National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-21
JOHN MCCULLOUGH.
HIS Visit to Shakspeare's MOme-An j
teryies ON IeonOcIasn..

teryiev on IconOclRsns.
About five years ago John Mccullough, Dion
Boucicault, and District-Attorney George B. Cork
hill were in London together, and made trip to
Standardization, the birthplace of Shakespeare.
While there inquiSitive Englishman. learning
! that the great American tragedian Mccullough
was OF the party, approached him and said:
! Excuse me, Mr. Mccullough but your fame as
| the greatest of American actors has preceded YOU
and would like your opinion whether you think
| Shakespeare really wrote the books attributed TO
! him"
Il have such an aversion, said Mccullough Ito
the spirit oficonoclaSm that seems to possess all
classes at the present day that have declined
reading the works of writers who have no more
amiable end to accomplish than to take away the
reputation which the judgment of the world has
accorded to Shakespeare"
That hardly answers my question" said the
EngliShmau; but it seems to me if honor is due to
any one it certainly is to the real author and not
to one who perhaps had no claim TO an iota of the
homage and veneratiOn paid his name
$50 far as Bacon is concerned" said Mccullough,
che has had glory enough. One OF England's
greatest poets, Pope has placed him in the same
category with Shakespeare; and as he never put
forth any claim himself to the authorship of
Shakspesre's works it is unreasonable now for his
admirers to expect that others would concede to
him an honor he himself had never claimed
But" said the Englishman. is it not unreason-
able that a pOacher gifted with inspiration
for the purpose of writing the marvellous plays
which are aScribed to William Shakespeare, when
man of such profound learning as Lord Bacon.
whose knowledge oil men and nature was so init
mate as to warrant the belief that he was capable
of performing without supernatural aid that which
Hperformed by Shakespeare must have been ac-
complished by miraculous interference"
ITO me" said Mccullough, evidently warmed
up by the persistency of the EngliShman, it mat
tiers but little what mold of clay hid the soul that
gave forms to the noble thoughts that are inter
spersed throughout the plays of Shakespeare as
thickly as the vault of heaven is studded with
stars, or who it was that created the characters
that live and breathe after the lapse of centuries
as if they were in existence yesterday. 1t is the
genius that you and l and every other lover of
what is known as ShakSpeare'S writings admire,
not the poor tenement in which lodged that mighty
intellect which the world bows to in homage.
What use is there in submitting to the tyranny
of tradition when Shakespeare himself furnishes US
with quotation which shows the folly of contend
ing over an empty sound
What's in name%
And if we accept ShakSpeare'S words as q photo !
graph of his mud should we quarrel when he |
says:
For now he lives in fame though not in life
Shakspeares body has moulded to dust and Ba- |
cons ashes have been mingled with those of mother
earth, but the genius lives in fame, immortal as
if it were but heralded yesterday, and all men
willing to do it reverence whether be called the
genius of Shakespeare, Bacon, or of any one who |
deserves the high honor of being thought capable
of producing such wonderful literature as that
which enriehes our language"
Mr.. McCullough's imprisoned manner rather
awed his visitor, and he was not seen again until
the party were lingering in the chancel of the
Church of the Holy Trinity. AS Mccullough stood
overthe tomb, reading the quaint inscriptions:
" GOOD FRIEND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEAR
TO DIGG THE DVST ENCLOASED HEARE;
BLEST BE Ye MAN Vt SPARES THES STONES,
AND CVRST BE HE Vt MOUES MY BONES"
"This," said the EngliShman to Mccullough, ais
said to be the epitaph written by Shakespeare him
self to be placed over hisg DOyou think that
the same mind that conceived the sublime passages
in Hamlet Macbeth, and other plays was eapa-
BILE of getting off such doggerel?"
BAH said Mccullough, as he strobe off to an
other part of the church. and SO ended the inter
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