuii;- in l)lack wlieii a tranvdv was to be
acted. A sieidjoard announced whether tlie scene
was in \'enice, Vei-ona, France, or Britain : a couj)le
o) swords crossed, or ..yen two stri])s of wo(jd, in-
f)icate<l a field of battle: a sino-l,. l„]sli did dutv
ior a forest: and a petticoat o\er a brooni-handle
was sutlicient to sui^'-^vst a ca[)aris()n<'(l ,stee<l, thou-h
.^^•lch<■th and l^-UKpio came ridino- in <4allantly on
orthod(j.\ lioljby-liorses.
m
80
THE (JLOJU: THKATin:.
■1
Player and plny-w ritt r a|)[)('alc<l to tlic iiiinn-inatioii
ol' tln3 aiKliciicc, and did not appeal in vain. Tlic
whole nation was in its lie\'-da\' of I'ancN', and notliinii'
seemed impossible. ^'lie stronii'rst feelings were near
the surface, and could he far more easilv mo\-ed hv
[)uetry, pathos, or ])atriotism than in our C(.)ldly criti-
cal centui'V.
Xo Avoman went to the theatre unless disguised
in a mask. The performances which (^)ueen Eli/aheth
witnessed were ^iNen privately, for herself and the
Luh'es of her court. So far as we know, Shake-
speare tii'st t)lay(Ml before lier ^fajesty at (ireenwich
l\-dace in ]Jecend)er 1.VJ4', and a^'ain at Whitehall
in 151)(). On the foniiei' occasion, amonii' the com-
l)any was AVilliani Kem|)e, noted i'or 1>ein^" the most
famous comedian of the dav, while Kiehard Ijurbai-'e
was the o-reatest trawdian.
No estimate can be formed (jf how nnicli Shake-
speare was inde1)ted to the latter foi- the symj)alh<tic
portrayal of his most wondei'ful hei'oes— Ikichard tlio
Third, Ib-nry the l^'ifth, IJomeo, Lear, iJrutus, Othello,
ATacbeth, and ( 'oi'iolanus. Oei'vinus, the (Jerman
connneiitator, su^'u'ests >hat Shakespear*' rewi'ote the
old t)lay of Pci'ichs just to '/(\r the tr/i^^fedian a chance
to show how he could change liis a^e in the one piece.
TMK (jLor.K thkatim:.
87
Dick J5iirl>;i^v was tlinr yrars youiiovr than liis
iVicn.l, aiul livi-d only tlii-cc y.-ars al't.T liim to wvnr
tlic rino' Sliakcsju'aiv left hini in liis will. H,. was
a sliort man, l.nt oTaccfnl. with particularly ♦•xpivss-
ivc voice and i'acc. J)ayli,n],t was an advanta.-v to
the spectators at the (IIoIr', i'or it cnal)Icd them to
follow closely i^vi'vy ehaiioc on the conntenance ol*
Master Dni-hai'v, who was not moiv than twehe yards
distant i'rom the farthest ol* them.
When Iliinilrf was played at the (dohe, the orave-
di.u;i;vi-s slowly and methodically peeled off many
Avaistcoats Ix-t'ore ])ei;innin_o- theii- task. Jinrha^v
represented the hero as fat from want of exercise,
and siiort of breath when excited. Shvlock he
l)layed in a red wi^i;-, and wore a lono- false nose;
Init the make-np was secondaiy to the actor's in-
tnitive o-rasp of the autliors intention. What wonld
8ii- Ilem-y Ir\ino- oivu to play under Shakespeare's
pei'sonal direction : An eleoy which was written at
the time of Bur]ja*^e's death shows how much he
was reiiTette<l : -
" Aii(] with hiiu what a wi.rld arc dead !
Take him for all in all, he was a inaii
Not to lie niatehcd, ;,)id no a,uv ever can.
^\'llat a wide world was in that littli^ spac' -
Iliiu.sfjf a world, the (iloin' hi.s filtc-.st place ! '
if;
88
Tin: (iLor.i: tiikatim:.
Sliakcspraii! cniiM l)()Mst ni' iiiaiiv IVit'iids ainoii-f
the player-poets ol' the day, ami rai'f tiiiics tlii'\ lunl
t()<,n'ther at tlic ol'I i'^aleoii 'i'aNcni on Daiiksidc, or osci'
ill LoikIoh pi-opcj- at tlic Mci'iiiaid Inn. IJi'cad Street.
Sir Walter Kaleit'li staili'd the Mei'uiald (1ui), to wldeli
Chapman, Doinie, Selden, IJeauiiiont and Fletcher l)e-
lon^uil . but tlie iiienihei' luost interesting'' to posterity
is " rare Uen Jonson," wlio l)ei;an by patroni/an;^' Sliake-
spoare, l)Ut was al'terwards o-|;i<l of his help in o'ettiii^*
iiis own play, " Every 3Ian in His Humour," put u[)ou
the hoards. Shakespeari' not only reeonniiended this
work of an unknown autlior to the Lor<l Chaniherlain's
coni[)any, who produced it in I5!)(S, hut took part in
it liiniseli', as well as in Wvn Jonson's later couicd\',
" Sejanus," put on at th<' (Jlobe in 1 (iO.S.
An account of the scderunts at the Merniaid re-
mains : " Many were the wit-combats betwixt Shake-
speare and lien Jonson ; which two I behold like a
S[)anish i^'rcat galleon and an En^'lish man-ol'-wai".
Master Jonson, like the I'ormei', was ])uilt I'ar hiii'lier
in learnin*;', solid but slow in his pert'oiinances.
Shakespeare, like the I^^n^lish man-(jt'-war, lesser in
l)ulk but lighter in sailini;', could turn with all ti<les,
tack ai)out, and take a(haiUa^e of all winds by the
quickness of his wit and Invention."
I
I
I
Tni: OLonK r\\\: vnu:.
80
• 3
Tin' (JIoIm- w.is (l('str(»\t .1 l»v liiv in Idl:;. aini
■ «
tlioiiji'li •"' "lit the I'Dllowiiii'" V( ,ii\ ShaUfsticiirc's (.'nii-
iii'Ction with it ciitlrd in the llnncs. |')\- that time
I.
be ^vas l('a<liii''' tlic life ol' a wcll-to-tlo l»iii'i'liri' in
Sti';itt'()r<l-<)n-A Villi. At tlif prrsmt day tiir i n;;in<'-
rocii ' ** a hifwcry is saiil to In- iijton tlir site ol*
tlic (iriiiiiial ( .Inhc Tlnatrc; l)Ut niort' intiTcstiiiLr
htill, couM tlifN" ])(' I'ouiwl, \\<ail(l itc tlir lioiisc in
St. Helens i'arisji, AMel-S^ate, wliel'e S]iakesj)eare
lo(|^'e(l when lie tii'st Went to I^nidon, or Ills later
abode in Cliidv Street, Sontliwaik.
ir.
•r
'S.
ill
'^,
I! i; N J (I N so N.
^^^0
<> v^ ^
.0^. \^*
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I
t
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I '?
CHArTER VI I J
SIIAKKSPKAIMO AS A\ ENGLISH IIISTOUIAX.
* ;
" Tiiii tliis cockpit li(»lfl
.TIh' Vii.sty fields of l-'iaiicc? or may wo cram
Witliiii tliis \\(Mi(l»'ii Otiu' vi-ry castiucs
That (lid utfiiyiit tlif air at AgincourtV
J'roioina to Henry V.
C^IIAKHSPKAKE road Eii-lisli liistorv in the old
^^ cli rollick's c »iiipil"d \)\ a iiiaii iianicd HolinslR'd,
wlio dii'd towards tlie end of tlie sixteenth century.
Tlie reconls were collected from ditt'erent people, and
some of tliem were much better tlian othei's, l)oth in
literary style and tidelity to fact. An efi'ective method
of learnino- to a])preeiate Shakespeare's oenius is to
invx'stioate these and the otlier sources from wliich
ho drew liis ])lots, to see from wliat unpromisino-
materia] he pi'<^duced sucli marvellous results.
But th<' liistoiy that Sliake.speare studied was con-
Hne(l to no volumes of chronicles. ^luch of it h.-id
been handed down bv tradition in a series of vivid
A\ EXGLrSFI TIISTOHTAX
91
1
M'onl-pic'tuivs, whos,. cnlourincr wonl,] 1„> l,(.,Vl,t(.ne,l
rathrr than (linuncd l,y <list;nicc.
<>!' til.' nortliH'Mst Ix.uii.l.uy (.r WMnvicksl.iiv l,,ul
b^H.n fouol.t tl... IJattlr nf J5nsw(,rtl. V'u'h], wind,
end..] the Wars of tl.r Kosrs. On. or n.oiv ol'
Shakcspraiv's imincdiatr ancstoi-s may ]iavr Ikvii
('n-aovd in that eonlliet : at any ratr. in his youth
1h' was near ononoh to thr l.attlr-fiHdJx.th in tinio
and in space, to take a vital intr.vst in thr con.hatants
who had worn the ivd rose and the white.
Ho had Imt to follow the windin- Avon down to
Ev.'shani, fil'toen miles I'rom Stratford l,y the road, to
visit the scene of the momentous hattle of Au.-ust I]
l^Oo, which decided the Ijarons' W.-.r. Perhaps it
was his aciuaintance with this vicinity that att.acted
his attention towards an old play hy Rowley, called
"The Troublesome Kai^-ne of J(,hn, Kino- of Knoland.'
He was always on th( lookout for plots that ha'! Mr-
ready run the o-auntlet of public opinion, and in that
particular i)eriod of histoiy h<. w(»uld recooni/e the
beo-innino- of the national spirit that tired every man's
beart in the reioii of Elizabeth.
Tliere are many inaccui'acies in Shakespean-'s
Kinr/ Joh,}, for lie treated history almost as cavalierlv
as he did the old Italian romances- ad<led and sub-
92
AN ENGLISH TITSTORTAN.
M'i!
Ni
1'^
ll
i
tractccl just as it suited tlw^ dranwitie jmrposo lie liad
ill view. For cxainpk', since lie wislicd to excite
syiiipatliy for Arthur and liis umvortliy uiotlier, lie
made liiin a 1);)v of tender years, wlieu in reality at
tlie i'uwa tlie otlier eyents in tlie l)lay occurred Prince
Artliur was twenty-five or twenty-six, and a married
t' t
man. He also s<^ftens the character of (\)nstanc<'.
His keen artistic sense led him to subdue the
hatred of prelacy which he found in the older drama,
thiouoh lie voices the popular sentiment of the time
that the country nuist conu^ before the church.
K'l iKf Jolin was produced in 1505, only seven years
after the defeat of the <,a'and Armada intended to turn
Ent^land into a vassal of Spain. With Drake, Haw-
kins, or Frol)isher in their minds, we can imafj^ine the
uproarious applause of the audience at the passaii^e —
" Til brief, a braver clioice of daniitless spirits
Did never float upon the swelling tide."
To John, " the worst outcome of the Ant^ovins,"
Shakespeare is kinder than Green the historian.
The dramatist turns him into a foil for the real hero
of the piece, the Bastard Faulconbrido-e. That lusty
hatir of shams knew no love l)ut his country, was
loyal to his king, as kino-, in spite of his contempt
AX Kxnrjsrr utstotuax. 0:3
fnr l.is personal vhnv^u-Wv : ..,,,,1 l.is enndn.Iino- spr.rl,
woul.l unit.. omII.pv. pit, .,,,.1 hnx.s in expressions ..r
tlir Mil<l(st (iitlnisiMsiM :
"Tllis Kl.-lail.I Il.Vrr.li,], ll..r]lrvrr>li;,]l.
T.ir ;ir (lie pniiid foot of a coiKjiirror."
Sl.Mkrspraivs stn.ly of tlH' l.istnrv ..r his n.-.tive
lan.I e.,in,tcrl.alanc..l tl.e rfHrts of thr Jiali.n. liter.,-
tinv in which h. had so lono- h,,,, st.vpino- hin.s.ll*.
a.Hl hnnu^ht hin. l,ack to ,val hTe I'ron, the w(„M nf
romance in which he had l„vn roaniino.. Thesu
.li;nn])ols in the fonvst of Anlen, thrse I'ai.y intnnn<>.s
an.l Txvell'tl, Xioht n.as.pi.rades, tluaiu), in,„v j.ncti-
oalthan In'story, w.-.v, aftc- all, a " nnich ado ahont
^'otl.ino," and it was rational that in soher nianlnx.d
1m' should look into the i>rohlen,s that affect the
life of nations.
Ki>'!/ Join) yras not Shakespeare's first atten:i>t at
historical (Iran.a. Three years },efore he had re-
i'»o.lelled an old i)lay on the reio-n of Henry thr Sixth.
The first part of this he altered only enou-h to n,al«.
a connection between it and the other two ])arts, which
1h' c'hanoed considerably. There are Shakespearian
students who jiave so carefully exaun'ncd, not his
works alone, but those of the oth.-r dian.atists of his
1
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AN KNOLISH IIISTOIMAN
rr.'i, tliMt (Ih'v cm tell wliicli lines ill tlir SI'CoIkI .mimI
(liinl jKiits nl' III , I III VI. wTic writtt'ii l»y M.iriowc,
wliicli ])y Pt't'lc, mikI wliicli l»y Sii;ik<'s])c;n't' liiiiiscir.
OtlxTs c'rr(|it liiiii witli contriltutidiis to lui nlil ))l.iy
on Ivhvjii"! tlic Tliiitl tliat is not incliidr^l in llow* "s
cdih'on of liis writini-s. 'I'lirrc is critMinlv oih' lino
ill it wliicli is also I'ouii'l in liis S(n}inh: ~
" Ijilifs tlijit fcstrr sMH'll far worsr tliaii wccils."
Tlic Kcrirs of histories relatini;' the successive rise
aiul lall oT tlie Houses ol' \'oil< and Lancaster cover
tlie i)e»'io(l iVoiii the last two veais ol' the reii-n of
Hicliard the Second t<> the death of IJichard the Third
ill 14iSr). The oldest ill date was not written iirst,
altlioUiih the play U])on words- (Jaunts punninn* on
his name, for instance stamps Hirlinnl III. as one
of Shaki'speare's youthful etrorts.
ill the first Act I^iclsird banislies liis cousin Heiirv,
surnamed l>olin«;])r()ke, heir to the House of Lancaster,
because lie fears that Heiirv is trvini:' to stand well
with tlie common people in or<ler to supplant liim.
His fears are not unfounded : for no sooner is liolino;-
liroke out of tlie kinoilom than he beo-ins t(; plot for
his return — to recover his confiscate*! estates, so he
says. Nobles and common people Ijutli ilock to his
""■i'AKl. ri:oN„LN, IS., SKMKN, K oK DXM.i.MKNr ON ,.,S , OLSIN.
-'l:..^S~^
rT*-. -I
\'>
I-il
&'--i:!
-MKtXl.SU litlWKlJN buLIMiUI;oKE AND VOKJ
i
I
a
•1
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4
I
AN i:N(iLISH IIISTOIJIAX.
f)7
>^
,st{lll(l;ir<l, .-nil] Iir is joined rxni l,y tlir kino's ■• riicl,.
nl' Vork," wlio wniiM r.-iin haw ivmaiui*! nmtial.
Ifirliaid. al.s..|lM-.| ill (li,. luxuiy (.1' wcr. coiitidrs in
liis lMli< r ill til." (Ii\iiic riulit ol" kiii-s tlM-civticallv.
iMit i.ractirally lie yi.lds tiir crown Ix-I'oiv llmiv asks
it. ami dies a niystci-ious dratli.
Tliis is tlic })k-iy wliicli could not l.c oivcn dniinn-
ICIizahi'th's iviun i'(,r |\.ai- of tlic royal dispK-asuiv, lic-
caiisc the flcposition of Fticliard was all too sn<-ccsiivc
of what she dreaded from Mary (,)uccn of Scots.
Hcin-y the Foui-th has oained the throne l.y usuii-a-
tioii, an<l the exercis.. of much cunnino- diplomacy
secretly, as well as o(„,d ovA-ernment oiienly, is ncces-
sai-y to keep it. iJesides the cares (.f state, he is
much worried l,y the Jiivenih' follies of his son, I'rince
ll<iiiy. who has hrokeii loose from the restiviints of a
coui't full of wily politicians, an<l chosen to consort
uith low C(;mpaiiions, th<' most prcjminent of wl
.'••I elderly drunken l>oast<-r and spendthrift, Sir .h.l
l^'ilstair. This old ivprohate, so open in Jiis seliisl
cowardice, so witty in his own defence, is one of
Shakespeaivs favourites. He was orininally called
Oldcastl.', to the ereat diseust of a familv of that
n>ime whose ancestor had heen a soher I»nritan. and
the dramatist had to chanuv his name to pacify th.-m.
lom IS
m
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A\ KN(JLIS:1 III.sTOlUAX.
P
11
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Tli.it Sif JmIiii was a faNoui'itc with aiwlifiUM'S is
\«)U('lit'(| Tor hy the fact tliat (^)ur('ii Kli/alx'tli com-
iiiainl<'(l tli»' poet t(» sliow \u'r tin- I'at l\iii;;lit in love.
ami tlir I't'SllIt was Th'- Mrm/ Wirrs nf \\'iin/sui\
wliicli tiaditinii says SliaUcspcai't' wi'otr in a l'nitiii;;lit.
It liai] in l(c rt'ln'arst'«l aiwl ])Ut Ujxm tlic staii'c within
the two wrcks, so that lie had no time to lunit thiouiili
old niat«'i-ial for a plot, oi' to tell his story in nttsc :
and tliis is the only pl^v in which he deals with the
I'ollickin^ rustic life of his own dav in his own land.
'I'lu? lioai-'s Head 'i'avcrn in Eastchcap, which is su])-
post'd to have been th(; scene of the revels of Falstatt*
and his companions, was bui'ned in the ^ivat tire of
KiOO.
\\'u\<f Ifenry re<(retfiilly coni[)ares with his own son
Hariy Percy, usually dubbed Hotspur, who in his
niind is the In'Kih ideal of a bra\e sohlier and chi\al-
njus <^entlejnan. Hotspur certainly cares iiioi-e foi'
the (Mitwanl appearance of honour than does Prince
FTal : but the lattei* turns out to be the better man
(jf the two, and U})on his ascension of the throne
he shows the e-ood nietal of which he is made.
As Hemy tlu' Fifth he is the coiupieror of France,
the blurt' wooer of Princess Katharine, the bra\-e sol-
dier as well as the pious and modest man. Shake-
i
AN i:\(;msii iiisT(u:ian.
f»0
sjx'Mit' iih'Mlizcs liini, ol' cnursr : never liints (li.it lie
liail IK) hiisiiiess iii.iUiiii'- WMi' ill I'^immcc, or neiseciitiii"-
Ills sulijects at li(Miie !'( >i' tlicir relii-ion. The tlioroiiclilv
Uritisli spirit <>!" tlie drainatist is cniisiiiciious also
ill his helittliii;^' ol' the I''i't'iich otllfers and army, and
the picture ol' .loan ol' Arc as a witch that he allows
to remain in his version ol' /h uri/ VI.
The sixth Hcni'v is as weak as his I'ather was
stron^^ The French possessions are lost durin^^ his
lono- minoi'ity, and in the three parts ol the play
named I'or him the slow an«l sure (htwnl'all ol' the
House of Lancaster is depicted, and the cle\ation of
the House ol' Voi'k.
Audiences ever since Shakespeare's own day have
pronounced U'lclim'tl III. to be the best actin;;' piece
anioni;' tlie historical plays, thou^^h in poetical ni<'rit,
consti'uction, and characterization it I'anks below
llcDi'i/ IV. Coleridge <^nves the palm ol' nieiit to
Uu'lmrd II., which, for one thine-, adheres the most
closely to histoi-ical fact.
i)Urbai;e's aetin;;' of Hiehard ill. must ha\e been a
masterly ejlbrt. Th«' interpretation of that intellectual,
ambitious entitv, deformed and \'et fascinating, would
tax the power of any actor to thi' utmost . but Kiehard
was well able to cope with his namesake.
I
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KK)
AN KNCLISII Mls'lnlMAN.
H
1 1 •
!i I
I
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I
Sli;il\<'s|M';il'(', to iii.ikr tliiii;;s c.isi) r Inf his IVI'ImI,
p.'lilltffl tilt' kilin' ill !;|i|ckrf jllld llinrc stliUili;!' CdNtUI'S
tliiiii liishiry wjiiiMiits, tlii)M;;li it ih li.iril t<> tliiiiU oi'
aM\' sll.'ulr tno (lful\ Inf tile <l<'l)(»srl' ol' til*' i:rlitlr.
• I ^
]>it»us llciiry t!n' Sixtli nml tln' iiiui<lt'iTi' nl' tin- two
little priiK'cs ill tlic Tower. In this icii^ii Ix ^.-m the
Wars cil' the looses, which ciMhMl with the «l»'nth oi*
liii'hard and the accrssioii oi' llciirN- the Srvciith. wlio
«
\liiiti'<l tlu' Houses ol' V'oi'k and Lancaster.
'riieiv is a eap hoth in history and in Shakes] )ea re's
life hetwcen liir/nird J/J. and //r,ir;/ 17//.. and
their styles dillei* widely. The latter is pioliahiy tlu'
last thin^' that Shakespeare over wi'ote, and indeed it is
very likely that T'letchei' linished it. Spectacular ell'ect
is taken into considenition lor the first time, and the
literary value ol' the work is consetjuently depreciated.
