William Shakespeare as he lived. An Historical Tale   By: Henry Curling

AS HE LIVED.

An Historical Tale.

BY CAPTAIN CURLING,

AUTHOR OF "JOHN OF ENGLAND." "SOLDIER OF FORTUNE."

"Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head."

As you Like it.

WARWICK :

H. T. COOKE & SON, PUBLISHERS, HIGH STREET.

(COPYRIGHT.)

PREFACE.

The nature of the following work is sufficiently indicated by the title. In it the most interesting portions of the career of Shakespeare, taken from the best accredited sources, are brought forward in a pleasing narrative, the dialogue being in the style of the Elizabethan period.

Throughout the work the writer has endeavoured, amidst a great deal of stirring incident, and a subordinate tale of much interest, to place the Poet constantly before the reader, whether on or off the scene. The story commences when he was about seventeen years of age, and carries him through some of the eventful "chances" of that glorious epoch which called forth his own "muse of fire," and caused him to ascend "the brightest heaven of invention;" and, after showing him the sharp "uses of adversity," leaves him at the moment of success, whilst Elizabeth and the entire Court circle are turned to him whose matchless genius has just enchanted them.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. A Forest Scene

CHAPTER II. The Youthful Shakespeare

CHAPTER III. Charlotte Clopton

CHAPTER IV. The Family of the Cloptons

CHAPTER V. A Domestic Party in Elizabeth's Day

CHAPTER VI. A Disagreeable Visitor

CHAPTER VII. Plots and Counterplots

CHAPTER VIII. Stratford upon Avon

CHAPTER IX. The Tavern

CHAPTER X. The Churchyard of Stratford upon Avon

CHAPTER XI. The Stratford Lawyer

CHAPTER XII. The Sonnet

CHAPTER XIII. Mother and Son

CHAPTER XIV. The Lovers

CHAPTER XV. Charlecote

CHAPTER XVI. The Attack

CHAPTER XVII. The Capture

CHAPTER XVIII. A Revel at Clopton

CHAPTER XIX. The Plague at Stratford

CHAPTER XX. More Trouble at Clopton

CHAPTER XXI. Domestic Affliction

CHAPTER XXII. Bereavement

CHAPTER XXIII. The Vault

CHAPTER XXIV. The Village Fete Ann Hathaway

CHAPTER XXV. The Twelfth tide Revelry

CHAPTER XXVI. The Misled Wanderer

CHAPTER XXVII. The Suitor

CHAPTER XXVIII. Shottery Hall

CHAPTER XXIX. The Lovers

CHAPTER XXX. The Adventurers

CHAPTER XXXI. The Benedict

CHAPTER XXXII. The Hostel

CHAPTER XXXIII. The Deer Stealers

CHAPTER XXXIV. The Adventure

CHAPTER XXXV. More Matter for a May Morning

CHAPTER XXXVI. The Lampoon

CHAPTER XXXVII. The Garden

CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Flight to London

CHAPTER XXXIX. Old London

CHAPTER XL. The Poor Player

CHAPTER XLI. The Tavern Revel

CHAPTER XLII. More Strange than True

CHAPTER XLIII. England on the Defensive

CHAPTER XLIV. The Boar's Head, in East Cheap

CHAPTER XLV. The Camp at Tilbury

CHAPTER XLVI. The Invincible Armada

CHAPTER XLVII. The Player at Court

CHAPTER XLVIII. Sir Thomas Lucy in London

CHAPTER XLIX. The Theatre of the Blackfriars

CHAPTER L. The Scenic Hour

CHAPTER LI. The Tavern

CHAPTER LII. The Player in his Lodging

CHAPTER LIII. The Poet and his Patron

CHAPTER LIV. A Consultation

CHAPTER LV. Ill Weaved Ambition

CHAPTER LVI. The Associates

CHAPTER LVII. The Poet and his Friends

CHAPTER LVIII. Stratford and its Neighbourhood

CHAPTER LIX. Kenilworth

CHAPTER LX. The Return

CHAPTER LXI. The Discomfited Scrivener

CHAPTER LXII. Old Friends

CHAPTER LXIII. Which ends this strange eventful History

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AS HE LIVED,

STRATFORD UPON AVON, AND QUEEN ELIZABETH.

CHAPTER I.

A FOREST SCENE.