We venture to surmise a meeting of Garrick and his friends at the Castle. Orlebar to a friend, dated April 22, 1742: “ Last Monday I saw a monument to Shakespeare made with many hundred of flower buds and grapes, opposite the Sign of the Castle in Fleet Street.” Apropos of what? In that month of April, Garrick, who had hardly been upon the stage more than a year, was playing Lear to the astonishment of the town. In Richard Orlebar’s collection at Hinwick House, in a quarto volume of letters, there is one from Mrs. There is a bond, dated November 27, 1606, of Thomas Shakespearc of Lutterworth, County Leicester, to James Whiteloeke, for 26s. 4, 97.” In another paper we read that John Weale of Hatters bad given, granted, and assigned to Job Throckmorton of Huseley, in the county of Warwick, all his right, etc., in a certain cottage or tenement, with the appurtenances in Huseley aforesaid, wherein one William Shakespeare now dwelleth and the date of this is 1697. In a large wooden ease containing many hundreds of ancient deeds relating to Warwickshire property, there was found a paper indorsed “John Weale’s note of the grant to me of Shakespeare’s house by Goodwifc Sharpe.” The date stands thus incomplete, " Mar. Whatever Theobald did to make Pope touchy, it is certain that some of his readings, like that famous one, " babbled of green fields, throw clear lights on Shakespeare’s text. And on November 14, 1731, Pope writes to old Tonson: “ I am almost ready to be angry with your nephew for being the publisher of Theobald’s Shakespeare, who, according to the laudable custom of commentators, first served himself of my pains, and then abused me for ’em.” This Tonson was the famous publisher and founder of the Kit-Cat Club. Pope hopes that in Theobald’s proposed edition of Shakespeare the editor will not publish any impertinent remarks on him. In the second report there is a letter of Pope to Jacob Tonson, Jr., written in 1731. Here are a few specimens, taken at random during a careful search for new traces of Shakespeare. The material thus brought to light depends for its value upon the specialty of the reader: the historian, lawyer, antiquarian, man of science and of letters, will find his separate satisfaction but it is safe to say that the whole matter is surprisingly attractive. Since that time the reports have annually increased in bulk. The first report of its labors was published in 1870. Since that time many more, observing the interesting success of this commission, must have responded. One hundred and eighty prominent men, earls, lords, and commoners, replied and gave cordial permission. They were asked for coöperation and for permission to search their collections. This board began its labors by issuing numerous invitations to persons in the kingdom who would be most likely to subserve the plan. Her majesty’s commission appointed a board of commissioners to inquire where papers and manuscripts, deeds and other instruments, are deposited, to visit those places, the muniment rooms in old castles and manors, the town-halls, libraries, etc., and to make abstracts and catalogues of the more important material that might be found. I DOUBT if it is generally known that a Historical Manuscript Commission in England was organized by act of Parliament in 1869.
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