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ing at bowls, belongeth to that house?" inquired the young poet, very earnestly.

"Out of all doubt, he doth," replied the player. "He is the serving man of my Lady Arabella Comfit."

"The house hath an ancient look with it, and lieth hid amoug trees somewhat to the left of this?" observed his youthful friend; and at hearing this, Sir Valentine listened with a very singular curiousness.

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Ay, that is the place," said Master Burbage, a little impatiently. "Now, we have been ordered to get ourselves perfect in a new play by the next day after tomorrow at noon, to play before this noble lady and her friends, at her own house; and as we are all intent upon studying our parts, a certain boy of our company who playeth principal woman, hath the ill hap to be taken with a desperate illness; and we know not what to do on account of it, for we cannot play without him; and it is impossible for him to assist us in any manner, he is in so bad a state."

William Shakspeare mused on their intelligence for some minutes, then asked sundry questions concerning the part the sick boy was to have played, which Master Burbage showed him by the book he had in his hand; and afterwards, both to the surprise of Sir Valentine and the other, offered, on condition Master Burbage should pass off himself and his companion as of his company, he would himself diligently essay the playing the part the sick boy ought to have played. Drowning men catch at straws; and just so eagerly did Master Burbage avail himself of this offer-promised what was required, and, moreover, offered to give the volunteer such instructions in the playing of the part as might be necessary for him to know. Upon the first opportunity, William Shaks, peare told Sir Valentine his reasons for having done as he had; with the which the latter was so greatly satisfied, that he became a player on the sudden, with as much willingness as he would have entered a battle field,

CHAPTER VI.

Come, I'll be out of this ague,

For to live thus is not indeed to live;

It is a mockery and abuse of life;

I will not henceforth save myself by halves;
Loose all or nothing.

WEBSTER.

Paul. Thou shall not go in liberty to thy grave,
For one night a sultana is my slave.

Mustapha. A terrible little tyranness.

MASSINGER.

But though this mayden tendre were of age,
Yet in the brest of hire virginitee

There was enclosed sad and ripe corage.

CHAUCER.

Then, my good girls, be more than woman, wise;
At least be more than I was; and be sure
You credit anything the light gives light to,
Before a man. Rather believe the sea

Weeps for the ruined merchant when he roars;
Rather the wind courts but the pregnant sails,
When the strong cordage cracks; rather the sun
Comes but to kiss the fruit in wealthy autumn
When all falls blasted.

BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.

MASTER BURBAGE was delighted at a rehearsal at finding not only how well his young friend became his petticoats, but how truly and gracefully he enacted the dif ferent scenes in which he was to play. Certes William Shakspeare was not a player for the first time, as witness his early playing of Gammer Gurton's Needle, and divers other interludes with his schoolfellows Green, Burbage, Hemings, Condell; but he felt there was a monstrous difference betwixt doing of such things in the manner of school-boys, for their own amusement only, and attempting it in the fashion of real players for the entertainment of a gallant company. But by the aid of Master Burbage he got over much of the difficulty.

The play appeared cunningly writ with no other end

At

than to lead to the undoing of the gentle Mabel. least so thought Sir Valentine and his youthful friend; and it was agreed between them the young knight should play one of the minor characters in the which there was little to say or do, but excellent opportunity of Sir Valentine's noting' who were of the company, and if such persons as they expected should be among them, it af forded a mean for her recognizing him, and so knowing friends were near. This was done in case she should not know again the features of William Shakspeare, as he thought it possible she might not. There was another incident in the plot, but this the young player kept to himself.