It is amusiuii: to notice that thi' critics have dis-
coveri'd Shakespeare's sympathies in these di'amas to
1)1' on the side of the House of Lancaster. Whether
that be so o! Jiot, there is one party which most eer-
tainlv entiaet's his s\-m])athies, and that is the little
hand of children introducecl more telliniih' here than
elsewhci'e : Prince Arthur: Kdward, son of Henrv the
Sixth ; the small iviwai'd the i^'ifth ; and his yoini^'er
brother, the Duke of York.
>.>.•
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, W\\
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te
Vij^g^
MIMiS \T llli: sir. 1. 1, 111 II VliH.K.I II.
-;-n
/-
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Tin: .Ml i;i>i:k m iiii: iki.\.i;.s is nii: ri>\\iu.
i-^
1 1
if: 'S
I
I
niAI'TKH TX.
KIN(i LKAi;.
" All old iiiiui i> t,u ici' ;i iliilil." Hmnlit, ii. L'.
IT is a t<'rril»lc talc t<» tell, tliut ol' the old Kin^^ ol'
Britain, who, rrr!!n«'' ilic iiici'casiin'- \vri<'l;t ol'
years -iiM.'i'c |M'i'lia[)s in Jiis iiiiiid fliaii in iiis Ixxly —
<|i'ci<l<'s to divide liis i-caliii ainon^' liis tlii'er daM<dit('rs.
or these, tlie elder two ar<' niai'i-i<'(| to tlie Dtdvesol'
All>any and Coi-nwall res)M'(*ti\e|y ; hut Cordelia, the
youno-cst, is still iniwed, though tlieiv ai-e two siiitoi's
at her lather's court proposing i'or lirr liarul the
Duke ol" IJur^nuidy and the Kin^' ol" I'' ranee.
" Ti'il iiic, my (l.iuu''lit< IS, -
Siiicf iiiiw \\c will (li\(st n-, ImiIIi nf inN-,
liitfTfst iif ti'iritMi'v, cares nl" >tiitf,
Wliic'li iif ynii >|iall \\v sa\ <iotli |ii\f ii-~ iiiip.-.t?
Tliat \vi' (Mil- lar;,"'st liuiiiity may < \t<iii|
Wlu'lc Natlll'i' flntil with lliciif cliall' li; I- "
(}one'i-il and l{e;:an, the t-ldei- two, are not slow to
lejily to tlieii" lather's (|Uestion: and th<y express their
lf)l
KING li:ar.
Hi!
aft'eetion for him in siieh extravagant tcrins, that no
Olio liavin^- full possession of his senses couM lielp
(loul)tin(r their sinc<'rity. But Lear is not in full
possession of his senses, and Conlelia, liis ])est-lov<'«l
dautrliter, uiMlerstands this. She is no doctor or
trained nurse, l)ut her tender synipatliy tells her that
it IS had for liiiii to listen to ox-erwliehnine- flatterv.
a lialf-century of which lias ruined tlie desiMjtic kino's
jud^niieiit, and rendered him incapalile of endurinii"
any opposition to his will. The youni^^est is ashamed
of the mercenary motives of the two eMer daughters,
that cause tliem to liumour the old man in his
headsti-oii(( ioUy. The calm moderation of her re])]y,
whicli is meant to soothe lier fathers excitement, has
the opposite effect, and in liis ani^a-r lie announces
tliat lie will divide his kingdom into two pcjrtions
only, and that Cordelia shall ha\'e none of it.
Tlie Duke of IJuroundy prom])tly Avithdraws his
proposal of marriai^^e : he does not want a penniless
bride. But the Kin<,^ of France is t\ different sort of
man.
I'';uif>t CVinlrli.i, tliDU art iiio-t licli, )niiig' |i(Mir;
Most i-hoice, fiii>aken ; and most loved, despised I "
And lie carries his "unprized precious maid" ofi' to
Frai.ce.
'Mir im
l.KAK |il\II>K>, Ills KiN.iPKM l;r.rWi:!:\ (ioNKltll, \M> |||:(;\s.
L KA II I N I II K , ( ,> i; >i.
13
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KIN(J LKAK.
107
K\u^ LviW liavin^i^ deprived liiiiiseU' ol" liis power
a)id possessions, trustinij; the remainder ol' liis lil'e to
the tender care oi' his two older dan^iliters, does not
find them so tender as lie has every ri^^ht to expect.
He is, to he snre, a hot-tempered, wayward old man,
whose eii:oism makes him fe('l sliehts too k<H'nlv, and
whose cravini*" Tor attection amounts to selfishness;
but with all his faults he is their i'atlu'r. Apart
from their recent indebtedness to him, commoii
humanity should lead them to bear <i<'ntly with
mental decav, though it is often harder to toleratt'
than the physical weakness of old a^e.
Shakespeare's knowled<>-e of human nature will not
permit him to paint these sisters {is hopelessly liad
from the first. They are introduc<'«l to us simply as
insincere, seltisli women : Init oradualK' they (h'veloi)
int(j iiends in human shape. Nor are the two etpially
bad : Goneril always takes the lead, thoueh Ke;:.!!) is
a tine follower.
Lear lives with the former first, and her kindness
to liim speedily abates. She makes a bitter e-i-icNance
of the fact that her father has struck her (gentleman
for the chidinii' of his fool. This same fool is a
notable personaii'e in the play: but a boy in y«'ars, he
<^"ives utterance t(j the soundt.'st philosophy.
m
lOH
KING LKAR.
Tlio court f<)(jl is cntiri'ly out of ])l;ico in i\\v time
oi' Kiii^" Lt'ar, wlio is supposed to l»;i\t' lixcd ci^^lit
Inuwhvrl years iK'l'on' Clirist : Itut tli.it is a uiciu triiU.'
ill SliakL'spcarc's jud^iiK'Ut. TIm' wliolc plot is iui-
prol)a))li' uioi'c so tlian that o(* ajiy otlu'i' " serious
pcrl'oruiaucc! " of our dramatist. He was pleased
with tlu; incidents of an old lii'tisli legend relatino;
to a period of liistoiy when the passions of men were
stron<^ and un^overned, when those in hi^h places
were a law unto themselves, and lived out their
stormy lives in that state of exa^(j^ei-ated egotism
which is the most fittiuir fomidation for ti"aj>'ed\'.
\lv wanted a jestei* to lighten the plot, to relieve the
traii'ic strain with an air of comedv, and, reiiardless of
history, he put one in.
Often the wisest as well as the wittiest man ahout
tlie court, the fo(jl ccjiild ^ain the jar of a feudal
tyrant when he wcjuld listen to no one else, an] Lear,
in like manner, hearkens to the sensiljle nonsense
of his fool. I'robably in his heart of hearts lie
sym[)athi/es with the la<l, who had been very tond
of Cordelia, and pined away when she went to
France.
It is with such li^ht touches that Shakespeare
indicates the nobility of Cordelia's dutiful, reserved
i
KrN(J lA'lWl.
10!)
cliaractcr. SIk' lit'iscH' appca s Imt little in the jilav:
w'v know her |>iincipally tln-ou;^!! what otlicis sav of
licr, tlii'ounh what tlicy arc williiii;- tn do Tor her
sake. Tlicrc is tlu- Karl of Kent, I'oi- iiistaiic*', whom
Lear lias hanishcd h'inn the kiiii-tloin In'oaiisr he dared
to defend Cordelia at the testine-tiiiie. He retui'iis
ill disguise to watch over his royal master, for whom
he sees much dane-er ahead, since he has so stupidly
deprived liimself of tlie care and counsel of his one
loviuii' dano'liter.
Kent wears the earh of a servant: Ijut he finds it
hard to tame his speech and manners to a servant's
liumility, especially when he sees ill-used this
" Poor old iiiiui
As full (jf Ki'i<'f ;if^ a.tjfc ; \vr<'tfli<' 1 in lM)tli ! "
Lear cannot lay aside his imperiousness with his
kinodom : but his unloving- daughters think they can
break his spirit. OoneriJ cuts (]i)\\\i the number of
his retainers: and when he indiiiiiantlv leaves her
home for Keo-an's, she does the same, ha\ino- Ikm-ii
primed up l)y her elder sister to o-ive the father a
bad reception when he takes refuev with her. The
second daughter finds an excuse for lier conduct in
that of Kent, whom Lear has sent Infoie him as his
i
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KI\(J LKAl?.
UP
incsKcn^'cr. Hf (|nan'<'ls with mikI Ix-jits Kcnnn's
stL'\var<l, aiwl is proinptly put into tlic stocks — a
si'^lit wliicli n-i-ratlv iiiicNcs an*! aiiiicrs Tj'ar on liis
aiTi\al.
(ioiicril follows close ii])oii liis lircls to support tho
wcaUt'i- lic^aii in lin- ciucl tii-atnii'iit ol' tlwir lather;
anil between them they so incense the " poor, intii-ni,
weak, and «lespis<'(l ohl man," that he Hies away to
the open lieath in the face oi' a risine- stoi'm, attendee!
only 1)V his I'aithl'ul fool.
Shakespeare well knew liow to call the weathei- to
his aifl in order to is'wi' diamatic I'tfect to the mis-
foj'tunes of his hero. At the (Uobe Theatre an earth-
(juake was represented ))y rumhlines in u ])arrel, hut
we read of no niechanical C(jntrivance for thunder
and lii>htnine-. Such would ha\e been tame indeed
compared with the picture conjured up by the words (jf
the once miiihtv kiiiii', now a homeless Naerant, bufi'eted
by wind and rain, and ci'viiiu" aloud in his aii'onv, —
Uii
" Spit, Hri' I spout, rain I
Nur rain, \\in<l, tliundiT, firt', arc niv dauglitcrs :
I tax not yon. yon clcnicnts, witli nnkindntss ;
1 ni'vcr ^'av<' yon kin;_'(loni, called yon i-liildiTU."
%\
The conscientious Kent follows, and finds his
master, and later on the strange (juartet is com-
K r.N I' I N T II K S ICM' KS.
. -.1
EDMINl) I'KltSl ADIMI i i i,i >l c tM i;i; I HAT LI'iiAli IMCMMIi lo .Mllllill; lll.M.
i
'tjl
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h ■
1 !
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KIN<i I.KAH.
U:\
iMvd l,y K.I-;,r. nr .M.,,1 Tn.n, as 1„. c,,lls lm„srll\
whose MssuiiMwl raviiiMs l„.ip tc traii.,uilli/... tlu- iv,,l
SUrtl'DT.
The KmH ..r (llouccst.T. ill wliosr |„)Usr K.-umu mimI
Imt wicked ImshniMl, the Duk,' ol* ('nnnv.,||. ^.-iv
stayiiio- wl.rn Lenr eai.u. to them, is so inud, nve,-
eoiiie l>y the h<.aHless treatment his ioniier kin- has
receiv-rl, that lie presumes to stand up for him" and
therel.y draws down upon himst-lj' the Nvnnvance of
the awCuI ti-io.
Til.' scene in which they pluck out his ev(.s u],on
1 •'I
the staov is often consid.-ivd too honihle to he
ni'tistic: Imt an Kli/al,ethan au'lience, accustomed to
all kinds of Herce sports, was not likely to s.juirm
over it.
(doucester, blind and helpless, wanders abroad into
the storm likewise, and is found by his loyal son
Ivlo-ar, who lias ha.l to feiVn madness to sav(; his
own life.
In every one of Shakespeare's plays, except I^ontro
and Jidirf and M^frhrth, there is an under-plot moi-e
or less like the main action. Jt is a peculiarity of
sixteenth -century literature, which Shakespeare ex-
liibits forcibly in /{I,h/ Ifur.
The Earl of (doucester, like Lear, is the victim of
Il
lU
KIN(J LKAK.
i
i^
|J ''
Hi
tiiiiil iimiMtitudf : Itnt iiistnid of <tiH' <:«mh1 mihI two
l)iul «lim;4lit<'rs, he li.is ;i uood mikI m l»;i<l soli.
IvIiiiIIIkI, M IiMIkIsoIIIC, Itl'MVc, UllprilK-iplt'd SCOlllKll'tl,
with wlioiii Itotli OoiH'i'il and IJci'mii arc in love.
siU'ct'cds ill oust inn' liis elder ln'otlicr hMnar, ( Jioucrs-
tor's ri^ilid'id heir. IVoin his I'atlHi's house, where he
liiiiiseir remains to plot against the life ol' that
rallier.
From Kd«!"ai''s account ol' Ids i-oaminii's at larj-'e
we <,^•nn a capital idea ol' the treatment which all hut
the nu)st vi(»lent lunatics received in l^lizaheth's
reiii'u. There is nothine" a))out it to suiiiicst the
era of Lear, and indeed we hear Kdi;ar speak of
Nero.
'I'hree hundred vears am) insanity was not reiiardtMl
as the woei'ul malady it is with us. Instead of oui-
tii)sv clown, the lunatic was often the funnv man of
a play: and no douht when Kiikj Lrar was acted at
court, l)ecend)er 2(), KiOti, the Queen and her maids
of honour would lau<;'h innnoderateiy at the o\-er-
done antics of Mad Tom.
Shakespeare is a specialist on the transition stao-es
of lunacy, the causes wdiich lead to and develop it,
the si^i'us of its proo-ress, and the remedies for its
relief. One scene with Ophelia and the three last
I
KiN(; m:.\|{.
115
m-
iiii
'•""'l'''"' '"••"'"'■-■ ' •■■ 'vs.i,,;, ,„ |,i,„ is ,1,..
'"•'■""'"'"■" ""■ i""H"W. iik. ,, I,,,,,,, lun„.,|„|,,„„
l'i;;li. Mrnvs l,n||i.,,„ly, |,„| ,,|,,„ „,„,|,,.^
iV-i,„,,r„v,,s „r ii„. „i„, ,„|, ,.„,_^,^^.^. ^^^^^^1^
*'"'■'''■ "^"■'^'■''.^•"■■•■ii"l«'.ivllM.|,i,.,...,,,n,i,„|,l ,
'"'l'"~'- l"i( ,l„. ,v.| ,.„(i>l l<,M,«sll,,„ i, i, ,„„ ,,„„
"■ I'l'"- 'I'Im' -niliy sMli;.,- r,„. ,|„.i, ,,,i,„,.s, 1, „.
' '•"'" -""■'■'■ "il 'Hi. Cunl,.!!,, ..,„M..s ,„„ I,,,..
l"«iv,. I,,,- r,,,l„,--s ,v.,.s,,M, uliicli. iluon^l , ,,,|
'"-"■"""'•' • l'''-l<"i'- "P Ml (1„. ,.„.!. ,,„lv ,„ I,., I,
'•'•^'li>:'' tl.Mt sl„. is ,1,.,„| i„ i,i, ,,„„ ;,,,„„.|,.,| ,,^
""■ '"■'''■'• "'■ '■:'! i"l. i-"Vok,.,I I ,,,.. Tl,.. link,.
or .\ll„-my, wl„,s,. w„rs, r,,„k is (l„. w,.„lu,..ss „r
'■''■"•"•"'■I- ll'''l l>ivv..„ts liis ooiitrnl „r |,is wilV, ,.„„„.s
' '■'■'"" '" 'I" .i'i-ti<-" to his fi,tl,..r-i„-l,nv ,-,rt,T
•ionrril li.Ms ,,„is,„i,..l l!,.j,, ,|,|,,| I i„,,,„||-^ |„„
'"■ ■■''"" '" '"" '■■'"■■'■or (..ar ,li,.s l„v,r(-l.,„l<,,, „v,t
"'" '""'.^' "'■ ''"'•'l"li''- Ivli;-^'' is n.st,„v.| ,., |,is
y^'MM posiH,,,, ..,|„.,. |,„ ],„ |-,„„.|„ ,„„| „,„,,,,„„„
Ills vile lir„tl„r: Imt tl.. f.,„l, tl,,„ ,.|K,nni„o. 1,,,,. of
''"''""•' '■''""'■ "'i" l''is tl,n,„o|,„„t „ sMlliTi,,..' lor
ollHTs, ,.a,„H,t rally from tli. om.fts „r oxpo.sui^. t„
til" storm, aii.l ■ o„,,s t„ l^l at noon."
Ill no other trago,ly .Ws ,nory on,, of the " prin-
|i|
no
KIN(; LKAK.
i>{
1 \ ■■
% \
%
cipals " t'xliihit sueli an aiiiounl ot" wiatli, ii;4lit('()us
or tliu rc'VLTsf. Sliakcsncai't- liad 1)V lliis liiiic iiaiiH'*!
a thorouiili coiiiinaiKl ol* laiitiuai-'c, couM bciul xei'sc
aiid inctaplior to suit tlu.' icoliii*^ to Im' cxpri'sst'd,
and 1k' eliosc stroiiij" AMiilij-Saxon words ol' one
syllal»lc t(j interpret tliu deepest, most p'l'iiiiitlve
ciiiotioiis.
Jjeside tlie tiist tliree acts ol' Idinj J^rar II.M/litt
places tlie tliird Act of OlhrUn as Sliakespeai'f's
iiiaster[)iece ol' passion. The [)lays wei'e written
within a year or so ol' eacli otliei-, hut the story ol'
''tilt! iirieved ]\Ioor" heloni's to a nincli later date —
the island ol' Cy[)rus in {."iTO-the }>lot liavin^' Ijeen
taken IVom an Italian no\el hv C'inthio, whose woik
Shakespeare, as usual, altered and iniprosed in the
<liaiiiatization.
Uidike the other i;reat trai;'edies, Oflulli) deals with
domestic lil'e, and it is the hest plainied ol' all Sliake-
s[)eai'e's l)lays. The hero in liis liands is not a ne^i'o
l)ut a Mooi'isli piince : no ordinary jealous liusl.and,
l)ut, like the' old Britisli king, a " rash Jind most
uid'ortunate man,'' nunv sinn«'(l aiiainst than sinnini:-.
Othello, too, desires to he supremely lo\ ed, and the
positive proof presente<l to liim of his wiles inlidelily
renders him for the time beint;: as insane as Lear
Ki\(j lf:ai{.
II
liilMscll'. JJoth iiicn ai-c inoiv (o In- pitied than the
iiiiiocL'iit victims, wilV nnd (lau^litn-.
Poor iX'sdciiiuna lias iKjt Coi-drlia's stivnctli of
charactri- r.or hw sti'aiohti'oi-ward lionrsty ; Imt
both oirls aiv nidowcd with th.' woiiiaiilv virtue
of uncoiiiplaiiiiiio- patience uiidci- i'aisc accusations,
and cacli lonos that i'atli.T or liushand mav \>r
brou<;ht b) ivason more I'oi- Jiis own sake than
i'or licrs.
II Kdnnuid has a suix-rior in in'i'lidv, it is crrtainlx'
la^;*). 'riic I'ormcr ivprnt.^ in dyin;;-, hut thr lattn-
<;'oes to jud^^incnt witli a hold, impmitcnt lac. Ahkc
in Ijcino- extremely i.rou<l and intellrctuah tlie two
men are also youn^', Ini- rao() •• had looke.j upon the
world for I'our times seven veai-s "' onlv : and tliev
indulov in the siieerini;- talk al)out women, religion,
and life in oen,.nil widcli Shakespeare ascrihes onlv
to liis clioicest \illains. He seldom presents a com-
pletely and hopelessly had man, l^it in la^'o tliere is
no i*e(leenn'nn' pcjint.
Conti-asted w itii liim and Kdnnuid, C'assio and
Ivln'ar (h-monsti-ate that there is more attractiveness
in sim])le ;;'oodness than in clever \ice— a lesson not
often taught h\- the sta;:.' at tliat time.
Both plays cannot fail to harrow the feeling's of
fa
1;
i>i-
118
KiN(; li:au.
}iny audic'iice. In l\ni<j Lnir tlic strain is kept up
particularly loi)^\ tliouo-li action follows action in
such ((uick succession that the spectator becomes
Ijreathless till the accumulated sum of woe is piled
uixjn th(! Iiero's liead.
11
1i
1:1
\
i
i ^ ; i
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/-•'■ :^^^-
UKATH OK LKAi;.
i-: (
-I
CHAPTER X.
MACBKTif.
"Viiultiiigiuul.iti.,.! ..Vrlrai-s its..]f.- M,i,'i„th, i. 7.
OHAKESPEAKK -ainod sudi a l.uld „p,„i tho l',v-
^ .luentoi-s of tli<" Globe Tliuativ, that on Saturday,
April 20. Kilo, he danwl to put upon the l)oanls\-t
play without a jester. This was a decided novelty
for an audience who liked the iun to he sti-on..- and
plentiful : Ijut the oT„tes,jue ti-io of witches would
.supply sufficient variety. These 'Juoulino' fiends"'
are a difierent species from the ])rooni-stick witches
of ian-y tales: a oruesonie oT,,up, whose niuttei-iiius
are in keepino- with the mixtures th.y l,i-ew in tli.i,-
cauldron. The incantations raise a shudder whe
we read the lines. PJut one draud.ack to M<,rhrlh a,^
an actino- play is the difiiculty of making- (]„. witches
terrible en(ju*di.
They are liNino- f„nns of evil, but their power is
limited: they can enter no man's h.eart without an
n
IS
V
120
MACP.ETH
invitation. Wlicn tlicy so siKMciily ni)p('Mi- Ix't'orc
Macbctli and IJan(|Uo, tlic valiant Scottish eliit'l's wlio
ha\(' just (Iclcatt'd tlic unoniics of kiiio' and country,
tlu'y know which ol' the two is prepared to receive
them.
" All hail, Maclxtli 1 liail to tIi<M', tliaiu- of f 'audoi !
All hail, Maclxth ! Uk.u slialt lie kin^ h'TcafUT ! "
Ri'
M
I!
r I
Now Macl)etli, wlio was hut lord ol' the soil from tlie
("ai" north (hnvn to Loch Xess and the Morav Firth,
has no more expectation ot* Ix'in^' raised to the one
rank than to tlie other. Alter the witclies vanish
into air, and nu'sse liters arrive to tell liim that the
thane of CVw<lor is dead, and that he is t*^ have his
position, lie he^^ins to speculate wliether the oivatei-
})i-ophecy niay not turn out to be true likewise, and
he he crowned kin<;'.
