The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-04
THE BARD OF AVON.
Eugiands Universal Citizen and His
Life Scenes.

ieachers on Shakespeare and STRAIT
ford.
when you talk about literature you
talk about Shakespeare, was one of
the opening sentences of Mr.. Ebert Hub
paro s lecture on Shakespeare before a
large audience at Assembly hall Wednes-
day afternoon. Mr.. Hubbard,s ,ectures
have attracted marked attention in liter
airy circles in Portland Like tbe trps
Phil1stine he has come bearing a sword
and there Is much discussion over his
treatment OF his characters. 1t NAV fairly
be said that Mr.. Hubbard does not aim
to furnish literary criticisms. He strives
to introduce his hearers to the author
and to interest them in his personality as
well as his works, and he succeeds ad
mirably. His hearers go away feeling,
not that they know all about the author
works, but that they would like to know
about them.
Mr.. Hubbard did not deviate from his
plan in his treatment of Shakespeare. He
said that great Shakespearean scholar
has said that we know but four facts
about Shakespeare. We know that he YVES
born, although this has been disputed.
daughter. That he married at Stratford,
that he went to London, very poor, that
he wrote plays, became rich, and retired
to Stratford to live in the best house In
town. He died at the age OF 3D.
Mr.. Hubbard said that we did know
about Stratford. He had been there, and
all of his audience had been there or were
going. daughter. In the hotel he found
one page of the hotel register out out and
framed. On this page the name of
Ignatius Donnelly was among the others.
He asked the landlord why this page was
thus honored. $50 that, if Ignatius
Donnelly ever rises and says there is no
such place as Stratford we can prove the
contrary to him. replied the landlord.
The lecturer described the journey to
Stratford; on which is the guide board.
"To Banbury Cross, ten miles," by
which rises old Warwick Castle, and the
antique streets which have SO often re-
soundedsto the olank of mailed feet. War
wlck Castle is in better condition now
than when Shakespeare lived. 1t is the
only Castle in England where the port
cullis is regularly raised and lowered each
day. The cedars of Lebanon brought from
the East by the Crusaders are in the court
yard. 1t is the same castle that Shakes
peare saw; but he came as an awkward
country boy on fete days. He saw it with
the eye of genius, however. And when he
pictured Macbeth's castle, 1t was Warwick
that was in his eye. Kenilworth Castle
is also near Stratford. When Shakespeare
a was fifteen years old Queen Elizabeth
I came to that castle on a notable visit. 1t
4 Is probable that John Shakespeare,
: worthy yeoman, hitched up his team, and
took the wife, baby and seven young
Shakespeares and went to view the
\ spectacle. We are sure that William was
I there. In the Midsummer Nights Dream
he has described Kenilworth, which is
now an ivy-clothed ruin.
D "Did Shakespeare run away?" asked
the lecturer of rustic when ne visited
: Stratford. cot course he did," replied
{ the rustic, call great men have run away
i once at least in their lives"
We know that a man and a woman
A were at the bottom Of his running away
Justice Shallow, his caricature name fcl
I Sir Thomas Lucy, did not appreciate
some verses which Shakespeare wrote and
tackled on his door. Hence it is said that
he had the poet prosecuted for stealing
Il deer and hence compelled him to fee.
But il Shakespeare could write an article
: for the Ladies' Home Journal on "tht
s woman who has Influenced me most, .
4 does in such matter he would say
4 Ann Hath away. (Laughter.) She started
q him of to London.
The lecturer then described the ole
country seat of Sir Thomas Lucy, and the
ohurchyard with Its epitaph, which de
soribes Sir Thomas as q very different
y person from the justice of the Merry
\ Wives Of Windsor. One of the epitaphs in
i the yard which attracted the visitors at
4 tention. was the following:
b Farewell false, proud, treacherous
world,
81 We have seen enough of thee.
we.
d But while Warwick Is the heart of Eng
d land, 1t must be remembered that Shake
b speare was reared in fat, monotonou
81 country.
a The spire of Trinity church, wher'
4 Shakespeare lies buried, is the first objec
Il seen on approaching Stratford. The towl
. at first Introduction seems a secont
Niagara Falls village. Shakespear
= souvenirs crowd upon the visitor every
where.
The lecturer was in Stratford four days
" and visited the birthplace four times.
is an interesting museum, in charge O
two bright British damsels in starchet
aprons and caps who conduct the visito
about the house. The only letter writer
It to Shakespeare which we have is one b,
4 Mr.. Richard Quincy, father of the hus