Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-05
Shakespeare and
the New World
Sccrctaro of Virginia Historical
Society Traces Relations Win
Ea,iy Virginia Settlement.
BY WILLIAM q. sTANAnD.

In this year OF Shakespeare com
monoration IL is pardOnablc vanity
III any community to claim all posslbi.
associations with the master. slender
though some of these links may he.
We have no positive evidence which
connects Shakcspcar" with the first
settlement of Virginia but his all
embracing mind must have taken y
keen interest in the opening up OF the
New World. As the dtamatist WIS g
business man as we'll. it would not
have been surprising to have found his
maine as stakeholder in the Virginia
Company. but tn: first charter was
mainly in tn" hands OF land owners.
and the iur.amical city had no love
for the PLAYERS.
\, the time Of or first settlement,
Shakespeare had reached his highest
powers Macbeth" had appeared the
year before and on December -. 1906.
while the little Virginia fleet lay wine
bound in tn" Downs. king Lear" was
performed before the court
Our first connection with Shakcs2c are
goes much further back. and IS. IT must
be confessed, rather slight one. mere
~ Il matter OF ccn"hlOgy. 1t need
hardly be stated ll::tt he players ut
tn" time We're always under the pa :
tronaEe OF Il peer or some other man
Of prominence when the Earl Of
Derby died in 1924 the company to
tho Lord Chamherlain's men" This
Lord Chamberlain vas Henry Cary,
first Lord Hunsdor VINO. through the
8oleynS. VAS first cousin Of Queen
Eliza beth and also first cousin to the
wife OF Sir Francis Enollcs Ann.
daughter of Sir Francis. was the wife
Of Thomas West, second Lord Della
ware. and mother OF three Governors OF
Virginia. Our Governor, Lord Della :
ware was born in 1877. and no doubt
constantly saw performances at the
Globe and Blackfriars and through his
Shakespeare His brothers. Francis
and John West doubtless had the same
privilege.
The fact that a man who lived in
. Virginia wrote book which was most
! likely printed with the same type as
Shak cspcarc's "Sonnets' is not much OF
a link, but every little one is worth
noting.
III 1Goa Thomas Thorpe published the
"Sonncts." and in the next year issued
translation Of "Epictclus." made hy
one John Hcaley. vino had come 10
Virginia in 1910 and died here in the
same year.
The great dramatists closest rc!a-
tion 10 Virginia is through his friend
ship for Henry Wristhsley. Earl Of
Southampton. Southampton was one
of the most generous patrons Of tho
literary men of the day. and far more
than any other was Shakcspcarc'S ai-
mtrer and friend. Sir sidney Leo Gin
his admirable new life of Shakespeare
which Is the chief source OF this little
paper contends that tho Sonnets were
addressed to him, and the dedication To
nero OF l.ucrece. in which the author
/ SAYS; What have done Is yours. what
! have To do is yours. being mart in all
! i nave, devoted TO you shows Shakes
| pearc'S devotion To him. Souihampt on
! became a member OF the Virginia Com.
! Iany in 1909. but it was not until after
| Sha kcspeare's death that lie took a
leading part in its affairs Made treas.
| urer tprcsidenD in 1920. with Sandvs
ana Ferrar he heads the raj party
! which gave Virginia IT., first lecisla-
/ tuTe. The gratitude of the colony /.
! evidenced by the names OF Southa,np.
| Ton hundred, Southampton tnow Harlu-
! tor) River Hampton Roads, tho eli, +,
OF hampton and Southampton County
! The Tempest, written in 1911 was
Z probably Shakes1eare's last complete
play. ana here We arc on solid yroun.
/ III connecting him with Nirpinia his.
( tory. In July, 1909, the Sea Venture
! wlth Somcrs. Gates. Newport. John
ho!te and many others was wrecked or
/ the BcrmuGnS from which th.y -.
! capped to Virginia in 1910 AZ las,
| I'VE accounts were soon published i,
England. Leo states that Shakcsp.ar.
! mas Incorporated many hints from thcs.
pamphlets and that there is no rca
/ Sorable doubt that the Shipwrccl suC
! gcsted the great play. -
Another of Shakespearc's friend,
/ VINO might have Interested him I'm Nir
s'hia was the poet, Michael prav,nu
/ brayton was himself q Worccst.rsbir,
nun, ana was frequently at Stratfnrd
. ~ ioVo he mad written the well-knowr
| calls ""'c'