The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-17
WASSHAKESPEARE 1 A SOLDIER? ASKS BRITISH WRITER Essayist Quotes Document Discovered Recently at
 StratfOrd-0n-AvOn WRITINGS SHOW HIS
 MILITARY TRAINING What a Point of War" Meant. Hays Amusing Stories of School
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III London, January 2.-tSpecial Correspon- Ildence. .)-Poor old William Shakespeare. lTney just won't let him rest peacefully in his grave, those learned scribblers, but are always trying to prove that he iwes Cor wasn't this, that or the other. T. Heretofore we have had writers to as- Isure us that the bard must have spent N Isometime in lawyers office and others ' 10 assert that the poet was a theologian | land an expert on mental diseases, and . yet others to declare that if he was not actually a member of Parliament he was ht least wonderfully familiar with parlia- mentary procedure and phra seology.
 And now we have Spencer Leigh Hughes, the essayist, himself become an M .P.," but ever a stimulating writer, bobbing up to inquire if there is not evi- Hence that the Swan of Avon must have had military experience of some sort ? Hughes evidently thinks that there is. and he certainly makes out quite a fair case, Enough whether 99 out of every 100 read ers are not rather fed up with Shake .spearean specuations is another matter. HThere does not seem. moreover, the Hchance of even decent literary alterca- =
 
 Edwin Burning Lawrence, who called Shakespeare the drunken, absolute clown 8of Stratford-on-A Avon" has gone to his Hong home and doubtless has discovered. Iby this time, whether he was right or }wrong about the bard.
 However, what Spencer Leigh Hughes has to say about Shakespeare as a soldier 10 quite interesting, especially in martial × like the present. He begins by re- counting curious fact possibly unknown 10 many readers. In 1857, it appears, there was published a Calendar of State Pa /pers' illustrative of the reign of James I and it contained 8 certificate dated Sep ttember 23, 1905, under the hands of Sir kFulke Greville, Sir Edward Greville and Thomas Spencer, giving the names and arms of trained soldiers-correspondn kenerally to the trained militia of later days. And in the musters for the 100 of Barlickway-in which Stratford-o A yon was situated-there is the name of one William Shakespeare.
 Is 1t not possible" asks Hughes that ths was the poet? He would be then about years of age, he had finished his Lon don life, and he might well have Joined some armed and trained force similar to .khe reserves"
 Hughes points out that 1t is known that Shakespeare kept up his friendship with Ben Jonson, who, some authorities de- glare, had been a soldier in his younger days, and had fought in the low countries. So he thinks that the "rare' one had in- 1uced Shakespeare to go in for military Training or drill of some sort. The year in which the name appeared in the certificate mentioned-19O5-was gunpowder plot year, when men were alarmed and possible invasion was discussed. "If there were any recruiting meetings at the time In Stratford- -Avon,' says the essay st. ''one can imagine the effect if Shake VEpeare, taking the chair, declaiined those kreat lines that end-'this blessed plot. this 3aartil this realm, this England'-and then Announced that he was going to join the militia" M IT
 Another highly suggestive thing is the act that Shakespeare was correct in his military phrases when some of his critics lave tried to correct him. Let us take an