THE YOUTHFUL SHAKESPEARE.
About a couple of hours after the above conversation between the two
rangers, the subject of it might have been seen lying along, "like a
dropt acorn," book in hand, under cover of the thick belt of plantation
skirting the grounds of Clopton Hall. Occasionally, his gaze would turn
upon the huge twisted chimneys and casements of the building, just now
beginning to show symptoms of life. The thin blue smoke mounted into the
clear air, and the diamond panes of the windows glittered in the morning
sun. At this period the sports of the field formed the almost daily
avocation of the country gentlemen in England. Men rose with the sun,
and with hawk and hound and steed commenced the day at once. Scarce was
the substantial breakfast thought of till it had been earned in the free
air, amidst the woods and glades. Accordingly, as our student lay perdue
in the covert, he beheld the falconer of the household of Clopton with
the ready hawk, the grooms with the caparisoned steeds, the coupled
hounds, and all the paraphernalia of the field.
The family of the Cloptons were not altogether unknown to the youth, and
the hall being only a mile from the town, Sir Hugh was a sort of patron
of Stratford, and in constant intercourse with the inhabitants.
As his party had oft-times ridden through the streets, our hero had
scarce failed to remark amongst the cavalcade a beautiful female of some
seventeen years of age. This fair vision, who with hawk on hand, looked
some nymph or goddess of the chase, was, indeed, the only daughter of
Sir Hugh Clopton.
To one of the ardent and poetic soul of our young friend, the mere
passing glance of so exquisite a creature as Charlotte Clopton had
suggested more than one sonnet descriptive of her beauty. Yes, the
glance of the lowly poet from beneath the pent-house which constituted
the shop of his father, had called forth verses which, even at this
early period of his life, surpassed all that ever had been penned; and
Charlotte Clopton first caused him to write a stanza in praise of
beauty. At this early period of his life, too, his fine mind teemed with
the germs of those thoughts which, in afterdays, brought forth so many
lovely flowers. The impression of his own passionate feelings in youth
furnished him with the ideas from which to pourtray the exquisitely
tender scenes of his after-life.
To a youth of spirit, the sight of preparation for the sports of the
field was full of excitement. Most men love the chase, but mostly those
of a bold determined courage.
Participation in the sports of people of condition was, however, denied
to the lad, as his condition in life barred him from aught beside the
sight of others so engaged. His capacious mind conceived, however, at a
glance, all the mysteries of wood-craft, and his truant disposition
leading him to become a frequent trespasser, the haunts and habits of
the wild denizens of the woods were familiar to him.
If, therefore, he was debarred from following the chase himself, he
loved to see the hunt sweep by--
"When the skies, the fountains, every region near,
Seemed all one mutual cry."
In addition to this, there was an insatiable craving after information
of every kind. He had been educated at the Free School of his native
town, and had far outstripped all competitors in such lore as the
academy afforded, and he now perused every book he could procure, making
himself master of the subjects they treated of with wonderful facility.
He was drinking in knowledge (if we may so term it) wherever it could be
reached; whilst, in his truant hours, no shrub, no herb, no plant in
nature escaped his piercing ken.
His exquisite imagination, unfettered and free as the air he breathed in
the lovely scenery of his native country, created worlds of fancy, and
peopled them with beings which only himself could have conceived. In the
solitude of the deep woods he loved to dream away the hours.
"On hill or dale, forest or mead,
By paved fountain, or by rushy brook,"
it was his wont to imagine the elfin crew, as they "danced their
ringlets to the whistling wind."
It was observed, too, amongst his youthful associates, that he seemed to
know things by intuition. Those who were brought up to the different
mechanical trades in the town or neighbourhood found in him a master of
the craft at which they had worked. "Whence comes this knowledge," they
inquired of each other, "and where hath he found time to pick it up?"
"Body o' me," his father would oft-times say, "but where hath our
William learnt all this lore? Thus worded too! Master Cramboy, of the
Free School, albeit he comes here continually to supper, and uses
monstrous learned words in his discourse, never tells us of such things
as this lad discourses to us." Neither was all this superfluous
knowledge, "ill inhabited like Jove in a thatched house." He was already
a poet, turned things to shape, and gave to airy nothing
"A local habitation and a name."