The times., 1898-06-12
THE PASSING SHOW.

The king is dead-hnancially. He has
been dying for many years, but the end
has come at last and there are few left
to mourn by his bier Season after sea
son mis- plight has been growing worse
and many times the watchers have
thought the fatal hour at hand. but his
friends have always managed TO retain
in him the breath of existence and to
say, He is only sleeping. Presently he
viii awake" Theauicaily, William
Shakespeare was the king and CONNER
cialy William Shakespeare has gone 10
his last rest.
When ruler is in power he never lacks
supporters and. while they often desert
him al his fall, generally it is very much
to their interest to hold him on the throne
The late and more or less lamented Mr.
Shakespeare found in his last moments
many Of these Sundry dramatic journals
and numerous critics Of great reputation
made strong efforts 70 keep him alive but
failed. The ills that were assailing him
were too powerful 10 be downed with rid
icule or be dispeIled with scorn True
few cared 10 raise and speak against his
majesty, but gradually his followers drop
ped away until the money that is needful
to the support OF any dynasty was totally
lacking. and the king, Mortified at his own
poverty. dropped into the land from
whence there is no returning and where
swearing managers do not hold forth
The potentate has for number OF years
sat upon throne of egg shells Had
not his power been so continually boasted
that those who neither understood nor
knew Of him dared not to speak he would
have fallen long ere now. But with sub
lime art he was reverenced and adored
:,
tiers and spent their days and nights
in either making his acquaintance or in
telling others that they had done so
One thing and then another was brought
up and diligently argued, petty points
which would have received no attention
did they but concern another person were
debated TO and fro. and even his origin
was first disputed and then proven
Meanwhile the devotees grew more fla
grant in their worship failing TO see that
already his majesty was upheld by what
fnanciers would call an inflated valua-
ton.
OF course the king was worthy man
man of sublime worth, but he had
passed his time and the stage had grown
too large for his sway. Most of his
friends knew nothing Of his strength and
his purpose and the fact that they were
afraid TO say so did not help matters.
They withdrew their support only lend
ing a helping hand when it was to their
advantage 10 be seen in his presence.
Rulers who were quite as able but of
less repute were deserted while the few
focked around his throne and honored
his creations merely for the sake of
acknowledging the homage they We're
paying.
A certain subject well versed in the
affairs of state was at first to foresee
his fall. Nearly twenty years ago Dion
Boucicault said, Shakespeare spells
ruin"
The famous dramatist may not have been
a polite courtier, but he was right. Like
immortal Caesar the ruler received his
many blows and fell-the king is deadi
Everywhere throughout the length AMI
breadth of his dominions he has been for
saken and his former friends now go by
thousands and kneel at the feet of his
erstwhile iesters-of Edgar Selden and
John J. McNally and II. A. DuSouchet.
They are men of greatly inferior merit,
but they promise much and their king
doms grow constantly while those who
uphold the works of the former poten-
tate fall by the wayside. Theatrical
palaces are continually filed, but people
go no longer to Shakespeare. There is
no clamor for him, and, with the excep-
ton of few States, he has no longer
home that he may call his own.
No star has made money out of
Shakespeare this year who would not
have drawn a greater concourse be-
cause of his personal worth. The
play has ceased to be the thing
when il has come from the dead
hand of the former sovereign. Half
the men who tried to uphold him have
fallen with the weight of his tottering
throne. and many of those who had be-
gun have seen fit to cease claiming to
be his subjects.
Proof of this is not wanting. A COM