It is a cheering and inspiriting tune - the réveillée-awakening like the singing" of the lark, or the "lively din" of the cock. Sounds like these were heard, half a century after the youth of Shakspere, by the student whose poetry scarcely descended to the common things which surrounded him; for it was not the outgushing of the heart over all life and nature; it was the reflection of his own individuality, and the echo of books-beautiful indeed, but not all-comprehensive

"Oft list'ning how the hounds and horn
Cheerly arouse the slumb'ring morn,
From the side of some hoar hill,

Through the high wood echoing shrill." +

To the wood leads the chief huntsman.

He has tracked the hart or doe to the

covert on the previous night; and now the game is to be roused by man and dog. Some of the company may sing the fine old song, as old as the time of Henry VIII. :

"Blow thy horn, hunter,

Blow thy horn on high.

In yonder wood there lieth a doe:

In faith she woll not die.

Then blow thy horn, hunter,

Then blow thy horn, hunter,
Then blow thy horn, jolly hunter."

The hart is roused. The hounds have burst out in "musical confusion." Soho is cried. The greyhounds are unleashed. And now rush horsemen and footmen over hill-through dingle. A mile or two of sharp running, and he is again in cover. Again the keepers beat the thicket with their staves. He is again in the open field, crossing Ingon Hill. And so it is long before the treblemort is sounded; and the great mystery of "wood-craft," the anatomy of the venison, is gone through with the nicest art, even to the cutting off a bone for the raven.§

It is in his first poem-" the first heir of my invention "-that the sportsman is most clearly to be identified with the youthful Shakspere. Who ever painted a hare-hunt with such united spirit and exactness ? We see the cranks, and crosses, and doubles, of the poor wretch; the cunning with which he causes the

• Douce, 'Illustrations of Shakspeare,' vol. ii. p. 192.

† Milton, 'L'Allegro.'

The MS. of this fine song is in the British Museum. It has been published by Mr. Chappell. § Ben Jonson's 'Sad Shepherd,' Act I., Scene VI.

hounds to mistake the smell; the listening upon a hill for his pursuers; the turning and returning of poor Wat. Who ever described a horse with such a complete mastery of all the points of excellence? In his plays, all the niceties of falconry are touched upon; and the varieties of hawk-" haggard," "tasselgentle," "eyas musket,"-spoken of with a master's knowledge. Hawking was the universal passion of his age, especially for the wealthy. Coursing was for the yeomen-such as Master Page. The love of all field-sports lasted half a century longer; and some of Shakspere's great dramatic successors have put out all their strength in their description. There are few things more spirited than the following passage from Massinger :

For we will have variety of delights,

We'll to the field again; no game shall rise

But we'll be ready for't: if a hare, my greyhounds
Shall make a course; for the pie or jay, a sparhawk
This from the fist; the crow so near pursued,
Shall be compell'd to seek protection under
Our horses' bellies; a hearn put from her siege,
And a pistol shot off in her breech, shall mount
So high, that, to your view, she'll seem to soar
Above the middle region of the air:

A cast of haggard falcons, by me mann'd,
Eying the prey at first, appear as if

They did turn tail; but with their labouring wings
Getting above her, with a thought their pinions
Cleaving the purer element, make in,

And by turns bind with her; the frighted fowl,
Lying at her defence upon her back,

With her dreadful beak awhile defers her death,
But by degrees forced down, we part the fray,
And feast upon her.

Cald. This cannot be, I grant,

But pretty pastime.

'Tis royal sport. Then, for an evening flight,
A tiercel gentle, which I call, my masters,
As he were sent a messenger to the moon,

In such a place flies, as he seems to say,
See me, or see me not! the partridge sprung,
He makes his stoop; but, wanting breath, is forced

To cancelier; then with such speed, as if

He carried lightning in his wings, he strikes
The tumbling bird, who even in death appears
Proud to be made his quarry." *

The passage in which Massinger thus describes what had been presented to his observation is one of the many examples of the rare power which the dramatists of Shakspere's age possessed, -the power of seeing nature with their own eyes. But we may almost venture to say that this power scarcely existed in dramatic poetry before Shakspere taught his contemporary poets that there was something better in art than the conventional images of books-the shadows of shadows. The wonderful superiority of Shakspere over all others, in stamping the minutest objects of creation, as well as the highest mysteries of the soul of man, with the impress of truth, must have been derived, in some degree, from his education, working with his genius. All his early experience must have been his education; and we therefore are not attempting mere fan

* The Guardian, Act I., Scene 1. The speakers are Durazza and Caldoro.

ciful combinations of the individual with the circumstances of his social position, when we surround him with the scenes which belong to his locality, his time, and his condition of life.

NOTE ON THE SHAKSPERIAN LOCALITIES.

We have endeavoured to render the local descriptions and allusions in this chapter, and in preceding passages, more intelligible, by subjoining a map of the neighbourhood of Stratford. In this neighbourhood there is little of that scenery which we call romantic; but the surpassing fertility, the undulating surfaces, the rich woodlands, the placid river, and the numerous and beautiful old churches, render it an interesting country to walk over, independent of its associations. Those associations impart to this neighbourhood an unequalled charm; and the outline map here given may probably assist the lover of Shakspere in a ramble through his

"Daily walks, and ancient neighbourhood."

The very beautiful sketches of Mr. Harvey, of which we can attest the fidelity, as far as regards their local accuracy, may also lend an interest to such a visit. The map has been constructed with reference to the insertion of places only which are either named in Shakspere's works, or with which he or his family were connected, or which have appeared to us demanding mention or allusion in his biography. The map is, of course, a map for the present day, but there are very few names inserted which are not found in Dugdale's Map of the hundreds which contain this neighbourhood. Many, of course, are omitted which are there found.