SHAKESPEARE'S INDUSTRY BY MRS. C. C. STOPES HON. F.R.S.L. AUTHOR OF "THE BACON SHAKESPEARE QUESTION ANSWERED,'' "BRITISH FREEWOMEN," "SHAKESPEARE'S FAMILY," " SHAKESPEARE'S WARWICK- SHIRE CONTEMPORARIES," " WILLIAM HUNNIS AND THE REVELS OF THE CHAPEL ROYAL," " BURBAGE, AND SHAKESPEARE'S STAGE," "SHAKESPEARE'S ENVIRONMENT," etc., EDITOR OF " SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS " (KING'S CLASSICS) etc. " Plautus sighed, Sophocles wept Teares of anger, for to heare. After they so long had slept So bright a genius should appear. Where thy honoured bones do He, As Statius once to Maro's urn, Thither every year will 1 Slowly tread and sadly turn." Samuel Sheppard's " Epigrams.' LONDON G. BELL AND SONS Ltd, 1916 i ,' ^, * , ij U l\!| \/ /vmvbx Francis & Co., 11 and 13 Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, K.C. CONTENTS. PAGE I. Shakespeare's Industry 1 II. Shakespeare's Treatment of His Originals . 12 III. The Amleth of the Story and the Hamlet of the Stage 43 IV. Hamlet and Macbeth, an Intended Contrast . 72 V. The Scottish and English Macbeth. 78 VI. Is Lady Macbeth really a " Fiendlike Queen " ? 1 1(T VII. Sir Thomas Lucy not the Original of Justice Shallow 125 VIII. The Taming of the Shrew . .139 IX. The Kenilworth Festivities . .152 X. The Midsummer Night's Dream . .168 ' ' XI. Captain Cox's Booke of Fortune . 181 XII. The Italian and English Books of Fortune . 197 XIII. Elizabethan Stage Scenery .... 204 XIV. The Earliest Official Record of Shakespeare's Name 218 XV. The Introduction of Shakespeare to Queen Elizabeth 227 XVI. Shakespeare and War 237 XVII. Shakespeare's Legal Transactions . 257 XVIII. Shakespeare, Homager of Rowington . 267 XIX. Shakespeare of the Court . .271 XX. The Paradise of Dainty Devices . 277 XXI. The Metrical Psalms and the Court of Venus . 291 " " XXII. The Old and Newb Court of Venus . .305 XXIII. Snt Thomas Wyat and the " Newe Court of Venus" 320 Terminal Notes : Art. V. Note 1. List of Scottish Kings . » 334 Art. V. Note 2. The Oxford Interlude of Banquo 335 Art. V. Note 3. Quotations from Stewart's Metrical History . 336 Art. XXIII. Note 1. Sir Thomas Wyat's Poems . 340 Art. XXIII. Note 2. Echoes 342 Inpex 346 T PREFACE. SHAKESPEAREAN writers are wont to make apologies for the books they add to the pile, pending the passing of the proposed Bill that the Censor should be given powers to stay for nine years at the printers, all Shakespeare books which have not taken nine years at least in the writing. My apology is this, that for more thai) nine years I had been collecting materials for a book., which I meant to appear in Shakespeare's Commemoration year. Fate has made it impossible to finish it in time (perhaps impossible to finish it at all). But in defiance I said to myself that a book there should be, and I have brought together a- series of papers, new and old, all bearing to some extent upon our great Poet. I have always tried to specialise in studies relating to his personal character, so that I may as much as possible un- derstand the man. For this purpose I had brought out a twin volume in 1914, called (for lack of a better title) ' Shakespeare's Environment.' This present one sticks more closely to its title of 'Shakespeare's Industry.' It was difficult for myself or my fellow-students to bring together my various papers, scattered 'in many periodicals, and it is the general idea which one requires to follow. Every one of the papers, at the time of publication, contained something new. These little. new points are of some importance taken together, even to those who only borrow their work, for they may be used, fragments as they are, to design a beautiful mosaic. But to those who do all their work for themselves, these little points are found to be living seeds, which may be planted and bear fruit. The introduction of some of the articles under the title * « may be criticised. I acknowledge this. The first part of my Macbeth paper, for instance, has no bearing on Shake- speare, but on Macbeth. But the second part of the paper, on the contrary, discusses Shakespeare and his Industry, and his conception of Macbeth. I have included fragments from .the lost ' Book of Fortune,' and though the Metrical vi —; PREFACE vii Psalms were not likely to have appealed to his ear, he must have heard them, for attendance at the Parish Church was then compulsory. And they did profoundly affect his con- temporaries. I have sought the author of most of the poems in the preserved fragment of ' The New Court of Venus ' because Shakespeare must have read these. So my last three articles