Ban(jUo, on the other hand, has no secr(.'t andjitioii
neediiiii' Ijut encourn<>"ement to call it into action.
Though th(^ weird sisters announce that his children
shall he kin<;"s, lie treats the suhject li^'htly — docs not
feel im[)elled t(^ kill all other claimants to the throne,
as Macbeth is constrained to do.
The latter has a bravelv svmiiathetic wife, more
clever than himself, who will back him up in what-
ever he attempts, be it ;4()od or bad. History has it
^
,P;
^vJi
-M VcliKTil, liA.Nl^L'u, AM) Till-: WmnKs.
MAIIiKllI AM> l.AKV .M\il;i:ril.
*mmm
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i: ^.
i
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ii
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t
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!
MACBETH.
12.S
that Lady Maeheth was the oTan.l-dan-l.tc.r of K(.niu.tl.
the Fourth, and tlie sister (,l' his nVl.tl'uI h.-ir, w),,, l.a.l
been killed l,y Malcoh,,, o,,„Mll'ather of ])„nean, the
present kino-. Previous to this time, hereditary sueees-
sion had not been strictly follow,..! in Scotland, n.ioht
Ix'ino- nVht in most eases. Lady Maeheth, howr^er.
may have considered that she and her hushan.l had a
stron<ror claim upon the throne than Duncan or «>ither
of liis sons, and that he and she were horn to rule, as
indeed they were.
When Duncan comes to spend the ni-ht with them,
she ])ids .AFacbeth screw his " courac^o to the stickino-
place," and lie stabs to the heart the weak but ovnth"
minded kin^,^ as he lies asleep. Lady Macbeth smears
with blood the faces of the i-oyal orooms in the bed-
chamber, to cast suspicion ui)on them.
After the entrance of .Macduff and Lennox, who
di.scover that a nun-der has heen connuitted, .Macbeth
kills the oTooms, pretendino- to think that they haN.'
slain their master. So one crime leads to another.
Alacbeth, of whose nature his wife but lately said.
{ :
"Tt is too full <)' th.' milk ..f Imuian Kindness
To cateli tlic nearest war,"
can find no way short enouoh to hold the ciow
n iu)\v
124.
I
' ■ t
i; ;
I' 1
M AChlTK.
tluit \ui lijis ('biiiiicd it as Duncan's Iicir. l>an(Hi() and
his son must ix' )»ut to death : i'or did not the " mid-
ni;^dit ha;;s " [)ro|)h<'sy tliat his cliildrcn shall he l<ines<'
iJi'sidcs, he suspects Maclx'tli oi* tlie niuivlci- oi' the
kiui;'. So l>an(|Uo is s))eediiy put out of tlie way: l)ut
his sou, youuLj Meance, contii\ es to make Ids escape
IVom the mui'derers ol' liis i'atliei*.
'''h(! witclies, a<,^ain consulted, ha\'e warned Macheth
to " Ix^warc^ tlu^ thane of Fil'e:" but since Macdutl' has
<^ono out ol* Ids reach and joined Malcolm, Duncan's
son, in Kn^^land, Kin<;' Macbeth nnist content himseli'
with the assassination oi' Lady Macduff' and lier little
l)()V.
«
Thv weii'd women have told liim that he shall never
he defeated " till liirnam forest come to Dunsinane,"
ami Macbeth, in [)i'ou<l security, assei'ts, —
"Thiit will iicv.rl).':
Who ciin iiupn'ss tlic forest, l)i(l thr trrc
I'lilix liis ('jii'th-lKtuiKl root?"
But the seeminely impossible comes to ])ass. The
besie<>;ine' army, le(l by jMalcolm and Macdutf', pluck
])ranches from the trees in Birnam forest to screen
themsehes as thev adxance aiiainst the kino's ])aitv
at Dunsinane. The i)hvsicall\' brave IMacbeth, thoui'h
lie knows he is doomed, shouts, "Lay on, Macduff' I '
.>,^
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•_. ^ -.i
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' .■'■■ /■■■;'.'
.«■■••■.'' ..^
:':■■■ r<.Ji
MAciiKin Aliol-T Tu MIltl.Kl; |.r.\r\N.
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l)^.' '..
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MA(|ii;iii Kli.i.iNc. iiii; .iiiKOMs.
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MACBKTH.
127
^i"'l »'alls ill I.MlMl-tM-lmn.l vouiWvt with tl.r tl.;,,,.. of
FitV'.
His wil\> has (li,.l som.. tin.o iM-lurr. w<,n. ..„( hy
t»'<' l.o.Tors in which sh. and h.r husha,.! hav. hrcnul
involv..!. H,,| th.y h.rn utterly with..„t (•(.nsH.ncc
lil^c Uo.HTil an.l th. Duko ol' (\,n,wall. th.y (.o„I,i
1^-ivo ],onM. i.p t(. th. l,itt..r ,.n.l with unc-hanoi,,-
fnuuUnumcr: hut La<Iy Machrth's kr.u, cnh\ infllec^
is f«.r .'v.r at war witli (h. onlinary heart of a won.an.
Sh. cnnhl not laino- hersdf to kill Kino- l)„„(.an,
JH'<"nise ho l<)ok(.l liko her father as he sh-pt : an.l
now her sell'-eontained nature oives way while she is
nsieep, to K.t the natural feelinu-s aroused by her
hlood-st.'iined liands assert themselves.
One critic calls attention to the fact that in hrino-.
in<r forward the supernatural or anythino- that re-
sembles it, Shakespeare has <.enerally sp^^ctators to
<lraw out sympathy l,y niakino- the most of the situa-
tion. The <rhost of Hamlet's father, for example, does
not appear upon an empty stao-e, but is seen and com-
n.ent(«d upon by Danish soMiers, whose ejaculations
send a responsive shiv(>r throuoh the audience. In
like manner, when Lady Macbeth walks and talks in
Iier sleep, there are a doctor and an attendant in the
^•ackcrround, whose remarks upon her words and
(!b(j) Q
I
128
MACI'.KTK.
nil
ii
M
m
•i
!■
,'K'tiniis r|in>li;isi/t' (licill ill tllc ililfli;ill,lt it >||s of flic
S|)<'CtMln|S.
Sli;ils('S|ir;||t' Iniik llic rnlllKlilt inll (»!' llir jil.lV IVclll
(litltTt'liI clirolliclfs (»r I |n|ilisl|((|, Idlf III- is not lliclr-
l»iiuii(| l»\- liis((»r\-. Till' Initii liiat In- srcks is tin*
tnilli lli;it is inir ill ('\fr\- (•cntiirN'.
It wjis ill 10:1!) tli.ii Kiiii- hiiiicui was killed l»v
.M;ic1m'(Ii, nr 1(\- his oi'dcr, in ;i siiiitli's liiil. said to Iijinc
hccii near I'll^in, and not in MaclM'tlis own castle, I'or
tli(; vcrv n'ood reason thai nuitlici' Macl)('tli nor
MacMluir Would lia\<' a castle Tlic aliodc ol' tln»
<;i'ratest mail of tlir time would Ix' nnicli Inimhlcr— -
pro))al)ly a, latli, that is, "a set oi' l»uildiii,i;s ol' wood
or wattles on top of a mound rortilicd hy earthworks."
What did it matter, when in an\' case the d\vellin<^
would have to he i'e])resent<'d hy a si^nltoard, which
the audience could more easily develop into a feudal
castle which they had seen than into an earliei* style
which tlie\' lia<l not ^
Kiiiii; Mach< til was in reality a henefactor to the
church, ami the sore of strong", cai)able ruler hest
adapted to his time. IJut knowini;' his audience,
Shakespeare makes the most of his usurpation. The
KnU'lish of Klizabeths a^'e were not t(jo far removed
i'rom the Wars of the IJoses to have ceased to dread
».« .
•\^ /i.>'^';/-, x>
'V> -f
» ^
MACIUKK AM. MACIIKTII I- Id II I'lNd.
LAUY MAfUtTII WALKIN'J IN HER SLEEi'.
i' ^ 'I
. u
'|!:
iifn
* h
MAcninn,
VM
any break in tlic diivc-t line ol* kinus, and the cliuivh
had tau<;lit the people to i-ei^ard a iisui-pei- w itli lionor.
Maoln'tli actually rei<;ned tiv<' years: but this most
rapid of plays ivcpiired tliat eriiim siiould i'ollow crime
in (juick succession, and the final punishment be not
hm<X delaved.
Ihnnlrt is as slow in the movement as Marin fh is
Fast, and this fact is in keepino- with the personalities
of the heroes. 'Fhe one is the cold, phlegmatic 'IVuton,
oi\fii to studious meditation, particulaily to the study
of himself— wlio m-cs so many sides to a (juestion tliat
it is ditlicult for him to tak(! action uiMdi anv ; the
other is the true Celt — passionate, superstitious, and
a prey to conscience after the act. Handets con-
science troubles him befoi-ehand. He sti'iNcs to be
just, even tcj his ioes — to make his uncle's uuilt ap-
pai-ent to all befoi-e he takes \cn^-eance. If ]ns
lathers o'host had ap[)eai'ed to Macbeth, cailino- for
judi^nient, he W(juld have had the murderei- expun(;-e(]
within the iiour — killed him iirst and iried him aftei--
wards. He would ha\e doubted the n'cuuineness (;f
the spectre's revelation no more than he did the warn-
in<;'s of the witches. Hamlet's motto is: '• Kii'st be
sure you're rinht, then e(j ahead;" to which Macbeth
replies: '• How can I Ix sure I'm rinht until T do e-o
I
ri
132
MACBETH.
ahead :* When a man runs into a stone wall, he may
be tolerably certain he is on the wrong track, not
l)efore."
Macbeth, beino- worsted in his fight with crime, has
no doubt that life is but
"Atulf
Told liy an idiot, f\ill of sound and fury,
Signifying notliiny."
But Handet is ncjt so sure ; with him
"Tlif dn^ad of soniothing after dcatli,
Tlif undiscovered country from whose l)ourn
No traveller returns, puzzles tlie will."'
Ophelia is no match i'or him, as Lady Macbeth is
for her husband. The Scotch couple fit well into
each other — one strong where the other is weak ; but
the Dani.sh pair are ill-matched. Fond, gentle, but
sensuous, Ophelia becomes a tool in stronger hands
than her own, and her feeble intellect is ruined by
the rough usjige. A Lady IMacbeth would have guid- d
Handet's plans to a successful ending.
Doctors difi'er as to whether Handet really became
mad or not ; but there seems to be no doubt that
Macbeth went out of his mind, not because he had
put an end to Duncan, but because he had nun'dered
" sleep, the innocent sleep," and therefore " Macbeth
MACBKTH,
i:U
sliall sleep ikj more." When tlir ^liost ol' llaiKjUo
appears at the least, lie aloiU' sees lihii a sure si<'ii
of tlie hallueiiiatioii tliat iiidieatcs insaiiitv.
Irlaiiilet, the contemplative, i\\v iiiiaml)itious, is raoi'c
akin than Macbetli to the men (;l' to-'iay, particularly
to tlie modern (Jerman : and it is not straiii;e that
Goethe should i<l<jlize his character, thoui-h lie takes
exception to the complicated plot of the play. Some-
times Shakespeare did n(jt Icaxe out enough of the
old story upon which he huilt his drama to seciu'e
iniity oi' action. In Ifdmbf he lets down the soinid-
ini;-line more deeply int(j human nature than in any
of his other ])la\-s ; but MarbcUt is better in construe-
tion, thou*;h it has come down to us in a ba<lly nuiti-
lated condition. The interest of the main action is
not di\ ided with any sub-plot, but Hies swiftly t(j the
climax on the wings oi' boldest metaplujr and most
superb poetry.
In both plays are the si*;'ns of Shakespeare's
maturity of thought and style. The gra\e-diggers in
ILi.mlet talk the homeliest prose, that is far more
realistic than the diiinified blank verse in which the
oai'd(!ner and servants express themselves in Un laird
II., iii. 4.
Mdtbr'th is Sc(jteh in spirit as in name, sIkjws keen.
f^
"
k
134
MACBETH.
Mi
rr-i
llti
appreciation of tlie peculiarities of the Celtic tciiipera-
iiicnt, and was probably written as a bid for the favour
of Kino; James, who at the time of its production had
succeeded Elizabeth. To him also would be directed
the passage concerning the king's evil.
Shakespeare calls many birds to his aid for the
illustrations of Macbeth, and he displays an accurate
knowledge of their habits as well as a genuine delight
in their appearance. In this one play he speaks of
sparrows, eagles, kites, choughs, and the vulture ; " a
falcon towering in her pride of place ; " the crow that
" makes wing to the rooky wood ; " " the temple-
haunting martlet " or swallow that builds under the
caves of Macbeth's castle ; the tiny wren who will
light for her young : the raven " that croaks the
fatal entrance of Duncan ; " and
"The owl that shrieked— the fatal iM'lltnan
Which gives the stern'st good-night."
T
\lh
CHAPTEH XI.
THE CREEK AND KOMAX T1IA0EJ)1E8.
" V.'iien bec'f-ars die, there are no coiiifts .seen ;
The lieaveu.s themselves hla/.e f...th tlie (ieath of princes.-
J iili ns ( ',1 siir, ii. 2.
IITPIEN Sliakt'speare Imilds upon Holinslied, \w
treats the kinos of England more as men
than as nionarchs : but he ooes still lurther in eh.-.i--
acterization wlien l,e delves for foundations into
North's translation of Plutarch's " Lives." Tlie Koinan
dealt more poetically with his sul.jects than did the
Eno-lish chronieh^rs, and therefo.-e Shakespeaiv ad-
heres more closely to him than to Holinshed. The
point in these seven traoedies is not whether the
party of this or that oeneral wins the day, l)ut
whether or not Brutus, Antony, or Coriolaniis be-
comes master of his own spirit.
Did Shakespeare write nmch, little, or none at all
of Tltu.s AHdronlca.s.^ Some athrm that this i)ai--
ticular play is entirely Peele's or ^larlowe's, others
w
\:M]
fJllKKK AM) K(>3IA\ IllAd lODI KS.
ft !
■I
tliat it was merely retouclu'd }»y Shakespeare, wliile
a thiid party attril)Utes it lar^^cly to liis [)eM. CoK'-
ri(l;;'e tiinls ))assa<;('s in Tifus tli;it reniiiid him of
Veil UK <(ii(l AiJoiils; hut iiowlieiv else, lie says, lias
Sliakespeai'c written tliis re;;ular hlank verse.
Wlioever the autlior, the violent deaths whieli
reach all the pi'iiieipal eliaracters testify to the taste
(or liori-ors common t(j Eli/abethan audiences : and it
is satisfactory to notice that ten or twelve years
later, wlien Shakespeare puts on an un<l(juhted play
of his own, lie does not minister to this morljid
craviim'. In none of his i^reat tragedies does lie
wantonly hrin^;' undeserved disaster upon his char-
acters. There is always, if we seek for it, an inward
as well as an outward cause for their misfortunes.
In l()01 when his mind is mature and his style
stable, he writes an ori<;inal Roman play that throws
all of the Marlowe type for ever into the shade.
The hero of J all us Ca'sar is not Jidius Caesar, but
IJrutus, who was, in truth, the " honourable man "'
Mark Antijiiy so sarcastically calls him. One may
be inclined to think that Shakes[)eare is hardly fair
to the »;reat CV'sar. whom he describes as deaf and
otlu'rwise weakened in physicjue, showing- siuns also
of failino' judgment : but this is the view taken by
GREEK AND IlOMAN TUAtiEDIES.
i:]7
Plutarch, who asserts that CV'sar's '• eliaiactcr altcml
imich for the worse sliortly before his death."'
Tlie dramatist would not want liis audience to }u\
too much in sympathy wiih the man whom they are
to .see assassinated Ijet'ore the middle of the play; an<l
perhaps his own heart turned from the all-round per-
fect soldier, author, statesman, to the more complex
nature of Marcus Brutus, in wliom he discerned the
attractive study of a <4'ood man doin^^ wron^- from the
purest motives.
The sorrow for Oesar nnist not be aroused in the
play until Mark Antony's oration, which for the time
swamps the hioh-minded Brutus; but the moral worth
of the hitter ^ains a(rain the supremacy over tJie
erratic, impulsive Antonius, who really loved Ciesar,
and the clear-headed, practical Cassius, wIkj l)ut
envied liim. Marcus Brutus is the best man of the
three — a reserved student, to whom In's wife Portia
is a worthy consort. He lias certain ideals of conduct
to which he adheres reo-ardless of con.seijuences, and
his hioh failure is more admii'able than the low suc-
cess of tlie others.
Julius Ca'S((.r was written the year nhvv Ilnrry V.,
the last of the Enolish histories, exce])tin<'- the frac-
merit Henry VIII. Haviiiu- extolled the man of
: !.
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I. 'IS
<il!i;i;K AM) ItO.MAN THACiKlilKS.
i!
11:^
action till wc arc icudy to proiiouiier liiiii tlic favour-
ite licio, Sli.ik('s|R'ar(''s niiiid tal\«s a swiiii;' in llu*
opj)osit«! <lii'('('tion, even so lar as Uiimht, lu'lorc Ik;
ivtunis to tlic man ol' drcds in Machrfli. Seven years
alter tlie [)ro(luction ol' llrni'if V., perliaps the drama-
tist liimseir, as well as liis ideal hero, has heeome a
new man, with dill'ei'ent i<leas oi lilV : I'oi' Macbeth, the
man of action, comes to iiriel' as sui"el\' as llandet
and Ihutus, the men ol* thon^hl : an<l he has not, like
them, the consolation of i;'ood intentions.
Shakespeai'e is somewhat llal^rin*^' to Mai'cus An-
tonius in the further (le\('lo[)meut of his character in
A II font/ (iinl Cfco/xifnt. In this play, as in Mifchcf/i,
which preceded it ]>y less than two yi-ars, are depicted
the decline and fall of a i;enei"ous soul ori<;inally full
of nohle impulses.
Lady Maclx'th plays l^ut a secondaiy part in the
ruining- compared with the yvVr of (Meo[)ati'a: hut in
either case the woman is far from bein*;- eutirely to
blame. A man nnist himself yield the citadel before
the enemy can take ]iossession. In Jn/iiis (\i'S(ir it
is said of Antony that he is of a (luick and li'ame-
some spirit, one who " revels Ion*;' o' nights." When
the uppi'r half of a man's nature cannot control the
lower, he is onlv too ready, valiant soldier thouo-h
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JIAliK ANToNv's Oil ATI ON.
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-MAKK ANION V AMU C L i: u ]■ A T I; A.
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V:
ORKEK AM) ROMAN TIJ ACIKFH KS. 141
li«' 1h', to mil Mw.iy IV..1I1 .•! ti-lit In tlir wak.' ol' a
( 'Icnpativi.
The " Kastcni Stai- " .shines alone ainoJVL;' Shake-
speare's women as a many-si.led eivation (hawn, per-
liaps, iVoni a h'vino- i„,„lel. il,e inspiivr o|' a portion of
tli<' Sn,n>rfs, and at any rate tlie most living- portrait
in tliis uallery of hejMities.
Aiifn„ji ,i,nl ('/rn/„,frii Was not SO popnlar at the
(Jlohe as jVrlr/rs. ]„ (lie former ])lay Shakespeare
liMS adhen-d more closely to history than in anv
othei', thou^iih (loethe remarks that Antony talks
like ii whist-playei- lono- b.-fore (lie oame was in-
vented. So in T!,Hn,t nf Afhnis w<' have tjie fool
and pa^re tliat belono- to a mueli later date: and
Timon's uu,>sts sit upon stools at his tahle, followiix*-
the custom of Eli/alx-th's reioii, instead of reclinin<r
upon couches, aftci' the old ])ractice in (Greece and
Rome.
Fashions chano-e, hut man's nature in its deeper
pai'ts remains the same. Timon's experienci^ is the
experience of many a henevolent youn^- spendthi-ift
ui Shakespeai'e's time and our own. He has a sti'onc-
love of a])prol)ation. and therefore his liheralitv to
his friends is lait a form of self-iiidulovnce.
When his steward at last ^ains his ear and tells
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112 (ii{i:i:K AND ROMAN THA(;i':i)i i:s.
Iiiiii ln' lijis spent Jill Ills foitmic, ainl is «l('»'|»l\' in
<li'l»t, lie docs not talxr tlu' niattci" to luMit.
" III soiiM' snif (lii'sc Wiiiits (if iiiiiH' :iii' ( rowiicd,
'rii;it I iirciiiint tiMiii lilcssitijys ; fur Ky tlicsi-
Sliiill I try frii'iiih. \{t\\ *|i;tll pfrciivi' Iimw yoii
Mi«t;ik<' iii> fiiifuiH'^i; I ;iiii wciiltliy in my fri<'ii«ls.''
Iiwtv tlic iVicnds jn'c wcijilicd in tlw liniancc, and ai'<;
I'ound \vantin<j'. Tliosc most indrlitrd to Tiinoii ani
the tirst to rt'l'iis*' to lirip liiin in his cxtrciiiity. In
tlic hittcrncss ol* liis heart he in\ ites them all to a
e'l'cat least, and they all ^o, ready with excusos Tor
their sceminji" nn'anness, thinlsine- that tin' ruin lias
heen ])ut a loax. When this haiujuet i hrou^ht in
and the dishes are uncovered, they nro ,id to con-
tain a symhol ol' unraithfulnoss — wai'in watci", whicli
Timon throws in the CaccH of his ^^uests, cliasin(f
them out ol' his house.
