Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-27
BARD OF AV0N'S END
SHAKESPEARE.S DEATH AsCRIBEr
TO A CHERRY MEETING.-
Great Men Drank Too Hard-Pity for
Pesterity That the Rev. Mr.. John
Ward Could Not Have
Been There.

From the London Telegraph =
The work of the recent 126th session Of:
the London Medical Society was begun.
at the rooms OF the society. INF
Chandos street. by a short introductory
address from the president. Edmund owen,
surgeon to ST. Mary's hospital. who res
marked that among the many treasures
OF tfeir library Were fifteen volumes of
manuscript, which formed the diary orr
commonplace book OF the Rev. Mr.. john
Ward. NJ A. Oxon, who was vicar OF.
stratford-on-Avon from 1852 to 1fSI. Hav--
ing taken his NJ. A. degree in I6l2. Ward
lett oxford for London TO study anatomy
at the Barber-Chyrurgeon's hall, in Monk.
well street twhere DIR. Scarborough. the
Trend of Harvey. was giving demonstra-
tionsy. and to acquire Il general knowledge
es the healing art.
Not very many years ago 1t was quite
usual for the professions of divinity and
medicine 10 be combined In the one i'll
dividual. and it was to be admitted that
the custom still fingered In the persons OF
certain viscars and viscaressess. who were
unable TO Keep themselves from dabbiing
IN parochial medicine and quack remedies. .
NOT a few country villages still contained
such unorthodoN practitioners. who dis
pensed medical advice to the peril OF their
too-conhding practitioners and often to the
annoyance of the local doctor.
But the Rev Mr. John Ward was no. an
enipiric OF this sort: He had worked dill
gently 70 acquire a knowledge of the medi-
cal profession and was doubtless well nited
10 practice IL under the license which he
probably received from his bishop 1T the
TIME that he entered upon his clerical
duties: In his diary Ward asked himself
specially to remember that he must "studie
and also to children. so as to be ready at
them when l come into the country" He
evidently meant to be n good, all around
man.
In His NotehooL-
But the point to which Mr.. Owen special
ly referred was that on taking up his work
IN in the fcrty-sixth
year after .Shakespeare's death. Ward must,
poth as vicar and doctor. have been told
OF many facts concerning the bard by those
MN. Unfortunately he did not record
much about him in those memorandum
books; what he did say had been seized
peare."
This was one of the extracts. and. COM
ing az II did from 4 highly educated man,
who had lived in the village OF the Shakes
peares, ~ was of uEdoubted biographical
value: II have heard that Mr.. Shakes
peare was a natural wit. without any art
at all: he fre1uented the plays all, his
younger time. but in his elder days lived
at Stratford and supplied the stage with
TWO plays every year. and for that had
an allowance so large that he spent at
the rate of G1.G0O Il year'-which In those
times was Il very considerable amount.
corresponding perhaps TO $1,000 or i,OoO cf
to-day.
Verify "a Merry Meeting"
Another extract ran as follows: Shakes
peare, DraytOn and Ben JonsoR had a mer-
ry meeting, and 1t seems. drank too hard,
for Shakespeare died of a Favour there
contracted" In those times. said Mr.. Owen,
II was customary TO call obscure diseases
.%feavours." just as they were now called
"1nfuenzas' or 'neuroses." but whatever
the actual cause OF Shakespeare's death
might have have been il was evident that
local tradition ascribed IL, rightly or wrong
ly. to the effects of that merry meeting
And doubtless 1t was a merry meeting
One had only to think of these three CHEEKY
friends together. Shakespeare. Ben johnson
and Drayton. to be assured that IL was. A
pity. however. that Ward. unperceived.
hook