New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-30
RELICS At STRATFORD.
Il Strong Plea for the RemoUaL Of
PSeudO-ShakcSpcaian .Souuenirs.

e. Cunning Walters in The London Times
VIC VISIT Shakespeare's shrine with feelings OF
reverence ana the majority OF visitors rsiriIrsIl,
accept implicitly the statements thar are ma 81
snd believe en- the proved commences OF -be
telcs ihtN are shown. III Will ba q --r7.s s,,l-,
40 thousands OF English and A.1arfr.7 -5.,-,,.,,e
70 discover either THAI the necessary authentic-
'ty Us lacking, or 10 learn that there never MS
any proved connection between tha r.oar ..,- a
1870 ..., el me most conspicuous articles labelled
wiz Ais name. Yer assertions are SO dognat-
icaliy made that casual visitor would r0ssess
lelleflt4 indeed TO reject them. j aIIe-e no i1f
talth against the guides and curators 'rbey
are sincere enough and thew r,erfor,,, t,,eir 81.
duties with uuNaryiug courtesy and rlariar,,a
~ u not theirs 10 reason why: that tasl, Isl
1oI independent students IN spite Of anv tenn
lofafg hostility their heterO6oxv frsrz excite
Ally nrst protest is against TIE ao-,.,ro.s
SS5hakesIeare Desk exhibited al his birthplace
10 asslilJ llon ihai II was Shakespeare's is
INV afrtutablc. Il Is extremely doubtful ,,herf-
81 The desk oates Ear back as ShaIzasr,t9r 80
slne. II is absolutely certain that IL never ~
bcholar's desk 81 al but an usher's This
latal objection rs got over boy Mr. SuoyySer
MeIo among others by saying that "parhaus
oilahespeaie was "a schoOlmaster.' Perhaps he
was-perhaps he was head master of ne f-r.,,,5-
mar school, for there is Just as much eHisarre
81 the ole point as The other; but stiu we do
Hot prove the desk 10 be his. This piece OF old
furniture nom the Latin room is Interesting
enough as ole furniture; nothing more.
II New Place there is an ANTIQUE shovel hoard
anc the visitor is informed II sneak from rar-
Honal experience that IL Shakespeare did not
actually own II be often PLAYED a game uron
public house opposite. the Falcon Inn. and those
who care 10 believe that ''godlike shake
speare" wasted his nights there NAV hold the
shovel board as sacred. But there Is not an fota
OF proof that he knew Of its existence. and vet
- r. thought worthy % the most conspicuous
place In the han ~ his rebuff residence. Equal
~ in keeping with this tavern curiosity is the
mulberry tree al the hack OF the house. guard
ed with the utmost care. rallied round. proudly
pointed out, because ft accorGs with the local
sentiment OF prOprictv 70 credit that Shake
Epeare drank too hard" under the tree o. which
this b. offshoot and died OF a surfeit three
days later. That foul tradition rests on the un-
corroborated statement ~ picker I'D Of uncon-
sidered trifes who extracted 81 from the dust
heap 81 village Legends nearly "a century after
the poets death. Even those who believe and
treasure this delectable stem Of Shakespeare s
orgy might have the deCency not 10 preserve
a. their midst the testimony 70 his dishonor.
The decacy which obtrudes the mulberry tree
on the notice OF visitors also is the means of
calling attention % the Shakespeare FIagon. DO
OF which the utmost that can De recorded by
such an enthusiast Mr Snowden Ward is that
II ~ sale 20 have been the poets" Yet /
know that visitors 10 New Place never 60 away
without being convinced that Shal1espeare's own
hpe have touched a.
Genuine relics Of Shakespeare there are. One
~ MS signet ring, the other IS fhe brooch bear
ing NE name found by Joseph Smith IN 1s2S il
ives long in the possession OF my friend Mr
dom Rabone. OF Birmingham who traced its