Year: 1864

Cortune lolloWlng on nls exertions,
his mind only took the frmer hold of
Stratford and his loved relatives there.
1t became the comfort and respectable.
ity from which they had fallen TO be-
come, possible, man Of consequence
there. In this he might be said to re.
semble Scott, who, comparatively in.
different TO literary ecldt, concentrated
his highest aspirations on founding q
laird's family in the country of lis
race-Roxburghshire. As in Scoit's
case there was basis for the idea in
the gentle blood of which he was de.
scehded, SO was there in Shakspeare's.
Through at least the mother, Mary
Arden, OF Wilmcote, if not also through
the father, there was also trace of
connection with land and birth. II
is a highly significant circumstance
that in 1895, when Shakespeare was
getting his head above water in Lon.
don, his father is found applying to the
Heralds' College for coat Of arms. on
the basis Of family service to King
Henry VII, of official dignity, Of the
possession Of property, and the fact Of
having married daughter of Arden
of Wilmcote an application which
was extended three years later, to one
for the previlege of impaling the
Shakespeare arms with those Of Arden.
There can, Of course, be no doubt that
William, the poet, prompted these
ambitious applications, and designed
them for the benefit of himself and his
descendants. They take their place
with the investments of Stratford ss
part Of the ultimate plan Of life which
the great poet had in view. Let it be
observed that with this conception, Of
his idea all the other known and even
the negative circumstances are in con-
formity. He thought not Of taking q
high place in 1ondon-he kept retired,
and saved money. To this voluntary
obscurity it may be attributed that
hehas passed 80 notelessly among his
fellows in the metropolis, and been
left 30 wholly without q biography
among them. In about ten years from
his coming to London-namely, in
1597-he was beginning to make his
purchases Of property in Stratford, and
in few years more he had wholly
withdrawn TO live like a gentleman
in the handsomest house in the new
place where lie lived till the end Of
his days Lett be observed-strange
that it should not have been observed
before that this whole course Of pro-
cedure is peculiar-stands quite sin
gular among the literary, and still
more the theatrical lives of that day,
arguing character IN Shakespeare as
original and self-dependent as his tai
ents were exalted 1t seems to US to
speak strongly for just and rational
view of the ends of life on his part it
shows him as man whose original
healthy tastes had never become spoilt
by town life, as one who had never
allowed himselfto be carried away by


love OF excitement and applause the
smoke of the stage lamps had never
smirched him the homage ofthe Penn
brokes and the Noithamptons had
never misled him. He desired simply
to be gentleman living on his own
acres, procNl a negotiis. 1t was an idea
oflife both modest and dignifed. We
hear not of his seeking any external
honor beyond a coat-of-arsns. We
hear of no ovations at his retirement
from the stage; most probably he was
too proud q man TO undergo testimo-
NAL, even had such things been fash
ionable. lie had come to town on o
purpose, and when that was accom-
plished he quietly resumed the calm
existence c foved by the banks of
that beautiful river Of his youth, ever
pressing along through its green and
umbrageons meadows. Could any
thing be more worthy of "a gentleman
of Natures making" or a man of
genius p Book of Days.