to Greene, a celebrated performer at that period. In what capacity he was originally received, I have no pofitive information; and I pay no attention to the idle fury of his being employed as the holder of horfes. The writer last mentioned fuppofes he began to write about the year 1591 and the arrangement of his plays sby that Gentleman, remaining undifputed, the prefumption of its accuracy is fufficiently established. The rank which he held in the Theatre, as a Performer, appears not to have been elevated; and from the best accounts we learn, that, as an Actor, he never foared above, if he even reached mediocrity. The Ghost in Hamlet, Old Knowel in Every Man in his Humour, and Adam in As You Like It, are the parts which, with the greatest appearance of certainty, may be afcribed to him; and, in general, the characters of old men feem to have been his caft. To this choice a natural infirmity may have contributed; as we find, in his Sonnets, fome hints that he was lame, and confequently not properly qualified for the reprefentative of youth and agility. But, though his fuccefs as a player was but inconsiderable, it was fuficiently made up to him as an author. He had the honour to meet with many great and uncommon marks of favour and friendfhip from the Earl of Southampton, famous in the hiftories of that time for his friendship to the unfortunate Earl of Effex. It was to that noble Lord that he dedicated his Poem of Venus and Adonis There is one inftance fo fingular in the magnificence of this Patron of Shakspeare's, that if I had not been affured that the ftory was handed down by Sir William D'Avenant, who was probably very well acquainted with his affairs, I fhould not have ventured to have inferted, that my Lord Southampton at at one time gave him a thousand pounds, to enable him to go through with a purchase which he heard he had a a mind to a bounty very great, and very rare at any time, and almoft equal to that profufe generofity the prefent age has fhewn to French Dancers and Italian Singers. audi mogu esW OF SHY berdiri zed nonther T What particular habitude or friendships he cons tracted with private men, I have not been able to learns qinoplet ad mori hot As 3ds holluboru einmore of merit, more than that every one who had a true talte o and could diftinguish men, had generally a juft value and fteem for him. His exceeding candor and good-nature muft certainly have inclined all the gentler part of the world to love him, as the power of his wit obliged the men of the most delicate knowledge and polite learning to admire him. His acquaintance with Ben Jonson began with a remarkable piece of humanity and good-nature. Mr. Jonfon, who was at that time altogether unknown to the world, had offered one of his plays to the players, in order to have it acted; and the perfons into whofe hands it was put, after having turned it carelefly and fupercilioufly over, were juft upon returning it to him with an ill-natured anfwer, that it would be of no fervice to their Company; when Shakspeare luckily.caft his eye upon it, and found fomething fo well in it, as to engage him firft to read it through, and afterwards to recommend Mr. Jonfon and his writings to the public. Jonfon was certainly a very good fcholar, and in that had fome advantage over Shakspeare; though at the fame time I believe it must be allowed, that what Nature gave the latter, was more than a balance for what books had given the former; and the judgement of a great man upon this occafion was, I think, very juft and proper. In a converfation between Sir John Suckling, Sir William D'Avenant, Endymion Porter, Mr. Hales of Eaton, and Ben Jonson; Sir John Suckking, who was a profeffed admirer of Shakspeare, had undertaken his defence against Ben Jonfon, with fome warmth: Mr. Hales, who had fat ftill for fome time, told them, That if Mr. Shakspeare had not read the Ancients, he had likewife not ftolen any thing from them; and that, if he would produce any one topic finely treated by any of them, he would undertake to thew fomething upon the fame fubject, at least as well written by Shakspeare." 3 e The latter part of his life was spent, as all men of On theirs may good fenfe will with may be, in eafe, retirement, and the converfation of his friends. He had the good fortune to gather an eftate equal to his occafion, and, in that, to his wifh; and is faid to have fpent fome years years before his death at his native Stratford. His Judicio Pylium, genio Socratem, arte Maronem, Stay, paffenger, why doft thou go fo faft? Read,if thou can't, whom envious Death hath plac'd *Within this monument; Shakspeare, with whom Quick Nature dy'd, whofe name doth deck the tomb, Far more than coft; fince all that he hath writ, Leaves living Art but page to ferve his wit.' Tot someIndOn his grave-ftone underneath is, statsPT James Good friends, for Jesus' fake forbear dood gedw (197To dig the duft inclofed here. Bleft be the man that fpares thefe ftones, And curs'd be he that moves my bones.' berHe had three daughters, of which two lived to be married; Judith, the elder, to one Mr. Thomas Quiney, by whom the had three fons, who all died without children; and Sufannab, who was his favourite, to Dr. John Hall, a phyfician of good reputation in that country. She left one child only, a daughter, who was marry'd firft to Thomas Nafb, Efq; and afterwards to Sir John Bernard, of Abington. By the former of thefe gentlemen, fhe had likewife a daughter, who married Sir Reginald Fofter, of Warwickshire, and from her is lineally defcended the prefent Nicholas Franklyn Miller, of Hide-ball, in Hertfordshire; the only remaining defcendant of our immortal author. Thecharacter of Shakspeare, as a man, is beft feen in hi his writings: but fince Ben Jonson has made a fort of an effay towards it in his Difcoveries, I will give it in his words. I remember the players have often mentioned it as an honour to Shakspeare, that in writing (whatfoever he penned) he never blotted out a line. My anfwer had been, Would be bad blotted a thousand! which they thought a malevolent fpeech, I had not told pofterity this, but for their ignorance, who chofe that circumftance to commend their friend by, wherein he moft faulted; and to justify mine own candour; for I loved the man, and do honour his memory, on this fide idolatry, as much as any. He was, indeed, honeft, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expreffions; wherein he flowed with that facility, that fometimes it was neceffary he fhould be ftopp'd: Sufflaminandus erat, as Au guftus faid of Haterius. His wit was in his n his own power would the of it had been fo too! Many times he fell into thofe things which could not efcape laughter; as when he said in the perfon of Cafar, one fpeaking to him, "Cafar thou doft me wrong," He reply'd, "Cæfar did never wrong, but with juft caufe:" and fuch like, which were ridiculous. But he redeemed his vices with his virtues. There was ever more in him to be praised, than to be pardoned." Shak As an author, his character has been fo often drawn by the most eminent writers of the times, that I fhall only add what Dr. Young fays of him in his Conjectures on Original Compofition. Shakspeare mingled no water with his wine, lowered his genius by no vapid imitation. Shakspeare gave us a Shakspeare, nor could the firft in ancient fame have given us more. Speare is not their fon, but brother ; their equal; and that in fpite of all his faults. Think you this too bold? Confider, in thofe ancients, what is it the world admires? Not the fewnefs of their faults, but the number and brightnefs of their beauties; and if Shahpeare is their equal (as he doubtlefs is) in that which in LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. ix in them is admir'd, then is Shakspeare as great as they; and not impotence, but fome other caufe must be charged with his defects. When we are fetting thefe great men in competition, what but the comparative fize of their genius is the fubject of our enquiry: and a giant lofes nothing of his fize, though he fhould chance to trip in his race. But it is a compliment to thofe heroes of antiquity, to fuppofe Shakspeare their equal only in dramatic powers; therefore, though his faults had been greater, the fcale would ftill turn in his favour. There is at least as much genius on the Britif, as on the Grecian stage, though the former is not fwept fo clean; fo clean from violations, not only of the dramatic, but moral rule; for an honest heathen, on reading fome of our celebrated fcenes, might be feriously concerned to fee that our obligations to the reliligion of Nature were cancelled by Christianity." |