The sun., 1893-06-11

try. as quiet as though the face OF the earth ba
| never known war. nor conquest. nor robber.
tits short rido from Warwick to Stratford
on-Avon. The sun streamed pleasantly up th
old main street in the early morning as We er
| tered, showing q fiat and unpicturesque towr
| Yet how much improved must 1t be sine
shakespearc's timer The birthplace is no'
| under public charge. and the grounds are con
verted into broad flower and fruit garden
trim and ornamepted.
| On the spot Of Shakespeare's nativity. tn
flrst impulse 10 to be silent
He died early. at 81. Rejecting upon thi
fact raises the FIRST inquiry: Why did he die
Was II Anne Hathaway who killed himf VIII
knew him. and who were his friends2
Apparently not the noble nor the great. no
the renowned Of his day, with few exceptions
1t 10 only those who have como after him
tho distance OF centuries who have enjoyed
the full noontide glories and benignittes o
his fame. his uneouelled powers. thas needed
those 300 years since his birth to enable the
world to understand and appreciate him.
His best loved daughter. Susanna was onll
eighteen years younger than hor father. anc
beRot before marriage His line ended In his
granddaughter. wife Of sir John Barnard. who
left no children.
Shakespeare was tho father OF three chill.
dren before he was 81. Anne having given him
twins tho second year.
Tho grammar school at which he received
his education. formed in the fifteenth century.
still stands.
His father who was Mayor Of Stratford. could
not write his name. as appears by an original
document in tho house. to which his mark (xl
is attached.
Tho tower Of tho old church which holds
shakespcare's ashes. dates from HOO. and
tho chancel whore he is buried from 1470
Thomas Il. Perkins Of Boston opened the
first register Of visitors at the Shakespeare
House. July. 1872. and his own was the first
signature Following him at various intervals
are Walter Scott King George. Byron. Lord
thousands Of others.
The bust In the church. placed there by
Susanna. is presumed by Sir Francis Chan
trey to have been taken from o mask after
death. Tho beautiful proportions Of tho head
are remarkable Its fulness about tho eyes 10
excessive for post-mortem mask.
The only letter to Shakespeare extant 10 ono
asking loan Of ESQ It 10 In the museum at
the old house. Not ono exists written by him.
The house on the corner lot which Shake
speare purchased on his return to Stratford
whom ho was 80 years Of age. In which he
passed most OF his life afterwsrd. was torn
down By the rascal owner about tho year 1850.
because he got into o rage with the town
authorities for taxing him too much. 1t Is re-
puted to have been the best house in Stratford.
and there are some ornamental fraRm ents Of It
preserved In the old house Of his birth.
We rode down to Anne Hathaway's cottage.
several miles away. where Shakespeare did
his courtinR or rather. We may say. where
Anne did hers.
It did not require much effort Of the willIsg
mind to fancy anything now to be as It then
was With what interest reflection invest
cd every step Of tilt Is superhuous to say. ST.
lence Is best in view Of the numberless at
tempts at description which this renowned
quarter Of Great Britain has provoked.
Going to Stratford-on-Avon brings Shake
speare much nearer to the reader OF his works
To see where he was born. and where he
lived. and contemp plate the scenes in which he
dwelt. operates much like making his personal
acquaintance. It invests his writings with q
proiounder interest and enables one to enter
even moro heartily into their spirit and genius.
Shakespeare becomes q more familiar being
after lingering In his birthplace and over his
tomb. and walking among the scenes OF his
earlier and later life. He was Stratford man,
and chose to keep himself so by building his
house and settling down on his corner lot,
8"OuB Hlb ehTly lElouub anu bcQuhlut8nCoS.
He was educated at the school there. he
poachsd for deer there. he went counting
there. he welded there. and when he got
money he invested It there. and after COM
paratively short absence returned there to
live and die.
Though great as poet. he Was no vagabond.
and kept we'll to his humanity In his tastes. his
affections, and his personal attachments.
He mover outraged that everyday virtue Of
loving and adhering to the place OF his BIRTH
however homely and unattractive to others
In itself. there could be nothing to attract
mind like shakespeare's to stratford- on-Avon
more than to any other uninterestlng village
In the kingdom distant from It's capital
Though possessed Of Q mighty genius. It Is
evident that he was o man Of simple and solid
There Is absolutely nothing
1t Stratford to inspire, or shape or direct
genius of any sort. It Is the most common
place OF towns: not an aspect of nature but Of
he aimplest character. totally without variety
md without interest
n q valley OF one OF the tributaries Of the
The country Is generally moro or
ess rolling. though In places It is quite level.
'howinR beautiful mendows once the bed OF
ponds and lakes. All the way It Is diyersified
With wood and hedge and scattering timber
md can be cultivated to the top OF the hills,
which are nowhere either high or precipitous.
1t Oxford tho country becomes level plain.