SHAKESPEARE'S HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 235, 6 October 1886, Page 4

SHAKESPEARE'S HOME.

Unpleasant Rovclatlms Suggested by tho Proposed Kcst.r_t.on.

A LETT-IK from the vicar of jStraifor lonAvon appears in at o hor column | mating fresh , übsnriptions for tho ropair ol tho church v. hero tho relics of Shake-pcare lio interred. His rovcrenco haa already obtained reirly £ 1,000, but seems to bo in need of moro to carry out ■Ahat is nccessaiy. Of courso nobody would bo backward in doing honour to Shaktspearo, but restorations aro not always judicious, and at any rato all porsons inclined to bo gonorous will abstain, wo hojio, from standing a word of the dreadful things which aro now boing (aid and written with regard to various sacred spots connected with Shakospoare's mortal existence. Just at tho moment of thi. domand upon public liberality it is deplorable to havo doubts staited as to whether tho Shakespeare mueeum contains a single genuine relic ; whether Anne Hathaway's cottage is not, after all, a simple fraud, and Mary Arden's farm a disreputably unhistoricai buildiDg Anno Hathaway's cottage is a placo which every Shakespeare-loving visitor to his native town makes a point of inspecting. It has beon good onough for all tho myriad tourists, of all nationalities that havo Hocked to sco it; yet recently a dark rumour has been going about seriously all-ding its bona fides as a genuine article. Mr Halliivell-Phillipps, tho Shakespearean critic, wo aro told, is of opinion that tho probabilities aro decidedly against tho so-called cottago over having contained the woman who, at the age of 27, married William Shakespeare when tho latter was only 19.

I Here is a pleasing illusion dissipated at once. Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes and the colonials who lately visited the spot can no longer, as they recall that lowly cot ne-t'ing atr.o g its trees and ogcend again in fancy the creaking wooden staircase, picture to themselves the May mornings when the Bard of AU Timo must havo gone tho samo round on a courting expedition, and probably sat under the oaves with his arm round his future bride Tho sighing tourist will whispor, What next 7 Well, the next surprise in store for him is tho disestablishment and disendowment of tho old farmhouse still shown as that in which the poet's mother, Mary Arden, lived. Its history is now said to be altogether inconsistent with the theory that any of the ancestors of the Shakepenre stock ever resided thore. In addition to the attack on the bard's wife, his mother, too, moots with this tragic fate. We are on tho high road to having proved that no such person as Mary Arden ever lived; that, in fact, Shakespeare was such a wonderful man that he never had a mother at all.

This about the cottage and farmhouse is distinctly bad news for those who some time ago spent their monoy on the " Shakespere fund," which went to purchasing for the good of tho nation all the spotß considered to bo traditionally connected with the life of tho master poot. It is also dreadfully bad news for the foreigners now in London, aid for tho party of modern pilgrims trom Great Britain who are booked to "do" thoir Stratford in the course of this month. Have they come to England only to find that Shakespeaie's fame is Dead-Soa fruit 't They have probably heard all about tho theory of the Shakespearian ploys, and have laughed heartily at the newly started notion imported from Amoiica t hat a signaling system exists in Shakespeore's works which reyeals to the student of hieroglyphics all that can ever happen to himself, or to Bacon, or to both. But will they care to go to the shrine of tbe great poet if a cloud of doubt surrounds some of its most cherished moan ments ?—" London Telegraph."

the charge. (2) That the promise was made to those inquired of that their charges would bo held with strict privacy. (3) His resignation was sent in ivhen informed by somo of tho members of tho committee, that thore waß no substantiation of any of the charges. and that action was taken on account of his natural feelings, and for tho good of tho schao'. (4) To draw the attention of the Board to tho fact that tho children alleged to havo mada chargos had continued to attend tho Echool without murmur. (0) Theso points I took down as dictated by him. His last words to mo when loaving, in confirmation of his oftrepeated declaration of complete innocence wore " Before God I am innocent in thought, word, and deed of any wrong action to any of these children." , Gurr was transferred to Onehunga from Christchurch about 15 months ago, and was former'y a teacher at Invercargill nnd Inspector ol Schools at Christchuroh. The family are grown up. Tho deceased weut out shortly after tea last night, and returned about 10 o'clock, and went to bed. This morning, when breakfast was taken ho was missing, but a letter was found on the tablo addressed to the Rev. Mr Mulgan, of St. Peter's Anglican Church. This declared Gurr's innocence, but stated that ho purposed doing something sorious. An employeo of tho Devonshire Dairy saw the rope as ho crossed tho bridge at 6 a.m. Mr Gillan, carpenter, also noticed tho rope, but thought boys wore underneath.

Mr Bright's Statement,

Mr Samuel Bright states that between 7 and S o'clock lastnighthe was calledupbnby Mr Wastney's, solicitor, to witness a deed, When he went in be was surprised to dis cover it was Mr Gurr's will. He questioned Mr Gurr, who said that in accordance with advice he would leave the place, but he could not take his family with him. He then signed the will atid returned home.

Mr Gurr retained Mr C. E. Button last week to defend him. He told a irieud When his wifo went South, that, having got rid ot her, ho would fight it out in tho Supremo Court.