New-York tribune., 1900-07-11
PERICLEs, PRINCE OF TYRE
A SOUVENIR OF THE RECENT PERFORM
ANCE OF THE PLAY AT STRAIT
FORD-ON-AvON.
SOME VALUABLE NOTES BY JOHN COLEMAN DE-
RIVED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

On April %, In commemoration of the three
hundred and thrty-sixth anniversary Of Shake
speare's birth. an adaptation Of "Pericles. Prince
Of Tyre" performed in the Memorial The
atre at Stratford-on-Avon. For the occasion
Mr.. John Coleman collated from various sources
a collection Of "forewords.' he calls them in
the leahet we have lately received. This leaflet
contains so much information of interest 10 stu
dents Of Shakespeare that we reprint the bulk of
its contents, follows:
This work is the most singular example in
Elizabethan literature of a consistent copying
of a venerable and far-travelled story. The
"Apollonius Of Tyre Saga, from which ii is en-
tireiy derived. is known TO nearly every Ian
gusge in Europe and through more than a
thousand years has iourished in extraordinary
popularity. Its vitality through many centuries,
and its almost unaltered integrity through many
languages attest its undiminished attraction.
From its untraced origin in the late Sophistlc
Fofnances OF Greece II entered the literature OF
Europe. and through hundred MSS. of an
early Latin version. II was popular in Italy,
Russia, Hungary, Bohemia. Norway and Ice
land; it is found in a Danish ballad and
Netherland drama bv Pieter Bor Christiansz
O634): il was sung by Provencal poets. and in
Cid; ii absorbed in France into the cycle
Of Charlemagne, and ii was one of the earliest
romances in Anglo-Saxon literature, having
found its way here through the medium Of the
'Gesta Romanorum' and from thence to
Covers "Confessio Amantis' The mythical
Apononius became a veritable hero to the Ger
mans. French and Italians in the eleventh,
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and after a
lapse Of hundreds of years returned to its foun-
tain head, being actually translated in Crete to
modern Greek in the sixteenth century.
In 1916 appeared Lawrence Twines novel
The Patterne of PainefuI Adventures" founded
on this subject. and in 160S another novel was
written by George Wilkins having remarkable
relations TO this play and bearing the title
The PainefUl Adventures Of Pericles, Prince of
Tyre, being the true history Of the play Of Peri
cles as IL was lately presented by the worthy and
ancient poet John Cover at London In the
Argument with which the work begins, the
reader is entrcated to receive this his Orie in
the same manner as II was under the hablte or
ancient Cover, the famous English poet, of the
Kings Majestie's players eXCellently presented
IN this announcement II VIII be observed tnat
no reference is made to Shakespeare's COnneC-
ton with the work. and II may be remarked. as
a curiosity Of literature that Mr. Rayne Collier
informed Professor Mommsen that there
only one copy Of this novel in existence in Eng
land SUBSEQUENTLY, however a copy was dis
covered in Zurich, which had formerly belonged
TO the Swiss poet Marten Usteri. This copy
the professor reprinted. and ii published
al Oldenburg in 1897.
This long line Of translations. limitations
Marschen EolksbUcheT Sagas, romances, bal
lads and plays ENDS at last in the eliminating
splendor Of 'Pericles, Prince Of Tyre
In consequence Of the great popularity Of the
play, and possibly through its being acted at
Court lin the HINGES create chamber before
James I and the French Embassy, it pub
lshed in no less than six quartO editions during
IG0S-l 1886 The title page (the same in each
edition. runs thus: The late and much admired
Play called Pericles, Prince of Tyre, with the
true relation Of the whole historic adventures
less strange and worthy accidents IN the Blrth
and Life Of his Daughter Marina. as il hath been
divers and sundry times acted by His Majesties
servants, at the Globe on the Bankside. By
William SHAKESPEARE" etc Here we have it posi-
lively announced the work of Shakespeare,
yet Hemlnge and COndell omitted II altogether
from the first and second folios. Dryden subse
quently affirmed,
''Shakespere's own muse her PericIes first bore"
yet Pope and other eminent critics stoutly main
tanned TO the contrary. To-day, according to
-. No. TnaTr
Furnival Fleay. George Macdonald and C'the
greatest is behnd') Alfred TennysOn-Shake-
speare actually did write all the inspired pas
sages Of the play. while the irrelevant, tnept
and revolving lubricity of the first and second
acts, the loathsOme brothel scene, Act ", and
the inept Cover recitais may, with some show
Of proba hlity, be accredited TO his alleged col
leagues. wilkins and Rowley. It cannot how
ever, be denied that there are passages in VII
kins's novel worthy of the master himself and
the present writer has not hesitated to avail
himself Of them in order TO elucidate or
strengthen the relation between Marina and
L.Eimachus.
With reference TO Tennyson's ipse dixit pre-
viOusly referred TO- the writer ventures to quote
DR.. Furnivalls interesting account of an inter
view with tho great poet. At a meeting Of the
stated that ''Iennyson declared that Shake
speare wrote all the part relating to the birth
and recovery Of Marina and the recovery Of
Thalsa-' l settled that long ago said
TennysOn. Come upstairs, and I'll read il TO
you Upstairs TO the smoking room, in Seanore
Place We went and then I had the rare treat Of
hearing the poet read in his deep voice. with an
occasional triumphaI, Isn't that Shakespeare?
What do you think Of that| and few
rnents the genuine part Of PericIes. When
shortly after I received Mr.. Fleay's print of
The Birth and Life Of Marina its first words
Thou God Of this vast recognized in its pages
the same scenes that TennysOn read to me-"
The same coincidence occurred to the writer
whose lifelong experience in connection with the
Shakespearian drama enabled him to extract
every line of the poet from the dross which
surrounded it, and when Through the courtesy
Of DR.. Furnivall) he obtained a copy of Mr.
Fleay's Marina" tie writer found it identical,
line for line, with his adaptation.
Although ii is superfluous
TO gid refined gold TO paint the lily"
yet it is not out OF place here to recall the
glowing eulogy pronounced on this play by
AlgernOn SwinbuTne What shall / now say
he says, that may not be too pitfully un-
worthy of the glories and the beauties,
terwOyen with the imperial texture Of this
playi The blood red Tyrian purple Of tragic
maternal Jealousy, which might seem to array
IL in worthy attire Of its Tyrian name, the
soft loveliness, maiden lamentation the
flower strewn grave Of Marina's old tossed
nurse
Although one Of the best abused plays Of the
period. there is abundant evidence to prove
that II never relaxed its hold upon the public
till the time Of the Civil Wars when all the thea
tres were closed. The repeated recon-
mendations Of his friend the distinguished
tragedian. Mr. Phelps induced the writer to
turn his attention TO the subject, the result be
ing the present adaptation, which upon less
than three occasions has been within measur-
able distance Of production at Drury Lane. twice
under the regime OF his friend the late Au-
gustus Harris, and once during his own recent
mana cement OF National Theatre. but in
every instance some insuperabe obstacle barred
the way
the stage 70 the initiative Of the Committee Of
the Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on- Avon Forti-
fed by the many eminent authorities who sub
scribe 10 his opinions as 10 Shakespeare's actual
authorship he