Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-04

Times, we know that we are on the very
spot where his audiences poured In to see
hlmelf and his fellows act his plays at the
Blackfriars; the documents discovered by
DIR. Wallace permit us to anticipate the
day when we may stand on a spot in South
wark and say with equal confidence, Here
was the Globe of Shakespeare
THE Interest of such n discovery must
appeal to all, and not merely to the stu
dent of the Elizabethan stage, to whom 1t
is that jewel of price, solid fact in place Of
hypothesis. Just as a visit to Athens or to
Rome maxi real and vivid much that was
before mere book knowledge, and lets the
ligt of the senses into what before was
shut in the brain. So to a smaller degree,
little facts about a mans external life-his
income, his position among his fellows, the
very spot on which he worked-even
should they do nothing to explain to us his
mind or his character, undoubtedly bring
him nearer to us by impressing upon us
his share in our common humanity. Ana
that is, perhaps, of special Importance In
the case Of SHAKESPEARE. for Shakesperean
criticism is by no means free yet from the
Victorian edification of Shakespeare. 1t
would be unfair, moreover to pretend that
from such details as these we gain no
knowledge OF mans character. The old
stories about the Latin spoons, about the
wit combats with Ben Jonson, and so forth,
are possible OF more service in this respect;
but that SHAKESPEARE, five years after his
recorded appearance as an actor at court,
stood next in his company to his managers;
that towards the close of his life he was
| drawing his 500 or 600 pounds a year from
his theaters besides what he earned as
! playWright-any document that gives us so
| 10 hpin ne 81
| knowledge of his nature"
| The document referred TO in this is the
record Of a suit that was brought by the
daughter OF Hemyngs one Of Shakespere's
partners, who had welded another of the
partners, Osteler. against her father to
compel specific performance OF contract,
| 1t brings out fully the nature OF the part
nership arrangement the holdings Of each
of the company, the boundaries Of the plot
! of ground on which the theater was To-
| Gated, the cost OF building the theater its
cost Of operation, the receipts and much
| other detail. Shakespeare is involved be-
cause the suit is for certain shares OF the
stock OF the company, and the further fact
that the defendent Hemyngs was held at
the suit OF his daughter and thus the whole
of the interest OF the company was in
/ vowed III TINS uoNuiAShA We bNh a
| OF SHAKESPEARE as a business men. In an
| other document also the suit OF married
daughter against her father, which was
| later published by DR., Wallace in Harper S
We were given some notion OF SHAKESPEARE
as a man. This suit was also for specific
performance OF promise, this time in
volving the payment Of a dowry. 1t APP
pears that SHAKESPEARE had lodged at the
house OF the defendant, and apparently had
formed a close relation with the family. for
he was the so-between to negotiate a mar
rage for the daughter OF the house with
her fathers apprentice. The marriage was
consummated but dispute arose later as
to the payment OF dowry, and in the suit
that followed SHAKESPEARE was called upon
as a witness to tell OF the transaction, and
especially OF the understanding as TO the
amount Of dowry and the manner OF its
payment. In this light we see the great
actor-dramatist taking part in the intimate
social life OF his neighbors.
| In the Century for the current month Dr.
Wallace has another very interesting article
dealing with "Shakespere and the Black
friars." having published one short time
| ago in the same magazine concerning the
Globe and its location. In these articles we
get a close view OF SHAKESPEARE as a
business man. IS well as some notion OF