ficiency in that language. It is | fallen into ill company, and awithout controversy, that in his mongst them, some, that made a works we scarce find traces of frequent practice of deer-stealing, any thing that looks like an imi- engaged him more than once in tation of the ancients. Whether robbing a park that belonged to his ignorance of the ancients were Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote, a disadvantage to him or no, may near Stratford. For this he was admit of a dispute : for, though prosecuted by that gentleman, as the knowledge of them might have he thought, somewhat too severemade him more correct, yet, it is ly; and, in order to revenge that not improbable, but that the regu- ill usage, he made a ballad upon larity and deference for them, him. It is at this time, and upon which would have attended that this accident, that he is said to correctness, might have restrained have made his first acquaintance some of that fire, impetuosity, and in the playhouse. He was received even beautiful extravagance, which into the company then in being, we admire in Shakspeare. at first in a very mean rank, but Upon his leaving school, he his admirable wit, and the natural seems to have given entirely into turn of it to the stage, soon disthat way of living which his fa- | tinguished him, if not as an extrather proposed to him; and, in or- | ordinary actor, yet as an excellent der to settle in the world after a writer. Whatever the particular family manner, he thought fit to times of his writing were, the marry while he was yet very people of his age, who began to young. His wife was the daugh- grow wonderfully fond of diversiter of one Hathaway, said to have ons of this kind, could not but be been a substantial yeoman in the highly pleased to see a genius neighbourhood of Stratford. In arise amongst them of so pleasurathis kind of settlement he conti- ble, so rich a vein, and so plentinued for some time, till an extra-fully capable of furnishing their vagance that he was guilty of favourite entertainments. Besides forced him both out of his country, and that way of living which he had taken up; and though it seemed at first to be a blemish upon his good manners, and a misfortune to him, yet it happily proved the occasion of exerting one of the greatest geniuses that ever was known in dramatic Queen Elizabeth had several of poetry. He had, by a misfortune | his plays acted before her; and, common enough to young fellows, without doubt, gave him many

the advantages of his wit, he was in himself a good-natured man, of great sweetness in his manners, and a most agreeable companion; so that it is no wonder, if, with so many good qualities, he made himself acquainted with the best conversations of those times.—

gracious marks of her favour: it at any time, and almost equal to is that maiden princess plainly that profuse generosity the prewhom he intends by

"-a fair vestal, throned by the west." Midsummer Night's Dream.

sent age has shewn to French dancers and Italian singers.

What particular habitude or friendships he contracted with private men, no one has been able to learn, more than that every one, who had a true taste of merit, and could distinguish men, had generally a just value and esteem for him. His exceeding candour and good-nature must certainly have inclined all the gentler part of the world to love him, as the power of his wit obliged the men of the most delicate knowledge and polite learning to admire hiin.

His acquaintance with Ben Jonson began with a remarkable piece of humanity and good-nature: Mr. Jonson, who was at that time alto

And that whole passage is a compliment very properly brought in, and very handsomely applied to her. She was so well pleased with that admirable character of Falstaff, in the Two Parts of Henry the Fourth, that she commanded him to continue it for one play more, and to shew him in love. This is said to be the occasion of his writing The Merry Wives of Windsor. How well she was obeyed, the play itself is an admirable proof. He had the honour to meet with many great and uncommon marks of favour and friendship from the Earl of Southampton, famous in the his-gether unknown to the world, had tories of that time for his friendship to the unfortunate Earl of Essex. It was to that noble lord that he dedicated his poem of Venus and Adonis. There is one instance so singular in the magnificence of this patron of Shak-him with an ill-natured answer, speare, that if we had not been that it would be of no service to assured that the story was handed their company; when Shakspeare down by Sir William D'Avenant, luckily cast his eye upon it, and who was probably very well ac- found something so well in it, as quainted with his affairs, we should to engage him first to read it thro' not have ventured to have inserted and afterwards to recommend Mr. it; that my Lord Southampton at Jonson and his writings to the one time gave him a thousand public. Jonson was certainly a pounds, to enable him to go very good scholar, and in that had through with a purchase which the advantage of Shakspeare; he heard he had a mind to. A though at the same time we believe bounty very great, and very rare it must be allowed, that what na

offered one of his plays to the players, in order to have it acted; and the persons into whose hands it was put, after having turned it carelessly and superciliously over were just upon returning it to

ture gave the latter, was more than a balance for what books had given the former; and the judgement of a great man* upon this occasion was, we think, very just and proper.

