Show SHAKE TE N AND HE 11 IS OF STRAT FORD ON THE by john joha burrows editor news new As we have arrived at the tercentenary of Shake birth and death permit me to state the fact that I 1 feel honored as I 1 am probably one of the great poets nearest relatives in this part of the world not by lineage or blood however but by nativity and location formerly in england while there is only a distance of 0 about aso years in the dates of our birth there is only a distance of rive five miles that separates the places of our oui birth viz mine the town of kineton kineston and Shake the town of strat ford on the avon both situated in the same county warwick when I 1 firt first opened my eyes to the daylight of mor bality and was able to go out of and look around my eyes were at tia li acted ted by the same serene blue skies and enrapturing landscapes with scenes of flowers and verdure ry lungs inhaled the same pure quality of atmosphere that shakespeare er T joyed when lie was preparing the story of his bis Alid midsummer summer nights dream and other great productions when I 1 first visited stratford on the avon I 1 had read some of his marvel ous writings and I 1 was very much impressed by the simplicity of 0 the rural place where this greatest of historic poets was born and remembered the lines of another great poet pope what great results from humble causes spring within a lovely vale of rural beauty and cottage homes jr ii favored Strat fords inimitable scenes hard by the gentle avons placid stream where undulating lands and groves and flowers gave place and shelter to numerous cottage homes where frugal peasantry in concord dwelt in a secluded spot one cottage stands of simple architecture em bowered in vinos vines and shades of byca mores and elms and stately oaks baks whilo while climbing roses wood bines and forget me nots bots adorned the whole exterior in rich array an aged couple were acre the tenants there and this was wag Shake cot where lie he was born nearly three centuries had passed these aged tennants pennants ten nants had occupied this far famed domicile for a term of fitly fifty years and knew much of the details of the poets life his manners mode of life and literary career such as had come down through the gen generations ra they bade me welcome and told me many tales and gossip stories too galore some of the tales were rumors stale and unconfirmed one was that shakespeare had much brain development but his teachers could rot control his stubborn will and so his education was crude and incomplete lie ile was a great reader but in his class a dullard and it was reported that lie he never mastered the use of A the best grammar of his time and hence his writings were coarse by some lie he had been looked upon as i 1 modern salom Sc loman n but other critics claimed that the only instance inhere wherein Shake wisdom and wit compared with each other was that solo nans n ans poetry compared the church EO 10 the file breast and body of a woman whereas shakespeare wrote its his voluptuous story the rape of lucrece which all the gossips of stratford and elsewhere had condemned as abominable visiting stratford on the avon years later I 1 discovered that most or of the former ignorance and prejudice in regard to shakespeare had disappeared before the light of the writings of that great author all the world was alm alg sig to visit his birthplace as was and is visible to all visitors in the tact fact that every square inch of the walls of the interior of the historic birthplace of the poet is literally covered with autographs of people from rom all parts of the world for several years past a certain literary critic has been trying to convince the literary world that one francis bacon was the author of all the works of shakespeare it is generally conceded however that when all that bacon is rendered down the result will be water and not lard and will not be suitable to make palatable pie crust for literary epicures epi cures shakespeare acrostic sage 0 of the centuries savant sublime hero in literary ranks tor for all time ages agea may pass and ages succeed knowledge increase and ignorance recede eurldine Eurl dite wise and preceptor thy name shakespeare will shine thru all annals of fame pointing to victories that no other may gain each that is valiant and true can obtain author of cl authors the world lauds thee ever round the wide universe naught thy value can sever envy may falsify but injure thee no never |