part of my nature, and during my wanderings for the past three
hundred and twenty years I have never failed to carry in my train of
thought and action--sunshine, beauty, song, love and laughter--advance
agents to secure welcome in all hearts and homes throughout the world.

We were beautifully entertained by Mrs. Daisy Davenant at the Crown Tavern
in Oxford, and many of the college "boys," who heard of our arrival in the
city, hurried to pay their classic friendship to the "Divine" William.

We arrived in London on the 20th of September, and found that our old maid
landlady had died of the plague, but had kindly sent all our literary and
wardrobe effects to Florio, who was still alive and well at the Red Lion.

In a couple of days William was up to his head and ears in theatrical
composition and stage structure.

A few years before the Bard had "dashed off" a love tragedy entitled "Romeo
and Juliet," taken from an Italian novel of the thirteenth century, and a
translation of the old family feud in poetry, by Walter Brooke, who had but
recently delighted London with the story.

Shakspere never hesitated to take crude ore and rough ashler from any
quarry of thought; and out of the dull, leaden material of others, produced
characters in living form to walk the stage of life forever, teaching the
lesson of virtue triumphant over vice.

The exemplification of true love, as pictured in the pure affection of
Juliet and the intense, heroic devotion of Romeo, have never been equaled
or surpassed by any other dramatic characters.

The lordly and wealthy gentry of Italy have been noted for their family
feuds for the past three thousand years, and the party followers of these
blood-stained rivals have desolated many happy homes in Rome, Florence,
Milan, Naples, Venice and Verona.

Shakspere showed the finished play of "Romeo and Juliet" to Burbage, and
the old manager fairly jumped with joy and astonishment at the eloquence of
the love and ruin drama.

The families of Capulet and Montague of Verona, stuffed with foolish pride
about the matrimonial choice of their daughters and sons, can be found in
every city in the world where a tyrant father or purse-proud mother insist
on selecting life partners for their children.

The story of Romeo and Juliet shows the utter failure of such parental
folly.

The play was largely advertised among the lights of London and announced to
come off in all its glory at the Blackfriars on t