Ilavin<^ lost all Taith in mankind, ho <i^oos to live
outside the walls of Athens, like a wild animal.
Di^^^ein^^ for roots, lui iinds o-old, and amuses himself
by bestowini;' it, cynically, upon thieves and other
unworthy ])ersonH ; upon Alcibiades, to enable him to
tii;ht a^Minst Athens : thoui;h he rewards his faithful
steward, who comes to seek him.
The senators eo to Timon's cave, and beseech him
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TIMuN (IIVINU <IMl,|) To Al.< llilAHHs ,\NI» ((TIIKUS.
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■ /i/^.- ,.y/.-- -v.;/ /..l,/
THE .SKSAIUUS EMUKATIVO lIMoN To UKllllN K, ArilK.>:S.
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GnEEK A\D liOMAN TRAffETIIES. 14.5
to .vtnrn to Ms „ativ,. oily an,I assist i,, its .I.r.ncc
aj,'ai„st Ak.il,i,.„K.s : I,„t 1„. will ,„„ listen t„tl„.„,
■•'"'1 tins is the last tliry l„.,,r „f him,—
"Tm,.„,i,.,,|,„„„l,.|,i»,.v,.,.h.ti„ff,„:..,si„„
I l""'t'"'l--"l"''iv,,;;,. „f,|„.„,|, II .
^y '"■'■•"i''.v«iii, i,is„,„i„,,,„.,i,,,„|/
Til.' tllll.l||..,|tMI,-^r„„l,.,|| ,,„.,.,.■■
The lino in his I'pitaph
" lle.v li.. I, Ti,M„„ , „.|,„, aliv,., M li> i„g ,„„„ ,,),, |„,„ .._
seems to in.lieato the most nnhappy state „f n,in,l
rrt '.■"""' """""•'"'"'-•- of the opinion
that lrod,s ,n,d r,r,s,s/,/,, exhihits a still darker
shade of pessin.isn.. Others, ao-ai,,, ree-ar.! the latter
l>lay bnt as a lit,.rary or intelleetnal j,.st. (;„ell,e
says: "Jf you wisi, to kno,v Shakes'peare's ,it,er
l.-ec.lon, of thonsht, read Tro;/„. „,„, rrrssi,!,, -
It is certainly a hold ,h.part„re fr.„„ i,„n„.r's
method of Imndline- the e,.a„.| „ld (ueeks ,,„d it
■»ay have l.een that the forn.er p„pi| „(• ,|,e (;„ild
Hall Oran.nmr Sehool wished to ..atirize the he.oie
literature so i„tin,ately associated in his memory
w.th the birch rod. No nmiter to what e,a Shak,'-
speare's per.sonae,.s heloncr, in his han.ls fhev hecme
Mesh and hlood like our.selves~ no Letter, no'worse
l.il
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146 GREEK AND ROMAN TRAGEDIES.
Tro'duH and Cresslda ;m<l Aidoi))/ mul CU'opufi'if
aro as f; r ns tlic aiitijKxlcs fi'oni Ixohico and ,fidlrf.
SliaUrspcarc lias outlive*! his roniMiilic pcrio*!, mikI
1<)V(3 is now with him a fiercer, steniei- ])Mssi()n, into
which iiiorti sei-ious as well as more worldly <'lemeiits
enter. The two arch-co(|nettes, '■ Ki;y]»t ' ninl ('i-es-
sifla, wonM be incompi'ehensihle to the sini^h'-he.n'ted
yoinii;' Jnliet, and Romeo would heaitily <lesj)ise the
ap[)roved tone of cynicism in Ulysses.
Shak(^spear(^ took from Chancer the love story of
TroUus (fvd (^rss'tda. Into the historical pai't of
the work he puts many anachi'onisms— has, for ex-
ample, his heroes fi^ht in feudal arnujur, instead of
in the chariots that wouM he eni;an<'d at the siei;e
of Troy.
TImoit of Allimst and Trodni^ cih/ ('rct^.^idii were
left nnfinished hy Shakes[)eare, and weie completed
l)y other hands. That he did not write the last Aet
of the latter is C(jnlidentlv aihrmed 1)\' Mr. I'lcav, who
places the heoinnini;' of Shakespeare's work in rcrich's
at the first scene of the third Act. He draws atten-
tion to the resemhlanco between it and tlui openinLj
of The TciDpcsf ; and also to the fact that restora-
tion to life after apparent death is a favoniite <levico
with the dramatist, who makes nse of it in Jxomco
ol'
C'X-
of
L'O'C
OliKKK AM) liOMAX Tl! ACiKnilX 147
'""' JolU,, Marl, A.l„ Ahoot X,.U,n,,, ,■,„„,„„„,.
uikI Tim ir,„/,.,.\. y„/,,
It is pr„l,ul,le tliat Slmk.s,x.,uv w.-.^te „otl,i,„. l,ut
"''• «tu,-y ..I- .M,u-i,„t in tla. stra,,.,. e„„.l,,.„H.nai,„.
eallnl /v.;,./,., „.|,iel, as a ,,l.'.y -anKs far l,..low
(■^noUnu,., l,y niany co„si,|,T,.,| t„ I,. l,is niast.rpi.co
Lik-o .)/,„./„.//,, the. Intt...- is r„ll of tl,o striki,,., .similes
tlKit ,li,l nut cane to .Sl,al<,.s,„.ar. when I,is l„ain
ovei'llowed witli roniantie lancics.
C.M-ns llareins, call,..! On-iolanus after l,is cai,tur..
of Corioli, is a nol,le Iion,an in,lee,l. hut of so han.-hty
""<! ..i.perlous a ten,,,,.- that, thonoh he ean confer
tlie loes of his c.mntiy, he cannot hrinj; hin,self to
tulk smoothly to its citizens in or.ler to yain their
approval and bu elected consul.
Asify,,,, «,.,.,. ;,^„,,1 1„ i.iiiiisi,, ,i„t
.V man nf tlicii- iniiniiity,"'
««ys one of th,. tribunes to hin, reprovin-dv hut
Conolanns h.v,ls not. Th,. rahhie ri.s,. against l,in,
"M'l the sen.ators are ohlij.vd to banish hin, This
'"-'"''""'" '■'•'"" I'i'^ """ l«.tncian s,.ct ,so enr, s
Cau.s .^h.,reiu.s, that he enlists with tl,e enemies of his
'"'"'.■•""' "'"!<■'• iHs leadership th,.. victorious Vol.scians
arrive under the very eates of Kun.e.
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14^ GREKK AND ROMAN TKA(;EI)1 KS.
One oiii])assy ai'ttT aiiotlitT is sent out to iinploro
Coriolaiuis to liavo inercy upon liis iiati\e city ; but
lie will hearken to none of them, until at last his own
niotlier conies to liini. She is Vohnnnia, the Roman
matron from whom lie has inherited his unconcjuer-
able spirit, and she prevails where the rest have
failed ; thou(;li Coriolanus cries, —
" O my niotluT, rantht-r ! Oh !
You have wdii a liappy vict>)ry to K<juic' ;
iJut, fen' your son,— bclirvi- it, oh, believe it.
Most (lani,'erously yo>i have with liini jirevailed,
If not most mortal to him."
His forebodin<^s are realized; for the Volscian
g'eneral, who has been all a 1 on <;■ jealous of Coriolanus's
popularity, makes his withdrawal from Rome the
excuse for his assassination.
This is one of his works in which Shakespeare is
supposed to show that he had no democratic leanin^ifs.
Mere, as in Julius (Xvs(t)\ the people are an irrespon-
sible body, easily swayed by dema<^ogues, and without
stability or judi^ment.
" He that depends
Upon your favour swims with tins of lead
And hews down oaks with rushes."
Nevertheless, the poet shows Coriolanus to have
been wrong in his supreme contem^^t for the popular
GREEK AND ROMAN TRACJEDIES. 149
voice, and lie makes him sutler fur it. Sliakcspcaic's
own opinion on tlie subject can ])vsl l)e oatlicrrd
tlirouo-li Menenius, just as \uAiifoii}j and Cb'oj^xitra
lie makes Enobarbus liis spokesman.
The Elizabethans were in temperament not unlike
the old Romans, ;o that it is not suri)risin(.- to find
some students who think that these plays are '' steeped
in the <,^enius of old Roman life and manners," while
others complain that the characters are but En(dish-
men of the sixteenth century. Had Shakespeare's
aim been to write authentic histoiy, he would not
have left pistols and a pudding- in J\ri<-lrs, nor ]iave
caused a clock to strike the hour in Julius Cosdr,
any more than he would have introduced as contem-
poraries of Coriolanus, Alexander, Cato, and (ialen,
whose proper daiis are from one hundred and hfty
to six hundred years after him.
He tried to hold up the mirroi", not to Coriolanus
the soldier, but to Coriolanus the son : to illustrate
the diflerence between bravery and bravado: and to
show that an honourable death, even ])V the hand
of an assassin, is not the W(jrst fate that can V)efall
a man.
V,.
1:1
CHAPTER XII.
''the tempest."
rsi
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li
"The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance. '—jTo/f/ir.s-^, v. 1.
THP^RE iivi only two rhymes in TIw Tempest.
Tliis fact, and tlie calm, sustained tone of tlii)
whole piece, are amon<^ the points that place it
with Shakespeare's latest plays. Denizens of an un-
seen world enter here, as into A Mldi^ammcr-Niylit f^
Dream ; but unlike Puck, who obeys the fairy km<r
alone, Ariel is under the direct control of a human
be i n (^ — P rospe ro.
The rightful Duke of IMilan has not, like King
Lear, given up his possessions willingly, but has
been driven from them by his usurping brother
Antonio. Totallv unlike the Jjritish kiiiir in dis-
position, Prospero does not rant and rave over his
ill-usao-e. He and his little daughter had been set
adrift in "a rotten carcass of a boat," in the hope
that they would both be di'owned ; but they chanced
i
"THK THMI'KST."
I.VI
upon a stnmov island just sucli an island as nii^lit
lurk, in the imaginations ol* Klizalu'tlians, around any
corner, waiting- to be discovered hy one of tlieir bold
navigators.
Prospero piv)c.-eds to make the ])est of tliin-s as
tliey are. He is tiie type of sanity, as I.car is of
insanity. Not oidy lias the former full coimiiand of
all his natural senses; he acMpiires through study and
researcli the connnand of other senses which to oidi-
nary men appear suj)ernatural. These powers enable
him to enroll as his servants ( aliban, half man, half
brute, son of the old witch Sycorax, who had formerlv
owned the island ; and Ai-iel, the sj)irit of the air,
whom Sycorax had left imprisoned in the cleft of a
pine tree, where he had remained for the twelve years
precedino- ids release by Prospero. Caliban is " of the
earth, earthy" — a monster shape whom no kindness can
tame. Prosjoero has taught him to speak, thus mak-
ino- jiini partially human : but his gratitude takes :1h!
form of treaeheiy only, and he docs the r(;Ui;h work
of the !;iland with ,<4i'umblinn-. Ariel ean chanov his
shape, make himself visible oi- invisible as he pleases,
and he does those errands of Prospero that i'e(|uire
mauic speed and a control of the elements. He is
invisible to ]\Iiranda, Prosperous young' daughter, who
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152
"the t km pest."
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lias (^rowii up to iiiuitlcMlio'Kl upon the islainl, seein^j;
no i'jicL' })ut tliat of her i'athci', il' we i'XC('[)t tlio boast
of IjunU^n, Cali))aii. Prospcro lias (Mlucatud her most
carefully, as he was well ahle to do, and she is learned
in all the virtues of the court of Milan, but in none
of its vices.
It is not until a ship containin;^^ his brother
Antonio and suite, as well as the Kino- of Naples
and his son Ferdinand, is drawn by Ariel to the
shores of the enchanted island, that Prospero tells
Miranda the story of his life. Durin^^ the tempest
(fi'om which the piece takes its name) Ai'iel brintj^s
all the ship's company and its passenojers safely to
land at diflerent points of the island, so that each
little band supposes the others lost.
Ferdinand imaq;ines himself to be the only survivor,
and he follows the nnisic in the air of the invisi])le
Ariel, who leads him by this means to the cave where
Prospero lives with his daughter. IMiranda falls in
love with Ferdinand at first sioht, and he with her,
which is exactly ^vhat Prospero wishes : but he pre-
tends to be displeased, in order to try the lovers, and
he sets the kino-'s son to work at many hard and
luiaccustomed tasks, which he does willinoly for the
sake of Miranda.
I'KOSl- KKO A.Nli MIUANIiA.
I ^ -v \ , . • x~ :- , ^'•■.., ' •<■ ; . -.* ■ *s -'■ or, ,'. . .i w i.'i.. .Y
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FEK1>1>'ANU LKU UV A K I U L S SoNU.
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'I'n'o olllrl'S dl" tllc slli|»\VI'c('kr«l i'nik 'riilKMlln, ;i
flown, .-iml Slf]»li;m<>, a <lnmkt'ii liiillcr- fall in with
(\'ilil)jin, who lio|)('s in tlu'ni to find new ;ni<l lunrc
h'nirnt ninstci's, (hat will I'itc him IVoni his ])r»'S('nt
yoke ol' service. Arifl. th<' in\isili|(' sjtritc, ;is loyal
to Prospri'o .-IS (*alilan is dislnynk h ;i«Is the thivc
into l)(in' an<l hi'anihlc and causes ^olilins to ci'anip
and pinch tln-m while lh<'\' ;\vr on their wa\' (<» kill
Mrospero as he sle<'|)s.
I'pon the othei' side of tlie island lia\e laixled tlie
C'oiu't pai'ty, in which are the Kini;' of Naples, Ids
wicked l)i'other Sel»as(i;m, his honest old counsellor
(lon/alo, and I'l-osjtero's la-other Antonio, who calls
himself Duke of .Milan. The kiiii;' can think of
nothini;- l»ut the jo.ss of his oidy son l-'ei'dinand.
whom he lielieves to !)(' drowned: l)ut Antonio. Iia\-
in:;' l)een, as he thinks, so successful in disposin;^' of
his own l>rothei-. tem])ts Sebastian to nnirder his, ami
thus to he Kin^' of Naples. Antonio \olunteei's to
do the deed himself, if Se])astian will at the same
time mal^e awav with (Jonzalo when he and the kiii"-
arc asleep.
Twice is tlie plan fi'usti-ated hy Ariel, who keeps
Pj'ospero informed of the course of event.s, I'he coui't
]>arty hears " .solemn and strane'e nuisic."' A haiKpiet
150
( i
THK TKMPKST.
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i;
y'
is sprcjul Ix'foiv tliciii l»y " scvri'iil sti'uii;,^*' slmpos:'
Imt it NMiiislics (Tc they can toucli a iiiorsrl. The
Kin;,^ of X}i|)l«'s -wlio was not ^niiltlcss ol' Pi-osprro's
))anislnnriit — Antonio. an<I Srhaslian arc lioun<l l>v
cncliantnicnt. 1*i'(jsjm.'Io exercises liis power on ami
before tln-ni, so tliat tlicy niav clcarlv mulerstand
' III
(Iwy arc entii'cly at liis mercy: then he i'oi-^nvea
them.
Kcnlinan*] and Miranda, meanwhile, in liononr of
tlieir betrotlial, \\i\\v iu'cn witnessing a mask — tlie
kind of entertainment wliieli would come in very <'ip-
propriatcly if, as is supposed, this play was written
Tor performance at court. It is while the lovers are
eni^oiocd ill n name of cliess — an amusement very
popular with Italians of the sixtecntli century — that
I'njspero hrin^^s the Kin*^ of Naples and Ids party to
tlu' door of his cell and diows tliem tlieir beloved
Prince Fenlinand alive and most happy.
The sailors, wlio were supposed to have o^onc down
with the ship, appear next upon the scene, statin<;-
that their vessel is as trim and seaworthy as ever,
Ariel havinf,^ renewed it from a wri'ck. Therein does
Prospero set sail back to Milan, to be restored to his
dukedom, and to see liis dau^hti'r married to the
Prince of Naples. Ho breaks his m.Tgic wand and
.■■'Al'A.C-
r
.%.
X.-'-, ,V...-4
j
■Tfi/'^^"-->'^
/
•MDKI. LKAI.IN.. slKIIlANu, lUIN, ILn, AM. .AI.II.VN INI.. Tl.K li.,U.
^>
.7. .,
X. v' U ./ .1 ' ■
r-ii
/I ' N
■/r
THE bANgUKT VANISHES.
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''
I
"Tin-; TKMPKST." ]-,f,
'""•ies it "cTtMiM l-ulH„ns i„ tl.c eartl, :" |,.„v,.s Arirl
fiv" to roan, wl„.,vs,....v,.r I,.. «i.sl„..s: will „„t .v,.,,
lak-e rov,,,,.,. „,„„, (.HI,,,,, i.,, u\. „„„.,l„,„„.s ,l„si,.,,s
'"" ''"'""-^'^ '''■'"" *!"■ i-l"",l i, ,„.,. ,,„,I o.o<K|-wili to
•'ill MICH.
Tlii.s is tl,.. spirit of tlM. wIm.I,. ,,l„y, ,.,n,I w , .,
iva.lily iK.liuv,, tl.at it was writt.-M just l„.l'o,v, i. „„.
aft(T, .Slmkcspoaru's rftiivuieiit to Stratfonl-on-Avon
ft is rid, i„ tl,e wisclon, a„,| toloi-atio,, that cjoo,l „„.„
■^■■nn in lat,.r li(V: l,„t dra.aatieally it i„ not o„ '
tl,,' K,-..at,.st plays. TIktc a,v Jaokin. l,oth tl.c fever
lieat of passion of the .ran-l t,-a-e,Ii,.s an,l the spon-
'■■m,'o„s faney a,,,) yoiithf,,! fnn of tl,,.. hest e,a„,..|i,.s.
As a f,.ast for tl,.. in,aj;inatio„ Ur Tr,„,.r.l ,.s .,„i,|,„,
''"'■ '* '•'""^''"^ ""• -^t l„.antif„l p.„.t,y ,i,,t ,|„!
lH-l,ly-,M,llivat,.,I n,i„,l of .„ „.tisl ean p,-o,lne,. : l„,t
a stao-.. p,-o,l,ietio,i wo,il,l 1„. extren„.|y ,|i||i,,,|t. ^
f'alil,.,,, „,i..|,t possil.ly),,. ,„,„|,. „,,; ,;,„ ,,!„, „,,„|',|
'l'"'" I"— nt an A,i,.l that vanishes at will. ,.,.,.,,t,.s
l«>n,|,„.ts ,.,n,| .ol.liMs out of notl,i„„.. ,„„l is al,l.. to
tui-n tl,,.„, liac'k Of nothi,,;; aijaii, ;
To .so„,e „,in,|s /•/,. 7V ,„/..., i,s „„ ,,|l.,j,,,rv 'ivinenlo
an,l Stephano 1. i,,^ ,vp,.sof the socialist or ana.ehist
""'1 '''■n.onsti'atinjr tl,at th,. lowvst gra,!,. of eiviliz,,!
-lian is lower than tl„. savage r-presente,.l l,y faliha,.
t
I*?.''
I .
IGO
''thk tempest."
I
t
i'!l
! .
Prospero's troatmciit of this " lia^^-sccd " is supposed
to indicate Shakespeare's idea ol' tlie only way tr)
inanat((^ the l)ai"))arons races ol' tlic \voi-l<l. 'I'liis ])i-oh-
h)in may liaxc Ix'cii a h'\(' one at tiit time: tor slaxcrv
liad not ])e('n ahohslicd in Klizalx-tli's irioii, tlioiiu'li it
never to(jk sucli dee)) root witli the Briton at lionie as
it did vvitli the Briton ahr(ja.d.
Beside TJw Tcmiifst are i^rouped ([i/niJn'liiU' and
The Winters 2\dt', wliicli lia\'e tlie same characteris-
tics of serenity, self-control, and foro'iveness niarkino-
Sha,kespeare's latest works. They cainiot strictly be
called either come<lies or tra^^'edies, but are rather
" dramatic romances."
Charles the First, ^^hatever his (pialities as a rnler,
liad a tine literai'v tntste — knew a ii'ood thin<i' when he
saw it; and we ar*- told that when ([i/mhrll dc was
performed at his court in Kl^il^, it was • Wfll HKcmI
by the kir'i;."
Cymbeline is an early kini;' of Ih'itain, but of later
date than Lear, and the adventures of his dau^'hter
Imofijen form the story of the play. Parted from her
husband, whom she has mari-ied secretly, she under-
goes nuich sutlerintj^ throu<;h her stepmother, who
wishes her to wed a son of her own by a previous
iiiarriam', and make liim heir to the throne.
''the tempest."
1()1
hnoirim lijis to fly from hw ]umu\ aiul wliilc dis-
.i;-ui.sr.| MS ;i ],oy sill' is In'ri-iriidrd l,y two forest lads —
on.' stroiiu- jnid maidy, wlio defends hn- from li,.r foes:
til.- other Mviitle mid woinaiilike, wlio tends hei- in her
ilhiess. Th.-se in tlie end tn... ont to 1)e lier ,,wn
hroth.'rs, udio years Ijefore liad ])eon stolen fi-oni th(>
court.
Her luis])and, wlio thronoh the treaeher\- of an
lachinio scarcely less Nillainons than lao-o has been
brouo'ht to believe Irnoovn false to him, discovers his
mistake at last, and is foroiven. In the study of
Cordelia wo are left to infer much. ])ut with Imoovn
the outlines are all iill.-d in. It is principally throuoh
the character of this youno- wife - her patience under
nijusticc, forbcai-ancc with tlios(^ who have wron<'vd
h<'r, and her self-sacriticin_o- h.ve, which endures all
tliino-s — that Shakespeare exhihits the traits peculiar
to this L:ronp of dramas.
