Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-10-23

and comedy among the Latines. so
Shakespeare among the English is the
| most excellent in both kinds for the
stage l say that the Muses.
would speak with Shakespeare's fine
filed phrase, if they would speak Eng
lish."
Meres was a literary critic, and him
self an author. and wrote the above
before Shakespeare greatest plays
were written.
Leonard Digges. writer. born in
1858, says: When the audience saw
Shakespeare's pays, they were raw
ished, and crowded his theater, scarcely
leaving standing ROOM
Some years alter Shakespeare death
Ben Jonson, his most intimate friend
and fellow playwright, wrote: Il loved
the man and do honor his memory, on
this side idoiatry, as much as any. He
was indeed honest, and of an open and
free nature, had an excellent phantasy
(fancy), brave notions and gentle ex-
pressions, wherein he flowed with that
facility that sometimes it was neces-
sary that he should be stopped"
Jonson also wrote in the folio edition
of Shakespeare's plays. published in
1923, the following verses:
ITO draw no envy, Shakespeare. on thy
Am | thus ample to thy book and fame;
While I'confess thy writings to be such,
AS neither Man nor Muse can praise too
much.
Triumph my Britain! thou hast one to
show
To whom all scenes of Europe homage
owe.
He was not for any age but for all
time!
Nature herself was proud OF his designs,
And joyed 10 wear the dressing of his
lines:
Which were so richly spun and woven
4. so fit,
AS since she will vouchsafe no other
The above quotations are copied from
the contemporaries Of Shakespeare, his
friends and associates.
There is evidence to show that the
genius Of Shakespeare WAY so much
admired by the Earl of Southampton
that 'he gave him a thousand pounds
to enable him to go through with a
purchase which he heard he had a
mind to-" 1t is matter Of record that
Shakespeare dedicated to the Earl of
Southampton his Venus and Adonis and
Lucreee.
The poet Spenser wrote the follow
ing couplets On Shakespeare:
Whose muse full of high thoughts in
Doth Ike himself herolcally sound"
"And he the man whom Nature self had
To mock herself and truth to initiate"
Shakespeare was thirty-fve years OF
age when Spenser died. Milton, who
was in his ninth year when Shakes
peare died, called him on one occa-
sion, Sweetest Shakespeare Fancy's
child"
Now, are we to discard the direct
and Uniform testimony Of the above
contemporaries and intimate friends,
and business associates of Shakespeare,
and say that the plays were written
by some other person? This would be
to discard the evidence that would be
taken, and which would prevail. In a
court Of justice; and to accept instead
the vague imaginings Of irresponsible
writers who would have us believe that
they knew more about the events
herein narrated, occurrences of nearly
three hundred years ago, than did the
eye witnesses to those events.
No, we cannot believe that Ben
Johnson wrote his oulogy OF Shakes
peare for the purpose Of deceiving pos
terity; that Mr. Meres, Digges, the
poet Spenser, the Earl Of Southamp-
ton, Queen Elizabeth, and King James
/, were all In the same conspiracy,
and kept the secret 80 faithfully that
not lire or a word tending to expose
the stupendous deception has come
down to US.
The above, in its essential state
ments, has been compiled from
various authentic sources, and is be-
lieved TO contain about all the direct
testimony Of contemporaries concern
ing the writings OF Shakespeare.
JOHN G. CUTTINGS.
Clarksburg. W. Va, Oct 10, 1898.