CONTENTS. PART I. SHAKSPEARE IN STRATFORD. CHAPTER I. Birth of Shakspeare-Account of his Family-Orthography of his Name. CHAPTER II. Page 1 The House in which Shakspeare was born-Plague at Stratford, June, 1564-Shakspeare educated at the Free-school of Stratford-State of Education, and of Juvenile Literature in the Country at this period-Extent of Shakspeare's acquirements as a Scholar. CHAPTER III. 10 Shakspeare, after leaving School, follows his Father's Trade-Statement of Aubrey-Probably present in his Twelfth Year at Kenilworth, when Elizabeth visited the Earl of Leicester-Tradition of Aubrey concerning him-Whether there is reason to suppose that, after leaving his Father, he was placed in an Attorney's Office, who was likewise Seneschal or Steward of some Manor-Anecdotes of Shakspeare-Allusions in his Works to Barton, Wilnecotte, and Barston, Villages in Warwickshire-Earthquake in 1580 alluded to-Whether, after leaving School, he acquired any Knowledge of the French and Italian languages. CHAPTER IV. 16. Shakspeare married to Anne Hathaway-Account of the Hathaways-Cottage at Shottery-Birth of his eldest Child, Susanna-Hamnet and Judith baptized-Anecdote of Shakspeare-Shakspeare apparently settled in the Country. . CHAPTER V. 29 A View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare-Its Manners and Customs-Rural Characters; the Country-Gentleman-the Country-Coxcomb-the Country-Clergyman-the Country-Schoolmaster-the Farmer or Yeoman, his Mode of Living-the Huswife, her Domestic Economy-the Farmer's Heir-the Poor Copyholder-the Downright Clown, or Plain CountryBoor.. 33 CHAPTER VI. A View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare--Manners and Customs continued-Rural Holydays and Festivals; New-Year's Day-Twelfth Day-Rock-Day-Plough-Monday-Shrovetide-Easter-tide-Hock-tide-May-Day-Whitsuntide-Ales; Leet-ale-Lamb-ale--Bride-ale -Clerk-ale-Church-ale-Whitsun-ale-Sheep-shearing Feast-Candlemas-Day-HarvestHome-Seed-cake Feast-Martinmas-Christmas. CHAPTER VII. 59 A View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare-Manners and Customs, continued— Wakes-Fairs-Weddings-Christenings-Burials. 102 CHAPTER VIII. View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare, continued-Diversions-The Itinerant Stage -Cotswold Games-Hawking-Hunting-Fowling-Fishing-Horse-racing-The Quintaine→ The Wild-goose Chase-Hurling-Shovel-board-Juvenile Sports-Barley-breake-Parish Top. 120 CHAPTER IX. A View of Country Life during the Age of Shakspeare, continued-An Account of some of its Superstitions; Winter-Night's Conversation—Peculiar Periods devoted to Superstition-St. Paul's Day-St. Swithen's Day-St. Mark's Day-Childermas-St. Valentine's Day-Midsummer-Eve -Michaelmas-All Hallow-Eve-St. Withold-Omens-Charms-Sympathies-Superstitious Cures-Miscellaneous Superstitions. CHAPTER X. 152 Biography of Shakspeare resumed-His Irregularities-Deer-stealing in Sir Thomas Lucy's Park -Account of the Lucy family-Daisy-hill, the keeper's Lodge, where Shakspeare was confined, on the Charge of stealing Deer-Shakspeare's Revenge-Ballad on Lucy-Severe Prosecution by Sir Thomas-never forgotten by Shakspeare-this Cause, and probably also Debt, as his Father was now in reduced Circumstances, induced him to leave the Country for London about 1586-Remarks on this Removal. 196 PART IL SHAKSPEARE IN LONDON. CHAPTER I. Shakspeare's Arrival in London about the Year 1586, when twenty-two Years of Age-Leaves his Family at Stratford, visiting them occasionally-His Introduction to the Stage-His Merits as an Actor.. CHAPTER II. 202 Shakspeare commences a Writer of Poetry, probably about the year 1587, by the composition of his Venus and 'Adonis-Historical Outline of Polite Literature, during the Age of Shakspearė.— General passion for Letters-Bibliography-Shakspeare's Attachment to Books-PhilologyCriticism-Shakspeare's Progress in both-History, general, local, and personal, Shakspeare's Acquaintance with-Miscellaneous Literature. CHAPTER III. 208 View of Romantic Literature during the Age of Shakspeare-Shakspeare's Attachment to, and Use of, Romances, Tales, and Ballads. 252 CHAPTER IV. View of Miscellaneous Poetry during the same period. CHAPTER V. 288 Dedications of Shakspeare's Venus and Adonis, and Rape of Lucrece, to the Earl of Southampton -Biographical Sketch of the Earl-Critique on the Poems of Shakspeare. CHAPTER VI. 352 On the Dress, and Modes of Living, the Manners, and Customs, of the Inhabitants of the Metropolis, during the Age of Shakspeare. CHAPTER VII. On the Diversions of the Metropolis, and the Court-The Stage; its Usages and Economy. CHAPTER VIII. 388 426 A Brief View of Dramatic Poetry, from the Birth of Shakspeare to the Period of his Commencement as a Writer for the Stage, about the Year 1590; with Critical Notices of the Dramatic Poets who flourished during that Interval. 453 CHAPTER IX. Period of Shakspeare's Commencement as a Dramatic Poet-Chronological Arrangement of his genuine Plays-Observations on Pericles; on the Comedy of Errors; on Love's Labour's Lost; on Henry the Sixth, Part the First; on Henry the Sixth, Part the Second; and on A Mid- 467 Observations on Romeo and Juliet; on the Taming of the Shrew; on The Two Gentlemen of Ve- rona; on King Richard the Third; on King Richard the Second; on King Henry the Fourth, Parts First and Second; on The Merchant of Venice; and on Hamlet-Dissertation on the Agency of Spirits and Apparitions, and on the Ghost in Hamlet. Observations on King John ; on All's Well that Ends Well; on King Henry the Fifth; on Much Ado about Nothing; on As You Like It; on Merry Wives of Windsor; on Troilus and Cressida ; on Henry the Eighth; on Timon of Athens; on Measure for Measure; on King Lear; on Cym- beline; on Macbeth - Dissertation on the Popular Belief in Witchcraft during the Age of Shak- speare, and on his Management of this Superstition in the Tragedy of Macbeth. Observations on Julius Cæsar; on Antony and Cleopatra ; on Coriolanus; on The Winter's Tale ; on The Tempest - Dissertation on the General Belief of the Times in the Art of Magic, and on Shakspeare's Management of this Superstition as exhibited in The Tempest — Observations on Othello; on Twelfth Night, and on the Plays ascribed to Shakspeare - Summary of Shak- ᏢᎪᎡᎢ III. AND HIS TIMES Including the Biography of the Poet CRITICISM ON HIS GENIUS AND WRITINGS; A NEW CHRONOLOGY OF HIS PLAYS; A DISQUISITION ON THE OBJECT OF HIS SONNETS; AND A HISTORY OF THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AMUSEMENTS, SUPERSTITIONS, POETRY, AND ELEGANT LITERATURE OF HIS AGE. RUE RICHELIET SOLD ALSO BY AMYOT, RUE DE LA PAIX TRUCHY. BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS; BROCKHAUS AND AVENARIUS 1843 |