In Tin Wlnhr's Talc it is likewise a woman
Hermione the much-abused (|ueen — who displays
these qualities. She, like Imoo-en. is misjud-vd by Wv
hasband. and def-lines to <l.f nd herself. l,rli<.\iiiM- that
T]i- - idiL-v ofticii iif imrc iiiiiocnicr
r(!i'suacWwlB<-ii spciilvtiig fails."
The kino- and court Inlieve her dead, and .sh.- does
If
I-
102
*'tttk tempest."
not iinfleceivo tliciii till sixteen yoMi-s have passed, and
her sweet yonnn- danuliter Perdita, who has l)e<'n
hron^ht np by an old s]u'i)hei'd, and knows not her
tine raids, heeomes the ])iide ol' Priiiee I'^iorizel, the
son «)!' her lather's old iVieiid.
Perdita the winsome, danein<>', sinoine; Perdita- is
in onr minds tirmly associated with the Ihnveis she
I'evels in, — "carnations and streaked <>;illyflowers ; "
Pi
Ml
"Daffodils,
Tliat conic Ucfon; tlu> swallow dares, and take
Tlic u ind- (if March witli bcanty ; violets dii«,
l>ut sut'ctrr riiaii the lids of Juno's ej'es ; "
" pale prin^roses ;" " ])()ld oxlips, and the crown-imperial ;
lilii's ol' all kind<, th*- tlower-de-iuce heini^ one;"
.; ,
and (he
" TTot lavender, mints, savory, niarjorani ;
Th»- niarijL^'ild, th;it '^^irs to lied \\V tlie sun,
And with him rise- weeping;"
" Itoseniarv and rue ; tiiese keeji
Seeming and sav u all the winter long. '
([t/ii'ftf'l/ IK has but a lumdred I'hymes, and The
Wliifrr's T'll'' iiMiie at all, exce})t in the chorus, which
Shakes[)eare pi'ohably -V ] not write. He «>jets jnixed
in hi'^ i;t'()o-i-aphy and histoiy in the latter pk'iy —
does not preserve the unity ;)l' time, as he did in IVw
" rr
THE tempest" ](j3
Tempest. But what's ih. <,M, . w, ,,, tak.n
witli l.i.n hack to oathcr wild flow.is in th. woo.ly
walks lu-ai- Stratl\,nl-,m-Av(,n,()r to watd, tho ehan^r.
in^ of the plants with the seasons in the oreat
^.'U'dcn at New Place.
The
CI I ALTER XJJI.
i.' ;■ i
\i '• p
If:
v<'
It'
WILLIAM SH AK LSPEAllL, CENTLKM AN.
" His life was j^'ciitlc ; mid tlx- I'li'iiiciils
So mixed ill liiiii tliat Nature luij^dit stand up
And say tv, all the world, 'This was u man I ' "'
Julius (.'as<n; v. 5.
T N tlic- words of liis old i'l-ieiid and pi'(j)xi])]e Italian
^ tcachor, John Florio, Sliakesjx'arc " loved better
to })(' a poet than to be calh'd one." From the outset
of Ins career lie liad in view tlie definite aim, not (jf
handin<:j liis name down to posterity as a ^ivjit
dramatist, but oi* securini;' the comforts of life to his
parents in their old ao-c, and of beino- liimself the
founder of a well-to-do family. To a man with tliis
andjition the death of his only son, Hanuiet, twin to
-ludith Shakespeare, at the a«;e of twelve, nuist ha\e
been a i;i-eat blow. "^riiis event, which took place in
IT)!)!), did not, liowever, alter the i)oet's determination
to acquire pi'opei'ty in his nativt; town : and after
but twehe years' residence in London he became the
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, (IENTLEMaX. 105
owner of New Place, tlie most imposino- mansion in
Stratl'oi'd.
It lias been suuovsted that the Earl ol" Southamp-
ton o-avu or loaned Shakesi)eare the money to buy
this estate; Imt as the dwellino- was in bad repair at
the tiiiie, and tiie whole property cost him Ijut £()0,
It was not nn extravao-aiit purchase for one whose
dramas and shares in theatres were vieldin(»- him
soon afterwards an annual income cf £200.
That same year, 1507, through the prosperity and
liberality of their son, John and 3Iary Sliakespeare
were enabled to enter into a lawsuit for the recovery
of the estate of the Asbies at Wilmecote, probably
the birthplace of 3Iary Arden, and the part of her
inheritance which had been lost throuoh her hus-
band's reverses of fortune. At her death it would
become the property of her eldest son, William. He
had the true Enolish passion for owning land ; and
the next year we hear of his intended purchase of an
"odd yard," some forty acres in extent, near Shottery,
a locality doubtless endearerl to him from his early
visits to Anne Hathawa}'.
The Shakespeares were not of noble birth, and had
no rioht to ariiKn-ial bearino-s ; but John Shakespeare
had long cherished the desire to have a coat of arms,
il
;i
' B
100 WILLIAM SirAKKSPEAHE, (IKNTLKMAN.
}iii<l ill I ')!)(;, by iiirans ol' liis son's inllnciiec ;iii(] at
liis ('xpciisc, i\u\ di-al't ol' the ))ropos«'(l ;;i'aiit was
drawn u\). V>\\i w«' liavc no evidence that it was
ever ratified, tlioui;li liis relati\'es latterly assumed
William Shakespear'-'s vioht to use the shield and the
crest a spear and a i'aleon.
.John Shakespeai'e die(l in 1001, and seven years
afterwards his iaithlul wife, ]\Iary Arden, also passed
away.
In February 1 ()08, Candlemas Day, Shakespeare's
company acted for th(^ last time before Queen Eliza-
beth. Seven weeks later the <^reatest monarch
England had ever seen was in her o;rave : and people
of our day wonder that there is no line to her
memcjry found anion<jj the writings of her favoured
dramatist. Shakespeare was distinctly politic: and
he probably deemed it prudent, in view of future
roval patronaiie, not to bewail too loudlv the death
of (Jood Queen Bess, but to join in the popular shout,
" Loni;' live Kino* James ! "
The dan^vr of brin^'ini;' crowds of people together,
on account of the ••reat plaLLUe, delaved the corona-
tion ceremonies for a vear : l)Ut one of the new
Hoverei*in's tirst acts was to licen.se the band of actors
in which were Shakespeare and his friends Fletcher,
!}
i
1
1
WILLIAM shakksmkaim:, (m:\tm:>ia\. kit
Burba<;v, Mcniiiiov, mikI Coiulcll. ^\h^) w(.iv lu-iiecfortli
called "The Kiiiu-s MMJcsty's Servants," and walked
in liis train iVoni tlie Towei- to Wi-stniinster wlien lie
made liis formal entry into London.
SliakesjK'aie liad bnilt liis liome nest in Stiatl'oi'd,
Imt not yet could lie retire tlieiv in peace. JJesides
the pei-ronnances at tlie (do])e and ]>lacU friars, tlieiv
were journeys to oive plays in difKerent parts of tln^
country. Halliwell-Pliiilipps lias an idea of the extent
of one of these : —
"A considera])le portion of tliis year (KiOiJ) was
spent hy tlie Kino's Com[)any in provincial travel.
Tl.(,'y were at Oxford in Jul\', at Leicester in August
at Dover in September, and at some unrecorded
periods at Maidstone, Satfron - Walden, and ]\Iarl-
borouoli."
Durin^^ the twenty-five years or more of liis
London life, Shakespeare is said to have made an
annual visit to Stratford, to see his family and attend
to his affairs. His brotheis, who occasionally came
up to London, would see him act perhaps in his own
dramas; and Edmund, the youngest of them, became
a player too, but never rose to distinction in the
profession. He died December :M , I HOT, in the
twenty-eio-hth year of his iv^i' : and his <,a'ave is still
M
I- 1
Ht
rr
I-
1()H WILIJAM SIIAKKSPKAIJK, 0K\TM:.MA\.
to he seen ill tin- choii" ol' tlir old chiucli ol' St,
S;i,\iour ill South wark, uiulcr whose ivjoC lie Jilso
FlL'telicr jukI Massiiioii- the (Ininiatists and Hciis-
h)\vv tlio sta<4'(!-inaiia<^er.
Richard Shakcspcaiv, wlio died in IDl'i, n^^cd
tliii'ty-c'i<;ht, was siippos<'d to Ije the hist sur\ ivin<ij of
the poet's ])rotliers ; tliou^li tlie (hite of tlie death of
(}ill)ort, at one time assistant to a liaberchislier in
London, is not positively known. None of William's
l)rotliei's were prcjsperous men, and it is likely that
he had to help tliem all. This would be one of the
reasons why, as Pope i)uts it,
*' Sliiikcspi'iirc, wliuiii ytni iiiid i-very playhouse liill
Style the divine, thi' iiuiti'Iiless, what yon will,
For gain, not glory, vvinged his roving *".ight.
And grew iinniurtal in his own despight."
He was, liowever, no miser, hoardin<^ up liis earn-
ings, but spent tliem freely, tlunieh judiciously, in
middle life. Having learned by liard experience tlie
value of money, he did not throw it away, but loaned
it out at interest, and invested it in real estate.
It seems always to lia\e been his wish to keep his
home life distinct from his theatrical life : and as
time })assed on his visits to Stratford came closer
together, and were of longer duration, till he finally
AViF.MAM siiaki:si>|.:ai;i:, (jj:ntij:>ian. ui\)
forsook tlic town Tor tli.' conntry. It is wvy impi-o-
l)al)lr fliat y\\s. Anne SliakcsiM.}nv and \u>v (I.uiol,(..rs
ever niadt' tlio arduous jnunicy up to London To
1)0 suiv. the liusl)and and fatlit'i- Ix.u^^lit a liouse eloso
to r.IaeklViars Tlicatrc in l(il;j, l,ui hv ncxcr lived in
it, and tlie o])jcct ol' tlic i)nrehas(' ivmains uid<no\vn
That was the y(>ar of the hui-ninii' <>!' tlu' (dol.o l.v
whicli one of tlio liid<s l)indino- Sliakcspcaiv to tlic
metropolis was In-okdi. The fire took ])la.M. din-in«-
the pei-Connanee of a play on Henry the Kiohth 1)V
ail uids-nown writer, and it is more than likely tliat
some of the o-jvat dramatist's manusci-ipt plays were
destroyed: lait posterity mourns the fact moiv tlian
did William Shakespeare, oentlcuian.
He imagined he was writing- merely I'or actors and
audiences of his own time, and when his productions
liad served their turn, lie took no thought of what
became of them. Of far more importance to liim
was it to see his wife and dauo-hters comforta))lv
settled and livino- in suitable style at New Place,
M-here he made liis permanent home with them
about I (ill.
The house, a lar^-e one for those times, had Ijeeii
built l)y Sir liu^ih C'lopton in th.- tifte.'iith ceiiturv
on the curiiur of Cliapel Street and Chapel Lane,
■'"'Wp**»ka.
I
[' i
) ! 1
• • r
170 WILLIAM SllAKKSPMAIIi:, (I KNTLKM A \.
across tin- way IVom tlif (Jiiild iiall, wIh-it Sliakc-
spearc! Went to school. It wjis iiia<l<! ol' tiiiilicr, l)Ut
tlw S(iuan'S in the outside walls rofiiicfl 1)\' the
beams wci'c filled in witli luicU. Tlie ri'(>ntau(' was
sixty i'eet, and the depth seventy in places, while
the liousi! was twents'-eiii'lit i'eet hii!h. There was a
l)ay window at tin; l)ack, overlooking the ;jjai'den,
l>art oi' which Shakespeare turned into a iVuit-
oi'chai'd. He also planted, al)out 1 (iOO, a niulheny
tree, the first in the town. Kinis iJauies had com-
luanded his sul)jects to cultivate this tree, upon which
the silkwornjs i'eed, li()})ini;' tlius to introduce the
manufacture of silk into Kui-land.
Jjcsides liis residence, its grounds, and two barns,
Shakespeare owned one hundred and seven acres ot
land in or near Stratford, and also a liouse and lot in
Chapel Lane, o^^posite the <;arden of New Place.
When she was twenty-four and he thirty-two,
Susanna Shakespeare married John Hall, a clever
doctor, well educated for his (L'lv and station, who
had recentK' In'iiun i)i'actice in the Nillaiic This
elder dauii'liter is said to ha\c had " somethini*' of
Shakespeare in her composition, which ])erha])s ac-
counted for her hein;:' "wittv above her sex:" but
it is also stated that she was, or became after her
of
wrrj.rAM sirAKKsi-EAUi:. <;i;\ti.i;ma\. in
"""■'•'■••'K". .-I nViM I>„ntm,, was "wis,. t„ s.lvati,,,,;'
■iii'l ■■ wr|)( r,,r all."
Ill tlir y:u- KlO.s Sl,al<,.s,„.a,v l„.,.a,n,. a ;:,-aM,|-
(••■itli.'i', a,„l ll.i.s ,.|,il,l, „r wl,n,M, a,ror.lin,i:- In^l^uW-
tii'ii. Sl,al<rs|,o,Mv was v,.rv r,„„l, ,.,,,« Ms last |i,„,,l
•li'socn.lant, Sh,. was first ,„am,..I („ Tlio.nas Nasi,,
■••'111 toM yars al't.T l,is ,l,,ul, sl„. 1„.,,,„„, t|,„ ^il',. „r
Sii- Join. JJa.Manl: lait sl„. |,a,| „„ ,.|,i|,|,,,,, h,„| ,ii,„|
ill 1070.
The last tluv,, yrms „i' SliaK-.'sprarc's lilV wiv
■ipi'Mt, accavliiio^ to Xidmlas Row,., "as all m-n „f
J,"i'«l sens,, will wish ll„.i,..s ,„„y 1, i„ ,,,,,„,_ ,„„,.,,.
'iiciit, an,l coMwrsati,)!, „f |,is tVi,.M,ls." Th,.s,. w,.|.,.
lint .Strati-,,,.,! f„lk al,a.e, but aet„rs, authors, an,| sneh
like IVoai L„M,|,,M, wh,j ,|i,| „„t think tli,. ,|islai„.,. I„„
Kivat n„r the n,a,ls t„o r,M,;;h U,v a jannf int„
W'arwiekshir,. that ha,l Shak,.si„.ar,. at th,. ,.n,| „|- it.
H,^ was „{ :i .s<x.iahlo (lisposition, an,l \,.w I'lae,.
w,u,l,l he fan„.,l f,„. its lK,s,,itality. Many a happy
•■v..nn,^' n,„st he a,„l his L,ai,l,a, ;;,„.sts hav,. sp,.nt.
In IM- over ao'ain their ne,.,ly actor ,lays an,] tlie jolly
nights at the Jlernuiiil.
Drayton an,l JJen Jonson visiu.l him in Mar'eh
1 <;!(!, an,I some say the nmhi,. f,.stivity on that
occasion was the cause of the U-v,-v hum ^vhich he
172 WILLIAM SHAKKSPKAHK, CKNTLKMAN
I- 1
(li('(| : l>ut it is inucli more ])r(»l);il»l(' tli;il tlic disoasi^
was coiitrnclcil from the notorious aiiioiinl of tlltli in
Cliajx-l Lane. Tll'-l'i' were inmirrolls sources of fcwr
in the n<'iL:,"li))oui'lio()(l -" nii<l<lt'ns, fetid water-coui'ses.
iiiud walls, and pi^'^'ei'ies "" and it can l)e confidently
allirnie(l tliat Sliaki'spcarc fell a victim to had
drainaii'e.
The ii'i'catcst iivnius tlie world lias ever mourned
(lied on April 2o, IGld, and on the twent y-iiftli tlie
solemn funeral procession left New Place for tlic^
old <4"re3' ehureli amoni^- tlu- elm tre(\s, when' he was
hurii'd.
'W\o months hefore lier father's death Judith
Shakespeare had heen married. We know little of
her, except th.it she could neithei' read nor write, and
that she was three or four \'eai-s oldei* than her
luishand, Thomas Quincy, a wine merchant. Their
first son, Shakespeare (^)uincy, died when a year
old ; and the other two, Kichard and Thomas, when
twenty-one and nineteen respectively — neither of
them married. Their father went to London, whei-e
his brother kept a iri-ocerv : hut he did not find his
fortnni^ there, and diecl very poor. Judith (^)uincy
lived till 1()()2, and departed this life at the a^'e of
sevent\-seven.
I
tlic
tlio
was
wirj.iAM sirAFvKspKAin:, ckntlkman. it;]
]ii tlir makin.i,^ ..I" his will. (],..,( pivrious docninrnt
>'<)w in (1... |;,i(isl, Musrum, Sli;,I<,.,s,„.a.v slumv,! t|„.
^^.-niW ;.MVtIlnn-lll tl,,,| (•l,;,r;,(.t,Ti/..| .-.H |,is |,;,„s;„.-
<i'>ns, :,n.l his ;,(i:n,s wnv Irl'f i„ un<„| nnlrr. H-.
'''■<••''<■•' <l'--'<-lii.h-(hshushaii(lsh.M.hl „,akrn nmnia-,'-
srtUn.HMil upon licr, nn.l all (i,a( lie h,M,iir,lh.'(l hrr
Ih' s<'(il,Ml n}),m luTs,.]!' ..,„.) h,.,- chihhvn. Thciv l,as
Ihh'11 mucli siKcnlatioii eoncrniin- the !),•,, ucst (<, his
wilV of his scroll.! ]n'st luwlst.-a,] ; !„,( i( is prohahh-
tliat the wry Ix'st would m<, ,,s ,.,,1 h.-iiloo,,, to
Susanna llah, tlic inluM-itor of the Inilk of (|„. pro-
perty. Sliak.'spcaro's widow, wlio sui-vi\vd hin. seven
yvnr^, was h-l't well off: and his sister Joan, the <,nly
^^•"'ninino- ui(>inl.er of his rathei's family, was not
Ini-otten in William s will. She had mam.'d William
llai-t, a hatt.T, who lived and did Inisiness in the old
^">i"'' i" n<'nl('y Street. Joan's liushand died a week
'"''■<"•<' J'^'»- I'anious hrother, leavin-- her with tliiv<'
sons ---William, Thomas, and Miehael- to wh<.m
Shakespea)'(^ lel't leo'acies.
Mrs. Susanna Hall and her dauol^ter, Mrs. FJi/a-
Ix'th Xash, lived on at Xew Plaee until the d.^.th o|'
the I'ormer in Ki-ll), a_i;vd si.\t\ -six.
TIh' Puritanic javjudie.'s of this elder daunhtrr oC
Shakespeare did not make JM-r rm-vt to k.-ep „p the
174 WFLLTAM SIIAKESPKA IM:, (I r.XTI.KMAX
II !
li()S))ital)lt' repute (»!' liis licusc, .-iikI in hl4*? slit' niid
Mrs. Xasli ciitertMiiicd (^)u('('ii I jtiii'ict ta Maria lor
three (lavs ill a stx'le 1/elittiii"' their i)()silM»ii and
hers. Diiriiii;" the civil war l^lh/alxth Nasli had
soldiers (|rartered iij)on her at^ New I'lace. Alter iirr
iiiarriai;'e with .l:)iiii IJariiard ^^he no Ioniser lixcd in
tlie old home: ])iit it I'eiiiaiiied her property until her
deatli, and in course oi' time came ai;aiii into tlie
hands oi' tlie Clopton I'amily, the orii^inal pi-oprietors.
E\'en had ]\r lixcd loiii^'er it is d()ul)trul il' Sliake-
speare would h,i\-e written many more plays, ii' any.
"^riie remo\al oi' the tinancial necessitv which had I'or
so loni;' spurred him to produce two in the year
wouM act as potently as liis jna'sonal remo\al IVom
the tli(\'iti'e and its stimulating' surroiuidin^s. So
m'in\- \ears of incessant, nerxous lahour must liax'e
toM U])on him mentally, il' not physically, and at
lil'ty-two he was perhaps only too re.idy to shuiHe oil'
this mortal coil.
'• ]](' ,ir;i\i' liis lioiKMirs \n till' wnild Mnaill,
His lili'ssid |i;irt til lli;i\i n, niul slept in ]M';u'r."
/f<nr>i Mil., iv. 'J.
i
I
CFfAPTKII XJV.
AS OTIIIOKS SKI-: III a:
ty -.(,ul of ()\i,I liv.S ill InrllilllldllS .,
tSll.l Krsl icjirr. " l''l( \ \( l'^ Mi.-pi-^' if r '/' , -, ,
TI,.. sur,.f. witty .oul of ()v„I liv. s in n.Ilillnons an-l i,on..y-tn„..u..|
^T '^
T^IIAT Sl.akcspcaiv was appivcialcl Ly j.is ,■,„,-
^•'"'l'<'''"''<'-^ J'otl, tlinsr ,,r his pn,lVssi<,n a.i.l
tlic iml.lir in ov,„.,a!, w. have a.npir pn.nr: Init it is
'^'likely that th. .luml.ility of his la..,.. w.a.M ,.v.t
su-<^..st itsrir ,>v.n t., IV., .]o.,sn„, wl„> w.-ot. SO .„a.,y
am-ctionatc li.ics i.^ vt-ninnlaaiic,' ol' hi.,,.
"I loved Shak(>sp(.aiv, ai.d .1,, h...„,u.- his i,i,.,„(..t.
Oil this si,],. i,i„latiy. as much as a„y. ||.> was
ind.Msl honest, and ,.r ^n op,.! and i'.v. " natn.v ; had
nil uxcL'Uent raiic3', bnWe .,oti,.ns, and (...ntlc ,.x-
iVi'ossions."
