[Illustration]
In the garden attached to New Place, flourished a mulberry-tree, which
Shakspeare had planted with his own hands; and in 1742, when Garrick and
Macklin visited Stratford, they were regaled beneath its venerable
branches by Sir Hugh Clopton, who, instead of pulling down New Place
according to Malone's assertion, repaired it, and did every thing in his
power for its preservation. The Rev. Francis Gastrell purchased the
building from Sir Hugh Clopton's heir, and being disgusted with the
trouble of showing the mulberry-tree to so many visitors, he caused this
interesting and beautiful memorial of Shakspeare to be cut down, to the
great mortification of his neighbours, who were so enraged at his
conduct, that they soon rendered the place, out of revenge, too
disagreeable for him to remain in it. He therefore was obliged to quit
it; and the tree, being purchased by a carpenter, was retailed and cut
out in various relics.
The catalogue of the property of the late David Garrick, Esq. sold on
the 5th of May, 1825, describes the cup as follows:--"Lot 170. The
original cup carved from Shakspeare's mulberry-tree, which was presented
to David Garrick by the Mayor and Corporation at the time of the Jubilee
at Stratford-on-Avon, lined with silver gilt, with a cover, surmounted
by a bunch of mulberry leaves and fruit, also of silver gilt."
This relic acquires additional value from the circumstance of its never
having changed possessors from the time it was presented to Garrick in
September, 1769, to 1825, a period of nearly three score years, and
during the greater part of which time it has been virtually locked up
from public view. The tree was cut down about the year 1756, and could
not have been less than 140 years old. It is said the mulberry was first
planted in England about 1609. It is not a little singular, that at the
time Garrick received this relic of the immortal bard, he resided in
Southampton-street, as appears by his letter to the Mayor and
Corporation of Stratford, returning thanks for having elected him a
burgess of Stratford-on-Avon; and the residence of its second possessor,
Mr. J. Johnson, (who bought it for 127l. 1s.,) after a lapse of nearly
sixty years, is in the same street.
The cup itself is of a very chaste and handsome form; plain, but in good
taste, and the wood prettily marked. The mulberry cup has also been
recorded in the celebrated ballad, beginning, "Behold this fair goblet,"
&c. sung by Garrick at the Jubilee, holding the cup in his hand.