The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-14


York to audiences which
NOT only fill the theatre to over lowing,
b,,t which are intellectually and social
~ of the most distinguished character.
rarely. if ever has a Shakesp,estrean
NAV or any other entertainment been
presented on such a lavish scale The
costumes and stage settings COST a
moderate fortune. There are 800 people
on the stage; there is a boy choir; there
is a. superb orchestra; there is a ballet
of dancing girls and there are elghSeen
elaborate stage settings. There is
MAGNIFICENT ta'bleau of the battle OF
AgincOurt and another of the return OF
the victorious English army to London
If the Bard of Avon could look upon
that scene, he would undoubtedly recall
his lines:
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
OF princes shall outlive this powerful
rhyme.
In the church at Stratford-upon-
Avon, near the chancel, there lies &
slab of marble upon which are in
scribed these words:
Good friend. for Jesus sake forbeaI
To digg the dust encloased heare;
Bless be the man vt spares thes stones
Ard curst be he vt moves my bones
Around that slab is an iron railing to
keep the feet of the pilgrims from
wearing away the stone, for this is Une
tomb of Shakespeare. In n1cne ABOVE
the slab is a marble bust, the Wo:k or
unknown
inscilption on the slab said 20 have been
composed by Shakespeare, but hardly
worthy of his great mind, has prevent
ed the British government from NOV
ing his remains to Westminster Aboey,
where sleep England's most iHuStrlous
dead.
1t is only within the past $50 years
that the world fully realized what a
heritage Shakespeare had left It In
I773, Stevens, a famous Shakespearean
scholar, said: 'All that is known with
any degree of certainty of Shakespeare
IS that he was born at StratfOrd-upon-
Avon; married and had children there
went to London, where he became an
actor; wrote poems and plays; return
ed to Stratford, made his viii, died and
was buried"
1t seems strange that England knew
so little about the life of her greatest
poet only $50 years after his death But
beginning with Stevens thousands OF
able scholars and Investigators turned
TO the task of bringing to light every
possible fact or historical document
that might have cthe least bearing upon
the affairs of Shakespeare. Vast sums
of money have been expended in this
search and thousands of books and
pamphlets have been written about It.
Today, the world is fairly Wen ac-
quainted with the biography of Shakes
peare, although not one line OF MS
handwriting, except his signature, has
The parish register of Stratford
shows that William, son of John and
Mary Shakespeare, was chrlstened
April %, 1864. Other books show that 1t
was customary in those days and at
that place to christen infants within
three or four days after their birth. In
this way the date of Shakespeare. $
birth has been approximately fixed 1t
is known what books were used an the
Stratford schools at the period when
Shakespeare attended and what Gus
toms prevailed there. Some OF the
school books of that period are still in
existence ana from them 1t IS known
what studies the boy Shakespeare pur-
sued. It is not known just how long
he went to school, but all his biOgraph-
ers agree that he attended at least six
years. When the poet was about Ia
years of age his father became fnan-
cially embarrassed The nature of his
fathers difficulties is partly shown by
I'D court records and old deeds and
iogal papers. The earliest suits against
John Shakespeare were started in 1881
and 1882, and from them It is ascertain
ed that his difficulties originated five or
six years before that date.
In the parish records is a bond for
Che marriage license of William
Shakespeare to Ann Hathaway, dated
Nov. IS, 1882. Shortly after this date
the marriage was solemnized- Some
time between 1855 and 1887 Shakespeare
moved to London. From 1887 to 1892 his
life, so far as historical records are
concerned, is a blank. In 1892 he was
in London and had achieved recognition
as a playwright From this time until
his death his circumstances and affairs
are fairly well known.
In 1908, Shakespeare, having became
wealthy by thrifty management of his
plays and Of the theatre IN which he
was interested. retired to Strattord
Here he loaned money, took great in
terest in the affairs Of the corporation
of StratfOrd, sued debtors, bought lands
and became a public spirited business
a I'd nT he
age of 81 years. Three days after his
death he was laid in the chancel OF
Stratford church by his son-in-law. DR.
John Hall. who had married Shakes
peare's Oldest daughter, Susanna 1t !:
thought that Dr.. Hall procured the
bust above the grave to be made.
There are in existence number 81
portraits of Shakespeare, each having
some claims to authenticity. The
StratfOrd bust is supposed to have beer
cut from some likeueSS-peThapS one II
the possession of DR.. Hall. Then there
IS the StratfOrd portrait which 81
much resembles the bust that it is GER
tain that the bust was taken from the
portrait Ordhe portrait from the bust.
In the first edition OF Shakespeare
works ever publiShed-the SO-calleC
folio Of 1623-is an engraving made by
Martin DrOeshOut, called the DroeShou
portrait. Beneath this engraving is
verse by Ben johnson, a friend o.
Shakespeare, saying the likeness Is eX
CeUenL- but the most n1Snly esteemed
portrait is the ChandoS painting-so
called because it was once the propert!
of the Duke of Chandos. The history o.
this painting IS the subject OF man!
books. The ChandOs portrait originally
belonged TO John Taylor, a painter
whose brother, Joseph Taylor, was
friend and companion of Shakespeare
and player in his theatre. John Tay
Tor left this picture by nis viii to 81
William DavenanC, poet laureate o
England and patron of the theatre. L
passed from Davenant through severa
hands to the Duke of ChandOs. Tn,
Earl of Ellsmere purchased it in 1S4S
and presented it TO the national por
trait gallery, where il now is Th'
Chandos portrait is accepted as TIT
best likeness of Shakespeare because
was highly priced by a painter o
known ability, who was personally aC
qUainted with the great poet. This i
the portrait usually printed IN editions
OF his works.
In 1916 while removing an old ware
house in London, the foundations of TIT
old Dukes theatre, which was built b,
Sir William Davenaut in 1862. were un
earthed. Among other articles in tn
debris under the Old theatre a terra