The time arrived, and the players were ready. Master Burbage was encouraging his youthful companion with great store of praise, who, dressed in feminine apparel, was to personate a young country girl. In the first scene a noble lover appears, acquainting his confidant how he had seen such perfection in womanhood, as he must sigh his heart away for, was he not allowed her sweet society to ease his pain, whereupon in pity of his lord's dolorous moan, the other is made to offer to carry her off of the instant, to the which, seeing no other way. of having her, the passionate lover gives his reluctant consent. Then followed an attempt to carry off the damsel, with her rescue by the interference of her friends. Here the young player came upon the stage, which was one end of a large chamber, the players coming in by a door at each side. At the other end be observed four persons sitting, but to his amazement they were all masked, as persons of quality often were. The first near him was a lady of a most graceful figure, dressed in as great magnificence as he had seen Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth. The next was a gallant, in apparel equally gorgeous, who occasionally turned from the lady to speak to another gallant less nobly clad, sitting on the other side of him, and beyond him was another lady very richly garmented, but in no comparison with the first.

Whether the lady so bountifully attired was the fair

creature of whom they were in search he had no means of knowing, for she gave no sign of recognition at his appearance. When Sir Valentine came on the stage she started somewhat, and asked some questions of her companion, and appeared to take greater interest in the play. Then was enacted her being carried off from her home, to the house of a kinswoman to the noble gallants confidante. Here the country maid was seen clothed in the richest stuffs and jewels, and paid all manner of honorable attentions. At the sight of Sir Valentine, again the youthful lady gazed on him with more earnestness than she did before, and her interest in the play evidently grew deeper and deeper. After this the princely lover entered, and with the fondest rhetoric implored the love of the seeming Mabel, till he so moved her, as it appeared, she was content to promise him all manner of happiness, to his infinite contentation. To end all, there was to be a soliloquy to be spoken by the heroine, in which she was to applaud herself to the echo for her generousness in behalf of a gentleman who had shown towards her such extreme honor, and vow to be his true love, and his alone ever after, till death should put asunder their mutual loving hearts.

This the players considered the difficultest passage of the whole, to be done with proper effect. As yet their new companion had conducted himself beyond their expectations; but this long soliloquy was a difficult part for the ablest; and fears were entertained he might lose himself in it, and so break down. To prevent this as much as possible, Master Burbage stationed himself at one of the open doors, so as not to be in sight of the audience, to prompt him in case he was at a loss. There was the fictitious Mabel, in all the splendor of her supposed greatness, and there stood the anxious prompter with book in hand, hoping with all his might the play would end as well as it had proceeded. The prompter gave the cue, but to his extreme astonishment the young player spoke words clean different. The prompter in an agony of dread that all would be marred, gave out the cue again somewhat louder, but still the young player

proceeded with a speech as opposite to that he ought to have said as two different things could be. Horror struck, the poor player cast down his book, and began pulling of his hair, kicking the ground, and muttering imprecations against the author of his ruin, as he imagined the youthful Shakspeare to be, that all the players came marvelling to see what had produced such strange effects.

But if Master Burbage was so moved, not less so was the lady nighest to the stage. Her three companions were engaged in earnest converse, without paying the slightest attention to what was passing elsewhere. The intentness of the three to the subject of their converse, did not escape the notice of the young player; and though he suspected the fair deity of his dreams was the lady who paid such unceasing attention to the play, he essayed to have some certain knowledge of it by a device of his own. Therefore instead of speaking the proper soliloquy, he spoke the following passage, which he had written to say in its place, if circumstances served:

"Now with my heart let me hold conference.

This lord, he speaks me fair, he clothes me fine,
He entertains me honorably and well;

But how know I his purport in all this?

Is it in honesty, is it in respect?

Doth it mean well or ill, or good or bad?

His words are cups that brim all o'er with love,
But is there sign of wedding in this cheer?
Perchance the love he proffers comes to me
In some polluted vessel, that hath been
Lipped by dishonored maids in wantonness,
Or drained by thoughtless women in their shame?
These gaudy trappings, are they meant to be
The tire of marriage sent by honest love,
Or the more taudry livery of guilt?
And all this splendor, all this bounteous state,
This worship, travail, reverence, and respect-
'Tis prodigal, 'tis admirable, 'tis rare,

Most choice, most noble, delicate, and sweet-
But doth it cover any meaner thing?

A thing so base, so vile, so infamous,

It doth require to be thus thickly gilt

To make the metal take a sterling shape?
I'll think of this."

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