dwell on my discovery that Sir Thomas Wyat was the chief author of ' The New Court of Venus.' Shakespeare is associated with Sir Thomas in his sonnets, he trained him- self upon his pioneer's models, and he gave a copy of ' Songs and Sonets ' to Slender, to help him to express the inexpressible (m.w.w.i. i.). The "Introduction to Queen Elizabeth " is only imaginary as regards the one situation. The facts and characters are, however, real. I trust that those of my readers who take the trouble to finish, may feel that they are a little more intimate with Shakespeare through considering some of his attributes, and dwelling leisurely over some of his labours, even though my papers are not associated with the higher textual criticism. Yet I have not rushed .into print to express in superlative adjectives my wonder and delight at a first reading of Shake- speare (as too many have dene). My studies, though always under difficulties, have been life-long. I called for Shake- speare before I was able to pronounce his name. There was an edition accessible, a four-volumed illustrated folio and through it, by pictures and afterwards by the text, I formed strong views about Prince Arthur and his wicked Uncle John ; I have worked in and around Shakespeare all my life since. If this prove my last effort in the field, I do it full of the desire to help to keep Shakespeare's flag flying during the Commemoration year., while so many of my fellow- students are torn away from their studies, to defend " This blessed spot, this earth, this realm, this England." In their name and my own I dedicate my work to Shakespeare. Chaelottb Carmichael Stopjss. 1st January, 1916 — ; DEDICATION. TO SHAKESPEARE. O Fount of Poesy perennial, Thy Torrent of the rapturous Joy of Life, Thy Lake of Calm, reflecting nature's moods Thy broad deep river of experience, Ocean of Dreams reaching from shore to shore, Thou dost unite what lesser seas divide, Binding far nations in one common bond : All those that love thee, come to thee and draw, And gladly drink, with recognised content. Thou dost pervade us. The Metropolis Haunted by memories of thee, records Thy mighty makings, rendered by fit friends. The Mecca for our pilgrims is the home Where thy bright soul chose earth by Avon-side To nurse its growth to ripe humanity. Thy footsteps walk with ours through Stratford glades, Ariel, thine own immortal, guiding them That are akin to thee. Through perfume speech Our flowers can trace their pedigree to thine, Thy music echoes in the nightingales, Who, whispering to each other through the years, Date, by thy dates, their coming. All who live Within " this isle, set in the silver sea," Are somewhat moved by thy fine influence Thy pregnant words enrich our common speech, Thy thoughts help in the moulding of men's lives, Ev'n when they are unconscious. Seeking souls Reach to thy inner depths. They hear thee cry— " When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes I all alone beweep my outcast state," Then, acquiescent in the after peace, " There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will." For thou hadst learned Rebuffs of Fortune, disappointed hopes Were tools for " shaping." Then the Shaper bade Thee walk the proud earth in despised weeds, Until thou gav'st them honour, bidding thee Drink deep the cup of discontent divine Till thou becam'st content to do the work, And shape Thy End, to show men to themselves ,' viii : DEDICATION ix We have rejoiced upon thy natal day, Which, half a hundred busy years and two Three centuries ago, returned to mark Thy steps through thy rich life, then bore thee hence, To live for ever in the hearts of men. We would " remember thee," thou glorious ghost, Here, at our point of time, looking to thine. O, from some starry corner of the sky, What time " the young-eyed cherubins " take rest, In making music with the rhythmic spheres, Look down and see thy crowding lovers come Together for thy sake ; and bridge the space ; Hear our deep-throated quire of gratitude, For to thy rich inheritance, thy Will Makes all who love thee to be lawful heirs May every wind blow to thee our accord, And in our hearts Love hath no Labours Lost. In remembrance of 23rd April, 1616. ' Shakespeare' s * * Industry.' ERRATA. P. 98, line 10, delete "in." P. 99, line 24, for " Dibdsin'" read " Dibdin's/' P. 137, line 12 from foot, for " Juutice" read "Justice." P. 170. line 3, for "Chapmant" read "Chapman"- line 12 /or"Malgree"™«d«Malgre." ' ' P. 199, lines 20 to and " " " 24, p. 201 , last line, for de read " di " P. 202, line 2, for " Alhezen read " Alhazen." P.