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The allusions underlined in the extract are applicable to no other one who could have been made "proud with speaking their words on the stage," i. e., a playwright, except Shakspere; and hence the fancy that some person, wriggling with envy, gave him this significant public notice of his getting up and on.

NOTE IV.-Fancies not Facts.

There appears to us to be a deliciously quiet yet meaning sarcasm underlying the following extract from Thomas Aird's "Old Bachelor," upon those who construct the biography of Shakespere of probabilities only, not of facts.

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"William Shakespeare was moody, and dull of heart, and could not write a bit. He had the good sense to send for a physician. 'I will give you a pill,' said the doctor, when he saw what was the matter with the swan of Avon; and in ten hours ten pens, could you wield them at once, would not be able to follow your purified and nimble-going brain.' 'What!' exclaimed a euphuist who had come to pay his morning devotions to the bard, 'treat the ethereal spark, the immortal flame lighted up at the eye of Deity, as if it were the mere attribute of a clod! The imagination, the godlike faculty, the subtlest essence of man's spirit, put in motion in its far-flashing notion by a pill!' 'Nevertheless,' said gentle Willie, smiling and tapping the shoulder of his transcendental friend, 'we'll try the pill.' The pill was tried, and next day Prospero's 'Enchanted Isle' began to rise on the wondering world." And where found.you that fact, master? Not in Nicholas Rowe, surely? Not in Payne Collier, the last of the gleaners? Never mind, gentle inquirer, only believe.

NOTE V.-The Moral Character of Shakespere.

On the moral character of Shakespere, and the fancies which have been entertained regarding it, we extract the following piece of exquisite criticism from an article entitled "My Library," by Thomas Aird :

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“Hallam, in his 'History of Literature,' says finely, yet methinks somewhat fancifully, 'There seems to have been a period of Shakespeare's life when his heart was ill at ease, and ill-content with the world or his own conscience; the memory of hours misspent, the pang of affection misplaced or unrequited, the experience of man's worser nature, which intercourse with ill-chosen associates, by choice or circumstances, peculiarly teaches-these, as they sunk into the depths of his great mind, seem not only to have inspired into it the conception of Lear and Timon, but that of one primary character, the censurer of mankind. This type is first seen in

the philosophic melancholy of Jacques, gazing with an undiminished serenity, and with a gaiety of fancy, though not of manners, on the follies of the world. It assumes a graver cast in the exiled duke of the same play, and next, one rather more severe, in the duke of 'Measure for Measure.' In all these, however, it is merely contemplative philosophy. In Hamlet this is mingled with the impulses of a perturbed heart under the pressure of extraordinary circumstances; it shines no longer, as in the former characters, with a steady light, but plays in fitful coruscations amidst feigned gaiety and extravagance. In Lear it is the flash of sudden inspiration across the incongruous imagery of madness; in Timon it is obscured by the exaggerations of misanthropy. These plays all belong to nearly the same period; As you Like It' being usually referred to 1600, Hamlet,' in its altered form, to about 1602, 'Timon' to the same year, 'Measure for Measure' to 1603, and Lear' to 1604. In the latter plays of Shakespeare, especially in 'Macbeth' and the Tempest,' much of moral speculation will be found; but he has never returned to this type of character in the personages.'

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"I have said that I consider these remarks rather fanciful. That Shakespeare knew every passion from the experience of his whole nature, cannot but be supposed. Though upon the whole he was a man of serene soul, that he felt many dissatisfactions with his lot, any one who knows his 'Sonnets,' and remembers especially his pathetic lament that his nature was

'Almost subdued

To what it works in, like the dyer's hand,'

must readily believe. But it seems rather fanciful to hold that any given delineations of ideal characters by the poet, however strongly brought out, must have had their archetypes in his own personal history, and feelings at the time. In a wideminded, thoroughly poetical man, like Shakespeare, any peculiar set of mental passions or moods needed not the oestrum of personal circumstances to sting them into their ideal play. But, moreover, it is well known that peculiar trains of mind are called up as forcibly by a contrast, as by a similarity of circumstances. Some men have the most vivid impressions of the summer's beauty after they are withdrawn into their snug winter closets, and there ruminate on the glories of the year that are fled. Wordsworth says profoundly, that in youth, from a sort of 'luxury of disrespect to the very excess of our own happiness,' we indulge in gloomy images; whereas, in old age, when we should more deeply feel such sadness, we love images drawn

'From May-day and the cheerful dawn.'

It is likely enough, therefore, that Shakespeare was never so happy in his own mind as when, by contrast, he was sketching that class of moody charactersLear, Timon, Jacques, Hamlet, &c., referred to by Mr. Hallam."-The Old Bachelor in the Old Scottish Village, p. 256.

SHAKESPERE'S WILL.*

FROM THE ORIGINAL IN THE OFFICE OF THE PREROGATIVE COURT OF CANTERBURY.

Vicesimo quinto die Martii,† Anno Regni Domini nostri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, &c. decimo quarto, et Scotia xlix.. Annoque Domini 1616.

