The New York herald., 1874-09-06
Americans in England at the Birthplace
of the Poet DramatiSt.
PLEASANT MEMORIES AT THE SHRINE.
"Giving a Gentle Kiss to Every
Sedge."
An Interesting -ssWho
Wrote Shakespeare p,

love Tor him next TO the English. 1t Is no. su
prising, therefore, that after having exhausre
the gayeties and the commercial wonders of tt
metropolis, one Of their first visits should be
the little Warwickshire town where he was porI
and where he died, and to the lovely surroundin
country which, more than any other part OF tn
island, il associated with his boyish freaks an,
escapades OF his man days. work. In WARWICK
shire are situated not merely Stratford-upon-Avon
which may be looked upon as the ShaKespearian
hub, but Kenworth surrounded by the rich
halo OF romance by Sir Walter Scott
Coventry with it's memories Of Peeplng
Tom and Lady Godiva gracefully
resuscitated by Tennyson; Rugby, whose far-famed
school has produced so many famous men Lean.
ington. one OF our most fashionable spas, and
Warwick ITSELF with It's castle, fbat fairest nlonu-
ment," Scott calls 1t, ''of ancient and chival-
rOus splendor," which yet remains uninjured by
time; though since Scott wrote q disastrous fire
inflicted upon it some injury, which, under the
sk1lful hands OF another Scottish Gilbert, the
great archltec-is now most successfully restored.
Access to these places is easy they all lie either
on the main line or on connecting arteries of the
Great Western Railway, within a couple OF hours
ride of London.
AT sTRATFoRD-uPoN-AvoN.
The tourists steps Will probably be first bent
pleasant old town, so thoroughly English in its
character. he will find excellent accommodation
at the Red Horse, clean, quaint. old-fashioned
inn, in which Shakespeare himself might have
tarred, and which very probably served him as
model for that famous hOstelry where the two car
riers stopped on the night OF the Mad Princes ex-
pedition to Gadshill The birthplace OF the poet
is a small building, OF humble but ancient appear
ance, situated in Henley street. board, which
formerly stood over the projecting window on the
ground nOor, bearing this inscription, 1.-The immor-
tai shakespeare was born in this house, has been
removed. The house, humble though 1t now ap-
pears, must at one time have been Of some i'm
portance. AS was common in ancient days IL was
subdivided, though the exact date when this was
done is not known. One half OF 1t was known as
Maidenhead Inn in !642; the other half was long
used as butcher shop, and was divided about 1907
into two parts, the shop and dwelling house. 1t
is in the half originally used as a butcher shop
that, according TO the universal tradition OF the
town, the greatest poet the world has ever known
was born. Bequeathed IN his Will by the poet to
his sister Joar the wife OF William Hart the build
ing remained IN possession OF the Hart family till
1906 when 1t was sold to Thomas Court the landlord
OF the Maidenhead Inn. In 1S47 the house was put
up Tor sale, when, in consequence OF a powerful
appeal made to the feelings OF the nation by the
public press, prompt and vigorous measures were
undertaken to this inestimable relic as pub
tic property, and 1t was purchased by the agents
Of the fund for little more than G., ,oo0 Shake
speare's house is thus the property Of the English
nation and another fund. raised in 1851, and the
admission fee OF sixpence each person. provides
Tor its proper preservation and repair. Passing
through the room on the ground floor, a somewhat
bare and dreary apartment, the visitor climbs
winding wooden staircase into the room
where Shakespeare was born-a low cell
nged, small Widowed ROOM toerably well
Oiled with ancient furniture, with huge Eliza
betnan fireplace and with rough whitew washed
walls, on which white space now, however, can
scarcely be seen between the million autographs
pencilied over them by pilgrims and strangers.
*'These autographs" says Washington Irving, in
his charming paper on Stratford in the "Sketch
Book" present a simple and striking instance of
the spontaneous and universal homage OF man
kind to the great poet OF nature.v The signature
OF the great American author himself and that OF
Sir Walter Scott are invariably pointed out to
visitors, and on other parts OF the walls and in
the visitors book will be found autographs OF
many OF the most illustrious men and women of the
age. The panes OF the little window, too, are
scratched all over with the names OF visitors. In
the adjoining room t fine oil portrait OF shake
Bpeare, presented by the late Mr.. W. o. Hunt
Town Clerk OF Stratford who devoted his life to
the collection OF Shakespearian miscenanea; and
In another portion OF the house is museum OF
Shakespearan relics, containing copies Of The
oldest editions OF the poets works now extant
and everything illustrative OF his life and OF the
time IN which ne lved. No tradition points out
the room III New Place. the house which he subse-
qnently occupied, where Shakespeare died, and
some lines IN allusion TO this TACT written on
the wall OF The brtDroom IN 1921, but have long
since been obliterated. They run as lolows:-
THE POETIC CHRONICLE.
1he mighty shakeSpeares birth the
Useless the sesrch-ior all immortal he,
Ane those who are immortal never die.
In Che rear OF the house the garden. a quaint
ola pieasannce, caIeiuay Kept and planted with
Shakespeare. whicn viii not be dif1cult for the
lanciiul mind to depict.
Turn we now TO New Place the site OF shake.
speareS residence during the latter part of his
lie. He purchased the mansion which formerly
stood here In 1897, when ne was only thirty three
years OF age, and here he died in 1915. Although
Jew traces OF the original building now remain,
the ground on wnlcn IL stood has been pur-
chased for the public and Is wen Kept; a
large mulberry tree which had been planted by,
ionaed, to Macklln and Garrick in l74,.
After SIR Hugh's death, in 1851, this property
purchased BY the Rev. Francis Gastrell, who, TAX
ing umbrage at the number OF visitors desiring to
see the house and grounds which possess such
tree to be cut down and the house razed 70 the
ground. The rage OF the Inhabitants was so great
At this act OF vandalism tnat the ic0noclastic d.
vine had to leave Stratford in the dead OF the
night amid universal rage and curses.
THE POETS GRAVE.
To us. however, the memorial OF Shakespeare by
far exceeding the birthplace In interest Is the
grave in the parish church. The church Itself, q
structure OF unusual beauty, with an exquisitey
tapering spire, Is approached through thick ave-
nue. OF lovely lime trees, while the deep, silent
Avon meanders past It's chancel windows. In the
fabric, is the grave OF Shakespeare. 1t Is o rev
PAGES nom the wall In front OF nts famous monu-
ments which stands about five feet from the
ground The grave Is covered over BY plain
uagstone and bears the well known Inscription -
Good frend, for Jesus sake forbeare
10 dgge the dust encloased here.
Bleste be ye man vt spares thes stones,
And ourst be he vt moves my bones.
The monumental bust, supposed to be the only
really trustworthy and original representation OF
the poet, 10 placed under an arch between two
Corinthian columns OF black marole. The bust Is
the size OF lie, ana Is painted over In imitation Of
nature. The hands and face are OF flesh color the
eyes OF light hazel, the hair and beard auburn.
- A,,r laf nrc Ia arIat