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Article WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. ← Page 7 of 17 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
William Shakspere.
have come to the metropolis , in the hopes of gaining a livelihood , if not a fortune . Such is the mass of contradiction afforded by the various rumours respecting the poet . This may be termed the romantic biography of Shakspere ; let us UOAV examine into the facts that are Avell established respecting our great national dramatist . The beginning of this century inaugurated quite a
neAV era both in the criticism of the Avorks and in the method of investigation into the life and character of Shakspere . The results in both cases have been most gratifying . The ancient records of Stratford-upon-Avon have been very carefully looked into , contemporaneous writers well sifted , and the reputation of the poet has been by these means established . It appears that
his family , especially on the maternal side , had been landed proprietors in Warwickshire many years before his own time . His father , John Shakspere , was an honest yeoman , occupying lands , and dealing in gloves and wool , —not by any means an uncommon blending of occupations in those days . He filled various offices in the corporation of his native citand in the
y , year 1569 was high-bailiff of Stratford . Our poet must then have been about five years of age . It has been shoAvn that the position of his father would entitle his son to the privileges to be derived from attendance at the grammar-school founded at
Stratford in the reign of Edward VI ., AA'here he undoubtedly obtained some acquaintance AA'ith the classics , or at any rate of the Latin language . His father , AA'ho about this time appears to have been almost entirely engaged in agricultural pursuits , then fell into difficulties , and step by step lost that position he had once held amongst his felloAv-townsmen . To this unfortunate
circumstance AA'e may probably trace the cause of the poet's departure from his native place . He was , we can readily imagine , a youth of studious and reflective habits ; he may have mastered the elements of one or two modern languages , and the romantic fictions of his age would probably aAvaken in his soul the first emotions of his genius . He would naturally endeavour to raise
the fallen fortunes of his family ; and , although one anecdotehunter may attribute his departure from Stratford to deerstealing , and another to disgust for a trade in AA'hich it is almost certain that he was never engaged , the declining fortunes of his family were the chief inducement . He had mixed Avith the players Avho frequented the toAvn during his boyhoodhe had
; , perhaps , formed friendships amongst them ; his soul was firecl Avith the enthusiasm and the inspiration of the poet ; and he probably longed to be in that place where he could best avail himself of the advantages to be derived from his transcendant genius . The Stratford records show that his father was a con-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
William Shakspere.
have come to the metropolis , in the hopes of gaining a livelihood , if not a fortune . Such is the mass of contradiction afforded by the various rumours respecting the poet . This may be termed the romantic biography of Shakspere ; let us UOAV examine into the facts that are Avell established respecting our great national dramatist . The beginning of this century inaugurated quite a
neAV era both in the criticism of the Avorks and in the method of investigation into the life and character of Shakspere . The results in both cases have been most gratifying . The ancient records of Stratford-upon-Avon have been very carefully looked into , contemporaneous writers well sifted , and the reputation of the poet has been by these means established . It appears that
his family , especially on the maternal side , had been landed proprietors in Warwickshire many years before his own time . His father , John Shakspere , was an honest yeoman , occupying lands , and dealing in gloves and wool , —not by any means an uncommon blending of occupations in those days . He filled various offices in the corporation of his native citand in the
y , year 1569 was high-bailiff of Stratford . Our poet must then have been about five years of age . It has been shoAvn that the position of his father would entitle his son to the privileges to be derived from attendance at the grammar-school founded at
Stratford in the reign of Edward VI ., AA'here he undoubtedly obtained some acquaintance AA'ith the classics , or at any rate of the Latin language . His father , AA'ho about this time appears to have been almost entirely engaged in agricultural pursuits , then fell into difficulties , and step by step lost that position he had once held amongst his felloAv-townsmen . To this unfortunate
circumstance AA'e may probably trace the cause of the poet's departure from his native place . He was , we can readily imagine , a youth of studious and reflective habits ; he may have mastered the elements of one or two modern languages , and the romantic fictions of his age would probably aAvaken in his soul the first emotions of his genius . He would naturally endeavour to raise
the fallen fortunes of his family ; and , although one anecdotehunter may attribute his departure from Stratford to deerstealing , and another to disgust for a trade in AA'hich it is almost certain that he was never engaged , the declining fortunes of his family were the chief inducement . He had mixed Avith the players Avho frequented the toAvn during his boyhoodhe had
; , perhaps , formed friendships amongst them ; his soul was firecl Avith the enthusiasm and the inspiration of the poet ; and he probably longed to be in that place where he could best avail himself of the advantages to be derived from his transcendant genius . The Stratford records show that his father was a con-