XII. THE POET'S DOMESTIC LIFE 64

XIII. STRATFORD AS IT WAS 72

XIV. THE CLOSE OF LIFE 81

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE ELY PORTRAIT AT SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE _Frontispiece_

THE HOME OF JOHN SHAKESPEARE, SNITTERFIELD _Facing p._ 4

ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE--INTERIOR " 12

MARY ARDEN'S COTTAGE " 16

THE EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON " 20

ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE " 24

GUILD CHAPEL AND SCHOOL " 28

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH AND THE AVON, STRATFORD " 32

BEN JONSON " 36

CHARLECOTE HALL " 40

INTERIOR OF ST. SAVIOUR'S AT SOUTHWARK " 44

THE FIRST GLOBE THEATRE " 48

MICHAEL DRAYTON " 52

THE MERMAID INN " 64

SHAKESPEARE'S HOUSE, STRATFORD-ON-AVON " 72

SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL THEATRE, STRATFORD-ON-AVON " 80

PREFACE

In telling the story of Shakespeare's life and work within strict limits
of space, an attempt has been made to keep closely to essential matters.
There is no period of the poet's life, there is no branch of his
marvellous work, that has not been the subject of long and learned
volumes, no single play that has not been discussed at greater length
than serves here to cover the chief incidents of work and life together.
If the Homes and Haunts do not claim the greater part of the following
pages, it is because nobody knows where to find them to-day. Stratford
derives much of its patronage from unsupported traditions, the face of
London has changed, and though we owe to the painstaking researches of
Dr. Chas. Wm. Wallace the very recent discovery that the poet lodged
with a wig-maker named Mountjoy at the corner of Silver and Monkwell
Streets in the City of London, much labour must be accomplished before
we shall be able to follow his wanderings between the time of his
arrival in and departure from the me