The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-08
THE GREATEST OF
The Dean of American Scholars. and
His Monumental Edition OF the
Great Eliza bcthan.

iFurneSS died a few weeks ago
at his home at Wallinsford, Pennsyl-
vaniA. As the editor of the great
"Var!orum" edition Of fifteen Of Shake
speare's plays, his work is ~uneQualed
by that OF any other S-hakespaean
editor. His edition of "Hamlet' in
two great quarto volumes, would alone
have been monumental but to have
added to this like exhaustive editions
OF thirteen other playS@the pen drop
ped from his hand just as he must
have been putting the final touches on
the edition of "Cymbeline"-places his
work beyond that Of any one in Ameri-
ca or elsewhere. The three caller
"Variorum" editions are neither so full
nor so thorough as DR.. FurnesS's. OF
the scholarly work Of this kline done
by Americans. only English and Seat
tish Popular Ballads. edited by the late
Professor Francis j. Child, Of Har-
varo. deserves, it seems to me, a posi-
ton by the side Of the VariOrum
Shakespeare Of DR.. Furness.
Unlike Professor Child, DR.. Furness
was not a scholar by profession. An
a. Is. OF Harvard $3.50. and an A. M.
tlo5s). Dr. Furness began the prac-
tice OF law. Shakespeare, now.
ever. had. Prospero-like, cast his
magic spell over him: and in 1871,
Romeo and Juliet" appeared as the
nrst or his "Nariorum" edition. indie
pendent wealth enabled Dr.. Furness
70 yield himself up now entirely to
ms masters sway. "Macbeth" was Is
sued is 1873, and Hamlet" in 1877
during a period abroad, DR.. Furness
m 1878. at the age Of forty-fve, re-
ceived the decorate at Halle. The
latest Of the plays to appear is AN
tony and Cleopatra" in 1907.
Since the first of the past Auo,ct
Witnih q week before his death. Dr..
Furness wrote to q friend: IF all goes
Well | hope to deliver Cvnbeline to
the mercieS Of the printers in 4 month
or TWO. And then ] shall rest and
patch up my old body for heaven" He
was not permitted to see this last of
MS literary chldrcn. We shall fondle
with peculiar tenderness the post
hurnouS child.
IL IS good to know tina Horace
howard F~urness, Jr.. has already
served an apprenticeship, and has
taken up his fathers work. A re-
'lsed edition of "Macbeth," 9 and
an edition OF Richard Ill" 19O8).
nave appeared with the sons name
upon the tit;e-page as editor. Let rs
nope he may complete the task begun
by his father.
Two recollections of Or. Furness are
very vivid to me now after nearly
twenty years: | think they are among
my permanent possessions. shall
surely not part with them willingly.
Inc hrst remembrance is Of hearine a
series Of lectures by DIR. Furness on
onakeSpeare OF course. at the Pea
10y ihsutute IN Baltimore. At the
.lhe ! was but a callow youth and
therefore l can now recall not nearly
50 much Of the lectures as wish
oot shall never forget the benign
dignity and old-tilme courtesy with
winch Or. FurnesS even then an old
man. would appear each evening he
TORE his audience-the auditor;um
packed. as memory pictures it-and
aver a stately bow, begin with de-
subject this evening, nay it pleas "a
YOU ladies' and northumberland there
woulo follow an hour Of genuine de-
nent. FOL that hour we lived with
the fiiza n communed with
the great master dramatist.
One thing DIR. Furness impressed
upon US: You will hear men say CON
te~1nptuously oh. these scholars read
INTO Shakespeare more than Shakes
peare hlmsit ever meant-Don't be-
leVe a word of it, exclaimed Or
F>urness almost ~passionately. we
nave never yet succeeded in ~eattino
OUT OF Shakespeare all he did mean.-
ana I've been trying to do SO for
thirty years."
In the same course Of lectures
speaking Of the cruces over which
men mad spent in vain years of des-
$500 ~ehoeaVor, Or. Furness told
WIN great gusto an experience he had
Win the Spiritualists in PHILADELPHIA.
ne was appointed on a commission to
investigate some rather extrav,c,,
claiins OF the Modern S~piritua1ists "
and went by appointment one even
ing TO a seance. Those in charge OF
n meeting appear to have known
OF Dr. Furness's devotion to Shakes
peare. When therefore the Doctor
was invited to call for the spirit Of
any departed person and asked to
speak with his master, the shade If
onakespeare responded promptly. AZ
yer the usual compliments were ex-
changed and DR.. Furness had ask I'd
a lew casual question. all Of which
Were glibly answered, he finally said: