Shakespeare's Christmas gift to Queen Bess in the year 1596 . Gift to Queen Befs ig coming to read to them the changes in themanufcript of his play Jince its formerprefentation. Ah! hear the hurjl of ap-plaufe that greets his late arrival—ahigh-browed, fandy-haired man of thirty-two, lithe in figure, of middle height, witha fmile of great fweetnefs, yet fad his face, one may read the lines ofrecent forrow, and all know that he hasreturned but recently to London from themournful errand which took him to his [Stratford 20 Shakefpeares Chriftmas Stratford home—the burial of his dearlybe
Shakespeare's Christmas gift to Queen Bess in the year 1596 . Gift to Queen Befs ig coming to read to them the changes in themanufcript of his play Jince its formerprefentation. Ah! hear the hurjl of ap-plaufe that greets his late arrival—ahigh-browed, fandy-haired man of thirty-two, lithe in figure, of middle height, witha fmile of great fweetnefs, yet fad his face, one may read the lines ofrecent forrow, and all know that he hasreturned but recently to London from themournful errand which took him to his [Stratford 20 Shakefpeares Chriftmas Stratford home—the burial of his dearlybeloved and only fon, Hamnet. The plau-dits for the author of the mofi fuccefsfulplay of the feafon—Romeo and Juliet,which was then taking the town by format the Curtain Theatre—were little heededby the grief-Jlricken father as he urged hishorfe over the rough roads of the four daysjourney, arriving juft too late for a part-ing word from dying lips. But privateforrows are not for thofe who are called to [public. Old Graves in Trinity Churchyard, Stratford ^&_ Gift to Queen Befs 21 public duties; a writer mujl trim his pennot to his own mood, but to the mood of thehour. And ^ueen Elizabeth, old in years,but ever young in her love of fun andfrolic and flattery, mufl be made to forgetthe heavinefs of time and the infirmitiesof age. If fhe may no longer take partin out-door fports—the hunting, the hawk-ing, the bear-baiting,—fhe ft ill maycommand proceffions, fetes, mafques, andft age-plays. It pleafes her now to fee this [wonderful 22 Shakefpeares Chriftmas HJoonderful fairy piece^ of which fhe hasheard fo much fnce, two years ago, itgraced the nuptials of the Earl of fhe not remember alfo that prettyimpromptu verfe of the author when aBingthe part of King in another mans play,two years ago at Greenwich ? Did fienot twice drop her glove near his feet incrojjingthejiage? And how happily hadhe refponded to the challenge ! True to thecharaSler as well as to the m
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectshakespearewilliam15
