The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-11

we visited Shakespeare's shrine with
IeellhSs OF reverence, and the majority of
visitors naturally accept Implicitly tbe
statements that are made and believe
~ ~ cile proved senuineness of the. relics
they are shown. 1t will be a rude shock
70 thousands of English and American
deNoteeS TO discover either that the neces-
Sary authenticaticity is lacking, or to
iedTn that there never was auy nrovd
connection between the poet and Some of
the most conspicuous articles labeled with
ms name Yet assertions are so dogmati-
cdlly ndue that casual visitor would
p0sSeSS temerlty indeed to reject them
allege no i'll faith against the guides and
curatorS. They are sincere enough. and
Iney perform their set duties with un-
t taaEIng courtesy and patience. 1t is mot
independent students in spite of any tenn
cite 'S ca
MY first protest is against the so-called
shakespeare desk exhibited ar biS
birthplace. The assumption that il was
Shakespeare,s is unwarrantable 1t is ex-
eLe4 fn aouot1uI whether the desk dates
SO tar back as Shakespeares time; If is
absolutely certain that it never was a
scholars desk at all, but an usher's This
IaIaI objection is got over by Mr. Snow
ueh ward, among others, by Saything toat
perhaps Shakespeare was a schooImas
ter Perhaps he was-perhaps he was
mead master of the grammar school for
there Is just as much evidence on the
one point as the other; but still we do
not prove the desk to be his This piece
OF Old furniture from the Latin room is
interesting enough as old furniture; moth
In New Place there is an ANTIQUE shovel
board, and the visitor is informed IT
speak from personal experience that If
SHAKESPEARE did not actually own it he
oIten Played game upon it. AS a
matter OF fact, it came from the public
house opposite, the Falcon inn, and those
T Sl5a care to believe that our "godlike
ShakeSpeare" wasted his nights there may
hold the shovel board as sacred Pnt
there is not an iota of proof that he
Knew OF ITS existence. and yet it is thought
W MoLIIy OF the most conspicuous place
IN the hall of his residence. Equally in
Keeping with his tavern curiosity is the
mulberry tree at the back of the house
guarded with the. utmost care, rallied
round. proudly pointed out. because If
accords with the local sentiment of nro-
prlety to credit that Shakespeare drank
TOO hard under the tree of which this is
an onsnoot and died of a surfeit three
Gays later. That foul tradition rests on
the uncorroborated statement of a picker
up or unconsidered trif1es who extracted
II from the dust heap of village legends
EESdLIy century after the poets death
EVEN those VINO believe and treasure this
delectable item of Shakespeare's orgy
might have the decency not to preserYe
I IN tneir ,I midst the testimony to his dis
mulberry tree on the notice of visitors
also is the means of calling attention 10
me Shakespeare fiagon," of which the
uIInost mat can be recorded by such an
enthusiast as Mr.. Snowden Ward is that
IT IS said to have been the poets" Yet
know that visitors to New Place never
60 away without being convinced that
oildheSDeareS own lips have touched II
- Genuine relics of Shakespeare there afe
t. IS his signet ring, the other is the
99rooeh bearing his name found by Joseph
s Slitn IN 1928 1t was long in the pos
SESSION OF my friend Mr.. John Rabone
oi birmingham, who traced its HISTORY
WIN the most scrupulous care. and I re-
I'LL ms telling me that this was ''the only
: 5 tan INK with Shakespeare the man."
come nearly to the same opinion since.
W would that l could have faith as a grain
81 3L mustard seed in the so-called Anne
or the old clothes chests in Heniv street
Ferhaps the greatest delusion remains