of rare promise. The girl is sprightly, but of small depth or substance, favouring the mother. She might have sat for Anne Page, being about sixteen when her father drew Anne; and she is well matched with Master Quiney, whose wit o'ertops not hers, who is gay and jovial as becometh a vintner, taking pleasure in what pleases her. Marry, he hath the merit of being the son of her father's old friend Richard Quiney.

Raleigh. Sir, a nobleman might have fittingly found in her a mate, she being Shakespeare's child. But what of the wife who helped him to these daughters?

Drayton. 'Twas Shakespeare's mishap, sir (and I say it for your warning), to wed at an age when the fancy and heat of youth o'ercrow the judgment. He had seen few women, and none of the finest. Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's elder by eight years, was buxom as Judith is now; his fancy dressed her in qualities not hers; the secrecy of their meetings lent a flavour of adventure; and so he became bound to one who matched with him as finch with falcon, in youth a country lass, in age a mere housewife, something fretful, but, in the sum, contented; and Shakespeare, who was of a temper to fit himself to what is, dwelt with her here in much kindness. But see-Doctor

Hall doth await us on the steps of the entrance.

Doctor Hall. Master Drayton, I pray you that you pass not by the house of your departed friend without entering; I beseech you, sir, you and your friend;-'twill be a kindness to come in. You shall not be excused, sirs.

SCENE VI.-A Room in Shakespeare's House. DOCTOR HALL, DRAYTON, and RALEIGH.

Doctor Hall. Here, sirs, is my father-in-law's parlour, where he hath mostly abided in this last illness. Be pleased to sit while I fetch my wife, who will part with a few moments of her sorrow in seeing so old a friend. [He goes out.

Raleigh. By Saint George, sir, the poet was bravely lodged! How rich the staining of this window, where, through the lower panes, we look on the garden! and above, there stands emblazoned the falcon with his golden spear, steel - pointed, that Sir Thomas told us of. This wainscot, too, is quaintly carved, and the chimney-front of a rich design. But, soft you now—whose graven portrait is this that hangs in the midst of it? By my troth, 'tis my father's!

Drayton. Ay, Master Raleigh; think not but

D

that the poet, with his wide embrace for his fellow men, took such merit as Sir Walter's near his soul. The daring that went forth on the unknown deep, the search for El Dorado, the finding of strange lands and stranger peoples, all these fired his fancy. 'Tis to our great mariners we owe the sweet magic of Prospero's isle, the innocence of Miranda, the savageness of Caliban, the witcheries of Ariel.

Raleigh. And above my father's hangs Bacon's; these Shakespeare looked on as he sat by the fire, and thus was homage done both to adventure and to thought. And on this side, engraven like the others, from a painting I have seen, hangs the Earl of Southampton's.

Drayton. Whereby is homage done to friendship; greatly and constantly did the Earl love Shakespeare. And here, when he sat by this window that looks on the garden, he saw on the wall opposite, the presentments of his more level associates-Ben Jonson, Marlow, Beaumont and Fletcher (twinned in one carven oak frame), Spenser, Sidney, and, lo you, mine unworthy self.

Raleigh. But what strange company for such progeny of the Muse are these others on the opposing wall! Calvin and Knox, Ridley and Jewel, and here, portrayed in chalk by a cunning hand, the divine who preached to us even

now.

What do these godly men here? Did Shakespeare love them?

Drayton. Shakespeare, Master Walter, looked on Puritan and Prelatist as the wearers of certain garbs hiding men underneath; 'twas concerning the men he chiefly cared to inquire. 'Tis the Doctor and Mistress Hall who have solaced themselves by hanging these here; the Doctor hath long been a chief of that party in Stratford which, though it forsakes not quite the Church, yet holds by that corner of it which is nearest Geneva; and his wife, from her natural bent, leans to the austerer (perchance I should say, the more earnest) side of religion. But Shakespeare, in such matters, would, as Polonius advises, gives his ear to all, his voice to few, and tolerated the effigies of these grave divines without any special love for themselves.

Enter DOCTOR HALL, his WIFE, their young daughter ELIZABETH, aged eight, and SHAKESPEARE'S WIDOW.

Mistress Hall. Master Drayton, your pardon yet awhile if I cannot greet you—the seeing of you stirs up thoughts that rob me of all words. [She turns aside.

Mistress Shakespeare. O Master Drayton !— Son Hall, lead me to my great chair. Oh, what a loss is mine!

Drayton. Your loss is the world's loss too, good madam.

Mistress Shakespeare. Oh, sir, who will uphold me now, a poor, weak woman? Mr Shakespeare in his merry mood would say, "Come, thou'lt make a brave widow, Anne-who shall be thy next?" But Lord, sir, I'll neʼer marry again.

Raleigh. Kings, madam, might be proud of such a predecessor.

Mistress Shakespeare. Kings, sir! What should kings have to do with me! You are pleased to jest, young sir; though kings and queens, too, have looked with favour on Mr Shakespeare. But the funeral, Susannah-was all becoming? Did the sermon make good mention of my husband? And the dole-was all the dole given away? But oh, my poor brain! Master Drayton and his friend must eat somewhat. There is a stuffed chine. Oh, how he that's gone loved a stuffed chine! Here be the keys, Elizabeth; see the chine set forth in the dining chamber.

Drayton. Nay, nay, good madam, think not of us.

Mistress Shakespeare. But ye must eat somewhat, sirs, indeed, now. Daughter, dost know that my new black hood is sewn awry, and I can go not forth till it be straight? And for