The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-10
~ sHAkEspEAREy BOyBOOD.
Tie Duties OF ScbOoibO.s In tho spacious
Times OF Great Elizabeth.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SrN-Sr: Tho
celebration of the three hundred and fif-
10th anniversary Of the birth Of William
Shakespeare may make II interesting 10
reveal the conditions Of England at tho
| time Of his birth and OF tho life Of
schoolboy of his day.
According TO stoves ANNALS" led.
1900. the two years which preceded the
birth VI Shakespeare were bad yearo for
England. The plague first manifested IT.
self at Ncwhaven. where had been herded
the troops that had taken part In the
French war that ended IN tho loss OF
| Calais to the English, Thence 1t spread
across the southern counties TO London.
and was so virulent that In that city and
its neighbcrng parishes .o.t36 people died
OF II. Says he. THE plague of pesti-
lence was so hot In the cite Of London,
there was no Terre kept at Michael
masse TO be short. the poore Citizens Of
London were this yeerc plagued with a
threefold plague. pestilence. scarcitie or
money and dearth OF victuals the misere
whereof were too long here to write no
doubt the poore remember II. the rich, by
| flight into the countries tcounties), made
shift for themselves.
"An earthquake was In the month Of
! September in diuers places OF this realm.
specially in Lincolne aud Northampton
shire.
Prom the first day Of December Till the
| IL. WAS such continual lightning and
| thunder. especially the same ~ day AZ
| night. that the like had nov bene scene
nor heard by any man then luirg"
But things changed with the dawn of
| 1854. for IAN honorable a ioufull peace
was concluded betwixt the Quecncs Males
tie and tho French King. their Reanes,
Dorinions. and Subjects. which peace was
proclaimed with sound OF trumpet before
her Majestic In her Castle of Windle-
....I.
was proclaimed AT London on the 10 day
OF April
But n far more 'nomentous event for the
English speaking races occurred about
ten days later. Tho day Of Shskespesres
birth Is unknown. There Is ar inscription
on his monument that states he died on
April IS new style. May 81, 1916, in tho
ffty-third year OF his age. Accordingly.
, tradition has fixed on April 90 ss the day
| OF his birth. and II he became - on the
day OF his death he may have been cor
rectiy described on his monument as in
tho hfty-thrd year Of his age.
| On Wednesday, April 90. ar May ac-
| wording TO the new style. at Strauord-on-
Avon WAS baptized ''Gulielmus filius 10
| names Shakspare" Tho plague has spread
to Stratford but had spared the home OF
John Shakespeare. knight tells us that
| from June 30 to December ~ 22S persons.
onc-ninth OF the inhabitants Of STAFFORD
were carried to the grave
49,. -. a,,-ta
which the Thames was frozen over and
New Years people traNcrsed
the ice from London Bridge to West
m'ts'e'' vs.
q 10 -.@" '1.u, -
oe,' vi, W w iH'," 90
I'D .'p''' 'o'' ,''' on" N'ul.'' ~" w.,
streetc of tho city OF london" In 1869,
m,,cn p" .H'I. Nar ''s 1913 oiu go
rl.do ~ pa!crr w" ~ go,
ioro ana perhaps 'oIn S'i'ncs",e'' 'oon
u.o 49, - -, A.,
'"''o JIM. Wv" - - 80 az.
creaS,"e P'os'"E' '''. ',u "',.n % g. Wv y
SONS haN,ls pevn oor'i |" I,,iI.' ".,'' sou"s
Nh ',kh' WI No''u,' WIZ Wv 'au.
came from or go 10 'n' eoose'e,'E pd'e"
ana iooh uhder 'he cusies " rno ln'I,''
nens y, au nlPHul"s Nv y. nu u"
was sent " S'"oo, III ."'i '.I'e - :
Feats "ln' N'coru'ns 10 'ne u'a,ioI,s
oi une ireo '','h'a, T.'"' ", ~ 80 w.
no Puph cou.u ~ ""'n', ~" "'''e9H NC va.
:, !ears OF 's'' a"Ir ~ cru
nNch IN 'he Town, y, 'nls TIME. ihe,haS
huilt' cura'c o' i-"""'nstol' nc's ,pv,
ing N"'ds.' NsS ""s'V' VI '''"'oi'
'rai'n'a' .'"oo',
Wv I've me anu uu''es ", S.noo' ,s..su' e.'
tneu one MAJ NaI" M" l,u.'
=,
Times spcl'u H.noo'e u a''u
boohe OF Booh Nour'urc ioI N! .u'en anu
'ou." ~ 1917 tn.S ~ 80
pe'us'u ON 49,
VIZ Nus'o ~" - -, ;, z,
ra''oi' VI Us, ~. " - ~.
"io 10 'he e,,or.S wa" =" W. "a
tr' a. = u."'N",'' ~ ,iuut - w i1a'
'"'s lsH ~ 49,, W. ~ ,
w - -, .i -, .tt;, -, H.,
~ - -. "a - .,,, .,t,,,.. ,ic ,r 80 ~,
~, ,ao,ho,. I'D, Cod oucc, p.ss
T. hiu t,,.-.s,i,c i,,rod,c,o,v ~ the
"r .o,oid ~ .i,.sn,,r, pr I'urrivau in
,,'ra,i,'. 500 80 ,tn, ,b'. schooihoy
,,., 90 -, ,,ri,. Jo,, i,is ,lotb,s ,u,,
~ ijs nod r,olt dn,,r .;atr. saint. his
,,r,,,ts ,.,a .r. f,,niIy ,rns,, hl, hand.
OH his b.,d bru.h HE can and mt n
a., t,Ljuy :, ~ ,,he,, T.. snok. IN any
MAN. The fac, tina, Seear compile ely
oyorlools the NECESSITY for the washing
Of his face ia noteworthy. BOYS will be
bo,..'' cannot have had much meaning in
those dsvs. for S.g.r SAWS he had to tic
his shirt collar to his neck mo, around
~ see that his clothes were tidy fas.er
his cirdle around his waist rub his hose
or breeches s... THAT his shoes were clean
vip. his nos. on a napkin. par. mis- nails
4 ~ need Werc) clean h,s ears. wash his
teeth. and get his clothes niend.d When
torn. Then must he take his satchel and
rooks ink. pen, pgpcr. AID Sc on for