, 1879-03-29
SHAKESPEARE.

Ills Legal Requirements.
LEXINGTON. KY, hfnryh 19.-To The Editor Of
the Lossiseius dge: In your eighth number q
writer attempts to show the abstrdity Of deny
Ing tint Shakespeare wrote the plays attributed to
him. lie says: "Thoso who advocate this no.
tion must do 80 for the purpose Of displaying
their ingenuity, Oh. perhaps they do 80 because
subjects are scarcc." No goes on 10 auote from
Ben J0nson to prove that Shakespeare was I'm
author" We'll might he have been Inn au-
thor,n md yet he may not have written The plays
attributed to him. Tint he composed "Vcnusnnl
Adonls," and seYeral other pieces Of the sumo
stamp, I havo little doubt; but fiayo always
been puzzled to account lor the wonderful legal
knowledge cvinced in the plays. The uso Of
legal techncalttics is so frequent md ntcurate
AS to point strongly to tfal'lcd and sklllful
lawyer Us their author.
In tho "Co,ncdy OF Errors re have a
dialogue between Anttpholus Of Svraeust aud bis
man Uronsio, In Act H., sccne2
. Dro. s. There's no tlmo Tor man to rscovsr Ills
haiF that grows Dald BY nature. ....
At. s, May he not DO II BY fne and rfe9ysu u
Dro H. fes t. PR ass aos pot"'s a7"
Though THIS Is mere jcsttng, 1t shows that the
author was familiar with some OF tho most nb-
strl,ao proceedings in English jurisprudence.
Agatnia Act w., scene 2, Adrfana usks Dromto
ofSvratu.e, .sWhrro Is thy master, Dromto Is
hc welil "nnd Uronaio replies:
.'N0, he's in Tartnr limbo, worse than hell.
devil In mn everlasting garment hath him,
wsose srx ssa sfS nfess Sa up with
wolf; nay, .wosae, 4 fellow all in buff:
back-tfiend. shuu'dcF. .elapppc'' ono that coun'
The passages md alters creeks and narrow lands;
hound that runs counter. aud yet draws dry foot
One TINT bs}ors the udqmeat carries poor soul. 10
4s tss %Hy; nsa x1s. ns mss ,s >,>,
Adr. What. Is he arsested' Toll me ut whose
Dro. S. know not at whose suit ho u arrested,
But hoe IN a su!t Of bnff which rested him.
that can tell.
Adr. That wonder ae: - .....
TEL me, was be M aIsestcd on bonaf
Dr0 Het ho1n or eoga eqt OH stronger thing
Hero is u full, detailed, a1ul grani,tc account
OF I'm arrest In EuE1alid op MeSHe process T. he-
fore 5udgnent y IN an action On ~ ea*s fof the
bun.balliil, in his bulr costume. md carrying
his prisoucr to Il bponging-4ousc.
III "1'ile Merry Wives Ut Windsor" we have
another evidcnce Of legat learning which Shak-
spense could haEy ; hays ,y asqrod In Ast Il!
Brqok, tries to induea falssag'to assist hin, In
his intrigue With Hrs. F1rtf, md statcs that,
from all tho trouble and money hshad bestowed
upon her. lie had had no beneficial return, wo
hare the following question Mnd answer;
raj, OF what quality was your lovo, then' .
Ford. Liko fnir house built upon nnothcr man =
ground; 30 that tots my edtfcs BY a,lstdk-
ing the place 9hers I<reettaA.
Here is cyiuccd knowledge Of real pronerty,
| A wrEtur unfamiliar with law would suppose
that II, by tnfstuke, q 1Mn builds fms house On
the lind OF anotter when he discovers hts error
I've Will be permitted to remove all the materials
Of the structure, an'l particularly the tnar!lc
pillars ans! carved chttnpeypieccs With which liz
has adorned H.; but tic writer of tlIu play knew
better. lie was aware that, beinE fixed to the
frecho!d. tic absolute property III them belonged
to tho owllor OF thu soil, nnd hu rccolectea the
maxim, Eujus el 4o'H,a, tjs ct nQne aa etr,,tn,.
Afterwards In tho sgcGnt scenu Of tho fourtl.
! net, this dialogue occurs:
.urs. Page III lsaye the cudEct halawcd and hung
Ger ths altar; It hath dono mer'
| st0r!nua service.
Mr.. Ford. What think your May. VIC, with the
| ~arraat Of wo,annho.d. and the
r1fak:s Of Eo'n conscience. pus.
| sMt him with farther rsyengei
Ars. Pag<t The spirit Of wantonness ~, sure,
| sacred aud u4t 0t him: II thu
| devil have him nut IL fte simple,
NTH Nag and rtcottrY, he Will
| nesur, ! think. In The WY OF
waste, attempt us again.
| Here this Merry wife VI Windsor is supposed
to know tllat tho Highest estate which this devil
ytuld mold IN any Of ILLS ylvtsMH was fte sfHlple
strcuethed by ,}4ac aud recovery.
't'rlle Merchant ot Venleo" contains many
uoro Illustrations of tho lega requirements vi
the author, whoever ho was; but cno.gll have
been introduced to show that whouyGr wrote
them lial All accurate knowledge Of the tcellnl
calitlcs 10 well a. the general urlnelplcs Ut En-.
gl!sh Inv. Lon! Campbell. WHO discusses the
subject ut length, snys that. "Whllo nnycl!sts
M,nl dramatlsts arc constantly making mistakcs
"a to thu law u marriage, Ut wills, nlld lnhcr'
ttancc,-to Stnkspenrefa law, layishly rs hc pro
pounds it., there ean be neltlIer demurrer, no,
ILL Ut exceptions, nor writ Ut crror.n
Shakespeare may have teen, a. Lurd CampLei
Intit,ptus, an RttornuY's clerk; but au attoricy's
clerk could hardly have acquired - profound
knowledge OF lhe profession. l wouitt like
n4er Ills LII faY0t nf tla