The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-07

! sincerely reverence Shakespeare's mem
DRY from the bitter shame of having TO
| look across the historic grave to an i'll
| designed alto-relievo of a modern actress
| sitting by a modern reading lamp, back
| ing the communion table with the poets
works kicking casually about her feet,
and a medallion OF the immortal poet
himself falling, as it seemed, out Of the
back folds Of her skirt and rolling under
her chart Whatever appalling noise that
could possibly be emitted by man or
woman to prevent such sacrilege was usu-
! ually met with a wild cry or ''verile"
yell. Anything at so crucial a moment
was better than the mischievous apathy
of silence And apparently my scream"
was not quite loud enough, for since that
day hundreds of people both In Great
Britain and the United States, have writ
ten to me asking me why l did not do
something to prevent such an eyesore
as the Martin pulpit" from being erected
in the church.
Heartily do I wish 1 could have pre-
vented it, and heartily do the worthy
townspeople Of Stratford regret that the
thing was ever put up; but was in the
one case fortunately able to bring legal
force to bear on the saving of the chan
eel; and 1 could not so place bar
against the intrusion of the ugly marble
pulpit, for which "A faculty" had been
easily granted by the retired bishoy Of
Worcester. DR.. Perowne. DR.. Perowne
had, by-the-way. equally granted his
faculty for hacking about the chancel;
only it so happened that for once that
N
another story" While on this branch Of
the subject, however. it should, think,
be realized by those interested in the
matter that the chancel holding Shake
speare's grave is by no means safe from
modern interference. Any new incum-
bent coming after the present vicar (the
Rev. George ArbuthnOD and possessing
crank let us say against literature
whose bishop is ready to favor his design,
could dig the dust enclosed here" The
only preventive would be the force Of
public opinion. But If no one happened too
near to give the warning note that should
rouse public opinion the world would re-
main in ignorance Of the mischief being
done IL is a matter Of urgent need that
the Church Of the Trinity, in Stratford-
on-AVon, should be forever protected
from all possible local interference by an
act of parliament. 1t is not too much TO
ask that the most honored literary shrine
in the world should be specially and par
ticularly guarded. preserved, and freed
from any debt by the government of that
country which gave Shakespeare birth.
Such an act, once passed. would be in
valuable to the whole world, and it might
incorporate with its care of the Church a
government protection of the whole Hen
ley street, the birthplace, Ann Hatha-
ways cottage. and New Place. There
are, of course, many other hooks and cor
ners intimately connected with Shake
spearean history in the town and neigh
borhood. but the church, the scene of
Shakespeare's baptism; Henley street,
where he was born and where his child
ish feet wandered up and down on the
way TO and from school; Shottery, where
he courted and won his wife, Ann Hatha
way: and New Place, where he breathed
his last. are strongly the four chief land
marks of the passing Of the British
Apollo.
strongly desire to arouse the attention
Of such true lovers of literature as honor
and reverence the genius of Shakespeare
TO the condition and state of things as
they are in Stratford-on-Avon at the
present day, when. much more than in
time past the ruthless hand of the mod
ernizer and jerry-builder is allowed to
play havoc with such old relics of the
past as can never be replaced, and whose
value from their connection with Shake
speare history is quite incalculable. Many
old and picturesque houses have lately
been pulled down. to be replaced by the
misunderstanding Villas" while the fine
oak rafters and panelling contained in
them have been sold out of the town,
Even the little village of Shottery, dear
to all artists, is being thoroughly van
dalized" if one may use such an express
sion. by the Marquis Of Hartford and his
agents Pretty matched cottages are be
ing mended with common slate, or. worse
still. covered in with corrugated iron
roofing; ugly red-brick jerry built shan
ties are springing up in every direction;
noble trees are wantonly cut down; and
Ann Hathaway's cottage does not belong
TO the noble Marquis, or it might have
been destroyed by this time and a cheap
'.tea-room' erected in its place, so little
interest does he appear to personally
take in the preservation of this wellniSh
unique fifteenth century village of old
England. 1t is quite easy to rethatch
the cottages-quite simple to mend their
dilapidations with old fashioned bricks
and tiles rather than common slate-and
II would be equally cheap TO build such
new houses for the people as should be
in the old unobtrusive style. and so pre-
serve the original simple and pastoral as
pect of the village Public attention
should, however. be called to certin stupid
muddle-headed bylaws" framed either
bv the government or the county council.
which actually forbid the building of
matched cottages. Those who know any
thing about q matched roof can testify
to its warmth and waterproof value. while
in the way of beauty and picturesque
ness it leaves nothing TO be desired. 1
have just said that ii is a matter for con-
graduation that Ann Hathaway cottage
is not under the control of the Marquis
of HEREFORD: it is equally fortunate that
the pogberry and Nerges Of the by
laws" cannot interfere with IL. or its
beautiful gray matched roof would have
been stripped of by now and cheap cor
rugated iron substituted. Certes. the
authorities Of the county council. or
whatever body it is that produces by
laws" are genuinely ignorant Of good
taste. They are like Bottom. the Weaver.
who. when offered fairy entertainment.
preferred "a peck OF provender." With
| their numerous obstructive" notions they
a-e swiftly destroying the sylvan beauty
Of the English landscape by ordering the
I indiscriminate cutting down Of trees. In