I speak of William as I knew him, child, boy and man, from a spiritual standpoint, living with him in soul-lit love for three hundred and forty years!
Those who doubt my dates, facts and veracity are to be pitied, and have little appreciation of romantic poetry, comedy, tragedy and history!
It is well known among my intimate friends, that I sprang from the race of Strulbugs, who live forever, originating on the island of Immortality, on the coast of Japan—more than a million years ago.
I do not give the name of the play, act or scene, in head or foot lines, in my numerous quotations from Shakspere, designedly leaving the reader to trace and find for himself a liberal education by studying the wisdom of the Divine Bard.
There are many things in this volume that the ordinary mind will not understand, yet I only contract with the present and future generations to give rare and rich food for thought, and cannot undertake to furnish the reader brains with each book!
J. A. J.
CONTENTS.
| Page | |
| Sweepstakes | [ix] |
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| Birth. School Days. Shows | [1] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| Launched. Apprentice Boy. Ambition | [11] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| Farm. Life. Sporting. Poaching on Lucy | [19] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| In Search of Peace and Fortune | [27] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| London. Its Guilt and Glory | [37] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| Taverns. Theatres. Variegated Society | [45] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| Theatrical Drudgery. Compositions | [53] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| Growing Literary Renown. Royal Patrons | [61] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| Bohemian Hours. Westminster Abbey. "Love's Labor's Lost" | [73] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| Queen Elizabeth. War. Shakspere in Ireland | [82] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| Rural England. "Romeo and Juliet" | [91] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| "Julius Cæsar" | [110] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| Two Tramps. By Land and Sea | [130] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| Windsor Park. "Midsummer Night's Dream" | [156] |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
| The Jew. Shylock. "Merchant of Venice" | [175] |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
| The Supernatural. "Hamlet" | [202] |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
| Death of Queen Elizabeth. Coronation of King James | [233] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
| Shakspere as Monologist. King James | [244] |
| [CHAPTER XIX.] | |
| Stratford. Shakspere's Death. Patriotism Down the Ages | [270] |