Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-07-28
From the Boston Courier.
Shakespeare Il Man of Business.

Shakespeare. in poetry is stamped uTon the
memory Of mankind; but how few of us have
ever conceived the notion of Shakespeare in bu-
siness ?-the author Of Hamlet and Otlello-
the mighty magician. whose potent spells con-
iured M Ariel and Puck. the Weird Sisters. and
the phantoms of Richards tent-have mankind
ever iho't Of him as buying and seilng--mak-
ing bargains for good penny-worth, looking
out for the main chance, securing the odd half
penny in a reckoning, nay. suing his d'H'ors for
what they owed him ? Such thoughts we are
not prone to indulge when lingering over the
pa yes OF the mighty bard, yet the mighty bard
was a man to do all these things. Nature"
said the profound philosopher, Jonathan the
coachman, to Corporal Trim, Obadiah and Su-
sauna. us nature SO say we.
A Life of Shakespeare has been recently pub
li-hed in England by "A Mr.. lIalwel, who, a
monr other researches, made the most minute
examinations of all the public and private docu-
mcnts of Stra,ford and Avon to which he could
obtain access. lie has rought TO light many
circumstances, minute in themselves. bat nj Oh
Is curious as connected with the life, character,
and pur-u of the great poet. Some Of these
would apparently justify the cynical remark
that
Shakespeare. whom you and every playhouse bill
Style the divne--thc matchrss-whnt You VIII,
The b ard of Avon makes new figure in
these accounts as an unrolnan'ic man OF bust
ness. a slrrwd ecouom-, and prudent inprovel
of hi. property. Il is quite evident that he die
not scatter his guinea- to the right aid left ii
the same reckless prodigality with which he
Ilavished upon the world his treasures of poetic
thought What if the Strat'urd Courier or Dai
" Advertiser of tina, day had come TO US? W.
are not positive that such publications did thel
actually issue FROM the banks of the Avon bu
had this been the case, how would our wonder
Ing eyes have been struck by some such para
graph as the following, in the business col
umns" Of one of these sheets -
NOTICE
All person- indebted the subscriber either by not
or account, hereby requested TO make lnimeiiat
payment or their accounts VIII be lett with an altoI
ney tor collection. -
6priu WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
If Shakespeare did not write this, it was be
cause there were no newspapers to advertise il
Bat that he would have done something of tn
kind, had the means and appliances existed
seems pretty evident from what we can lear
respecting his habits of business.
Shakespeare. in fact, was a business man. an
could make a btrgain that would have done ho'
nr 10 the ihrIit.95i trader abru' Eastchesp
Tower Hill. Alder he had written these III
mortal dramas, which can only perish with II
English language, he retired to Strat!ord al
became trader in SioHe, mall and earn. In Il
n year subsequent to his purchase of New Plac
59s, scarcity of corn gave the inhabitants
StratfUrd some apprehensons OF a famine. a
account was taken of all the corn and malt
the town, whether owned by strangers "
+ townsInen. Our poet seems TO have been
mong those who were the best supplied with Il
materials for bread aud beer; for it was stat
! in the returns that there were not twenty pc
sons who had more than he. The books reco
his name and stock thus:
"Wm, Shakespeare, X. quarters"
r In the same year he sold load of stone to
corporation of Stratiord for tenpence. In 10
he brought an action al law against one PM
Rogers, for one pound, fifteen shillings and te
; pence. =" for malt sold and delivered to him
several times" This is not the most unpoe
cal fact that has come to light, for IN l6O9
sued one John Aldrnbrooke for debt j
delinquent absconded, and the man OF law III
ing made his report" Non est Htem, MIRA
eriai, hujas burgi' Shakspeare-what do y
think. gentle reader? Shakespeare struck up
w the bill, one Thomas llorneby We wonde
poor liorneby turned upon him with a quo
rs ton about Shylock and the pound OF flesh.
Some people may look upon those matters
euriousy. To sell load of stone for tenpen
aud pocket the money, may appear strar
y tihpg to be done by him who described the clio
- capt towers, the gorgeous palaces, and the
e,nn temples. To squeeze three pounds
S"''ilngs out Of poor Tom lIorneby, who
IFS, endorsed Tor his neighbor, may not seem
cohsfoen, with the pathetic spirit that predo
mates IN the picture OF Lear who gave all to