Tl.r p.Tsonah'ty ,,(' the n.vat ,l,-a,.,af is( s.-enis t,,
>''-«ve on,h.a.v,l hi„, t„ th.. hea.-ts n\ all thos. whn
worke,] with hi..,, and al't...- j,is d...th two .,r (he,
voliinteeivd to collect i".
Citr,r)
•111
'"'■ I"ii'lic;ition ()„. phivs ia
if'TiliTMl
176
AS OTHEI^S SKK FTIM.
I,, h
Hi y
i'l
I
.1
wllOsc i'atc lie llillisrir lijul t;ils''> SO little i)it<'rOF;t.
As (licnti'ical iii;m}i<;('i', lie |ii'o1»al)ly iVIt d. IVaiKlcd
of liis riji'lits when a ijircc niiiniiio- at liis llicalrc
.'I] )])<'; I red ill pi'iiit, no matter who lia<l written it.
With or witliout his consent, eieliteen ol' liis e-einiine
plays luul been published sej);u'<itely in (|nai"to editions
(liU'ino- liis lifetime, besides lialC a dozen othei's which
liis editors describe as "divers stolen and sin'reptitions
copies, maimed and dei'ormed ])y tlie frauds and
stealths of injurious impostors."
The, " First Folio," as it is called, was not issued
till l(]'l']. This collection oi' Shakespeare's di'anias
was th(^ lovini;' work of John lleminn'e and FFeiiiy
Condell, his fellow-actors and also his friends, for to
cacli of them he left money in his will to l)uy a i'ini>'.
Heniin<;v was tlu^ original Fab tati', and Condell also
took comic parts, '^riiey rjinket. next to Burba<;"o as
actors, had lieen on the sta^e with Shakespeare from
the Hrst, and at his deatli, beino' the principal pro-
prietors of the ])lackfi'iars and Globe theatres, they
could claim the ownevshi]) of most of his plays. They
state in theii- preface: —
" We have but collected them, and done an ofHce
to the dead to procure his orphanes ouardians, without
ambition either of selfe profit or fame, onely to keepe
AS ()TIIK1!S SKK m.M.
t H«k-r
1/ t
office
ithout
keepe
4
tlic inciiKtry i»t' so ANnitliy ;i IViiiHl ;iii<l Irllow nlivt
MS was (»ur SliakrsjicaiT.
Tlic iiiai-nilu'lt' of tlicir umlrrtakiiii'' ina\' kc csti-
m.'itcil wlicii UT rcinciiikcr that tlit-y had to liuiil
tln'oiiL;li {iroiiiptcrs" l)ooks, some ol' tlinu tliirty years
old, perliajts to find tlic oii^iiial iiianuscri|)t l)a<lly
iinililatcd ii\' actoi's or iiianaiicrs, aiul to kc ()l)ni'('d to
use tkfir own iudi'iiicnt conccrnini'' tlif aiitlicnticit v
(jf many ol" {\\r productions awcrikcd to tkcir d('Ct'as('(l
colk'aiinc. A new i)lav had alwavs to rnn tke
o'anntlct of tko approval, iii-st of the ]\kast('i' of tkc
KcN'cls, then of tlu! actoi's who were to take pai't in
it, and to whom it was read aloud at some taNcrn.
When we consider that those uien could and did
alter or omit lines at their own sweet will, it is not
strauii'e that in many ])assai'es we shall never know
what Shakespeare himself aetually said. Ik'sidcs the
unavoidakle errors in the text, the "First Folio" is
faulty in punctuation, and has e\ciy soil of nn'stake
that a printer can mak<'. XeNci'theless, it lias keen
the means of preserving" to us thirty-1i\'e ])lays. all of
those o-enerallv i'ound in latei' editions, except Trni/n.^
(iixl (^i'('ssli/<i and Prrir/rs^ the authoi'ship of which
may have ])U//le<l the tirst t\\o editoi-s. as il has
done manv ;.nother one siiici'.
a^Bif
178
AS OTriKHS SEK TTTM
!;■
pi
ill'
y
Tliis vfilnal)l(^ voIuiik^ must, ol* coni-sc, he (IcdicMtcl
In niic ()!• iiioi-c iioldciiicu, .'UkI IIk' clioift' of Mcssi's.
I lc!iiiii;;T ,'in<l Coudrll fell upon the K;irls ol" I'miln-okc
and M()nti;()iii('ry, ])()tli iicplicws of Sir Pliilip Sydney,
Jiiid yonnt^MiK'ii wlio liad always rc^ai'dod Sliakcspcan^
liinisulf, and also lus works, with special favoiir.
Fjord Penil)i'ok(^ wjis perhaps the W. H. — William
Herbert — to whom so many of tlie S<nrii('f>< were
ad(h*essed, thonoh Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps refuses to
acknowled^'e tliat the said poems have any p<'i-sonal
ap[)lieation wliatever. Tiiat Pcmiti-oke was not, at
all events, nnwortliy of the innnortal di'amatist's
atl'ection is vouched for Ijy Lord Clarendon, wlio
writes that he was the " most universally beloxi'd
and esteemed of any man of that ao-e : and ha\in<4'
a i;"reat oflice in the court, he made the court itself
])etter esteemed and more reverenced in tlie country."
Shakespeare s plays lield the sta_i;'e for seNeral years
after his death, and were veiy popular, though
some audiences preferred the newer productions of
Pieaumont and Fletcher, or the spectacular poetical
masks of P)en Jonson that i>'i-aduallv mer<i'cd into
opera.
In 1042 ail theatres were closed hv order of the
Puritans, and they were not reopened till the Ptestora-
r
AS OTMKKS SKK mim. i;.)
turn, c-io-I.tron years nft.Twar.ls. Th.n tlu- str,,,.^
meat (,r y/,,,,/./, /..,,,. or (y/A./A, ,vas not ...ti.vly
to the taste (,r a p.opl,. o,,,,, ,,...,,1 i,, ,,,,,s„it of U*.
^•aicty and dissipation so Ion- withln-ld from tl.mi.
^yyy\rn and l>op,. c'(,nd(-s(.rndcd to think iairly
wdl of th.ir po,.tical predecessor, tl.onoh tl„> forni.'r
casually n.narks : '< (HIhts are now ...n.rallv pre-
im-ed l..fore l.in,/' Pop. ,,lit,.l s<,n„. of the plavs
IH his own faultily faultless s(yl., which acted lik.
.'I refriuvrator upon ShakesiKvuv's olowino- x.-rs,-.
How the Swan (,f Avon would hav('"cnjoved thr
ahsrnceof humour in Drydms n.nark al.a.t' Mrrcutio,
of whom his creator is said t<. hav. stated that h.
was fore.,] to kill hin, in thr third Ad to sav. him-
self from 1,.in<. killed by him! J)ryden <,uaintlv
observes in ivnlv-
"V"r my part, I en„„„( (In.l 1„. was s„ .la„u-,T„ns
" '"■'■'*""■ ' «'■'' ""fl'ing i. , but ul.at was s„
mrclino. l,anul..ss thai l„. ,„i.|,t 1,,,,. Iiv,.,l t„ tl„..
t'li'1 "f li,.. play aM.I ,|i,.,| i„ |„V l,,d witlu.ut olJWice
t<i iiii\- mail."
^]'ak,.speajv has always ow..f uun: (o thr play,,-
than to (he c
'""""■ntatoi-. Thomas j;,-itcrton, wl
ti'-st staue appraranc.. was at the Cockpit Theal
Dnuy Lane, Kmo, .speedily n.ade a name for 1
lose
re in
lim-
If I
ISO
AS OTIIKKS SKK HIM,
r;
i.'i
!!;' ,'
sell' aii<l Sliakcsix'aiT in the Icailiii'"' luVrs I'oi'ini'rlv
taken l»y Dick I5iirl)anc. Tliat ('iiil)i'y(t iicwspapri",
'• The 'I'atler,'" lias a notice ol' liis i-en<lei'iii_n" ol' llanilet.
lie was a TaNourite with ('harles the Secoml, wlio sent
liiiH to Paris to eatlier sta^c ini'onnatioii, aixl on liis
retui'n nio\a)>le scenerv was introdnce*! into Eni-lish
tlieatres.
Moi'e important to postei'ity was tlie ])ili;j'iniaee
tliis eminent actor nia<le to Sti'atl'oiv] on-Axon, to hear
all that tlie oldest inlial)itant had to sa\' ahoiit the
I'amous dramatist, I'or whose i;cinus he had the pro-
i'oundest a<lmii-a; ion. The \ isit would prijljahly take
place al)ont I (JIM), \\heM Shakespeai'e's last direct
descendant, his i-rand-daiiiiiiter Lad\' Hai-nard. ha<l
l»een twent\' N'ears dead. Put ti'aditions e-i-ow like a
rollinii' snowl)all in countrv places, esix'ciallv roun<l
the memory ol" one who had Ik'cii a pnjmineiit per-
sonaii'e in his nati\'e town.
Py the year 1(1!)') J>ettei'ton owned a theatre in
Lincolns Fun Fields: hut he also act<'d un<lei- Sir
William l)a\cnant. who in his hoyhood liad sat u[)on
Shakespeai'e's knee. rVom \arious soui'ces the author-
actor collecte(l enough material to enal/k Nicholas
ilowe to wiite the tirst l)io^raphy ol' his idol x-hicli
l)a«l hccu atteu>pted. an«l it \ as puhlished in I TO!-.
I
I . I
AS ()TIII<:i{S SKK MI.M.
ISl
Tlironoli.Hlt the .■iul,i,,.,,tl, ..rlitUiy tllr rtinrts
mad." t(. iiiodcniiz.' tlir iininoi-tal .Irainas did l,v no
liiraiis impn.vr tli.-iii. Tliciv was a ivvival d" old
liit'iatmv. aii<l Sliakcspcarcs supivmacy lu'cainr sntH-
ciently aj.paivni t,, s.-t ..iic ...lif.i- al't.T aiiolIi.T at
tlif work of im<T|)ivtatioii. Maloiu', in | 7!)(), was
tlir only imr who naw tlic - First Folio" tli.- icspcct
it drsfi-vcs. l^nlikc til.' ..tlici's, li,. ,|i,l nnt trv to
air liis own vi.-ws, lait all<.w.'<l Sliak.-sj„,uv t.. speak
t'ni- liiniscll': an.l to .Mal..iu's clition liavc tlu' nlitors
of llic nin.-t.vnth (.vntury pimicd their I'aitli.
Til.' ra.iic of our ni..si ■ liappi.' imitator of Nature"
soai-s In'oher t..-day than .'Ver it .h'd ; hut he has never
hrrn left without appreeiativ.- souls in his own pro-
fVssi.Hi- (larrick, Hariy, Mrs. Sid.lons, K.-mhl.-. oi- last,
lait not least, Kdnnnid K.-an, the ininiital)l.; Oth.-llo.
To the Oernians is due the credit of making- even
his own countryin.'u un.Ierstand and appreciate the
woi-k of the master. L.-ssinu- Ird the way hy pro-
claiinmo- Shak.-speares sup.-rlority over the FrencJi
scliool of dramatists. Wieland translat.-d him—
I7t)2 IK) — and tli.-re])y hrounht him Ix-fore th." puhlic
on th.' (J.-rman staov ; whil.' Sehleovl's lectures on
Sliakespeare opened tlie eyes of ( 'olerid'-e to tlie Held
.H
awaitinu' him.
I
182
AS OTIIKKS SKI-: MLM.
I.I
I'
(.. ,;p
Ir ^f
\ h 'I
Scliillcr imitates our national |MMt in liis niannci'
(»r trcalinij' national cNrnls. and (Jo(tlic lollows Ins
nictliod oi' (l('sc*i'il»inL;' tli«' iinicf lilV ol' man. The
l.'iitcr says, liad lie Ix-conic ac'(|nainU'(l with thi'so
works cai'lii'i' in life, lie sliould iicnci' ha\T xcnturcd
to iu'i^in wi'itini^ liimsdi': I'or Sliakcsjx'afc lias said
('Nrr\tliin<''-- li.'is Ic.'lt no side ol' human nat nri' un-
touched.
\'oltaiie |)i'onoun<H'(l Ihnnlrf to he the woi'k ol" an
intoxicated saNaee. His refined classical taste could
not stand the sliock ol* the violent contrasts whicli
are inti-oduce(l couM not see that in I'eal lil'e the
trisial ])reee(lcs the traeif, the ridiculous follows
closeK' upon the heels of the suhlime. 'I'aine reco^:'-
nizes the fi<lelity to nature in Shakespeare's ai-t, hut
he too considers ]nm somewhat ol' Ji harharian— s[)eaks
oL" Ills "impassioned imae'ination, Tree from shackles
of reason and moralitv." Ulrici, on the contrarv. is
struck with tlic reason and moral sie-niHcance of the
pljiys.
Victor Muu^o has written a rliapsodical introductie-n
to his son's ti'anslation of Shakespeare, in wliich lie
i'ei;ai'ds hiui as a reincarnation of .Kschylus, and
com[)ai'es Hamlet to Orestes: hut another French
critic sees in our dramatist tlie ealndv cold and
4
AS (rnii:i{s skk iii.m
]K\
licklrs
ry. 1^
.1" the
lu*ti(.n
•h ho
au<l
livut'li
and
ci-ilieal spiiii dl' Ah»iilaii;n('. As a rtilc. tlic l''iviich-
iiKii tn-at liiiii as an uiicnn •iniis oTiiius, wliilf (lie
(Iri'iiians air iiiipi'csscil wiili the sniiudnr.ss ol' lii^
judniiiriit.
Jt may he that, as iii oth*-!' studi"- jicoplc aif apt
to tiinl wliat \\\rv seek what is akin t<» tlh-ii' dis-
positions. Jn Sliakfsprai • the Fn iicli rcco^Jii/.c tln'ir
own wit. inla^•inat ion, dch^ilit in jthysical plcasnrc ;
and tlu' ( i( rnians (k ri\(' I'roin him a soil I'onndatioii
\ipon wiiich U> huikl tlit'ir siil)tk' and prol'oiind thcorit^;
ol' hl'r.
Samuel Johnson, a man disincliiK'd to ])i'ais(' any
ont". tliuiMk'rs h»i'th tlir tiat that IVom Sliakcsjxaic's
d.'Sfriptions cncii a luTmit mi;j:ht k am to estimate the
aH'airs ol' the world.
The dramatist sliows the lexic'o;;i'apher the fertility
and the llexihilitv ol' that lan^uaec whieii he ties up
in an Knu'lisli dietionai'\'. Shakes!)eai'e's "fine-filed
phrase" is ol' his own tiline'. The sense in which he
uses nian\' ol' his words is not theii* m(jdern meanini'":
we take fiiiuratiM 1\' what he meant litei-allv, or the
op])osite. lie i're(|Uently turns adjectixe into ad\erh,
noun into \nilt. ami rirr rrrsil ; '• tliou ' an<l "you"
are with him (piite distinct: and when at a loss Tor
a term to I'Xpress an abstract idea, lie coins one (juite
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I
a'
w '■
ki
1,1 1
184
AS ()THi:i{S SKK FIIM.
CJirck'ssly. All tin- Kli/jilH-tliaii writns did tlic sainc!
to .'I certain extent, lor tlie laiii'Uaj'e was still in a
transition state, an«l iirannnatieal correctness not to
1)0 consiilered in conip.irison with force and cleai'iiess.
'i'lie Hno'lish tongue, so lately fi'eed t'r(jni literal
terminations, partook of the vital, nervous enei-^^y of
that i^reat enli\ened ati'e. It niav not he st) musical
as Italian, so dinnitied as Spanish, so int«'llectual as
(Jerman, nor s(j exact as Fi'ench : in Shakespeare's
han<ls it hecame a tool for the fi-amiiii:' of <lialo;j:ue
and s()lilo(juy in «'i score of ditl'erent styles, to suit
as many diherent characters. It has l»een estimated
that the nund)er of words in oi'<linarv use is ahout
three thousand : that ^lilton, for example, employs
ahout seven thousand : ])ut that Shakespear*' sets in
circulation twentv-one thousand. I{e stu<li<'d the
ian^ua^-e, not from hooks, hut from the lips of the
people wh(» used it, havin*;- no theory of liis own
ahout its correctness or incorrectness : and hv so doinu'
ho developed the highest art in accordance with
nature. It is true indeed that " art, science, history,
plenties, i)hysics, and philosophy tax Shakespeare for
illustrations."
A few ci'itics have presumed to sui>u'est that
Shakespeare had not sutiicient learning- to produce
,
saino
in ii
lot to
iriH'Ss.
literal
ru-v ol'
lusical
ual as
ix'arc s
alo^iK'
() suit
iiiiated
about
nploys
■4('ts iu
.1 tlio
of tho
IS own
) iloiiiii'
J Avitli
listoiy,
;irc for
AS OTIIKHS SKIO niM. iSo
tlH'so plays. U it 1,,,1 ),,.,, )„.,,, ,,.,.^,.,,;,,^. ^,^.^^ ^^..^^
'•<"|ni'-l. tl.,. ,]oul,t woul.l l.av. 1,,..,, justih'al.lr.
WlH-n.v.r I.. n.li,.son Lis nKMnory-on what 1,. has
road or }„.,,, tau-ht he is oft,,, at fault: whm he
«vsts^<m his intuitive o],servation, he is never wron^.
"C^'inpare.! with the romantie poets of the Mi-Ml,.
A-es lie is anti.pie: e<.n.pare.l with the ancients hr is
^'»^^^l^'ni: con.pare,] with the Vv^vh dramatists he is
tlu- po,.t (,f nature, and with his Knolish eonten.po-
'•••n-i.s h. is the p<.,.t of civilization: con.pared with
tlu- Spaniard he is .valistic, an.l with the En<dis]i
J'"'nourists h. is ideal. Son.eti.nes his pnetrv seen.s
conscious, son.etin.es unconscious. H,. is h'Ue modern
poets in orasp of n.ind. lik,. ancients in simplicity -
like the one in lyric and didactic styles, lik,, the other
111 concentrating hims.lf o„ actions."
t that
L)rodnce
r r---^^^
;!
ri
r<! ; '
CllAITi:i{ XV.
siiaki:si'i:.vim:, thi: lav ijiulk.
" 'I'lii' i^'-cM) 1 I >t;inil (III i- my i inlli and Imm^ty :
If tlii'V >IialI fail, 1. u itli iiiiiir ciniiiifs,
Will triuiii|ili (iVr my |m tmhi; wliidi I \\i i'-;li imt,
i'n'iii;^ iif tlic-c \irtiit's v:uaiit. '"//(;(/•// 17//., \. 1.
WAS Shakespeare I*anaii or I'liritaii, Protestant
()!• lioiiiaii Catliolie :* 'I'liese are llie ([Uestioiis
iijMni wjiifls some ol' liis fomineiilators lia\e \vaste(l
imU'll tlloUi-'lit ail'l el>ei-i'-\', wllile SliakeslK'ai'C ImiiseH'
sits l)Mck .'iiifl smilv's at tlieir futile attempts to answer
tluMu. Tiilike tliose of IJeaumout and Fletcher, liis
])i-iests ai"e iiivai-ial)l\' ^-'xxl men: l)Ut lie Inmseli is
<'i pi'odiict of the Hefoi'mation, wliich in its earlier
nioN'ements o-ave the mind '• a passion for tliinking"
Wo was too many-sided to l)e a pai'tisan citlun* in
politics ol' in relinion. l»oth chan^'e their ontwar<l
forms more or less with each successive i^'eneration :
])Ut inner truth remains the same in all a^es. and it is
with this alone tliat Shakespeare concerns himself.
ik'stant
icstioiis
^Vilst<•<l
Imnscir
answer
icr, liis
llSl'li IS
cai Tit'i"
uking
tlun* in
nitwarc]
■ration :
nd it is
liiniselt".
«iiaki;si.|;ai!i:, riii; lav iwi-.i,!:. ikt
^'" '""" ' '"• f-^'"'''' invl,Vi„„.s „l,ns,. inll,,,.,,.- is
^ilw.-iys „„ (Ii,. sM,. „r ,i^|i(,.,,„s,„.ss, ,.s|„.,.i,,lly Mt „
''""■'''"■" •* '-^ I'^lsllinll.-lM.' (oc,,s( i( ll„. ntlMTUay.
Moli,'.,-,. urilrs .., wl,„l,. ,,|„y l,i„„.i„j, „,„„, ,,,^.,„;.^.,,
'mt tl„. si„s tl.it rup,ir,. Sl,,.,l<,.s,„.,.,r,.s ,,t(,.nti.,n ,■„•,.
or -if.antic l..-„p„rti„nK. VWU is „<, i,io,„y tl„„ j,,,,,,,
c.iM ..vi.i'cm,.. witl,„„l a strn-ol,.. Tl„. I„,.l „„", ^
l':'lnu>M.l, T.j.,,, Kiolmrd tl,,- Tl.ir.l- ,,,, stn.n. ,.1,,,.
aetcTK, and the f.„pt,,ti,ms tliat l,os,.t MaolMl, and
Anl„ny aiv nii-hty ,.n„n;,d, („ uanant tl„. „v,.,--
tln-.nv „f tl... tw„ la.,vx.s. J!„t tl„. ,„„.t „„,,., „.|„,ili,.s
Vic... nor fails to illnslrat. tl„. crtainty of punWnn.nt
lollowiiio- erinie.
Huskin says tl.at Slu-.k.spoaiv lias no hrvnrs, only
JHToines; and truly it is in sncl. ^^on,(>n as (\,n].lia,
•'nli.'t, Tn.oMvn, and Voln.nnia tl.e dmniatist oiv.s thr
'"nst porfec-t demonstration tl.at virtue is its own
rowai-d. These idealized specimens are the n.o.v
extraordinary hecause so extremely unlike the type
of woman ],rouo]it upon the sta-o ],oth Ih-Coiv and
after Shakespeare. A creature to he adored was uo
innovation, ],ut a Portia who couM surpass .11 the
learned .h.ctors of V,,,ice iu the use of her hrains was
'••deed "a new woman" to the audiences ;,| th.' (;inh,.