T. W Shackspeare

In the name of god, Amen! I William Shackspeare of Stratford upon Avon, in the countie of warr. gent, in perfect health and memorie, god be pray sed! doe make and Ordayne this my last will and testament in manner and forme followeing; That ys to saye, First I Comend my Soule into the handes of god my Creator, hoping, and assuredlie beleeving, through thonelie merites of Jesus Christe my Saviour, to be made partaker of lyfe everlastinge, And my bodye to the Earth whereof yt ys made. Item, I Gyve and bequeath unto my Daughter‡ Judyth, One hundred and Fyftie poundes of lawfull English money, to be paied unto her in manner and forme followeing, That ys to saye, One hundred poundes in discharge of her marriage porcion within one yeare after my deceas, with consideracion after the Rate of twoe Shillinges in the pound for soe long tyme as the same shalbe unpaied unto her after my deceas, and the Fyftie poundes Residewe thereof, upon her Surrendring of or gyving of such sufficient Securitie as the overseers of this my Will shall like of, to Surrender or graunte All her estate and Right that shall discend or come unto her after my desceas, or that shee nowe hath, of in or to one Copiehold tenemente with thappurtenaunces, lyeing and being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaied, in the saied county of warr. being parcell or holden of the mannour of

*The will is written in the clerical hand of that period, on three sheets of paper, fastened together at top. The poet's name is signed at the bottom of the first and second sheet, and his final signature, "By me William Shakspeare," is near the middle of the third sheet. Malone was of opinion that he signed the last sheet first, and that the hand grew gradually weaker in signing the second and first pages. The words printed in Italics are those which in the original are interlined.

† Originally written Januarii.

Originally sonne and daughter.

Rowington, unto my Daughter Susanna Hall, and her heires for ever. Item, I Gyve and bequeath unto my saied Daughter Judith One hundred and Fyftie Poundes more, if shee, or Anie issue of her bodie, be Lyvinge att thend of three yeares next ensueing the Daie of the Date of this my Will, during which tyme my executours to paie her consideracion from my deceas according to the Rate aforesaied; And if she dye within the said tearme without issue of her bodye, then my will ys, and I Doe gyve and bequeath One Hundred Poundes thereof to my Neece Elizabeth Hall, and the Fiftie Poundes to besett fourth by my executours during the lief of my Sister Johane Harte, and the use and proffitt thereof Cominge, shalbe payed to my saied Sister Jone, and after her deceas the said 1". shall Remaine Amongst the children of my saied Sister Equallie to be Devided Amongst them; But if my saied Daughter Judith be lyving att thend of the saied three Yeares, or anie yssue of her bodye, then my will ys, and soe I Devise and bequeath the saied Hundred and Fyftie Poundes to be sett out by my executors and overseers for the best benefitt of her and her issue, and the stock not to be paied unto her soe long as she shalbe marryed and Covert Baron; but my will ys, that she shall have the consideracion yearelie paied unto her during her lief, and after her deceas, the saied stock and consideracion to bee paied to her children, if she have Anie, and if not, to her executours or assignes, she lyving the saied terme after my deceas: Provided that yf such husbond as she shall att thend of the saied three yeares be marryed unto, or at anie [tyme] after, doe sufficientlie Assure unto her, and thissue of her bodie landes Awnswereable to the porcion by this my will gyven unto her, and to be adjudged soe by my executours and overseers, then my will ys, that the said Cl". shalbe paied to such husbond as shall make such assurance, to his owne use. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto my saied sister Jone xx", and all my wearing Apparrell, to be paied and delivered within one yeare after my Deceas; And I doe will and devise unto her the house with thappurtenaunces in Stratford, wherein she dwelleth, for her natural lief, under the yearlie rent of xijd.* Item, I gyve and bequeath unto her three sonnes, William Harte, [Thomas]† Hart, and Michaell Harte, Fyve Poundes Apeece,

* This was the house in Henley Street, where he was born.
†This christian name is omitted in the original will.

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to be paied within one Yeare after my decease.* Item, I gyve and bequeath unto the saied Elizabeth Hall† All my plate, except my brod silver and gilt bole, that I now have att the Date of this my will. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto the Poore of Stratford aforesaied tenn poundes; to Mr. Thomas Combe my Sword; to Thomas Russell, Esquier, Fyve pounds; and to Frauncis Collins of the Borough of warr. in the countie of warr. gentleman, thirteene poundes Sixe shillinges and Eight pence, to be paied within one Yeare after my Deceas. Item, I gyve and bequeath to Hamlett‡ Sadler xxvi viij', to buy him A Ringe; to William Raynoldes, gent. xxvi viijd, to buy him A Ringe; to my godson William Walker xx in gold; to Anthonye Nashe, gent. xxvi' viija; and to Mr. John Nashe, xxvi viijd; and to my Fellowes, John Hemynges, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, xxvi' viij Apeece, to buy them ringes. Item, I Gyve, will, bequeath, and devise, unto my daughter Susanna Hall, for better enabling of her to performe this my will, and towardes the performans thereof, All that Capital messuage or tenemente, with thappurtenances, in Stratford aforesaid, Called the new place, wherein I nowe Dwell, and two Messuages or tenementes, with thappurtenaunces, scituat, lyeing, and being in Henley-streete, within the borough of Stratford aforesaid; And all my barnes, stables, Orchardes, gardens, landes, tenementes, and hereditamentes whatsoever, scituat, lyeing, and being, or to be had, Receyved, perceyved, or taken, within the towns, Hamletes, Villages, Fieldes, and groundes of Stratford upon Avon, Oldstratford, Bushopton, and Welcombe, or in anie of them, in the said countie of warr. And alsoe All that messuage or tenemente, with thappurtenaunces, wherein One John Robinson dwelleth, scituat, lyeng, and being, in the blackfriers in London nere the Wardrobe; and all other my landes, tenementes, and hereditamentes whatsoever: To have and to hold All and singular the said premisses, with their appurtenaunces, unto the saied Susanna Hall, for and during the terme of her naturall and after her deceas to the first sonne of her bodie lawfullie

lief;

*The following words were here at first inserted, but afterwards cancelled: แ to be sett out for her within one yeare after my deceas by my executours with thadvise and direccions of my overseers, for her best profitt, until her marriage, and then the same with the increase thereof to be paied unto her."

This sentence was originally only her.

Instead of Hamlett Sadler, Mr. Richard Tyler thelder, was first written.

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