Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-31

Lays Its CHIN to Greatness to One
Eminent PIph

Eminent rJpir
Shakespcare's SCHOOL, The words
come upon one with strange effect.
Ii is so hard to realize that the very
halls in which the great master Of
the English drama learned his 'small
Latin and less Greek" should still do
duty as an academy-nay, that the
very benches upon which he and his
classmates sat should be occupied to-
day by toys equally light-hearted,
and. indeed, differing but little mem
tally or physically from their prede-
cessors of Elizabeth's time.
Shakespeare's school exists and
thriyes, and some two years since the
writer enjoyed the privilege of visit
ing this little known place of pill
grimage 1t is known (as it was
known three hundred and odd years
ago. by the name of Stratford-on-
Avon Grammar School. Documen-
tary evidence exists that the school
was founded about 1880, and subse-
quently added to and endowed by
pious and worthy people, until Henry
fV. finally took it under his royal
protection and assigned to it an in
come. Another patron was Edward
VI, the "boy king"
The school is a quaint old struc-
ture of the stone and wooden joist
kind SO beloved by painters. 1t has
very high brick chimneys and level
reach of sward in the rear, upon which
the boys were used to bowl, play
stool ball, and knuckle down to mar
bles. 1t is, however, too small for
cricket. Over school and playground
rests the peaceful shadow of the old
guild tower of Stratford, with the
almshouses and head masters house
stretching around it. Not a stones
throw distant is the Shakespeare
Memorial theater, and Holy Trinity
church, in the latter of which lie the
poets remains. From the mullioned
windows of the large schoolroom one
can easily catch sight of the rem
nants of New Place, Shakespeare's
house.
Within, the wainscoted walls, black
with time and from the rubbings of
many generations of boys, will possess
a curious fascination for pilgrims.
The furniture is very old, a good deal
of it older than the poet. In particu-
lar there is a quaint oaken table
carved over with myriads of names.
The writer spent two full hours exam
ing this table and its carvings for
some trace of Shakespeare. He was
at length rewarded by finding two
very old marks few inches above the
right leg (the legs are new, having
been added in James rs time), one of
which read "W. S." and the other
"Shaks." One may admit that the
combination of initials first quoted
is a common one, but let us at least
cling to the hope that the poet or
some of his kin cut that unfinished
I"Shaks." It is easy to fancy the boy
William driven from his idle task by
the advent of some meddlesome mas
ter.
Rev. f. j. w. Houghton, D. d., is
is now head master of the Stratford
Grammar School, He stated that on
the old whipping block which was de-
stroyed by mistake about Is years
ago, the name ''W. Shaxper" was dis
tinctly cut. From time immemorial
| it has been the custom in English
public and grammar schools for dar-
ing boys to engrave their names on
the punishment block. In 1869, say
the town records, Shakespeare's fa-
ther. then high bailiff of Stratford-
on-Avon, invited a company of play
ers to the school, and the citizens, ac-
companied by their children, wit
messed two stage plays in the big
schoolroom. Perhaps thiswas Shake
speare's first acquaintance with the
drama.
The old school is quite popular, not
only in the town of Stratford, but
throughout the surrounding county
of Warwick. Both boarders and day
boys attend its classes, and under DR..
Houghton's able headmastership it
will probably increase in fame and
numbers. But as yet Shakespeare is
its only really great pupil.-Cleve-
land Leader.