Christianity clahi.s ihr credit o|' raisin- (h. sex (o her
IHS SHAKKSPKAHK, THK LAV HTHLK.
;,(
I.I
|)i'(t|)('i- position. Miul Sli.ikpspi'.'n-c is tlioroui;lily ('lii'is-
ti.in ill liis (('jicliiiiLis (•niiocniini;' woiiiMn's s|»litiT.
'I'llis IS hut OIK' of tlic ^rt'.lt Irssoiis colitMilH'*! ill
T/ir M<'i'(li<inl nf Vru'icr. 'I'licrr is ,1 studv ill IVil'lKl-
sliip, indicating" tliat its claims slioul<l not always be
subordinate to those ol' love. X'alcntinr and Proteus,
Konieo and Mercutio, (\'esai' and Antonv. Hamlet and
Horatio, atl'ord examples of what one man may l)e to
another; hut tlie friendship between Antonio and
liassanio outweighs tliem aU.
" 'I'lie love of money is tlu' root of all evil " ma}" bo
taken as the text of TJir Mriulnitit of Vi'ii'irc. 'V\\i\t
is the idea I'ortia's wise father had in his mind when
he arran^i'ed the ordeal of the ca^kets to find a
husband worthv of her, and the same theme runs
throuiihout the pla.v. An Israelite was a common
butt for the jests of the populace, and Shylock would
lu^ applaude<l simply as the clown of tlie piec«^ until
Shakesj)eare aroused some unexpected sympathy for
him and his race, and })roneht him to justice at last,
not because he was a Jew, but because he was an
extortioner.
Tlu' f.-niious address on " the (piality of mercy "
would fall strangely upon the ears of Elizabethans,
wlio still had faith in the etlicacv of the rack and
(Miris-
iiH'd ill
rriciKl-
avs !)('
^rotcus,
let ilinl
V 1h' to
ii(3 an<l
in a}' 1)0
, Tliat
1(1 when
find a
IK' rnns
connnon
k wonld
CO until
ithv i'ov
L' at last,
was an
nierc'V "
•
ilu'tbans,
rack and
1
«1IA!<KS,.,.;.U!|;. TlIK I.AV lilliLK. m
<!.■ to,„„v-,.|,,„„l„.,, „.!„, l„.ii.,v,.,i tl,.-,. „it,.I„.s sl,.,„l,|
'"■'"""•■'I'""1"Im,s,. r,,v„„n„. s|„„.t«„s(„w,,„l, ,,
c-liaJM..i|-up licm- iH.inj;- w..mr.| l,v ,l,,j,,..
'•''"■ '"^'■'■"''"<< "f 111.' pivs,.„r,I„v s„„„.ti,n,.s
""""""■^ '" l'"l<"«-.'nMM..ss, l,„t tl„.,v w,,s notl,i.H.
''•■'Ii-li"^'rtv,l .l,„„t tl„. |.;„j,|i.sl, „r ,1,,,.,. ,.,.„;uri,.s
l»ick. Tl„.y w,.,v ,,s ..nthnsiastio in (I,,,-,- i„t„l,,.„„c,.
"s m auul.t ..Is,., ,„„1 Sl,,,k,.si„.nr,. .Ii,l w.-ll ,„ «,„.,.,(
"""'-'•••"i"» I" tlien, tl„.,mo-|, .,/,„,,„,, ,;,, y,,^2,r
y\<- .sliou-s tlmt ,.v,.„ virt,„.s - tli. ,l„k,.'„ l,,„i,„,^. ,,,„|
Ang..|„'s strictness -cons,, f. 1„. virtM,.s wl„.n tl„.v ,.„„
to cxc,.ss. In tlu. cl,,an,o(,.,- „i' rsal„.I],i 1„. ,,,,;.,„,
the unnsuul nu„l,.| „r a y„„n^^ w,„nan wl„, is tn„.
not to ln,sl,,.u„l ,„• ]oy,v. Imt t,. tnitl, its,.|r. ,,,,,1 sl„.
will n„t ,lo ,.vil ,.v,.n tl,„t oo,.! n,av cm,,., h, tl„.
'•^■'""I"'-^'"' f "f tli^' H-t Mca, l,i,linj; 1,,.,. Ii„l„ j,,
a cmvc.nt, l,,.,- autl„„. may intcn,! to in,,,lv (Lt s„
l'n.iil,t a luminary .'s in its proper place in tiic can.llc-
••^tick of the woiM.
ff "alls ,v,.|| that on.ls wi.ll," Helena ,]i,l perfectly
ne:ht to ,Jisre^^-,r,I tlic maxim, " ,Slnn, the very „pp,.ar-
ance of exil." It is co«ar,lly to care more for p„l,lie
opniion than for the a,,,,roval of conseienc,. : an.l wh,.n
people are really ,l„in<. ,.i;.ht, it sho„M not .listnss
then, in the least that tl„^ u„rl,| thinks they a.'e -loin.
'ii
vJ', - - I PI W T-
100 SITAKKSIMIAUK. Till: LAV r.lP.LE.
Wl'nJl^-. Ilflrll.-rs ^rir-s-ici-ilirill^' (liNnlinll filUlIlv willS
lis wMy iiilo lit'i- liusltMiHl's litMi't : hikI ill jti'nxin^' Ikt.
tlinii^li (iir (l.iii^litci- (»l* a liunililc ])liysici;m. iiioit
tliaii wortliy (o l»i' (ln' l>ri<l(' ol' liaui;lity t'nuiit
iJt'i'ti'am, Sha.kt'spcart' I'oi'cstalls the <>))iui()ii ol' Uuriis :
"The rank is 1)Ut the ^niiiicii .stiiini>."
His love for man as man (lii;iiitirs ordinary lil't',
and lie can iind somt-tliini;' intd'cstini;' in tlic most
connnonplac't' jx'oplc or admiralilc in tlic most
criminal. 'riiri-c is no ^Tfat'T exponent of tlie
l)rotlie)'liood of man.
L(.i'd Dacon. tlie exponnder of natural law. placed
l)Ut little wei^lit upon moi'al Ijtw. The foi-nier. he
j)rove(l. could not he hi'oken with im[)unity : hut the
latter was ditlei-eiit : it was (|uite possihle foi' the
smartest men, himself amono- the innnhei'. to evade it.
Shakes[)eare tauu'lit that the one law is as inexorahle
as tlui other, and the results of Ijivakinu' them eciualK'
certain and severe: for in truth the moral law is i\
natural law.
Whatever his perscjual beliefs may have been, ho
was tilled with a s[)irit of reverence for all thiiiiis
saci'ed.
Ho would consider it an artistic Itlunder, as well
Uinis :
V HI"*',
■ most
most
)f tlu-
1
)l;l('*'(l
n
y'W lie
nil th<*
I'or tilt'
vndo it.
.'XOVilliU'
CMjually
;i\v is :v
)(>('!!, ho
tilings
e
y.
r.
>
y.
r
s
;IS \VoU
CCio)
l;i
It
\h K
s; ,'1
i''l.
^"\Ki;>i'i:\i;i:. tin.; ,,vv ,;,,.,,., ,„.,
'" "''"•'• p-.|.|.' uImiI,,.,. i,
<»)• llul.
'""•"" ••"•.Mliiii.i; I" liiiiisrir
^^•"' ''"""' l''''^ '"^-"'l' 1,1,- u,,„|-u, .),*,),.,,
'\ III! Il |> ,.,, M I |,,l|>/'
''"•".^'' ••• 'li.'iiii.ihV nil,.,;,,,,...
ill
'■"'■"'■ '■-'^l.il.il..^^.,■y^vl„.,v,l„■.„„ , |,i'
•^ •■''^""l"'"' "^■^■■'' l""'-l"> .M..I v,.| u, l,..,v,. l.is
'■"'■'"■'''■'' ' ^ "■''•■"- - I-:,,,..,.,,,, |„„. i,, -,„„ lii-,.
''"■"''■ ''"" "-'I'l' ■■"..! |...^.,■,y. ,l„. ,„.i.,.. „r li,-,.
■■""'''"■ "•■'>'",-■■ in: ,„, ,l„. ,.|,.,n„-„.r. „r „„,,
■■""' "'■■ i'"i'""'--. ..n.„h ,„. .,,„,, ,!,,„ ,,m;.,., ,l„.i,.
t'Tt IIIK s.
''"-'"""•■■'"^ "I ■■■'!-"■'' •■>■ .-n.y ,„|„.,. M,l,j,.,., ,„
'■'"'' ■■" ""■ "-' -I -.U-, i.,„ i,„i,i, ,,. „,.,,. „„:
N-.n, I,,.,. „„■„ „„,,,■,. I ,|„. ,„,,, ,.,„,„ .„„, I ,^,,^. ^^^.
""■ """■ '''^ '■■""' •""! 1"— '■n.,- ,..x,.|u,l,..s :,„v ,li„.,.,
moral tcacliin.r
IJon.. i,„t,., t is ,h,. i,„lir,rt „,,,I,i„. ,,|,i,|, ,^,^.^
""t " D- thus. ,umI s,,,- l,„t wl,i..l, ..Hal.l.s us to J.,.
certain euurs.s uf actiuu as tl,..y n-allv a>v. Wl,,., a
ii)+ siiAKi:si'i:.\i{i:, tiik lav liiiiu:.
1 1 "'
t '
I'aiiKMis sculptoi* sli.»\\s tn Mil nidiiiaiv IIIHH .1 lovt'lv
stMtlli'. llis liiill'l is il.\ ;||(i| iiliii liis ta^tf ji|rasc(|, hut
IIk'I'i' is lid |i lit ii'iilar i<siili IVnin tlic si^lit ol' tin*
;^'i'rat work n\' ait t<> Im- smi in his prisniial ('(»ii(|iict.
I|f call in'itlii'f Im- so i»cantil"iil liiiiiscir. iiof make
aiiylliiiin' sn lii'ant il'iil. lint \vli<'ii Sliakcspfan- sliows
liiiii till' ('(iiiti'ast lit'twcrii tln' actixt' i;()(»(liicss ol"
llniiy the l-'il'tli ami tln' scuiiiiicntal pii-ty nl* his son.
that is a picture wliich can iiiMucjicr life aii'l chaj--
ai'tt'i'. ()\<'i'aii<l (»\<'r aiiaiii the jxict iiiiju'cssrs tlic
h'ssoii that tht' oiilx' \\(»rth\' rmotioii is the one wliicli
sui)])()i*ts a mail in thf I'aitliful ixTrorinaiici' ol* liis
dailv (hitics.
«
The obstiiiatf (|Ut'sti()iiiii;4s. • Wliciic'c conic we:'"
" Whitlicr iio \\r'." ■ \Vh\' ai'c we licrc :* '" knoc*k«'<l
Tor answer at liis licai't. as at rxcrv man's. l)nt h*' docs
t
not a<l\isc sittini:' down nassiv civ to listen to tlicni.
The time that is (jur own is the time hetween our
entrance <in<l our exit, he it seventeen \ears or
seventy : and all \\r can do is to act well oiir i)art
u[)on the stan'c, lor what passes l)eliind the scenes
hel"
ore we come on an*
1 aft
cr We
are off is not on the
1
.lav-l,ill.
" ^^t'll iiiii.st cihIuiv
Their i^'eiiig liiiKt', f\t'n us tlitir I'oiiiiiiy liitlR'f
llilu'iicss is all." h'ini; Lcii\ v. 'J.
iv«'ly
, l.ut
■ ill*'
iduct.
ss < »V
is son,
rs tl»»'
oV Ills
\vt
> /
n<
K'krd
r (Iocs
>u our
ars ov
ur l>jut
scones
on the
I: ' I N ^ 'If I. 1. \ I I '.\ II I; 1 n I \ >i I I. i:.
AV ./■li.-' //<■.
W A It W I ( K (■ A ~ 1 I. K.
■/■',,-'•-■■-.'.
P'
hi
m
m
I
SirAKKSI'KAIIi:, Tin: r.w |;||;|.i:. 107
\)v. \V()r<Is\V(.i'lli, l;isli(.j. n'{ Si. AimIivws, urilrs;
"T.-lkc tllC nitilV IJIIIMV ,,|' hlimlisli lil,.|;,(ll|v, piif
toovtlirj- ,,ui- l.rst .-mtlDIS wl,<. li;|Vr Wcitlm ll|)(,(i
S»!l»j.'cts not prol'.ss.-dly iv|i-i(,us nr llir(,l<,Mi,.;,| ;,;„!
\\r shall not fin. I, I Lrlirxr, in tli.ni all nnit.wj s.,
mncli .'\i(|.'ncr o|" i]\i' UiM.- Iiav. ini;' Im<mi rra<l an<l nscd
as \vc Iiaxc loinHl in Sliak<'sj»caiv alone," Criunns
consid.Ts liiin tlir -raivst jnd,-v of ni.n and Inn-ian
atlairs, a traclicr of indis|.utal.|.- ant lioiit y, and most
worthy i;nid<' through liic"
His wrilin-s ivscmhl.- the Hihlr, not ,,nly in [(...ti-
cal thonoht in thos.- tivncliant sayin-s that av so
universally (|Uotc<l. I)ut also in I'onn. Thr Kn-lish
vci'sioii ol* (h,. Scii|)tuics that has licrn ns.'d n]> to
tlH' j)ivs('nt time was ina<lc hy oj-dn- of .l.-nnrs the
First, an<l their l.elno' the hrst examples of IVer,
sti'ono- 'l\'Utonic simplicity has .-casioned the ivmaik,
"Shakespeaiv and the Dihle are the eivat conser\'a-
toi's (A' Eno-Iisli speech. "
CHAITKH XVI.
STI{ATF()|{i)-()N \ VON T()-I>A V.
( ■ ■',
isi f
" '\'\\r mil w .■inl -IidW- (if ^ky iiikI •■.utli.
< 't llill Mini \ ,llli'\ . 1|.' li;|< \ ic'Wi'd."
\\'i p|{|iS\V(ili|ll. .1 I'nif's K/iititpll.
'"T"*' I! I^I\K ('.-111 lie no more (Idi^lill'iil w;iy of spciKi-
A iiii:' a ln»li<la\' (luiii ]»\- takiii"' a I'lm flown into
Sliakcspcart's coinilry. A i;(»o<l ('ciitrf to clioosc for
lM'a;|(|Uai1('i's is L<'aiiiini;l(iii. a Itiiiiiit . clfan, iiuxlcni
'.own, wlicnc'c one can l:,o hy rail any nioniinn' out to
anc'it'iit Kcnilwoilli. An oninilius nicrts tln' train
to fonxcy ]»ass('iii;('rs t lii'('<'-(|naitt'i"s ol' a mile t(j
l\<aiilwoi'tli ('asllc wlicic a stately. wrll-pi'csci'Vod
•^atclionsc ki'('|)s i^iiard oxer tlx- crunildiii^' ruins.
A i;'t'ntlt' rain is I'allini;'. an<l a mist, like a sliatlo
iVoni llic ]»ast . '>ortcns tlif lucaks iti tlic still cxtcnsiN'.'
iTtl walls wluTt' tlic wall-lloW('i- i;rows. Tlic w iii(|(jws
of tlh' old c-liapcl ai'c outliiif(l in tln' stoi '. an*! ii])on
its oTjissy lloor i'c|)os(' a i-oujilf of tiiick-ilt'ccfd sliccp
but partially [)rot<('tt'(l IVoni tlif WfatluT. Wliat tuuk
\vn into
)()sr l'<»i"
(tiU to
ic ir-iin
mil*' to
•fSCVVCtl
lis.
a sliiule
xtcnsiv"
viiulows
id upon
•d slu't'l'
111 at took
^
iraf~c 'liT i fin-iT-m i
MHHH
8THATF()I{|)-()X-.\V()X TO-DAV. 201
plaeu ill tlM»s(. on..-,t .lunuvn„s i,, Sl,ak..siM>a,vV, time >
Was 1„. ,.vcT pnviI,.ov,l t.. l.av.- ., vi.w el' tl.r
interior ol' this nmonitiemt ,nnnsi<„.. wM,-!, „s..l tn
eov.-r s,.v,.n aon.s ^ 'H,. tiny wl.it. ,,,M.i(. sfMrtl.-l ;,i
om- intriisinn. .ln,.s not n-ply. l.ut l.oLs of} wit!,<,„t a
FruH. Lrai,. inn-ton (o Warwick on t..). of a tram-
'■'■"■• ^*'"''^ •■'">■ •"••trane(. 1... ,norr prosaic into (Ms
c-ity..f<'a l,un<]rc,l .arls "' ^ The strep shv.-t l-a.lino
np to the pointr.l cLu-k tow.r an.l vuuuhv^ (hron^h
'x-low it is a t,rop..r aj.proaeh to St. Marys ChnrH,.
wbose choir a.Hl la.ly-ehapel Shakespcan' n.ay have
s<H'n. Xothino- ].nt a niellnw h-.-ht <lare come IV.m,
ihv east thron-h the ronr-hun.lre<l-y,.ar-ol.] oJass in
tlie laroe win.loNv, which in the silence of the ni-ht
can o-ossip al,ont o]<l times with its conten,porarv/u.e
beamiful stone carvino- of the nrioinal ceilino-. " Who
knows hut the recumhcnt etli.ni.s of Karl"^Th<Mnas
Beauchan.p an.l his wile take part in the conversa-
tion, thon-h hy <lay tluy lie so .p.ietly in the cho
hear at his fVefc, a lamb at hei-s.
The hust of Walter Savn,.. Lan-h.r, a fan.ous sen
of the connty, says farewell to us as we h-ave St.
^rary's. R,. too must often have st.-oll.,] ,]n^^u in
tlio Avon si.l. to engage in imaginary eonvc.ati.m^
'II'. a
202
STirVTFOHD-OX-AVON TO-DAY.
;■:
M
'I
r>' :
witliiii the outt'i* walls tliat Iimnc. with tlir lid)) ol"
moat and <lrawl)ii(l;ir, so stoutly dcrciult'd Warwick
Castle. Tliat (luaiiit turret to tlie lel't of the gate-
way is ealled (\'esar's Tower, and this othei". with the
one hundi'ed and thii'ty-thret' steps to he clindx'fl I'oi- a
view, is (Juy's Towei\ whose walls ai'e ten I'eet tliiek.
From its sunnnit we look out .i))on "woody Warwick-
shire," or down into tlie lawn helow. wli<'i-e a white,'
peacock sails alon*;' with the pri(h' ami di^^nity ol" an
old C'rusader.
Within, the castle is a feast for the anticpiarian :
hut what are these hist(jric suits of ai-mour, these
cahinets from Venice and (Jenoa. these relics of (^)ueen
Aime, this ta[)esti'y hrou^ht from Brussels in 1(104,
or even the rai'e paintines of N'andyck and IJuhens,
C()m[)ared with the pictui'e seen fi-om one of the
windows an old hridi^'e or weir with whi<'h tlie
i'vntle Avon takes unwonte<l i-ollickiim' lihei'ties f
The ei^ht-mile walk from Warwick to Stratford is
(>ne of the ex])eriences that liuiivr loui:' in the memory.
The hii-hwav is -somewhat ilat. and has no strikino-
features: hut the pedestiian or cyclist can nevei' tire
of these windinii' loads ti'innued with hh^ssominLj
hediivs, while to the student of history tlie name of
every villaiie is familiar.
arwic'k
itb tbc
('(
1 l'( >r ;i
•t tliic'k
arw'u-k-
a \vl\ite
IV <>l' an
ur, tlieso
of tlu'
nch tlic
11
atl'ovd is
luomory.
striking;'
u'vrr tire
li^ssoiniuj;'
_' iiiune of
1
i:i'iMl|l!!l
!■ iir-'li!'i
rJillillillllJlillN"
'ii!:i!!y:;i'!'l:;:ii: 1:;!
Ill ■': p/'r I ''!;i\
' '' 'i '' ■■' 'il'il'll"' 'I'm !■■
1 <:;:'>
i
I
■■<TI{.\T|-,.|;|>-n.\-AV().\ T(>-|)AV.
20.-,
Tllrl-,.
"" ""■ '"""^ - ivi-.i,iii, Mv,„. „r ,i„,
;''■""" '""'I" l-'W.-M .1,..„l,.s ,|„. Ki,., ,,„, ,._.^.
I'"l '"■"<■•■<■ .M,.! ,„.„v i„vi,i,,^- i. (•l„„-l,.0O„., wl,,.,.,.
:';■'■ ''^ ■■' ^'""■' '• "■".-'' <1- V:nU l,v ,|„. v,.,.y
«<'!'■, so s,,v. I,„.,,| li.-..li,i,„„ ,.,.,. „|,i,.„SI,,,l<,.s,„.,„.„
'•■•■'l"'l""l"^"Mv,„ii„. ,,„,,.|,l„;r,,.lv,.mu,v. Tl,..,v
•'- "l K-u.hv ,11,. i, i. u,.. .^.„.| ,„. v.ImVI, is ,1,,.'
'■-' '•l.n,,,.,|, „„„,,,, „„. ,..,.,, „,■„„.. „,„„„..,,„„^,.
