Eupheme: or the Fair Fame left to Posterity of that truly Noble Lady, the Lady Venetia Digby 1. The Dedication of her Cradle To the Most Noble, and above his Titles Robert, Earl Verses placed over the Door at the Entrance into the On the Portrait of Shakespeare To the Memory of my Beloved Master, William Shakespeare, and what he hath left us On the Honored Poems of his Honored Friend, Sir To Mr. Jolin Fletcher, upon his “Faitbful Shep- Epitaph on the Countess of Pembroke A Vision on the Muses of his Friend, Michael Dray- To my Truly Beloved Friend, Master Browne, on To his Much and Worthily Esteemed Friend, the Au- To my Worthy and Honored Friend, Master George To my Chosen Friend, the Learned Translator of Lu- To my Dear Son, and Right Learned Friend, Master ton To the Author (of the Passions of the Mind) . 312 To the Author (of the Touchstone of 'Truth) To Edward Filmer, on his Musical Work, dedicated To Richard Brome, on his Comedy of The Northern An Es postulation with Inigo Jones To a Friend; an Epigram of Inigo Jones Epithalamion; from the Masque of Ilymen Charles Cavendish to his Posterity Epitaph on Lady Katherine Ogle. An Epigram to my Jovial Good Friend, Jr. Robert Answer to Wither's Lines, “Shall I wasting in de- A Fragment of one of the lost Quaternions of Eu- MEMOIR OF SHAKESPEARE. BY THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE. “ He was not of an age, but for all time." BEX JONSON. “All that is known with any degree of certainty concerning Shakespeare, is—that he was born at Stratford upon Avon-married and had children there-went to London, where he commenced actor, and wrote poems and plays-returned to Stratford, made his will, died, and was buried.” 1 Such is the remark of the most acute of his commentators; and I have quoted it here, as a sort of apology to the reader for the imperfections of the present essay. It appears, that John Shakespeare, the father of our poet, could not boast a descent from ancestors of gentle blood, though his family had been long established in the county of Warwick. The place ? of his birth is doubtful; but not long i Note by George Steevens on Shakespeare's xciiid Sonnet. 12 It is probable that John Shakespeare was the son of a Richard Shakespeare of Snitterfield, (a town three miles from after the year 1550, we find him settled as a tradesman in Stratford upon Avon. Concerning the nature of his vocation biographers disagree. The memoranda of Aubrey declare that he was a butcher; according to Rowe, he “was a considerable dealer in wool ;” and Malone has adduced a contemporary document, which renders it probable that he followed the profession of a glover. Stratford,) who was tenant of a house and land belonging to Robert Arden. Collier, p. Ixii., Halliwell, p. 8. The earliest notice of the Shakespeare family at Stratford is of the date April 29, 1552.] 3. William Shakespeare's father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbours, that when he was a boy, he exercised his father's trade; but when he killed a calfe, he would do it in a high style, and make a speech!" M S. Aubrey. Alus. Ashmol. O.ron. Rowe tells us, that be received from Betterton, the actor, the chief part of the materials for our poet's Life; "his veneration for the memory of Shakespeare having engaged him to make a journey into Warwickshire, on purpose to gather up what remains he could of a name for which he had so great a veneration." Malone, at one time, thought the assertions of Aubrey and Rowe by no means inconsistent: “Dr. Farmer," says he, " has illustrated a passage in Hamlet from intormation derived from a person who was at once a woolman and butcher, and, I believe, few occupations can be named which are more naturally connected with eacii other.” Shak., by Reed, iii. 214. ed. 1813. But he afterwards discovered the following entry in a very old manuscript, containing an account of the proceedings in the bailiff's court, which he considered decisive as to the occupation of our poet's father: (Stretford, ss. Cur. Philippi et Mariæ, Dei gratia regis et That he was a person of estimable character, may be concluded, as well from his having attained the highest municipal dignities of the town, as from his having formed a matrimonial connection with a woman whose rank in life was much superior to his own. About 1557, he married Mary, the youngest daughter of Robert Arden, of Wilmecote, her portion being a small estate in land called Asbies, and the sum of six pounds, thirteen shillings, and fourpence. The family of Arden was of great antiquity in Warwickshire, and several of its members had held reginæ Angliæ, Hispaniarum, &c., secundo et tercio, ibidem tent. die Marcurii, videlicet xvijo die Junii, anno prædicto, [June 17, 1556,1 coram Johanne Burbage ballivo, &c. Thomas Siche de Arscotte in com. Wigorn. queritur versus Johannem Shakyspere de Stretford in com. Warwici glover in placito quod reddat ci octo libras, &c.] 4 On April 30, 1556, and September 30, 1558, he was one of the jury of the court leet. On August 12, 1556, he was summoned on a jury in a civil action. In June 1557, he was one of the a'e-tasters. On October 6, 1559, and again in Mar, 1561, he was made an afseeror. Either on Michaelmas dav 1557, or early 1558, he was chosen burgess. In 1558, and the next year, he served as constable. In September, 1561, he was elected one of the chamberlains, and filled the office for the two succeeding years. On July 4, 1565, he was chosen allerman. From Michaelmas, 1568, to Michaelmas, 1369, he served as high-bailiff, and on September 5, 1571, he was elected chief alderman for the ensuing year. 5 From a comparison of the wills of her parents, it appears that she was the yonngest of at least four daughters. (She was the youngest of at least seven. Collier, p. Ixiii.) |
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