SHAKSPERE
Personal Recollections
BY
COLONEL JOHN A. JOYCE
Author of "Checkered Life," "Peculiar Poems," "Zig-Zag," "Jewels ofMemory,"
"Complete Poems," "Oliver Goldsmith," "Edgar Allan Poe,"
"Brick-bats and Bouquets," "Beautiful
Washington," "Songs," etc.
Shall keep thy name and fame and thought sublime,
And o'er the rolling world from age to age
Thy characters shall thrill the mimic stage!
—Joyce.
PUBLISHED BY BROADWAY
PUBLISHING COMPANY
835 BROADWAY, NEW YORK
Copyrighted, in 1904.
BY
COLONEL JOHN A. JOYCE
All Rights Reserved.[iii]
DEDICATION.
I dedicate this book to the reader who has energy enough to borrow it,bullion enough to buy it, and brains enough to understand its philosophy,with the fervent hope that posterity may reap, thresh and consume thegolden grain of my literary harvest.
J. A. J.
PREFACE.[iv]
It would be a flagrant presumption and a specimen of magnificent audacityfor any man, but myself, to attempt, to give anything new about thepersonal and literary character of William Shakspere!
I speak of William as I knew him, child, boy and man, from a spiritualstandpoint, living with him in soul-lit love for three hundred and fortyyears!
Those who doubt my dates, facts and veracity are to be pitied, and havelittle appreciation of romantic poetry, comedy, tragedy and history!
It is well known among my intimate friends, that I sprang from the race ofStrulbugs, who live forever, originating on the island of Immortality, onthe coast of Japan—more than a million years ago.
I do not give the name of the play, act or scene, in head or foot lines, inmy numerous quotations from Shakspere, designedly leaving the reader to[v]trace and find for himself a liberal education by studying the wisdom ofthe Divine Bard.
There are many things in this volume that the ordinary mind will notunderstand, yet I only contract with the present and future generations togive rare and rich food for thought, and cannot undertake to furnish thereader brains with each book!
J. A. J.