But the sharpness of the satire is said to have stung the man so severely, that he never forgave it.

He died in the 53d year of his age, and was buried on the north side of the chancel, in the great church at Stratford, where a monument is placed on the wall. On his grave-stone underneath is— "Good friend for Jesus' sake forbear To dig the dust inclosed here, Blest be the man that spares these stones,

And curst be he that moves my bones.

The latter part of his life was spent, as all men of good sense will wish theirs may be, in ease, retirement, and the conversation of his friends. He had the good fortune to gather an estate equal to his occasion, and, in that, to his wish; and is said to have spent some years before his death at his native Stratford. His pleasurable wit and good-nature engaged him This is what can be learned of in the acquaintance, and entitled any note relating to him; the him to the friendship, of the gen-character of the man is best seen tlemen of the neighbourhood. A- in his writings. But since Ben mongst them, it is a story, al- Jonson has made a sort of essay of most still remembered in that it in his Discoveries, we will give country, that he had a particular it in his own words: "I rememintimacy with Mr. Combe, an old ber the players have often mengentleman noted thereabouts for tioned it as an honour to Shakhis wealth and his usury: it hap-speare, that in writing (whatever pened, that in a pleasant conver- he penned) he never blotted out a sation amongst their common line. My answer hath been, friends, Mr. Combe told Shakspeare in a laughing manner, that he fancied he intended to write his epitaph, if he happened to outlive him; and since he could not know what might be said of him when he was dead, he desired it might be done immediately: upon which Shakspeare gave him these four

Would he had a blotted a thousand! which they thought a malevolent speech. I had not told posterity this, but for their ignorance, who chose that circumstance to commend their friend by, wherein he most faulted: and to justify mine own candour, for I loved the man, and do honour his memory, on this side idolatry, as much as any. He was, indeed, honest, and of an open and free

nature, had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions; wherein he flowed with

was ever more in him to be praised the féle is kept up, the guests

A WELSE TRAIN Berty two years had ins past hje park a Kaman, in Merie wwa, me Segoencer's evening. Metisiert, de seat if Sir Ribert a per malar, ia mali vra, Vagina, But, there sand, t and with a fire gut fram hug wala dese few years, a buiuw, misery, came to is four and beg- large, and biusted mà, visse ged a monei of bread for the live. Mached and withered branches A charity—It was his daughter: presented a spring and summer -The moogima was quiti and a striking contrast to the verdure mutnai, but with very opposite of the sermaning weeds. It was a beaga. borrow, and pain, and noted tree, and the peasiat, as he #waw, MalmĮ thew a dark passed it in the gloom of evening, cloud over the old man's face; would quicken his pace, and, perwhile the maniac's eye was lit up haps, marmar a prayer for the with an expresion of rage and preservation of his person from triumph, that was truly fiendlike, the crafts and assaults of the evil an she screamed out, 'Ho, Ho, Ho! one. Have I found you atlast? Take back your case, old man; I have borne it long enough, and a sad load, and a weary one it has been 10 me--but take it back-it has curdled the milk of my bosom to poison, and my poor babe sucked it and died,-But take it back, and look that it does not sink you into the depths of hell.'

To be contumed in our next.

To the Editor of the Oxford Entertaining Miscellany.

Sir,

Should you deem the following extract from the "Cambro

"Een to this day, the peasant still

In

With cantions fear treads o'er the

ground;

each wild bush a spectre sees, And trembles at each rising sound.”

A long succession of ages has rolled on since the event transpired which conferred on this tree an influence so appalling. During the wars of Owen Glyndwr, in the former part of the 15th, cen◄ tury, a cousin of that hero resided at Nannau; his name Howel Sele, It appears that Howel had refused to espouse his kinsman's and his country's cause, thereby render

This oak is called in Weish CEUBREN YR ELLYLL, in English "the Hobgoblin's Hollow Tree."

Briton," vol.i. page 226, worthy | A celebrated Welsh Chieftain,