It is time to quit the deer-stealing story, and Shakspeare's ballads, which, perhaps, the candid reader will think reflect no great lustre upon his memory, notwithstanding the enthusiastic reverence of honest Joshua Barnes.

In the reign of Elizabeth, coaches being very uncommon, and hired ones not at all in use, those persons who were too proud, too tender, or too idle to walk, went on horseback on any distant business or diversion. Many came thus to the playhouse, and when Shakspeare flew to London from the terror of a criminal prosecution, his first expedient was to wait at the door of the theatre and hold the horses of those who had no servants, that they might be ready again for them after the performance. In this office he became so conspicuous for his care and readiness, that in a short time every man, as he alighted, called for Will Shakspeare, and scarcely any other waiter was trusted with a horse while Will Shakspeare could be had. This was the first dawn of better fortune. Shakspeare, finding more horses put into his hands than he could hold, hired boys to wait under his inspection, who, when Will Shakspeare was summoned, were immediately to present themselves, and say, I am Shakspeare's boy, Sir. In time Shakspeare found higher employment; but as long as the practice of riding to the playhouse continued, the waiters retained the appellation of Shakspeare's boys.

This story, which Mr. Steevens endeavours to

discredit,

discredit, has a tolerable genealogy for its legitimacy. Pope had it from Rowe, who obtained it from Betterton the player, and he was told it by Sir William Davenant, who was well acquainted with Shakspeare. In Oldys's Collections is the following story:

"If tradition may be trusted, Shakspeare often baited at the Crown Inn, or tavern, in Oxford, in his journeys to and from Stratford. The landlady was a woman of great beauty and sprightly wit, and her husband, Mr. John Davenant, (afterwards mayor of that city) a grave melancholy man, who, as well as his wife used much to delight in Shakspeare's pleasant company. Their son young Will Davenant, (afterwards Sir William) was then a little school-boy in the town of about seven or eight years old, and so fond also of Shakspeare, that whenever he heard of his arrival, he would fly from school to see hin. One day an old townsman observing the boy running homeward almost out of breath, asked him whither he was posting in such heat and hurry. He answered, "to see his Godfather Shakspeare." "There's a good boy," said the other, "but have a care that you don't take God's name in vain."

From the servile employment of holding horses at the play-house door, Shakspeare rose to the character of an actor, but of his merits as a performer little is known. Tradition relates that he never went beyond the Ghost in his own Ham

let;

let; but this is improbable, since it appears from Roscius Anglicanus, (commonly called Downes the Prompter's book) that Shakspeare took the pains to instruct Joseph Taylor in the character of Hamlet, and John Lowine in that of King Henry the eighth. He who could instruct some of the first performers of the time, and who has besides given such admirable instructions in the art of acting, as are delivered in the character of Hamlet, could not be altogether so indifferent a player as this account represents him to have been.

Oldys, in his Collections, has another story illustrative of Shakspeare as a performer; but there are many palpable errors in it. Such as it is we lay it before our readers:

"One of Shakspeare's younger brothers, who lived to a good old age, even some years, as I compute, after the restoration of King Charles II. would, in his younger days, come to London to visit his brother Will, as he called him, and be a spectator of him as an actor in some of his own plays. This custom, as his brother's fame enlarged, and his dramatic entertainments grew the greatest support of our principal, if not of all our theatres, he continued, it seems, so long after his brother's death, as even to the latter end of his own life. The curiosity at this time of the most noted actors exciting them to learn something from his brother, they justly held him in the highest veneration. And it may be well believed as there was besides a kinsman and descendant

of

of the family, who was then a celebrated actor among them (viz. Charles Hart, who died August, 1683). This opportunity made them greedily inquisitive into every little circumstance, more especially in his dramatic character, which his brother could relate of him. But he, it seems was so stricken in years, and possibly his memory so weakened with infirmities (which might make him the easier pass for a man of weak intellects) that he could give them but little light into their enquiries, and all that could be collected from him of his brother Will in that station was, the faint, general, and almost last ideas he had of having once seen him act a part in one of his own comedies, wherein, being to personate a decrepid old man, he wore a long beard, and appeared so weak and drooping, and unable to walk, that he was forced to be supported and carried by another person to a table, at which he was seated among some company who were eating, and one of them sung a song." This evidently alludes to the character of Adam, in As you Like it, Act. II. Scene the last.

Queen Elizabeth had several of Shakspeare's plays performed before her, and he paid her majesty a beautiful compliment in his Midsummer Night's Dream, where he terms her,

"A fair vestal throned by the west."

She was so highly delighted with the character of Falstaff, as to command him to continue it for one

play

play more, and to shew him in love, which occasioned the admirable comedy of the Merry Wives of Windsor.

Old Bowman the player reported from Sir William Bishop, that some part of Sir John Falstaff's character was drawn for a townsman of Stratford, who either faithlessly broke a contract, or spitefully refused to part with some land, for a valuable consideration, adjoining to Shakspeare's in or near that town.

At the conclusion of Lintot's edition of Shakspeare's Poems, it is said, "that most learned prince and great patron of learning, king James the first was pleased with his own hand to write an amicable letter to Mr. Shakspeare; which letter, though now lost, remained long in the hands. of Sir William D'Avenant, as a credible person, now living can testify." This anecdote was related by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham; and Dr. Farmer was of opinion that the letter was written by king James, in return for the compliment paid to him in Macbeth.

Shakspeare's deficiency in learning was his real advantage, and concerning which Mr. Rowe relates this story which he had from Dryden.

"In a conversation between Sir John Suckling, Sir William D'Avenant, Endymion Porter, Mr. Hales of Eton, and Ben Jonson; Sir John Suckling, who was a professed admirer of Shakspeare, had undertaken his defence against Ben Jonson, with some warmth; Mr. Hales, who had

sat