Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-26
SHAKESPEARE A POOR MAN.
Newly Discovered Documents in Law
suit Show Small Income.

Every age has it's own conception Of
Shakespeare, but we OF today are en-
joying q nearer approach to the man
and his associates than has been grant
ed at any other time since his death.
For nearly half q century scholars have
been saying that we should probably
never learn anything more than was
definite about the personal Shakespeare
but in the last six years l have had the
privilege of finding among documents
preserved in various English archives.
and of reporting numerous records re-
lating to Shakespeare, his colleagues
and dramatic rivals, and the cOntem-
pOrary theaters. which supply materi-
ais that enable Us to d considerable ex-
tent to reconstruct the life of the poet.
Our first knowledge of Shakespeare's
financial interests in the Globe and
Blackfriars comes to US from the Oste-
Ter Helninges records (Which / made
public in 1909 and from the documents.
now for the first time revealed. in the
suit of John Witter VS.. John Heminges
and Henry Condell. Previously we
could draw only general differences
| from ineXact data and conditions.
hundred years ago the theory was set
going that Shakespeare must have dis
posed of any theatrical interests he
may have owned about the time he
may have retired to Stratford 1t was
inferred also. and is stated positively
in most biographical notices on the ba
sis of that mere Inference that he had
no shares in the theaters at the time OF
his death. This notion arose from the
fact that in his will Shakespeare does
not mention any theatrical interests.
and from the erroneous supposition
that a will devises all the property spe-
officially. But the fact is that wills
rarely enumerate all the testator's pos
sessions.
Shakespeare's income from his theat-
rical shares is perennial subject of
debate which these documents remove
from speculation. In publishing the
Osteler- Heminges suit last October I
called attention to the estimate of $500
annual profit for Shakespeare's share.
and gave warning that even that re-
duced estimate was excessive. Writer
declares that his own income. previous
to the burning of the Globe in 1913. and
while he owned one seventh of the en-
tire property and profits of the Globe.
the same as Shakespeare then owned).
was from $50 to $40 year. This
from $1,000 to $1,000 in the money Of
today. If we multiply that sum by IA
we shall know the profits of the entire
company.
1t is noteworthy that the amount OF
profit from one share in the Globe be-
fore 1913 agrees with the similar
amount of profit from one share in the
Red Bull. as shown by new documents
in university Studies" and with
similar amount, estimated at from eSS
to c53 for different periods. from one
sixth Of the Blackfrairs prior to 1905,
when Shakespeare's company took that
theater and divided it into seven
shares. After the Globe was rebuilt In
1914 the profits were greatly increased
Writer says. and he now offers to &C.
cept half share. in lieu of the one for
feited. at yearly rent of Els IS Sd. or,
as an alternative. to take the prohts
from the house Heminges had recently
been allowed to build on the GLOBE
grounds, and from other houses there
pay the rent of the entire property to
Brend, and risk clearing then more
than the $50 to 6 40 which he formerly
received when each owned one seventh
OF the moiety.
"A large fancy has hitherto assumed
that Shakespeare's yearly income from
his share in the Globe was from ESQ
to $500 Tin modern money possibly
from $4,000 to G4.S00. or from about
$40. 600 to 024. 900 n year, Multiply that
by IA, the number of shares at Shakes
peare's death. or by It, the number ar
ter his death. when Nathaniel Field
was admitted. and we have a grand to-
tai of assumed profits of from f56,0V
to c6S.s00 fabout s2S0.00O to s32i.000 q
year for the company This sort OF
biographical fancy" pictured Shakes
peare as a shrewd business man. wno
having accumulated large wealth (per.
haps half a million dollarsl. scornea
the noble art Of poesy after 1t haa
served such merely sordid ends retired
to his country residence at Stratford'
and there lived the life Of wealthy
gentleman.
The Witter- Heminges pleadings sup
plement the Osteler- Heminges records
and are also supplemented by them
Here we have Shakespeare and his as
sociates in precarious business enter
prise that they have staked their whole
future upon in democratic brotherhood
Failure or success affects not mercy
the financial returns. but the dramat'c
effort Of both playwright and actors
Throughout Shakespeare's plays ana IN
the history Of the company SO far -
we know 1t from records like these. OPP
timistic ideals dominated the hard con-
ditions.--Ccntury Magazine