New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-01
A RAMBLE IN ENGLAND
BY WILLIAM WINTER.
VI.
-, cr1nINrc or NVARWINKSHIRE


Might in Stratford-on-Avo summer nieht'
TEL, Iorco solemn stars. a cool and fragrant breeze
and the stiffness of perfect rest. From this hgn
sra grassy hank look forth across the darkened
meadows and the smooth and shining river ana see
The little town where 1t lies asleep Hardly lgh'
Is anywhere visible few great ellls' near oy'
are holding and rustlrng in the wind ana once vi
twice a drowsy bird mote floats up from the neleh-
boring thicket that skirts the vacant lonely rod".
There at some distance, are the dim arches VI
Clopton's Bridge. In frOnt-a gracefai' shapeiy
mass indistiuct in the starlight-rlses inc La"
Memorial. stratfoad's honor and pride. Fur'her
oa glimmerlnc through the tree-tops, is the dusky
snre of Trinity keeping its sacred Vigil over inc
dus. of Shakespeare. Nothing here is changed
he same tranquil beauty, rs OF old, halloWs 'iis
place: the same sense of awe and mystery oroouS
over its silent shrines Of everlasting renowh. Long
md weary the years have been since last saw II;
but tonight they are remembered only as hee'ihg
md troubled dream. Here. once more, IS the
highest and noblest comranlonship this world can
give. Here. once more is the almost visible pres
ence of the magician who can lift the soul out
of the infinite WEAKNESS of common things, and
give IL strength and peace The old time has come
back. and the bloom of the heart that | thought
had all faded and gone. / stroll again to the
rivers brink, and take my place in the boat anu
trailing my hand in the dark waters OF Avon,
forget every grief and trouble that ever l have
known.
1t is often said, with reference to memorable
places that the best view always is the hrst view
No doubt the accustomed eve sees 3blemshcs no
doubt the supreme moments of human life are few,
and come but once: and DeIther OF them is ever
repeated Yet frequently it will he found that the
change e in ourselves and not IN the objects we
behold Scott has glanced at this truth, in few
mournful lines. written toward the close OF Ills
heroic and beautiful life. Here at Stratford, how
aver | AMI not conscious that the wonderful charm
of the place is in any degree impaired. lie Town
still preserves its oldfashOned AIR. its quaintneSs
ITS perfect cleanliness aud order At the Stake
speare cottage in the stiffness of the where he
was born the spirits of mystery and everence SUI
keep their imperial state. At the ancient Grammar
School with it's pen house roof and its dark, sag
cling rofters Won still NAV see. in fancy, The IN
willing school-boy gazing upward ahsenty al the
great rugged timbers. or looking wlsttnlly AT the
sunshine where il streams through the little lattice
Windows of his prison. New Place. with its lovely
lawn its spacious gardens, the ancestral mulberry
and the Uncovered well, Will bling the poet before
Won as he lived and moved in the meridian OF MS
greatness "Cymbeline." "The Tempest ana
O. Winters Tale" the last of hIs works, undouht-
edly were written here; and this alone shoad
make il a hallowed spot. Here he blessed his
young daughter on her weddingday here his eyes
closed IN the last long sleep; and from inns place
he was carried to his grave IN the chahcel OF Hu"t
ford Church. | pass once again through Inc IRA
grant avenue of lines the silent churchyard with
its eruinbling monuments, the dim porch the twi-
light of the venerable temple, and kneel at last
above the ashes of Shakespeare. What majesty III
This triurphant rest All the great labor accom-
plished The universal hnman heart interpreted
with living voice The memory and the lmasina-
rad fare Wi words b.
lime eloquence and images of immortal beauty
The noble lesson of selcOnquest-the lesson. OF the
entire adequacy of the resOlute, vrtuous. patient
human will--set forth so grandly that all the
world must see its meaning ana marVel at Jus
splendor Aud. last of all. death itself shotn oil
its teuors and made trivial thing. No other spot
than this could give such emphas to the richly
freighted couplet OF Matthew Arnold;
aGreater by far than thou are dead
Mourn not; die also thou
There is a new custodian at New Place, and, upon
file receipt OF a i4pence. he will show you the little
mnsenn that is kept there-ncluding the shovel
hoard from the old Falcon tavern across the way,
mn which the poet himself IN ght have pl1ved-and
he will lead YOU through the gardens. and descant
on the mulberry and on the ancient ana stli uh-
forgiven vandalism of the Rev. Francis GastreII'
nv WHOM in 1857. the Shakespeare mansion WAS
DESTROYED and will pause at the well. ana al the
fragments of the foundation, covered now win
s4opt screens of wire gauze. There is fresh ana
fragrant beauty all about these grounds an Amos
nhere of sunshine, life, comfort and elegance OF
state. that no observer can miss. This same keeper
also has the KEYS of The Guild Chapel opposite on
which Shakespeare looked from his windows and
his garden aud in which he was the holder OF three
sittings You will enter 1t by the same porch
through which he often walked, and see the arch
and columns and tall tran'omed windows on
which his gaze has often rested The interior is
cold aud barren now, for the Scslptural wal-palnt
jnps discovered in 1904, under thcK coatlh8s Oh
xvnitewash. have been removed OF have failed, and
the wooden pews. which apparently are modern
have not yet been embrowned by age let th'S
cbnrcb known beyond question as one of Shake
sreor.'s personal haunts will hold you with tie
strongcs, tie of reverence and sympathy. Inc
Falcon tavern near by, though furnished now Win
q new front is the same that he irequehtrd three
hundred years ago. AT his birthplace everything
remains unchanged. The gcatle old ladies' VINO nave
an long guarded and shown it still have 1t IN Their
o6ectionate care The ceiling OF the room IN
which the poet Vas born-that room which con
tains the Actors Pillar and the thousands of sigma
tnrss on walls and windows--is slowly orumbling
IN neces Every morning many little PARTICLES of
,be master are found upon the floor The area OF
finv delicate laths 10 sustain TINS ceLlhe' Das
suore than doubled since ] last saw II, hVe years
AGO Il WAS on the ceiling that Lord Byron wrote
his name. hut this has faxed off and disappeared.
In the museum hall, once the Swan lnn' they are
forming library; and here among many opJec'S
OF dubious value, you nlay see at least one snake
speareau relic of extraordinary interest This is
the Ms. letter of Richard Quiney-whose son be-
came in 1915 the husband Of Shakespeare $
YOUNGEST daughter Judith--asking the poet for the
loan Of thirty pounds. 1t is Enclosed between plates
of plass in a frame. and usually kept covered with