San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-12
SaAKESPEARE'S TOMB.
Ii Stands Very Near TO the House
in Which He Was Born.


IStratford-on-A Avon letter to the Troy
Times.
But the object OF antiquarian in
terest which most OF all attracted our
attention was the house in Henley
street, Just above mentioned, in which
the bard of Avon" is reputed
to have been born. Whatever the
house may have been at the time of
the poets birth, 1t is today small,
mean looking structure, and has since
lS47 been the property of the nation.
AS mentioned above, it is half-tim-
bered house, and consists of three
apartments op the ground floor, one
OF which is the ancient kitchen, with
its large open chimney. The floor
is of flag. broken into score
and more of varied shapes, while
the ceiling displays the bare
timbers upon which the upper
story rests. Within the fire place in
the kitchen, on one side, is a hatch
opening to bacol cupboard, and on
the opposite side is q small arched
recess for chair. Here. it is said,
John Shakespeare, the father of the
poet, lived, and here also his young
son William passed the greater por-
ton of his earlier days. Passing up
winding wooden staircase, the room
in which the poet is said to have been
born ia reached. This room looks
out upon the street, and its walls and
window glass are covered with the
names of visitors. On the latter,
scratched with a diamond, are to be
distinguished, Walter Scott"
Byron" and "Washington Irving"
the latter three times. In this room,
which is low-roofed, the same huge
oak beams project from the plasiered
walls, an immense beam Of oak forms
the msutal piece, while one of consid-
cradle solidity crosses the ceiling.
or the old furniture in this and in the
other rooms it is safe to say that they
have no connection with Shakespeare.
The adjoining cottage to the right
has been converted into q museum.
and contains relics and documents
relating directly or individually to the
poet. Among the former are mug
and Jug that were used by Shakes
peare, and q gold seal ring beautifully
engraved with the initials "W. 81"
entwined with q tasseled true.lover's
knot. 1t was found several years ago
in a field near the church. There are
also exhibited in glass cases editions
of the poets works that were printed
during his lifetime, and first editions
of his complete works that were pub.
Iished shortly alter his death. 1t
would be tedious to enumerste all the
objects that are exhibited to the Wis.
itOr; the rather as there is no positive
proof that they had any direct con-
nection with Shakespeare. The walls
of the museum are covered with por-
traits of the poet, some of them bear
ing as little resemblance to one an
other as probably any of them do to
the original The most important CT
these is all oil painting, about three
feet square, in a handsome frame
which is fitted into an iron
fire-proof safe and very carefully
locked up at night. This picture only
recently came into the possession of
the trustee, and has a peculiar his
tory. 1t was found in al out. Of-the.
and given to picture dealer to re-
store. The latter had not proceeded
far in his labors when he discovered
that the outer portrait had been
painted on top of another. When the
the lower picture was found to be q
portrait OF our poet In perfect state of
preservation. Certainly it bears q
strong resem blance to many of the
portraits that are given out to be
likenesses of the poet. tits explained
by the keeper of the museum, a most
intelligent spinster, that the outer
portrait had been painted over that
& ha b 70
from the CrOm wellian vandAls, who
would assuredly have not spared the
likeness of him who had painted in
euch glowing cOlOrs the persons and
manners of sOvereigns and courts.
Next in interest to the house in
which our poet was born is the parish
church of the Holy Trinity, where
Shakespeare was baptized and with
in the altar rail of which his remains,
as well as those of his wife and sew
eral of his decendants repose. At the
west end of this church is TO be seen,
under glass, the register of the bap-
tisms, marriages and burials of the
parish from the year 1858. The book
is open at the two pages which re-
cord baptism and burial of William
Shakespeare, which we had the op-
portunity of examining. The first
entry reads thus: 1854 Apr. 26.
Gulialmus filius Johannes Shakes
peare." and the second: "16l6 Apr.
%. Will. Shakespeare, gent" The
grave is at the north side of the
church, and is the second from the
wall, the one next to the wall being
Anne Hathaway's, the slab of which
bears the date 1923. On the slab of the
poets grave are the doggerel lines
beginning, GOOD friend for Jesus
sake forbeari" of which nothing can
be more certain than the fact that
they were not written by the poet
Placed in the wall and overlooking
LII e h. l.. A.