New-York tribune., 1910-12-31
SHAKESPEARIAN LARKS
Andrew Lang on Shaw, Harris
and Himself.
rom The Illustrated London News.

From The Illustrated London News.
I had not been aware that Mr.. Shaw
had produced drama on the Dark Lady
of Shakespeare's (or Bacon's) Sonnets
till 1 read the plant of Mr.. Frank Har-
ris in a weekly serial. Mr.. Harris, l
knew, had written a book on the theme
that the Dark Lady Cf the Sonnets was
what Parac CELSIUS calls "tenebriferous
STAR: that she diffused a gloom over
the life of the Swan of Avon. She low
cred his moral tone sone, for a con-
siderable period. and she occurs, it ap-
pears, in some Of the plays-I forget how
nany-as well as in the Sonnets. These
conjectures Of Mr. Harris did not win
my belief. The Dark Lady is thought
by him to have been a certain Mistress
Fitton, maid of honor at the court Of
the maiden Queen, and other than a
guide ane." The more L read about the
historical Mistress Fitton the less was L
inclined to IDENTITY her with the Dark
Lady of the Sonnels and with any dark
beauty in the plays. I could find no sort
of evidence that Mrs. Fitton had dark
hair and eyes, and she appears to have
lived quietly in the country at Il period
when, according to the Harrisian
hypothesis, she was still demoralizing
her too faithful William.
1t appears. ! DWever, that Mr.. Shaw
did not sha ny historical skepticism.
If I understa-u the plant of Mr.. Harris
immense debts to the discoverer of the
lasting influence of the Dark Lady on
the author of Hamlet" If Mr.. Shaw
chooses to write another play on Queen
Elizabeth'S unmotheriy behavior to Lord
Bacon, her, own legitimate offspring by
the Earl of Leicester. he must be very
careful to confess his debt to the his
tCrical research Of Mrs Elizabeth Gal
lup. Both topics the Dark Lady and
Bacon as rightful King of England
have almost equal historical authority:
and both are made for the dramatic au-
thor.
To introduce Shakespeare, and Shake
speare in love, on the stage or in fiction
is to court a daring enterprise. We ex-
pect so much from Shakespeare, who
had, indeed, brave notions, an excellent
fantasy. and gentle expressions 1t
must be difficult to make him live up to
his reputation.
| do not remember more than two re-
productions of Shakespeare in fiction.
One is by Sir Walter Scott, who, in
''Keniiworth," introduces the poet as al
ready a successful playWriter at date
when he was only eleven years old. But
Shakespeare does and says nothing re-
markable in this romance. The other
representation Of Shakespeare occurred
in my own earliest romance, written
when / was a schoolboy. Here Shake
speare attends Queen Elizabeth when,
dressed up as a young gallant, she pays
IL secret visit to Queen Mary Stuart at
Holyrood. The visit never occurred,
though the idea and the male disguise
were suggested by Sir James Melville to
Elizabeth. She liked the idea, but did
rot act on it
In my romance, Shakespeare held
Queen Eliza beth's horse while she fought
a duel with Darnley, in which she was
badly wounded. The modesty of youth
xIaf .o,11I c.c ~H1II- Is
Shakespeare's conversation worthy of
his fame. What / could 1 did: I make
him speak in blank verse on all occa-
sions = The editor to whom l sent this
first birth of my invention did not pub
lish or return it: he had offered prize
for an original novel, but mine. pre-
sun1a bly,. was not original enough. Per-
haps he detected the slight anachronism;
at the date OF the events Shakespeare
was but one year old.
BY one OF those condolences which
prove that anything may happen, as I
finished the last sentence q parcel Of
new books was brought to me. Opening
it, / found. among other things, Shake
speare and His Love: A Play in Four
Acts and an Epilogue." BY Frank Har-
ris palmer. Londera,f9iG1. In the pref
ace.-t to my extreme surprise and regret,
I find Mr.. Harris accusing Mr.. Shaw Of
writing mons use about Shakespeare" in
a theory Of Mr.. Haf1is's "as he thought
importau-" Ali Of it must have been
important; but I could have resisted the
temptation to anne any of it. Disdan-
ing nv puer q device, Mr.. Harris does
not make Sl speare always talk in
blank verse while everybody else talks
in prose. They all talk in prose, except
rv accident as when Miss Fitton''
So vs.
And so yo4 love me-madly-in an hour?
Love! love is not sudden mad. But
hush,
Here Mistress Fitton does drop into
poetry" and Shakespeare partly catches
it
And now a moments kiss swims out of
count.
wisdorn and love. sweet. are sworn enc
mes.
Now girlish gay, and now so witty wise.
There is blank verse enough to show
how natural it came to Shakespeare
She loves the slime that sticks to filthy
deeds.
1t is chronic with Shakespeare. blank
verse!
A JURORS TICKET.
From The London Telegraph.