The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-22
RCENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF
 SHAKESPEARE AND CERVANTES

cooperation of the Hispanic Society of New York, and of several South American literary societies: The Ger vantes dwelling was rapidly becoming ruin when the approach of. the ter centenary aroused Spain and led King Alfonso to undertake the work of restoration and preservation. The houses on either side of the Cervantes house in Rastro street have been bought for the Hispanic American So- c1ety, and the New World will join with the Old in guarding the treasure.
 In the reconstruction of the Cervan- tes home in Valladolid, where the first part of 'Don Quixote' was written, the exterior has been exactly preserv- ed in it's original condition. A change has been made on the first floor to pro- vide room large enough to hold a
 hundred people, and here readings from Cervantes will be given. There is also a library for the preservation of the oldest and rarest copies of his
 works, and from here will be conduct ed a campaign to preserve the purity of the Castilian tongue. The sur | rounding lots have been set out. with
 a terrace and a garden typicaIly Span l ish in character, containing a classical fountain.
 The Valladolid which today hon 1 ors Cervantes above all others gave
 little heed to him when alive, and ,he l period when he was writing the first
 part of "Don Qutxote.' In his youth l Cervantes fought in the Christian
 fleet sent against the Turks, and in the
 battle of Lepanto. which destroyed
 the naval power of the 1IosIems, he
 received a wound which deprived him
 of the use of his left hand and arm for
 the remainder of his life. In 1875 he Twas captured by AIgerine corsairs, and
 was a slave in Africa for f1ve,years. He was treated with great cruelty by his
 Moorish masters. but his experiences Iprovided the material for his usovess
 t'The Captive.'' I Cervantes began his literary career
 upon his return to Spain, when he was
 in his thirty-fourth year. His first
 work was. the pastoral romance
 "Galatea," written in honor of his peare, was unconventional in his
 relations with the fair sex In l15S4 he married an accom-
 pHshed young woman of Esquivits, but sheg ave him no children, which
 was perhaps fortunate, since Cervan- Il tes was able to earn with his pen
 barely enough to keep his wife and
 himself alive. The only offspring of Cervantes was an tllegitimate daugh-
 ter, who was twice married, but had but one child, who died in infancy
 The claims of many Spaniards that i they are doSc6nd6O rom CSfVauI0S IS
 thus without foundation.
 It was not until the last year or two 1 of his life that Cervantes was in re-
 ceipt of an income sufficient to pro vide more than the bare necessities of life. t'Don Quixote'' was popular from the time of the publication of the frst part in 1905. The time was ripe for this death blow to chtvalry, with all it's accompanying hypocrisy, sensuality, sentimentality and folly, and not only Spain, but all Europe, was conVuIsed with laughter at this keen satire on the mummeries of knight-errantry. Cervantes was buried in. the convent of the Trinitarian nuns at Madrid, but his grave can no longer be identified, : and no tomb nor even humble stone : marks his last resting place.
 E Neither Shakespeare nor Cervantes 5 have any descendants Shakespeare eldest daughter, Susanna, who married : EDr. John Hall, had a daughter, Eliza
 beth Hall, who was twice married but
 had no children. The poets second t daughter, Judith. who became Mrs. Richard Quincy, had three children, but all died comparatively young. At the death of his granddaughter, Eliza beth Hall, who had become Lady Bar 2 nard, in 1870, the family of the bard became extinct.