Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-09
AT STRATFORD.
Present Condition of the Birth and
Bnrial.Place Of Shakespeare.

George Alfred Townsend in Cincinnati Enquirer.
The most uniyersally-visited place in Europe
by Americans is Stratford-On-Avon, and an old
lady in the town who was raised in the house
where Shakespeare was born told me that Strait
ford would tumble to decay but for American
visitors. They show at the inn where Washing
ton Irving wrote "Sketches of Shakespeare
Irvings furniture as sacredly as if it were Shake
speare's own. under the impression that Amer-
cans want to see it. Shakespcare's house has
been stiffened up and Strengthened, and it only
gives an idea OF the poets babyhOOd from the
small size Of its rooms, its low ceilings and two
big fire-places. The painting OF Shakespeare
Ostentatiousy shown in one of the rooms seemed
to me to have fraudulent air: it represents a
proud nObleman sort Of man. with curled mus
taches. The story of its having been found I'M
derneath two other pictures sounds fishy.
THE CHURCH WHERE SHAKESPEARE WAS BURIED
was much larger than had expected, and in
stead of standing, as l had imagined, in the
middle of the town. it was away off at the
towns end. near the banks of the Avon. Try
ing to get in at a somewhat late hour, was di-
rected to the janitor's house. and his wife told
me to shake the iron gate at the church portal
So We took turns shaking it. and almost fright
ened ourselves at last with the rafting we made
But the janitor, knowing that there were sllil-
lings to come, showed no anger, but was all
SiiileS, anu lIltneuiatciy us Oh lDe
regular fee. Then, entering the long nave of
the church. our ears were saluted with the shrl
chanting of a dozen boy chOristers who were
being drilled by the curate. and we walked be-
tween these boys. they hallOwing and screaming
in their girlish. falsettO notes. and amid this
din we pceped at Shakespeare's bust. which
was disappointing. | had formed an idea of u
marble bust, white and time-wOrn but instead
of that there stood on a little shelf fifteen or
twenty feet above the floor very small bust of
what seemed to be painted earthenware. repre-
sentlng man with long cheeks a bald head
and vOluptuous, small mouth-his lips tinted
red, his mustache tinted brown. his hair tinted
both red and brown his quilted jacket appa-
rently red, and q sort of gown or Surplicc of
black falling behind. In short, the tomb
seemed to be made of burnt clay. and the in
scription under it was not that we are so ia
miar with. but something else. while the we'll
known Words
"Gooi friend, for Jesus sake, forbear
To dig ye dust Enclosed here.
Blessed be the man who spares these stones,
And cursed be he who moves my boneS,'
We're traced down on the floor at a considera-
ble distance from the bust. and being much
worn. Il fac smile of them is set up on the spot
to direct the eye to the proper place 1t oc-
CURED to me, as | read this inscription, that
perhaps Shakespeare anticipated his fame and
thought some Kate Field or other nOtOrietv-
hunter might come along in future years and
say VII. pSiidN. Ibis Is no place Tor Iile great
Shakespeare. We will have him dug up and
carried to London, and buried in Westminster
Abbey. among the hdeous tOmbs of British
admirals and India generals" In order to be
explicit with such people and stop all contrO-
versy as to whether he would like to be moved
or not. the poet devoted two lines of blessing
and cursing to the subject, and meant when he
said good friend" to meet the case of Just
such admirers. Consequently. the old earthen-
ware bust of the poet keeps its place. the ashes
II any remain-are left in the church. and the
dead poet is the only remaining vitality Of his
native-place, and keeps it alive.
was not aware, as | went to StratfOrd, that
THE FOREST OF ARDEN 10.
in his play LAS You Like IT, existed in the
immediate neighborhood. There is a forest in
Belgium called Ardens, which had supposed
to be the location of this piece Indeed. LAS
You Like IT. has a French STYLE French refer
ences, and several OF the characters have French
names; but that was not uncommon among the
Norman nobility of England. At the beginning
of the piece are the lines: ''He is already in the
forest of Arden and a many merry men with
him, and there they live like old Robin Hood of
England" Gas You Like it," however has a
universally and an eclectic character which
would make it do any where. though it is prob
ablethat Shakespeare designed in part to keep
alive the memory of Arden forest, which existed
about his BIRTHPLACE