The Washington herald., 1913-09-28
E. H. Sothern Puts a Quietus
on the Motheaten Tradi-
ton that the Poet Found 1t
Necessary to Hold Horses
About the Theaters.
Nv E. H. sOTHERN.

iourneyed to London, a distance OF about
seventy miles. OF his doings upon his
arrival there: of how he managed TO be-
come an actor and finally co-manager
of one of the leading play houses, We are
in weIl-nigh abyssmal darkness. In
point OF fact, by some curious turn Of
affairs there seems TO have been what
might be called "a conspiracy of silence"
Shakespeare is not alone in the shadow.
All of his wonderful contemporaries suf-
fered like fate-among others Jonson,
Beaumont, Fletcher, Messenger, and Mar
lowe. OF these men Emerson said: Since
the constellation of Great Men who ap-
peared in Greece in the time of Pericles
there was never any such society," Yet
what we actually know of these mighty
men of old" could be written on the label
of a medicine bottle
1t has long seemed to me, however
that SO far as Shakespeare is concerned,
there has been too ready an acceptance of
silly tradition. With many important
facts at hand, which cannot be well
shifted away, most of the biographers
have given ear to the tale that Shake
speare. upon his arrival in London, made
a precarious living holding horses outside
of the play-houses. This tradition gets
short OF breath, wheezes dismally, and
expires finally when We read in Brandes'
Shakespeare, that at the time in ques-
tion the practice of riding to theaters
had enirely fallen into disuse. People
then went to the play by water"
Shakespeare may. indeed, have held
horses; but that a man of his capabili-
ties should have been pushed into such a
paltry business seems extremely unlikely
1t does not seem to have occurred to
anybody to inquire whether or no Shake
speare did not have acquaintance in
London who would have given him ready
assistance. That there was at least one
such acquaintance and that he assisted
Shakespeare on his arrival in London.
seems beyond the shadow of a doubt.
This is not a mere theory. one of those
inconGruous traditions which sprung up.
nobody knows how, but an incontestable
fact
Il may as well be stated here that
Shakespeare,s father was High BaiIif
when the Arst travelling company of
players visited Stratford. and during the
Years OF l569 and 1857. the latter year be
ing the one that Shakespeare left STRAIT
ford Tor London. "twenty-four travelling
uOupes visited the town" On arrival. 1T
was the custom for the players to wait
upon the High Bailif and inform him in
what nOblemans service they were en-
rolled That young Shakespeare saw
these performances and became acquaint-
ed with the actors. who must have Wis
tied his fathers house. is beyond doubt
Net-ciEht Years before Shakespeare
left Stratford for Loudon-then a city of
about 10000 bitants-RIChard Field.
son of John Field. a local tanner, had
taken up his residence in the metropo-
lis. Richard Field and William Shake
speare had been playfellows at the STRAIT
ford grammar school. On arrival in Lon
himself at pTeRtis to George ByshOp,
citizen and Stationer Of London for the
VII yercs from Michaelmas next" \
month later ByshOp placed Field with we
said NantrolIier to learne We arte of
printing This Thomas, Nantrollier. by
the way. was one OF the important print
ers of London. Field, the year Shake
speare arrived in the metropolis, became
freeman, and on Nantrollier's death
soon after married his widow and sue
Ceeded to his business publisher. All
Of this is to h. discovered in the sta
TONER Registers"
So. when William Shakespeare left
Stratfo-d. what do VIC know of him that
is not mere conjecture; there was living
in London his schoolfellow. Richard
Field. now an important publisher and
it is beyond doubt that he was already
acquainted, on account of the frequent
visits to his fathers house. with all of
the important actors Of the London
stage. George Greenwood the English
harrister. whU has been al great pains
In his weighty book. The Shakespeare
Problem Restated." to prove that Fran
els Bacon was the author Of the plays
seems to have scented the important mat
ter OF Field and Shakespeare's friend
ship As it would be fatal to his argu-
ment to acknowledge tha Field and
Shakespeare were acquaintance, he dis
missed the whole matter whiffingIy in
these words: There is absolutely moth
ing to show that Field had any acquain-
tance with, or knowledge of Shake
Speare."
This is fatal and egregious statement
on Mr., GreenwOod's part. We know abso-
lutely that Richard Field and William
Shakespeare were schOolmates at the
Stratiord grammar school, and We read
I'm Haliiwell- Phillips Outlines" that at
the time Of Grcene's Lampoon of Shake
speare, then in London. that the poets
father was buSily engaged with his coun-
tiers in appraisinE the goods Of Richards
father, Henry Field, tanner of Stratford-
on-Avon. Surely, that Richard Field and
William Shakespeare were schoolfelIows.
and that when Richards father died,
Williams father was his executor, argues
Mr.. Greenwood absurd when he saws
that there is absolutely nothing to show
tnal flelu hAu any acquaintance with or
knowledge of Shakespeare"
1t takes a Baconian to make a positive
statement that is as easily refuted as that
two and two make five. 1t seems, too. be-
yOnd reason that Mr.. Greenwood WA
unaware that Richard Field published
Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis," called
by the poet THE first heir of his inven
tiOn.' Even without the knowledge that
Shakespeare's poem, Venus and Ado
mis-" was published by Field. the aver
ment by this Baconian would not hold
water. That young Shakespeare was inti-
mately acquainted with Field; that he
hung about" his printing Office upon his
arrival in London, and met there the
important literary men of the time. seems
unquestionable. AS has been seen. Field
published Shakespeare's first poem, which
may have been carried with him from
StratfOrd. Then, Blade, in his book
Shakespeare and Topography" points
out that the author of the plays must
have been intimately acquainted with
topography. Blade, for instance. points
out that in four lines in The Winters
Tale there are five distinct Topographic