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Article WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. ← Page 8 of 17 →
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William Shakspere.
stent patron of the players , and thus the way Avas prepared for his adoption of that profession Avhich Avas aftenvards to produce such glorious results for the dramatic literature of the country , as Avell as for his own prosperity and advancement in life . His career , on arriving in the metropolis , must have been a rapid and a brilliant one . Whether he began as an actor or as an
author , he quickly became a shareholder in the theatre . When only "in his twenty-sixth year , in November , 1589 , he Avas one of the sixteen shareholders , the twelfth on the list , in the Blackfriars' theatre . Seven years after this , when that theatre was to be repaired , his name had risen to the fifth on the list ; and he AA'as alsotogether Avith his partners at Blackfriarsone of
, , the shareholders in the Globe Theatre , at Bankside . In seven years more , his name stood the second on the list , in a patent granted by James the First . " * By his exertions his family Avas speedily released from the difficulties into which it had fallen . The poet purchased property in his native town , including one of the largest houses in Stratford , is described as a gentleman in
public records still extant , lived happily with his wife and children , was very generally beloved aud respected , and died at the early age of fifty-two years , bequeathing a considerable amount of property to his surviving relatives . These are the well-established facts relating to the life ofthe poet ; they are in direct contradiction to the vague rumours AA'hich have hitherto obtained credit amongst the people , and the sooner this trash is forgotten the better .
The writings of the poet , and his character as an author , have not escaped a treatment similar to that so freely bestowed upon the leading incidents of his life . The authors of the period of the Restoration and the Revolution were not men likely to appreciate such poetry as that Avhich has since made his dramas the delight of mankind . Those of our poet's Avorks Avhich they
did entertain they mutilated and defaced to suit their peculiar notions of dramatic excellence . Hence arose a mania for Avhat Avas termed the judicious alteration and adaptation of Shakspere ; and men engaged in this Avork who certainly ought to have known better . That such diminutives of literature as Gibber should be eager to flourish their trashy weaponsand to operate upon
pro-, ductions Avhich they had not intellect enough to comprehend , is intelligible enough ; but that " Glorious John , " with all his fervent love of Shakspere , his pure poetical spirit , and his lofty taste , should have done so is quite another matter . Then it Avas
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
William Shakspere.
stent patron of the players , and thus the way Avas prepared for his adoption of that profession Avhich Avas aftenvards to produce such glorious results for the dramatic literature of the country , as Avell as for his own prosperity and advancement in life . His career , on arriving in the metropolis , must have been a rapid and a brilliant one . Whether he began as an actor or as an
author , he quickly became a shareholder in the theatre . When only "in his twenty-sixth year , in November , 1589 , he Avas one of the sixteen shareholders , the twelfth on the list , in the Blackfriars' theatre . Seven years after this , when that theatre was to be repaired , his name had risen to the fifth on the list ; and he AA'as alsotogether Avith his partners at Blackfriarsone of
, , the shareholders in the Globe Theatre , at Bankside . In seven years more , his name stood the second on the list , in a patent granted by James the First . " * By his exertions his family Avas speedily released from the difficulties into which it had fallen . The poet purchased property in his native town , including one of the largest houses in Stratford , is described as a gentleman in
public records still extant , lived happily with his wife and children , was very generally beloved aud respected , and died at the early age of fifty-two years , bequeathing a considerable amount of property to his surviving relatives . These are the well-established facts relating to the life ofthe poet ; they are in direct contradiction to the vague rumours AA'hich have hitherto obtained credit amongst the people , and the sooner this trash is forgotten the better .
The writings of the poet , and his character as an author , have not escaped a treatment similar to that so freely bestowed upon the leading incidents of his life . The authors of the period of the Restoration and the Revolution were not men likely to appreciate such poetry as that Avhich has since made his dramas the delight of mankind . Those of our poet's Avorks Avhich they
did entertain they mutilated and defaced to suit their peculiar notions of dramatic excellence . Hence arose a mania for Avhat Avas termed the judicious alteration and adaptation of Shakspere ; and men engaged in this Avork who certainly ought to have known better . That such diminutives of literature as Gibber should be eager to flourish their trashy weaponsand to operate upon
pro-, ductions Avhich they had not intellect enough to comprehend , is intelligible enough ; but that " Glorious John , " with all his fervent love of Shakspere , his pure poetical spirit , and his lofty taste , should have done so is quite another matter . Then it Avas