of an actor, influenced, probably, in his choice by the connection of his brother with the theatre. He was a player at the Globe, lived in St. Saviour's, and was buried in the church of that parish on the 31st of December, 1607.* WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE was born at Stratfordupon-Avon, in April, 1564†, a fact which comprises the whole of the poet's history till he is found, "for some time," at the free grammar school of his native town‡, where he, doubtless, acquired the Latin, "the small Latin," that his friend Ben Jonson assures us he was master of. The narrowness of his parent's circumstances was an insuperable bar against the progress of his education, and he was summoned home to assist in the occupation of his father§, which, at the period now spoken of, was that of a butcher, if the tradition is to be credited which relates that young Shakspeare killed a calf in 66 high style," and graced his slaughter by a speech. The same authority assigns also to * Register of Saint Saviour's parish. + Parish Register. He was baptized on the 26th, and the day of his birth is said to have been the 23d, but on no sufficient authority ¶ Aubrey. A good story is seldom good enough for Aubrey. He adds, "There was at that time another butcher's son in this town, that was held not at all inferior to his younger years the occupation of a schoolmaster in the country.* Shakspeare had scarcely attained the age of eighteen, when he married. His wife was Anne, the daughter of Richard Hathaway, a substantial yeoman in the neighbourhood of Stratford.t She was twenty-six years of age, (eight years older than her husband,) who neither bettered his circumstances, nor elevated himself in society by the connection. In the following year, 1583, his daughter Susanna was born; and about eighteen months afterwards his wife bore twins, a son and a daughter, who were baptized by the names of Hamnet and Judith.‡ Shakspeare's marriage was no proof of his worldly prudence, nor was the next great event in his life of a wiser character. His associates, it is recorded, were dissolute, and some of them made a frequent practice of him for a natural wit, his acquaintance and coetanean, but died young." * Aubrey. Note E. + Rowe says, "the daughter of one Hathaway." The inscription on her tomb-stone, in Stratford church, proves her christian name and her age. "Here lyeth interred the body of Anne, wife of William Shakspeare, who departed this life the 6th August, 1623, being of the age of 67 years." The date of Shakspeare's marriage is only known by reference to the birth of the first child. Note F. Parish Register. deer-stealing. Shakspeare was, on one more than one occasion, induced to join them in their incursions on the property of Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote, in the neighbourhood of Stratford. The opinions of the injurer and the injured, in a case of this sort, were not very likely to accord; and it, therefore, excites no surprise that, on detection, Shakspeare imagined himself too harshly treated. In revenge, he affixed a scurrilous ballad to the gate of the owner of the stolen deer.* One stanza of the offensive pasquinade has descended in connection with the story of its author's indiscretion : "A parliament member, a justice of peace, At home a poor scare-crowe, at London an asse, He thinks himself greate, Yet an asse in his state We allowe by his ears but with asses to mate. *Rowe. + Jones of Tarbick, -related by Oldys and Capell. The ballad has, at last, been discovered entire; but unaccompanied by any allusion to the occasion of its composition. The lines in the text are printed as two stanzas in the entire ballad. "He thinks himself greate, yet an asse in his state," forming the first line of the second stanza. Note G. This aggravation of injury by insult was productive of the very natural consequence of increased severity on the part of Sir Thomas Lucy, and proceedings were urged so far against the youthful offender, as to induce him to fly from the place of his nativity, the seat of his business and the bosom of his family.* The date of his departure is uncertain. It might have been previous to 1585, though his twin children were baptized at Stratford in the February of that year; and it might, with, perhaps, greater probability, be assigned to a subsequent period. The inhabitants of Stratford were great lovers of theatrical amusements. No less than fourand-twenty visitations were made them by companies of comedians between 1569, when Shakspeare was five years old, and 1587. The names of Burbage and Green occur, both in the London companies of actors and in the lists of the townsmen of Stratford. From his earliest childhood, therefore, to his advancement into manhood, the attention of Shakspeare was directed to the stage, by frequently recurring attraction, and in all probability, by an acquaintance and. association with comedians. When a change of life became unavoidable, it is natural * Rowe. † Note H. to suppose that he yielded to the predilection of his youth. His fugitive steps were directed to London: he there embraced the occupation of a player, and, subsequently, of a writer for the stage. * Shakspeare's arrival in the metropolis is an era in the history of the theatre, and I shall therefore trace the national drama from its birth, through its slow and sickly growth, to the time of which I am writing. A natural curiosity will be similarly gratified by the collection and arrangement of the scattered and various information we possess relative to the theatres and theatrical usages of Shakspeare's time, for who can be indifferent respecting the circumstances under which his works were first introduced, and exhibited, upon the stage ? + Mysteries, or miracle-plays, were mostly founded on the characters and events of sacred writ, or on the superstitions with which the fair form of religion was surrounded. On the personification of the Deity, of Christ, and the Holy Ghost; and on the representation on the stage of the Incarnation, the Passion, the Resurrection, and Ascension, not a syllable need be said; nor is the appearance of Adam and Eve, * Note I. Note J. |
