New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
THE RECORD OF FIFTY YEARS
"REMINISCENCES OF A JOURNALIST.
BY CHARLES T. CoNGroN.
XXVIlI.
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON.

XVIII.
STRATFORD-UPON-AV
SITUATION AND PFCULIARITIES OF TEE TOWN
sHorTERY-THE woo!NG OF ANNE HATHAWAY
THE COTTAGE IN WHICH SHE REsIDFD-THE
CHURCH IN WHICH SHAKESPEARE is BURIED
THE SERVICE THERF-THE ROCKS AID THE
cuURCUYARD sHAKEsPEAREAN GOSSIP AND
MEMORIES.
Ihad grave doubts about going to Stratford-
upon Avon, partly because, 1t did so, was
sure of certain disillusiOns, and partly because
it is never best TO work up e9thuSGas&ns & VIII W
purpose prepense. But had a ounoay 70 "
snare, was in need of rest after the WEAKNESS
Of sightseeing, and imagined that StratlOru-
unon- Avon, which, apart from Its Shakesperean
associations, is nothing but uul liI.ie rns
town, might be good place 70 resi- ID as my
/ had the other reason for going there, Whatever
il might he worth, that my. ancestors upon one
side came from that neighbOrhOOd. StratIOla,
as we will hereafter call 1t for the SAKE oi
breyity, is little more than one long street, anu
sneare's time it was probably much smaller and
more rnral. 1t is surrounded by hills, below
which 1t nestles sleepily and costly. AT thls ms
point the Avon brOadens and makes tne
meadows through which it runs verdant and
fertile. l recalled at once Gray,s alluslon II, IN
his Plndarc, "The Progress of Poesy .: " Far
from the sun and Summer gale, In my green
lap was Natures Darling laid" The avon at
its broadcast and best is what we In America
swaii small rivers may become widely and per.
manently famous the lllsSus, for instance, o.
which that piquant traveller, Slr Francls heau,
SAYS: Il have repeatedly walked across 1t ID
ahont twenty seconds without wettlng my
ankles" The poets, clever fellows, many OF
whom have never seen 1t, nave iaviSheu an
the pleasant and available adjeetives, upon the
Avon. Gray calls 1T lucid u; GarrlcR cans T 1T II
least two or three times been spoken or as
GThe Bard of Avon" ] went to Stratford
with the theory that l should be able TO discover
natural peculiarites when hao 1el. tneir rolnt
and color on the poets pages. 10 some extent
I was not disappointed. l thought that Ills
charming pictures of country secluslon came
from pleasant memories OF his 0oyhood, ana
that cOuld see why he was eXceilent always IN
writing OF trees and of rivers. ALI IN him that
is bucolic has a perfect accuracyy;T,the toreSG
of Arden, the Wood near Athens, Windsor, ana
the like pleasant places:
These and other things came into my
tbouvhts as | strolled across the meadows
toward Shotery, where still stands the cottage
in which Shakespeare wOOed and won Anne
Hathaway or rrather-tOspeak more accurately-
in which she wOOed and won HIM. VI inc per
s0nalily of the poet our information Is meagre 10
irritation, but OF his wife we know still less.
believe there is not the least direct evidence
extant to show what manner OF woman sne was;
We only know that when they were married
he was not nineteen years old anu nuG was vac
twenty-six. l fancy there was not much Joy
over tn, nupials at Shottery, where Sne llveu'
y, in the house of honest John Shakespeare,
IN Heney-St StrattOrd But l must say that Il
prettier spot for lOye-maklng than Sh0ttery
could hardy be found anywhere. Inc cottage
Is approached by long lane, ana Is In Sc
cluded place. 1t is an old structure, TWO s!OileS
high. one end facing the road, and tmOered
and plastered like the ShaEespeare9n nome =, III n
fine town. / cannot say how glad was that
there had been no attempt to make IL smarc
and spruce, for the repairs and restoratiOns OF
the house in the village have come unple;asantly
near to spelling it. Outside II Is ;ltOgether 700 700
trig aud neat, though the interior was harder
to ruin. The Hathaway cottage IS still as
picturesque as anything OF the KIND can Oe ana
/ did not wonder to find German gentleman
with long beard sketchng ~ care
fully. Little children were running IN
and out at the wicket gate the air was mus
cal with the song of birds aud over all was
sky blue and bright as only an Engllsh SKY can
be when upon its good behavior; IL was en upon nr
some such day as this, ] thought, IN 1851 or
1881, fire, 1.-the, active young 1eliow may
have taken his way across these fields, dream
ing of his rather elderly Dulcinea as boys Will ;
then getting into trouble; then In 1ooz marry
ing her. perhaps as mere matter OF honor, h ana q
with no great relish by that time Tor sucll q
vifr. 1t is doubtful whether much happiness
could come OF such enforced nuplals. III
Shakespeare had been happy at StratfOro, ne
might have stayed there all his lie, dreaming
dreams. but doing nothing for their peTpetua-
fion. His plays show how great was his dislike
of shrewishness in woman; he certalll{ 0id noi
care to have MS wife with him In Lonuon anu
the fact that he forgot altogether at nrst 70. 10
mention her In his ill, and then, without any
Expression of affection, only 1nterllDed oe-
quest to her of his brown best bed Win the Iur-
tl1ture,n is rather O pregnant one IL mas Deen
sugeested that she would be entitled TO dOWeI
In his trceholds, and to freebench In his copy
holds, if the custom of the manor gave IT, R Rat
apart from the uncertainty, L do not tmnK ilaI p
this betters the matter much. Ibere are, ~ a.. II
fr1Ie. no expressions Of affection IN the VIII lOI
anybody; but when Shakespeare remembered
the poor of Stratford. and Mr.. Johu Nash, ano
Mr.. William Walker, he might haye remem
bered his wife. and given her the brown pcs! }
he'd and the furniture " with some little iaS'
word of tenderness. l own, however, tnat IL
TINS, as IN so many other particulars Oh Shake,
speare's lite, we are lett almost altogether az
tbe mercy of conjecture. The internal eVinenct
of his plays goes for nothing. lie unuOIo'euS I,;
delneated shrews admirably in bis WORKS. nu
so he did many e loving wife and graceful
amiable woman. But no good can come o.
speculation about the matter, IL the premise
are so meagre. what substantial CONCLUSIONS arc
we to expectf When Shakespeare went back t.
StratfOrd, he undoubtedly lived with ms Wite
and she survived him several years, enIoylng
let us hope, Tho brown best bed win tne @ dur m,
niture.o We know hardly anything OF her, an'
ore not likely ever to know more. Inc wh0l
Shakespearean biography is mystery, ana
miracle of meagreness; nut sucn as ~ ~ o W.
must be content with 1t: Fortunately, tnls Ia
nnt nreyented the publication oil great mum
her of thIcG volumes on the subject, when ar
ente, taining reading, and instructive thouel
not in the way which their authors INTENDED
and most comfortable as constant incentive Il
cOllectoIs OF Shakespeareana. ~,
may mention here that everybody IN otiat
ford is a guide as to points of local interest
Pilgrims have not been coming there for cen
tury and half for nothing. When asked
little tow-headed boy the way to Anne Hatha
way's cottage, he knew just what wanted t
see. and the most direct way tC it. 1 al
afraid if had asked him what , he thought fought
S;fimon of Athens" that he would have locke
at me astoun0ed, and only have answere
(Which ~ or "WhOp At the hotel, they al
80 accustomed to being interrOgatcd by tourist
that they can always give you the best informf
tion. la tie shops are offered for sale warrior
snmwenms of Shakespeare. and l bOught qui