Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-24
SHAKESPEARE A POOR NAN?
Prof. Wallace's Discoveries Indicate
Small Income.
PROFITS OF THE GLOBE THEATEB
Papers in IN Old LawAuit Suggest n
New View of the Poets RE-
sources and Danish Spec
uIntiOn.

Prof Charles w. Wallace of Nebraska
contributes to the Century Magazine some
newly discovered evidence relating to
Shakespeare's money interest in the Globe
theater and the wealth of the poet In his
lifetime. Every age, writes Prof. Wallace,
has had its own conception of Shakespeare,
but we of today are enjoying nearer APP
proach to the man and his associates than
has been granted at any other time since
his death. For nearly half a century
scholars have been saying that we should
probably never learn anything more that
was definite about the personal Shakes
peare but in the last six years l have
had the privilege of finding among docu-
ments preserved in various English archives,
and of reporting, numerous records relat-
ing to Shakespeare, his colleagues and dra-
matte rivals and the contemporary thea
tiers. which supply materials that enable
us to a considerable extent to reconstruct
the life of the poet.
First Definite Knowledge.
Our first definite knowledge of Shakes
peare's financial interests in the Globe
and Blackfriars comes to us from the
Osteler- Hemynges records (Which 1 made
public in 1900 and from the documents, now
for the first time revealed, in the suit of
John Witter against John Heminges and
Henry Condeil. Previously we could draw
only general differences from inexact data
and conditions. A hundred years ago the
theory was set going that Shakespeare
must have disposed of any theatrical in
teTests 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 basis OF
that mere inference, that he had no shares
in the thoat5Ts al the time of his death
This notion arose from the fact that in his
will Shakespeare does not mention any the
| atrical interests, and from the erroneous
supposition that will devises all the prop.
erty specifically. But the fact is that Wills
rarely enumerate all the testator's posses.
sions.
shakespeares income from his theatrica
shares is perennial subject of debate
which these documents remove from spec
ulation. In publishing the osteler- Hemyn.
ges suit last October, I called attention to
the estimate of $500 annual profit fol
shakespeare's share. and gave warning
that even that reduced estimate was ex
cessive. Wltter declares that his own in
come, previous to the burning of the Globe
in 1913 and while he owned one-seventl
of the moiety chat is, one fourteenth o.
the entire property and profits of the Globe
the same as Shakespeare then owned). wa
from ESQ to $40 a year This would not ex
coed from f240 TO $3.50, or from 81, 200 to 81, go
on the money of today. II We multiply tina
sum of fourteen. we shall know the profit
of the entire company.
Profitable shares.
1t is noteworthy that the amount of prof.
from one share in the Globe before l6l
agrees with the similar amount OF $50 from
one share in the Red Bull, as shown b,
new documents in University Studies
and with a similar amount, estimated a
from fS3 to f5S for different periods. from
one-sixth of the Blackfriars prior to 1905
when Shakespeares company took tina
theater and divided II into seven shares
After the Globe was rebuilt In 1914 tn
profits were greatly increased, witter says
and he now offers TO accept half a share
in lieu OF the one forfeited, at a yearly rem
of fls IS 3d. or. as an alternative to TAX
the profits from the house Heminges ha
recently been allowed to build on the Glob
grounds, and from other houses there pa
the rent OF the entire property TO Brend
and risk clearing then more than the e
to $40. which he formerly received whe
each owned one-seventh of the moiety.
A large fancy has hitherto assumed tina
Shakespeare's yearly income from hi
share in the Globe was from goo TO 1000 q
modern money possibly from f4,0Oo to fi.sOI
= or from about $4,000 to $4,000 a year.. Mul
, tiply that by fourteen, the number o
shares at shakespeare's death, or by siX