traditionally reported as enjoying himself in convivial entertainments with his histrionic friends. Yet, admitting it, intellectuality reigns in that lofty brow, and imagination must have revelled there. We contemplate again, and think of Ben Jonson's lines, a somewhat churlish contemporary, who spoke out what he thought, careless of giving offence.

"Triumph, my Britain! thou hast ONE to shew
To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe,
He was not of an age, but for all time."

That should have been his epitaph, and not the quaint rhymes we here see beneath the bust-but no matter, there they are and must be read. We need not describe the adjuncts to the figure, for they had better have not been there, and the engraved plate sufficiently pictures them. Beneath the cushion upon which the bard is represented as resting his hand, and as about to jot down some rising thought, is inscribed as This half-length effigy of Shakespeare was originally painted, as was at that period the usual practice, but it is now white. The colours are thus stated to have appeared at first-The eyes were a light hazel; the hair and beard auburn; the dress a scarlet doublet, slashed on the breast, over which was a loose black gown without sleeves. The upper part of the cushion was crimson, the lower green; the cord which bound it and the tassels gilt. John Ward, grandfather of the Kembles, had the tomb repainted and repaired in 1748, from the profits of his company's performance of Othello, in Stratford. It is perhaps a pity this was ever done, for innovation under the name of decoration having once commenced, Malone, in 1793, felt inclined to try his hand, and so obtained permission to paint the bust white, which probably he had never done, had it remained untainted and untouched. The committee when the recent repairs of the chancel were made, had a desire to restore the bust to its original colour, but from some apprehension the idea has been for the present postponed. The sculptor it appears was Gerard Johnson, a native of Holland, but it is unknown what his materials for the work really were, and it was not executed till some time after Shakespeare's death. Numerous have been the criticisms upon it-more spirited it might have been, but "take it for all in all," we would not do otherwise than rejoice that it is here, and believe that it is as characteristic an image of the great dramatist as it was possible to give. Mr. Fairholt thus states his opinion upon the subject:-"An intent study of this

F

bust enforces the belief, that all the manifold peculiarities of feature so characteristic of the poet, and which no chance could have originated, and no theory account for, must have resulted from its being the transcript of the man; one that has received the confirmation of his own living relatives and friends, the best and only portrait to be now relied on." It looks calmly down upon us, and the hand is about to write-could we but see the written sentence-but it is only semblance, nor letter nor writing of the bard, save his signature, remains of all he ever penned-we must turn to the printed pages of his works, there to wonder and meditate. "WE NE'ER CAN LOOK UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN."

Immediately beneath the monument, receding from the wall, are the gravestones of Shakespeare, his wife, and family, in front of the altar rails, upon the second step leading to it. The first stone is that of Anne (Hathaway) Shakespeare, which has a small brass plate let into it, with this inscription

HEERE LYETH INTERRED THE BODYE OF ANNE, WIFE OF MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. WHO DEPTED THIS LIFE THE 6 DAY OF AVGVST, 1623. BEING OF THE AGE OF 67 YEARES.

Vbera, tu mater, tu lac vitamq. dedisti,

Væ mihi; pro tanto munere Saxa dabo!
Quam mallem, amoueat lapidem, bonus Angel' ore'
Exeat ut Christi corpus, imago tua;

Sed nil vota valent, venias cito Christe, resurget,
Clausa licet tumulo mater, et astra petet.

This epitaph expresses the affection of her daughter Susanna, with whom it is believed that she resided at the time of her death.

HEERE LYE

WIFE TO JO

TER OF WIL

SHEE DECE.

1649, AGED 6

Witty above h

Wise to Salvat

Something of

Wholy of him

Then, Passe

To weepe

That wept,

Them up

Her love sh

When thou 1