Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-05

plays of which Greene was part au-
thor, and which were improved, alt
cred and made into tremendous sue
cesses by Shakespere-hence Greene's
savage outburst and paraphrase Of the
line 20 tigers heart wrapped in a wo-
mans hide" into players hide"
Some little time ago I purchased at
an auction an uncut copy of "Shak-
spere," which was published by the
house of Caseell in the early COS. and
which was edited by Charles and
Mary Cowden Clarke. Both the
Clarkes were noted Shakesperian crit
les at that time, but he will, perhaps,
be best remembered as that friend OF
Keats who first taught him "all the
sweets of song" and to whom Keats
wrote one of his famous epistles. The
SHAKESPEARE referred to contains life
of the poet, which Is interesting be-
cause the well known lines commence
ing
Renowned Chaucer, lie a thought more
nigh
To rare Beaumont, and learned Beau
mond lie
A little nearer Spenser, to make room
For SHAKESPEARE in your threefold,
fourfold tomb
are by the Clarkes attributed to DR..
Dome, the celebrated poet and dean
of st. Paul's. Modern criticism has,
of course, decided 10 that Basse, ana
not "Our James royal chaplain, was
their author; and I was informed
few months ago by a celebrated WIT
er, since passed over, that he was
afraid the Clarkes didn't count"
Whether this be go or not is not Tor
me to say: but what does make the
question interesting is statement In
the Life, said to be made by DR.. Donne
in answer to an application made to
him for an epitaph on SHAKESPEARE.
Said he: IF you had commanded me
to have waited on his body IN scot
land and preached there l would have
embraced your obligation with much
alaerity; but 1 thank you that you
would command me that which L was
leather to do, for even that hath given
a tincture of merit to the obedience
of your poor friend and servant Ad-
hitting that Basse was the author OF
the epitaph, did Donne write the WORDS
quoted? If not, who did?
A circumstance which adds interest
to DR.. Donne's evidence is that there
Philip Henslowe. the old theatrical
was a direct link between him and
| manager and play producer, who has
| been we'll named 1.-The George Ed
wardes of his day." for he was one
| of "the principal proprietors of the
| Swan. the Rose, the Hope, the play
house at Newington Butts, the For
tune, and a bear-garden or two as
we'll" AS will be familiar to students
of stage literature of the period, Ed
ward Alleyn, the famous actor, joined
for q short time the Lord Strange
company and acted with them at the
newly built Rose Theatre, which must
have brought him into daily contac'
| with SHAKESPEARE. Alleyn, who was III
partnership with Henslowe and close
| ly associated with him for many years
married Henslowe's stepdaughter, DO
| an Woodward; that lady died IN 1913
and a few months later Alleyn married
DR.. Donne's daughter, Constance. Hen
| stoves famous diary after his death
| passed into Alleyn's hands and was
| by him lodged in The college he found
| ed at Dulwich. 1t is pobable-ras
+ ceTtdiD-tl1dl III SOiiiO 9Nt~A'
Shakespeare death other hands were
supplying the Globe company WITH
t plays; Fletcher, we know, took Snakes
peres place on his retirement.
All this would tend to take Shak
spere from the public mind. 1t ha:
also to be remembered that his tran
scendent merits were not realized II
| his lifetime to anything like the eX-
/ tent they have been since his death
| 1t was not really until the first folio
was published by players Heminge anc
! CondeIl, In 1923, that Shakspere begar
to come into his own.
Furthermore, players and dramatists
were then looked upon as little better
than "rogues and vagabonds"; no the
atre was allowed inside the city o.
London. and, as shown by Mr.. T. +
| O'Connor recently, prejudice agains
| the playhouse and the player existed
up to so years ago. Even 50 long aftel
his death as 1886 the Sweet Swan O
Avon" whom Ben Johnson loved "or
| this side idolatry more than and a de
serving man" Probably the reign O
the first Charles had begun before N
began to become known to the "grea
| variety readers" CharleS nlnselI, IL II
said, occupied much of the time HI
spent in prison in studying Master
Shakspere.
For the neglect of his contempor
aries, however, succeeding generation.
of poets have made ample amends
Milton, who came Immediately after
paid tribute to 1.-The native wood-note:
Wild; and in noble strains "gloriou:
| john celebrated the receipt of his pic
ture from Sir Godfrey Kneller.
Shakespeare thy gift place before my
| sight.
With awe | ask his blessing ere / write
| And SO the fame of him whom "agt
cannot wither nor custom stale" ex
tend has become one of the most pre-.
cious possessions of our race.-T. p.
! Weekly.