. William Shakespere : a biography. [A Peep at CLarlcote.] IS colonized by rabbits. The elder-tree drops its wiiite blossoms luxuriantlyover their brown burrows. The golden cups of tlie yellow water-lilies liebrilliantly beneath on their green couches. The reed-sparrow and the willow-wren sing their small songs around us : a stately iieron flaps his heavy wingabove. The tranquillity of the place is almost solemn ; and a broad clouddeepens the solemnity, by throwing for a while the whole scene nito have a book with us that Shaksi)ere might have looked upon in the samespot two hundred
. William Shakespere : a biography. [A Peep at CLarlcote.] IS colonized by rabbits. The elder-tree drops its wiiite blossoms luxuriantlyover their brown burrows. The golden cups of tlie yellow water-lilies liebrilliantly beneath on their green couches. The reed-sparrow and the willow-wren sing their small songs around us : a stately iieron flaps his heavy wingabove. The tranquillity of the place is almost solemn ; and a broad clouddeepens the solemnity, by throwing for a while the whole scene nito have a book with us that Shaksi)ere might have looked upon in the samespot two hundred and sixty years ago ; a new book then, but even ilien seekingto go back into the past, in the antique phraseology adopted by the younaauthor. It is the first work of Spenser,— The Sliephcrds Calendar, originally cA^W. [Old Town.] WILLIAM SHAKSPERE : printed in 1579. Let us pause a little upon its pages ; and thence look back also-with a brief glance, at the poetical models in his own language which were opento the study of one who, without models, was destined to found the greatest schoolof poetry which the world had seen. Spenser, displeased with the artificial character of the literature of his ownearly time, its mythological affectations, its mincing and foreign pliraseology,thought to infuse into it a more healthy tone by familiarizing the court ofElizabeth with the diction of the age of Edward III. The attempt was notsuccessful. His friend and editor, E. K., indeed says,—In my opinion it isone especial praise, of many which are due to this poet, that he hath labouredto restore, as to their rightful heritage, such good and natural English wordsas have been Ions: time out of use, and almost clean disherited. Which is theonly cause that our mother tongue, which truly of itself is both full enou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookpublisherlondon, booksubjectshakespearewill
