The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-05-01
ShakespeariaH Club.


Shakespearian club of Clinton, on
the 18th uit., was an anniversary and
memorial meeting, the 23d of April,
being the day of Shakespeare's birth
and death. Nearly every member
Was present AID prepared. A review
of that excellent, entertaining and
instructive work, "Judith Shakes
peare," had been added to the pro-
gram. The increased interest shown
in the discussions and the superior
merit of the variOas exercises and
productions, insures beyond question
that the club is a great success and
has a long lease Of usefulness before
it. Mr.. F. r. Cooper's article, on
the question OF the authorship Of
some of the Shakespeare plays, was
voted the best, and ordered to be
published. We are sure that all
readers of Shakespeare will enjoy it.
1t is as follows:
THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CONTROVERSY.
The question as to who wrote
Shakespeare's Plays is very similar
to one that puzzled Us in the days of
our youth: "Who was the father of
Zebedee's children ?" We must be
permitted, lawyer like, to refer to
this case as an authority, being an adj
Indication upon a point very similar
to the one now in issue.
We are not sure that any one has
ever doubted the authorship of
Shakespeare's Plays. We know that
one Ignatius DOnnelly, Michigan
der, which in the mellow Indian
tongue, we suppose would mean
big goose (see LOngfellow's Hiawa
thai displayed few years ago very
great ingenuity in an attempt to
show by means of a mysterious cy-
pher running through the plays that
Lord Francis Bacon was the author
of the immortal comedies and
tragedies usually ascribed to Sir Bill
lie. This cypher nonsense of Don
nelly reminds us of a story told by
one of the triumvirate Pope, Gay or
Bolingbroke of a certain English an
tiquary who, thinking ne had found
an old Roman shield, lost no doubt
, by the soldiers of Agricola or Caesar,
was proceeding to elaborate his theo-
ry at great length, but when the
critics came to examine his treasure
it was unanimously voted to be n 9TH
ing but an old pot lid. We are like
wise reminded of great discovery
made by the immortal Pickwick soon
after the organization of the famous
club Of which he was the distinguish
ed head. Upon one of his expedi.
tiOns he found in the yard Of ar
humble peasant who lived in one OF
the historic OLD villages of England
a stone curiously shaped and evident
ly much worn by time, covered with
strange devices which might turn
! out 10 be the mystic figures Of tn
ID uids, or surely Sum thing els
equally wonderful. Fora small sun
1 he joyfully purchased the inestima
, bic relic from the peasant, and afte
washing and drying the stone it wa
carefully packed away and sent
London. The club was the calle
together to consider the great dis
cOvery. Upon the stone was write
, the cabalistic letters B. i. |. /. s. t. l
. m. p. s. h. i. S. 10. ar k. Ma IA
theories we're prOpOunded and niue
learning called forth in the effort t
discover the antiquity of the ston
and the meaning Of the strange il
. scriptiOn. After much debate, frt
, quent adjOurnments, and learned e.
u. says certain unappreciative men
Der of the club not having prope
reverence of the great Pickwick b,
fore his eyes brought in the peasar
in whose yard the stone was found
The peasant said that he could Civ
the club no information as to the al
tiquity of the stone though he deem
ed it about as ancient as most ston.
but as for the inscription he ha
= carved it with his jack-knife in
,, moment OF idleness, and it was notl
er ing but his name Bill Stumps, h
mark. We may we'll doubt th
- Donnelly himself believed in h
W theory, and certain it is that
'u made nc permanent impression upc
III the literary world. He succeeded
getting his name..temporarily i'm Il
Of papers thus winning little brief n
tor ETY., but the only interest tn
now attaches to him is similar
that which centers around any 9th
Anticipated ruin. But while all a
. agreed as to the identity of the pc
son who wrote the dramas in que
tion there is we'll founded divers
ty of opinion as to the name of ii
author,
Shakespeare, SHAKESPEARE al
q Shakespeare, all have their char
piOns, tut when we remember Il
simplicity of the days in which
UT lived we are satisfied that his re
name was Bill, though perhaps ill
~ one Of the many odd characte
Sc found in Dickens he may have pt
~ fered to call himself upon occasio
of pOmp and ceremony "Willum
he Be this as it is 1--WE use the word
here advisedly with the delibers
purpose of shocking the world viii
up to date in this connection has
ways said "may" though it mea
can, might, could or any other wor
he was no servile imitatOr of
aforesaid Dickensian character as
are led to believe by the fact tt
y the said Willum lived much beft
" Dickens, and one of the comm
faults Of our ancestors is a failure
= initiate the virtues and CROWN
glories of their posterity.
You'd scarce expect one of my age,
To have known Shakespeare on the stage
and therefore we cannot add [
!, weight of our personal testimony
,. this matter, but let it suffice to s
that the authorship of Shakespear
Plays was always attributed by