'"■■I-^- lM"'-i, :,., il ,li,| ,,|„.M i, r,,,,„.,| |,,,l
sii.ip.' di.,s,.,i r,,i- ivi,iiii,ii„.,
I till' E
:-i- "lit (.r cipiiiiiiii,,,.,,! [,,
''"■'■^ ""'"'«""'■■"•■■ 'J-l- l-.k l,..,s 1 „ „„„|,.n,i.,.,|
'""""■'■'■ ■"■-l'l"n<.v,.r low, .,s.„.lt„nvl.s|,.|-, „,„,„.;
f :""'•' *•'■'"'■'■- ''iu-.T-.^ -i n„„„s iM ,i,u I,,;.
b-X.hv,.||i,,,„„,|,..Av„nl,,,„k,wl„.,-,.,|,..s,.,.,„l,u,l.s
<'l ^11- IIk.iiws Lilcv slill ,-|l,i,l,..
''■'"• ''"■^' ^i"»- "I' Niivar,,,..! i.s ,li..,.|,|.„i,„i„... 1,
^ 7'" "-'--1 inli,-,l,i,,,n,s, ,l„i„,. ,, ,,,i.|, ^,,,,,.. i„
''''"'■"• '""■ ""'^' """ "■ till, l.r, „„ |,.,,vi„., tl„. \v.„-
;■';■'' '■'""' ""' ■^''""' '"'■ •■' " I'il I .I- ,m,„l .M.„„.
''■■"'i^->no,ut,...M,„x.l,...0,„ih l.y Si,- Hudi CI.,,,,.,,,
'■' ti- H't-„.i, ..„„„,.. SI„|...,„,,,,.i,;,,,^..,.,|,,,^,
^^'.v.s „,ay .,lt..„ l,,,v,.. .t„.„l ,1,..,,, ,„„, ,,,t,.|.„,.
2(Hi
STIi A r F< > I { I )-(> N - A \'( ) \ 'l'( >- 1 ) A V.
It: 'I
••Til.' Ii>li
T'lit u itli Ih'I' j^'-iildi II liar- tlif >ihi r -ticaiii.'"
But Ills Inotpiiiits air still iiiuic ajipai'ciit upon thv
i)atli ihrou'ih thr ticlds that lead t<> Sl!<itli'i'\-. Where
was once wild jiastui'i' or Inxui'iaiit uiidrr^-i'ow tli tlirro
arc now nu'adows and whcat-liclils : the stt'}>pinn-
stoncs that crosscfl the hindk have liccii ti'ansrornifd
into a rustic hrid-'v and an uj-K' cidNcrt, )>nt the
poppies and the corn-lloweis know no (•han;;(' oi'
• h'nastv.
There is no evidence that Anne llathawa\' vvvr
4
li\'ed in the cotta^'i' called alter her. heyond the Tact
that it was in her time a substantial i'arndiouso
occu[)ied hy a raniily of her name : hut one prefers to
l)elieve that William an*! his sweetheart reallv did sit
on the settle heside the hiii" ehinniev up which we can
see tlie skv -that the oM I'ui'niture. hed. an.d beddinii'
reallv did helonn' to Mistress Anne: and when her last
li\in<i' dt^scendant. aiJt'd einhtv or more, ii'ives us a
spriii' <^'l^ rort^('t-me-not fi'om her old-lashioned e'arden,
we cherish it as I'ondlv as it' it had indeed been ii'row-
inii' thei'e since 1 ')S'2.
That indefatigable in\estiii'ator, .1. O. Halliwell-
IMiillipps, tells us that tlie dairy of tlie cottai^'e is the
part wliich has suttered least from the liand of the
oil tlv.'
\Vl».-re
■,l'(»nn«'<l
l.iit On'
av ever
tlu' Vact
nulumse
,n'l\'rs to
V (VkI sit
1 \v(' i";ni
iH'fMiui;"
I lun- last
vcs us a
1 canU'n,
>eii gi'OW-
iHalUwi'H-
nc is the
u«l ol' the
o
(!».-.<!)
14
^^^^^^'^■gi rm m * 9*\ ' 'im i— w i - «.i B >-< n ?» »
u^
i
I
«TnATn„MM)X-AV()X T()-I)AV. 200
•^ " '" '' 'n.'pl.-Kv Mii.i t•||||,,|,..^•
lliiVl' hern ;|(|«|r.l.
''''"■ " '■<"il,..n„.,|,..,,|,.,.M,„k,.| w„Ml.n,.. ,„„.
ol tl,,. r,.»- |,l,„,.s i„ ,s,r,ul'„nl , Sl,,,l<,.sp,...„v ,„i..|,i
>v-,Mi.,. sl,„ul,M„. ..,„■,. ,„ .vvisi, ...l,,. ,li,„,,s,.^r
""■ " ■ "'■ """I'l '— ■"!"•'■ II..' l«Tio.li,.,,l ,.„„..
'"" "'■ '''^ """^'- ^ill'-'-" ^" ir.v.si ■ |„.,.,|s
';' '••■■'"'■ '■' ' ■■'" ""• -"„,■ ,.,„„„|, ,,nv,.„ i,v
<l--r.s .s..,„.o,.lv l,.s.s wil.l i„ ,,,,,„.,,, .„ ^^., ,,,;,
'"'''''"' "^'--iNl.s ,i .s,.„,,s,,.,l„.l,„l,. ,•„„„.
"" ' •■" '■■■'!'-"■ • Tl„.n. is ,,„ |.:ii.,,l„.,| 1
'"■'"■"''■'■' '"•■■"■ ''■"l-r M,-,rl<,,. l;,„ uv I,..,..„
' -'' "'"'">• '•-"■ ' -l.y S„ ,. „|,„,,. , ,,
■■'," '""'""'"'■•I -"-viv.-il „(• ,|,„ ,i, „„, ,,.„„„.^. „„^^.
AM.Tnmn .)oI,„ Sl,„|...sp,.,.,.„, ^l,,, „,s,,l ,,;,,, „r i, r,,
I- 'i«-,.iii„j, ,u„i ,i„. ,„s, r„, i,i. ,,,„,, ,„„, „,„^.^,
ti'a<]('.
«i"0(. tl„. n„.,„,„i,,l J„l,il,„. ov,.,\vl,i,.l, (;,.,m..|<
I'-"W i" I7.i!., ,|,i.s l,„i|,|i„„. ,,,,„ ,„.,.„ |..,^.
-eo.,nV.,I as ll„,. ,„•,,,,,,,.,, ,- ,.,„. „.„.,,^.^, J^
A.l.,o,nin. ],„„s,.s Iw.v,. !,..,.„ ,,„||,.,, ,,„„,, ,„ ,„^^„,, j,^^,
'l.-''.f,a-.-f..omti.v,an,li,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, |,,,v,,, „,,,„„,„,
"« .".-.ny us possible „f the. llow,Ts Sl,,,l<,.sp..,.nv k,„.w
•111(1 luved.
lollsc
II
210
STIJATF()1U)-()N-AV()X TO-DAV
ill
n
I'Jitcritli;' tlll'oll^ll till' jtdl'cll ;ll IIk' <1< m ii'\\;i\', Wt"
lilltl ()U1-Sfl\cs ill a j-oolil wiili ;i wiilr lircpljicr. ;il|(l ;l
low (•(•ilill^• l»;irri'<l with soliil o.-ik Ix'.-iin.s. This m'.-is
tlic kitchi'ii. ( ]• r.iiiiily li\ iii^-ri k .m. ol' Mistress Mniy
Sh.'ik't'sjx'arc : .mimI the llooiiuM' is ol' sloiic trnm Ihi-
iiati\(' W'ihiM'Cotc. 'I'd tin- ri-lit a (jiKir oprns into
wliat wci'c lici- Imshainls husinrss prcinisfs. user] until
i'«'('c;it I V .'IS an inn, the Swan aii<l Maiijiiihrad. hut
now ;i lihi'ai-y .'iml iiiitscuiii t'oi- tlif saiV keeping' ol'
iiiaiiv iiitcn'stini'' Shakcspcai-ian rdics. Tlici'c, for
('.\ani[>l(', is the only letter lej'l which was wi'itteii
to the ])!'('( — a re<|nest I'oi' the Inan oi" C-»(). fi'oiii
Kichard <^Miincy. whose son Thoinas al'tei-warfls niai'-
rie(l ,lu<iith Shakespeare.
llair a (lo/ell steps take us (loWll Im'IoW the kitC'lli'll
to the cellai-, which our statulard authoritv iiiToi'ms
us is the only part of the house that looks as it diil
when the Shakespeares Wel'e ali\e.
A two-stoi'y huiMiiii;' was ot' souie ('onse<|Uencc
at that time, and this one ^\•as diNicled into three
tenements, in the centre one oL' which is the
ii|)per chamlxT held sacred as tile l)irth])lace ol'
William Shakespeare. Sacrilii;'eous scr!i)l)lers in
I'ormei' years contri\e(l to ccxcr walls and eeiliui''
w'itli tlu'ir insiL^nilicant auto^Taphs. though thei-e
■AV. Wt'
'Ills WHS
.s Mary
t'lis iiilo
-,<•(! until
cpiuL;' <>
I'
^ wriltfu
:](). from
livds mar-
kiu-1i<ii
ini'nniis
IS it <li<l
l>S,M|ll"U('l'
.ilo three
is the
\]>la('t' oi;
.irU'Vs ill
ixl erilin.L;'
11. 'h tlKTi;
(
n
i
if
STUATFORD-OX-AVOX TO-DAY.
21.S
ciiv some famous names amoncr tliem. Sir Walter
Seott scratched his siunatiire with a diamond on
the window-pane.
Joan Hart, tlie poets sister. Vnx'i] here, probably
rent-free, untd her death, aiul the property did not
pass out of the hands of her descendants until tlic
hist one died, in l80(j.
It is ],ut a short walk eastward aIon<;- Henley
Street to the turn faein-- the spot where the market-
cross used to he in Iliuji Street, which changes its
name further on to Chapel Street. At the corner of
this thorouohfare and Cl.apel Lane we look in vain
for the handsome structniv which Sir John Clopton
built upon the foundations of Xe^^- pi.-i^e. It was
pulled down in 17.5!) by order of the owner, Rev.
Francis Gastrell, who objected to bein- taxed for a
Jiouse in which he did not reside nor took any per-
sonal interest, and in whieh the travelling pu],lie took
too nuich. He had previously cut down the nnilberry
tree planted by Shakespeare himself, because its over-
han-ino- branches mad. his rooms damp, and it was, at
any rate, in a decayin- condition. A new tre<" has
been raised from a slip of the old one: but of the
former oivat house of the villa^v there ren.ain but
the stonework of an old well and a few scraj.s of
2U
STIJ ATFOIID-ON-AVON To- DAY.
i'(>uii"lati«)ii-\v;ill, cari riilly )»i()l('cl<'<l I'loiii oNcr-zt'ulnus
sisitors hy wire sci't'cns.
.Ml". I lalliwcll-l'liillijtps, i1ii-()Ul;1i wlinsi' cxcilioiis tlio
•••ar'lriis lia\c Ih-ch icsIoimmI to sdiiiclliiii"' like llu'ii'
I'oniirr |»laii. ami tin' \\liolr estate ])urcliasc<l for tlic
nation ill lN(il,says in tlir |»r('t'a('(- to liis Nahiabli'
*■( )utliii<'s'": ■•'Hie rciiiains ol' New Place arc typical ol'
the IVa^'iiiciits of tlic jHTsonal liistory ol" Shakespeare
which lia\e hitherto heeii (lisco\-ere(l."' He was
neither courtier nor ])olitician, hut a nieiiiher ol* a
(lesj)ise(l profession, ami not the .sort of man to have
a Hoswel! ai his heels takiim- down data for posterity,
nor of the kiml .so enotistical as to write an auto-
l)ioi;raphy. After all, we know more of him than we
do of an\' of his liteiarv or theatrical eonteniporaries.
'I'he (Jreat j-'ire of London in ItKK) must ha\e burned
ni) man\' interestiiu'' documents relatiim' to them all.
Shakespeare hel<l two sittings in the (luild iMiaptd
across the way from New IMace. and four centiu'ies
old ill his time. 'J'hat stoliil sipiare tower could, if it
would, tell iiianx' tales of the fdlk that passed throimh
the main entrance in C'liajxl Lane into the cotn-tyard
of .New IMaci' : or. ;4oinL;' farther hack, could ^U'ive
anecdotes ahout N'ouni:' Wills dailv attendance under
the pent liouse-roof of the a<ljoinin^" (iuild Hall.
m< 1
alous
IS the
llu'ir
luabk'
cal ol'
spoaro
J was
• of a
) have
stciitv,
auto-
m wr
rarii'S.
mriK'd
, all.
Miaprl
I il" it
irtvar<l
«
(I i;iv«'
under
1.
H
ii
lb )
k
f r
I
STI!ATFORD-OX-AV().\ TO-DAV. 217
A i„o,|rn. trilino- l,i,l,.s tl,u rnhv,-» o( tli,' „1,|
«-lH,ol,-oo,n, Imt tlR. Iiij;!,, snmll win.l.nv. air tl,o.se
tlu-onol, wliicli the l,oy ,Slml<,..sp,.a,v w,„>M v,.inly try
to };vt a j;li,np.se of tli,. oiiloi- sti-oet if li,. .s,,t ,,1 tlio
ki.Ml or Ion- desk prc«mc.,l as Ins own i„ the birtl,-
Washinotou Irvinos visit to this Wnrwieksliiiv
slH-iiio, wl.ic'h hr (l,.sei-ilK.s so happily in "The Skutcli
Book," is iH.oinuin.- to h,- historic', and i\w ,-ooni 1r'
occupi.,1 at th. IU,\ Mors. Jnn is siill shown to the
troop or Anu'rican tnivrllrrs wh,, havr lollmv,.! hin.
Some or thrso, and a r.w <,r th.-ir Kn;,lish cousins,
l'.<vo oroct.<l a n.m.onal tlirativ, ninsmn., library, and
pictuiv-o,,ll..,v con.hinol, which will I,, n.oiv in har-
iHony witli th.. t<»wn thivc hund.vd y.-ars In-ncr, when
time ],as toned down its vivi.I red l„id<. TJie best
tliiii- about it at present is tlw view iVon. the o-arden
that reaches to the Avon bank, or the world-reiLvned'
Church of tile Holv Trinitv.
Music soars throu.j, its open, pointed windows, and
the entrance of a solitary spectator does not disturl)
curate or clioristers at their arternoon service. It is
well to be obliged to pause and a<ln,ire the perpen-
tlieular (lothic architecture, the decoration or win.W
and cornice, the carved stone basin, badly broken down
2IS
ST I : A r n > i ; i )-( > n - a v < > n r< >- 1 > a ^'.
;it niic siilc. wliicli (tiicc lirM ihr \\;(i<i' willi wliicli
|)c|ii;i|)S Sli;lkf.s|»r;ir,' W.'IS clll-islrlicil. I ill ll|c last Alllt'll
has sduikIiiI an*! tlir last surplice <lisaji[)»'aic(|. 'I'Ih ii
one a«l\aiiccs willi ic\<'i'('iit steps t<t til'' cliaiici'l.
wlh-rt' ail (>|(| li'i'i'V ^;l^llle in tli" IImdi- mafks tli<' sj)iit
wliel'e Shakespeai'e was lMlfie(|. Tile lettering' oil it
is liai'"l In I'eail. l»ul we know tlir lines: —
" ( 1( inil tic ml. \i 'V .li'-l|> Mlki I'cil 1 ii',;li'
Ti ' i\\'j:j: I 1m' ilii~t I'lirli i;i--i(l Inari' :
I'lli'-Ic lie tllf in.'lll (ll.ll -|);irr. tlio -tnUf-.
Ami ciii-t 1m' lie that iiiuM-. ms Ijnm >."
It W.MS iiol a dn-afl of reiiioxal to \Ve^;tiiiinslei' Al)l)i'\'
tlial inspired tlieiii. l)nl a I'cai' lliat in course of linic
tile l)i)iu's woukl l)e lluni;' into tile puMic cliarncl-liousc
{'.) make i(» iin lor otliers.
Durini'' this cenlurw wlicn a ncii'libotirini:' \ault
was Iteiiii^' opeiiol. a loyal old sexton kept watt'li l"oi-
two da\s to i)rc\'ent an\' i)r\ini'' throu'di tlic aix-r-
tui'c accidentally made in Sliakespear.' s toml) : l)Ut
lie peeped tln'oU^ll llillisell' to see llotliilllJ,' liUt dust.
Close at liand lies Anne, wlio ■■ did earnestly desii-e
to l)e laid in tlie same L;r;>\e witli liei- Inisljaml : and
on the otlier side ol" Sliakespeaie repose Ills daui^liter
Susanna and her liusliand. Dr. Hall, as well as
Tliomas Xisli. the lirst liushand ol" tlieir daiiiihtei'.
lllcli
UIU'U
oil il
f liiiM'
-lloUsr
\auU
It'll Inr
I) : l)Ul
.lust.
(lc>-ir*'
; "" Jili'l
ul;1i1''V
vll as
III -il iter.
..•*.
'^r<:vM
i.'*'.
^f'-j
^■v*W - fV i*! j'*i.<J -l^jr. ,>i3Si{fc'v,
I'.r.sT OK .siiAKi>rr..\i;i; i.\ riii;
sTK STliiUb-
1 111 1,1 II .Ji 1 II i: 11(11. V I i.iMi V,
i)N- A\ iiV.
It '.
(N
\
. \
4 1
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.sri!.\T|.,.|il.-(.N-AVo\ TO-DAV. oo,
''■'"■ ' '■" '■"""■'• ■■""I ""■ll-'-"-n.,|.,„l„l„sl,„n,.,|
'"""■'■'""■'■''■■■""I ^'1- I'- y,,,,,,,,.,. ,|,„„l,t,.,., ,l,„|i,|,
'''. ■■'■ '""' '"■'■ t"i"-l'.-H„.,- ll,„„n,, ,li,.,| ,,„r„,„
'"' '"""■'■ '""' ■^'""^■i'^"" l-.>l pr in,.,,,.,. <„ I,,,,,.
""'';7'''''^- ^•■'' '''■''--••■-'! ',is ,..,,v,. is ,,..,,,,,,,;,
OMPol tl,. „,,,„y „„„,„,„.,l in tl„. ,.|,„,.c|,va,..l
, '" ""• "■■'" ■■''■"- I"-- .^'•-,. is rl„." l,„s( „r tl,„
'.'■;"7"':' '■.-•"-'••> ■I'.i.n.so,,, „..,„„ ,„,,i..,- ,,,,„
,1,
''-•«■'■ 1-Hl-iy .Is,, I,,,,, o,,i,M,i,,,,,,,|,,,,;.,^^^^^^^^
'^'- "■M'.vssi,,,, 0,1,,,, |V,„„,|,„ ,,,,„,,■,„.,.. Tl„. ,„„.(,.,
'■''"''""' •^"•^' ' "Mil, ,,t wl,„s,. ,.,,,„,„„ i, „.,,
,t
'I'll' iiii.l |,l,.,e,.,| w|„.|.,. li
ii'iv,- st,„„is scv,.,, \-,.,.,|.H
';'•'■'•. ''-• '■•"l-- 'l.'.Ul,. n w,.,s a ,,,,i„t,.,l \,nst
;'"•"■'""" ""■" i„-,i,. ,„„i I,,,,,.,,, i,„.,| ,.^,,^ ^,.,,;
'" ;7"^ •"■•"■^ '" '■-^•"■'- ' >nVi:,,,l c.„l .i„„. ,,1,
•;""-■■" a s„oe...ss. X.-v,.,.tl„.l...ss, ,l„. ,„,,,,„,,,, „r
"" '7'' •-'''-■■ '''-t i.oii., "a,,,, u,i,,,,,,^,,,,,;,,,^,,;
;"■" ti'" -I,- .„,ti„.„,ie ,K„.tn,its of ,si,,,i..s,K....... ti;:;,
'■""'""" """"•«• '•■'l";v ,.n„„<;.l, his „„„„„„.„,,
')•)•)
STI{ATF()|{I)-()\-AV()N T()-I)AV.
}i|»|M';irs. lull \\^^' ('.111 cclin till' wor'Is ol Millon's
(•|)it;i[)li : —
if
hi
W'liiit iifids my SlMl<r-pt;irc I'm lii.> IkiiiouiiiI In hi.-'.'
'I'lir lalinlir (if ;in ■A'J<- ill pll' 'I •"l.:!''.?
( M' tli.'ii lii> li;ill<>\\< •! i'i'li<|iii'-. >liMii|i| III jiii]
I'liijir ;i -.till > jitiiiit ill/ |i\ I ;iliiii| '.'
Ih-ai'-^nii iif liiiiiinry, '^yii\\ In ii i if f;iini',
\N'li;it 111 1 1 1"- 1 tliii\i -IK 1 1 uiiiK w iiiii -■• nf t liv 1 1; I nil".'
'riioii in iiiir u'ii)ii|)'i' iiii'l ii-i<iiii-liiiii lit
Mast iiiiilt thystlf n li\ilniiu- iiinininniit.
I'lir u liilst tn tin' >liaiiii' nf -Inu i '11(11 asm nil i<,' art
Thy easy nimilicis How, and that each In ail
Hath fidiii till' leaves (if tli\- iniNaliied 111 (ik
Thosf |)e||iliic lilies with d'tp iiii|ii c-sidiis l(ni|< ;
'I'lieii tlimi, (iiir fancy df itx If liei( a\ iii;^',
I )(ist make lis marl lie with too ii inch cdiic'eis ii|i_' ;
And so se|ml('hre(l in Mich jhhhii dost lie,
That, killv:?^, f'T siicli a toiiili. wmild \vi>h to die."
Good frend for Iesvs ^ake: for be. a re,
TO Dice THE DVST ENCLOASED hEARL^
Ble:se bE|Y man i 5pare5"he5 stones:
AND CVrIt be «. ^ MOVES HY BONES*
INSCHiri ION (iN slIAKEspKAUK S (.UAVK.
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