. William Shakespere : a biography. t which gleams out at every page of his philosophy. Nicholas Trotte,gentleman, penned the Introduction, which was pronounced in manner follow-ing, namely, three Muses came upon the stage apparelled accordingly, bringin«^five gentlemen-students attired in their usual garments, whom one of theMuses presented to her Majesty as captives. But the dresses, the music, thedancing to song, were probably directed by the tasteful mind who subsequentlywrote, These things are but toys; but yet, since princes will have such things,it is better that they should be graced w
. William Shakespere : a biography. t which gleams out at every page of his philosophy. Nicholas Trotte,gentleman, penned the Introduction, which was pronounced in manner follow-ing, namely, three Muses came upon the stage apparelled accordingly, bringin«^five gentlemen-students attired in their usual garments, whom one of theMuses presented to her Majesty as captives. But the dresses, the music, thedancing to song, were probably directed by the tasteful mind who subsequentlywrote, These things are but toys; but yet, since princes will have such things,it is better that they should be graced with elegancy than daubed with the roof then of the old palace at Greenwich—the palace which Hum-phrey of Gloucester is said to have built, and where Elizabeth was born—areassembled the gentlemen of Grays Inn and the Queens players. The twomaster-spirits of their time—amongst the very greatest of all time—are there. A copy is in the Gamck Collection, in the British Museum,t Of Masques and Triumphs : Essay 37 331. [Bacon.] Francis Bacon, the lawyer, and William Shakspere, the actor, are unconsciouseach of the greatness of the other. The difference of their rank probably pre-vents that communication which might have told each something of the otherspower. Master Penroodock and Master Lancaster may perhaps solicit a littleof the professional advice of Burbage and his men; and the other gentlemenwho penned the dumb-shows may have assisted at the conference. A flash ofwit from William Shakspere may have won a smile from the Reader of GraysInn; and he may have dropped a scrap of that philosophy which is akin topoetry, so as to make the young actor reverence him more highly than as theson of Elizabeths former honest Lord Keeper. But the signs of that free-masonry by which great minds know each other could scarcely be would go their several ways, the one to tempt the perils and the degra-dations of ambition, and to find at last a refuge in philosophy
Size: 1486px × 1681px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookpublisherlondon, booksubjectshakespearewill
