The Washington herald., 1908-06-07

From the London Globe
It is difficult 10 realize that so far as
probabilities go nothing would be more
likely than that Shakespeare's Christian
name should have been George instead
OF William. We have the custom still
among US OF calling children born on a
saints day after the name OF the saint,
and in the sixteenth century It was prob
ably far more prevalent. It has been, in
deed. asserted that. contrary TO what one
would have thought. George was ex-
tremely rare as a name before the Han
Overian succession. Yet. as a matter OF
fact, Shakespeare introduces it frequently.
Mrs. Page. in the Merry Wives" calls
her husband George: George Bevis is one
OF the followers Of Jack Csde; the newly
cnnobled Falconbridge vows, IF a mans
name be George I'll call him Peter"
So that the assertion OF the rareness OF
the name seems 70 lack confederation.
Nor In his frequent references to St
George as the national saint OF England.
does Shakespeare anywhere evince that
sort Of quaSi-Tersonal enthusiasm or de-
votion which II is not uncommon for
people 10 eNinCe toward their sanity or
historical patrons or nlmeparents. His
81. George is simply the guardian in
voked by warriors and warrior kings.
Sometimes. as in the mouths OF Henry V
and Lord Talbot. the invocation is pri-
marily national-"God for Harry. Eng
land. and 81. George Cod and St.
George, Talbot and England's right
Sometimes Il is more personal: Richard
and Richmond both call on him-"St
George TO bootr God and St George!
Richmond and victory as Yorkists and
Lancastrians did throughout the struggle
that ended on Bosworth Field.
The most direct and. so 70 speak. ex-
elusive reference TO the saint as the ma
uonal patron is the utterance OF the
Duke Of Bedford when tidings are
brought OF the revolt OF France: he vows
that in reducing It again 10 subsection
he will make bonfires throughout the
land To keep our great St George s
feast withal-thNugh we must not forget
! that Henry V in his wOOing scene with
I Katherine alludes 70 ST. Dennis and St.
George as respectively the patrons OF
France and England" Falconbridge's
whimsical humor makes him teer at the
faith or credulity which the invocation
implied. When John and Philip re-
solved on war. he improvises a variant
Of the battle cry-"St George-that
scourg'd the dragon and e'er since sits on
his horseback at mine hostess door.
Teach US some fencer' This lack OF
reverence on the part OF renowned Fall
conbridSe' is the more noteworthy. as
according 70 some accounts II was his
royal father Richard who frst-on the
occasion OF his starting for the Cru
sades-placed the kingdom under the
guardianship Of st. George influenced
thereto by a dream which strongly i'm
pressed him But ST. George was the
, patron saint Of Acquitaine. of which
Richards mother Eleanor was Lady"
the old war cry OF its sovereigns having
been st George for the mighty Duke d"
One wonders what the kings and war
riors in his nays, and what Shakespeare
himself would have thought Of the vol
umes Of speculation and eruditiOn which
have been poured upon the world con-
corning the identity and evolution of their
patron saint. The unfortunate conqueror
of the dragon does certainly seem to be