. William Shakespere : a biography. his opinion by his neighbours. Trulyill his later years he had Honour, love, obcilicnce, troops of friends. John Combe, the old companion of Shakspere, died at the very hour that thegreat fire was raging ar. Stratfoid. According to the inscription on his monu-ment, he died on the 10th of .July, 1614. Upon his tomb is a fine rocumliLMitfigure executed by the same sculptor who, a few years later, set up in the sameChancel a monument to one who, when that stone is rent, shall still be fresh to all ages. Shakspere was at this period fifty years old. He wai. mall
. William Shakespere : a biography. his opinion by his neighbours. Trulyill his later years he had Honour, love, obcilicnce, troops of friends. John Combe, the old companion of Shakspere, died at the very hour that thegreat fire was raging ar. Stratfoid. According to the inscription on his monu-ment, he died on the 10th of .July, 1614. Upon his tomb is a fine rocumliLMitfigure executed by the same sculptor who, a few years later, set up in the sameChancel a monument to one who, when that stone is rent, shall still be fresh to all ages. Shakspere was at this period fifty years old. He wai. mall probability healthful and vigorous. His life was a pure and simple one;and its chances of endurance were the greater, that higli intellectual occupaiion,not forced upon him I)y necessity, varied the even course of his tranquil exist-ence. His retrospections of the past would, we believe, be eminently high talents had been employed not only profitably to himself, but fo. the • Guide to 2 M ^^^. [Monument of John Conibu.] advantage of his fellow-creatures. He had begun life obscurely, the mem-ber of a profession which was scarcely more than tolerated. He had foundthe stage brutal and licentious. There were worse faults belonging to theearly drama than its ignorant coarseness. It was adapted only for a rudeaudience in its strong excitement and its low ribaldry. He saw that thedrama was to be made a great teacher. He saw that the highest thingsin the region of poetry were akin to the natural feelings in the commonestnatures. He would make the noblest dramatic creations the most knew that the wit that was unintelligible to the multitude was not truewit,—tliat the passion which did not move them to tears or anger was notreal passion. He had raised a despised branch of literature into the highestart. He must have felt that he had produced works which could never was not the applause of princes, or even the breath of admiring c
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookpublisherlondon, booksubjectshakespearewill
