The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-02

Et0fWElkAtE. al ftdet embryo DkHy-
wrghfs must possess a vast fund Of pa
thence and self-abnegaffon IL the writer OF
the following letter may be taken az fair
member Of the craft He surely could
never have heard OF Mr. Frohn1an's SO 60
offer to American 6ramatfsts Here Is the
letter accompanying the manuscript.
which was received by Charles Dickson:
Los Angeles. Cal. March II. 1877
Charles Dickson. Esq. New York City:
Dear sir-I forward you a 5s-minute cur
tain raiser
III you like IT you can buy it at your
own figures
IF you like # and don't wish to buy IL.
You are welcome TO use II.
if you like IL and don't wish TO buy IL
or use IL. perhaps you may know some
ono who would give me gold or fame
tpress notices. for IL
III you don't like it-well I enclose
stamps Stick them on and drop IL in a
mai box. Uncle Sam will do the rest"
Ignatius DonnelIy. who claims TO have
found in the writings credited TO Shake
speare a key by which the Immortal
bard" is robbed of the halo of dIgnified
authorship and the chaplet of myrtle is
shifted to the head OF Shakespeare's con-
temporary. Lord Bacon, is not the only
one who has sought to overthrow the ped
estai upon which the popular idol Is
placed, and which. up TO the time OF Dom
neily's alleged discovery Shakespeare oc-
cupied gracefully TO the satisfaction Of all
the world. Nobody ever charged that
Shakespeare originated all Of the plots Of
his plays. as the inspiration for some of
them are directly traceable 10 the legends
OF chariemagne and the writings OF Boo
caccfo and Cervantes What Shakespeare's
defenders held TO was the originality OF
treatment and the endowment OF the
characters with personality such as has
never before or since been aseribed TO
any author of any tongue. The world is
familiar with the views held by Donnelly
and the reasons he gave in his book for
Bacon's denial of his authorship. These
things have never satisfied lovers Of
Shakespeare. who demanded better rea-
sons than those set forth BIZ the author
of THE Great Cryptogram" for his VI
sionary claims. People through centuries
have paid tribute TO Shakespeare. at the
shrine OF genius, but there are undeniably
things that suggest plagiarism In his writ
ings and now another source of his infor-
nation is credited TO the Norsemen and
the early writers on Morse mythology.
From out OF England itself come charges
denying the originality of Hamlet-not of
the treatment of the historical character.
made To suit the needs for tragic repre-
scntation. but OF the greater part OF the
plot itself. which has usually been said to
be the work OF the playwright. This most
recent claim says that while Shakespeare
no doubt wrote the tragedy of Hamlet
as 1t Is found today, he borrowed many of
his data from earlier writer. Saxo
Grammaticus. Danish historian who
died about 1904. His writings were in
Latin. and in Shakespeare's time had not
been translated into any modern lam
guage. The story is to be found in Belle
forests collection of novels. begun in 1864.
and an English translation of the story
was published entitled THE Historic OF
Hamblet, Prince of Dennarke.' Horven-
die. In the novel; is the name OF Ham
let's father. Fengon that of his uncle and
GertIth that of his mother. Fengon trait
orously Stays Horvendile and marries his
. brothers wife. In the second chapter
Hamlet counterfeits the mailman TO es-
cape the tyranny of his uncle. Through
the machinations of his uncle he is tempt
. ed by woman. the uncle thinking to un-
dermfne the prince and find out whether
his madness is counterfeited or not. In
the third chapter Fengen. the uncle. tries
a second time to entrap Hamlet in polite
madness. and causes one of his councillors
to be secretly hidden in the queens cham
Der. behind the curtains. to hear what
speeches pass between Hamlet and the
queen. Hamlet kills him and thus escapes
danger. In the fourth chapter Hamlet liz
sent to England by Fengon with secret
letters willing the king of England to
put the two messengers to DEATH" Here
ends the resemblance between the history
and the play. The Hamlet of the history
returns TO Denmark. Stays his uncle.
burns his palace makes an Grafton TO the
Danes and Is elected king. He goes back
10 England. kills the king of that country.
returns TO Denmark with two English
wives. and finally falls through the
treachery Of one OF these Iaoies. This is
sfrnnn4ad n NIL cf no
speares Hamlet"
This Is not so much of shock as an
other discovery that the Actor Thomas
w Keene claims to have made Nobody
who has ever read anything that Mr..
Keene has written particularly his color
less contribution to that semf-literary
publication at one time conducted by the
late Kate Field. and called Kate Fields
Washington" in which Mr.. Keene ex-
plotted himself on the subject of tragedy
and tragedians-would accuse him of
scholarly attachments. but now the TRACE
dian comes out with the statement that
he believes that. the weird sisters in
.t.iacbeth" are the Urda. Nerdandi and
'Skuldn OF the Scandinavian mythology in
other forms The conception of them.
asserts the tragedian. seems as complex.
yet unique as that of Calihan. There are
three Of them OF these the third is the
special prophecies. while the first takes
cognizance OF the past and the second OF
the present in affairs connected with hui
snanity These are the tasks OF Urds
verdaadl and Skulds. The first begins by
asking: When shall we three meet
again." The second decides the time:
when the battles lost and won" The
third. the future. prophesies: That viii
be ere set Of sun" But their role Is most
clearly brought out in the famous halls"
First. urda (pasp. Hail, Thane OF
CLAIMS" Second verdandi trresentl.
Hail 10 thee. Thane OF Cawdor." Third,
Skulda (the futurel. IAN hail. Macbeth.
that shalt be king hereafter. The same
order Is observed in their conference with
RanQuo adds Mr.. Keene. which Is the
more striking since Shakespeare purpose
~ alters the orders given in Holinshed.
Mr.. keene has a press agent of striking
originality and unlimited resource and he
also has In Mr.. Charles b Hanaford a
manager and colleague who is capable Of
first rate ideas. The tragedEan himself is
not Americas greatest exponent of
Shakespearean characters. and before he
ceases 10 bid for public approval and sup
port. other and younger stars who have
within the past few years shot scross the
horizon % tragedy viii have ecipsed Mr.
keens and the clever press agent who
charges 20 him a greater measure OF in
tellee,uality than that which really enters
into his makeup.
Mr.. ". J. Fife. OF Tacoma. a promising
trsg~aian OF whom the Pacific coast may
az some time feel proud. has sent me a
clipping from a recent issue 90 the Lon
don eng Standard. which says:
Fife. the Pacific coast tragedian.. has