Monument of William Clopton, Esq.—of the Earl of Totness.

Chancel is considered as the most beautiful part of this Church. It is large and lofty; lighted by five uniform noble Gothic windows, on each side, and by another at the east end; and adorned by some niches, exquisitely finished, and other Gothic ornaments. Here lies SHAKESPEARE!

rous.

THE monuments, within this Church, are numeSome of the most remarkable are three of the Clopton Family; which occupy a small Chapel, in the north eastern corner of the nave. The first is an altar tomb, without any inscription: supposed to be the cenotaph of SIR HUGH CLOPTON, Lord Mayor of London, in the reign of HENRY VII. and the early benefactor of this town. The second is the tomb of WILLIAM CLOPTON, Esq. and his consort ANNE, who died in the reign of ELIZABETH; whose effigies, of white marble, are placed in a recumbent posture, on the slab. The male figure is in armour; the head reclining on a helmet; the sword and gauntlet lying by his side; and a lion couchant at his feet. Above, are several small figures representing the children of the deceased; and the front, sides, and back, of the tomb are adorned with their armorial bearings. The third is the splendid monument of GEORGE Carew, Earl of Totness, and Baron of Clopton, and of JoICE, his Countess, daughter of WILLIAM CLOPTON, Esq. Their figures, in alabaster, are placed under a lofty arch, highly ornamented; supported by Corinthian pillars, surmounted by a grand achievement and two pyramidical ornaments. The Earl is represented in armour, with the mantle of estate thrown over it; a coronet on his head; and a lion couchant at his feet. Figures of angels and cherubims, pieces of armour and warlike accoutrements, form the profuse ornaments of this gaudy rather than elegant mo

Monument of Dean Balsall-of Mr. Combe-of Mr. Kendall.

nument. The Earl of Totness was distinguished, as a military officer, in the reign of QUEEN ELIZABETH; first, in the splendid affair of Cadiz, under the Earl of Essex; and, afterwards, as Commander in Ireland, against the rebels. He was Master of the Ordnance to ELIZABETH and her two successors, and obtained other high honors.

In the Chancel, besides the monument of SHAKESPEARE, are several worthy of notice. Under the north wall, is a very ancient altar tomb, formed of alabaster, on which are represented some Scripture pieces, now much defaced. There is no inscription; but it is supposed, both by LELAND and DUGDALE, to be the tomb of DEAN BALSALL, the founder of the chancel, who died in 1491. Near the east end, is the monument of John Combe, Esq.* whose effigy, dressed in a long gown, with a book in his hand, is placed in a recumbent posture, under an ornamented arch, supported by Corinthian pillars. He died 1614. Against the east wall is, also, an elegant monument, by RYSBRACK, consecrated to the memory of JAMES KENDALL, Esq. of Stratford, who died 1751. It consists of a marble tablet, adorned with a bust of the deceased; a profile of his lady, on a medallion; and two well-executed figures, one resting on the medallion, the other holding a serpent entwined.

BESIDES this handsome Church, at a small distance from it, is the Chapel, anciently belonging to the Guild of

Chapel-Guildhall—-Grammar School-Alms Houses-Market-House.

the Holy Cross, which was dissolved at the period of the Reformation. It is a fine old structure, originally founded in 1443 but a great part was rebuilt in the Gothic style, in the reign of HENRY VII. by SIR HUGH CLOPTON ; to whose memory, a monument has been since erected within it. In 1804, when this chapel was repairing, some curious fresco paintings* were accidentally discovered, on the interior face of the walls, concealed under coatings of whitewash. Those in the chancel, eleven in number, represented various passages in the Legend of the Holy Cross ; which, being in plaster, were, in the reparation, unavoidably destroyed. But those in the body of the church, painted on the stone, are preserved. They are representations of The Resurrection-The Day of Judgment—The Combat of St. George-and The Murder of Becket.

NEAR this Chapel, is the Guildhall, anciently belonging to the same religious fraternity, supposed to have been erected in the 13th century. In the lower apartments, the public business of the corporation is now transacted; and, in those above, is the Free Grammar School, founded in the reign of HENRY VI. by a native of Stratford, named JOLEPE. Contiguous to the Guildhall, is a long range of Alms Houses, into which twelve poor men and twelve poor women are admitted; who receive a small weekly allowance of money, besides clothing. The Market House, called the Cross, is an ancient, and the Town Hall, a modern and handsome building. The great room, sixty feet in length and thirty in width, is adorned by a portrait of JOHN FREDERIC, Duke of Dorset,

Portrait of Gerrick—Notice of John, Robert, and Ralph de Stratford.

presented by the DUTCHESS; another of SHAKESPEARE, painted by WILSON; and a third of GARRICK, by GAINSBOROUGH. In the last, the great Actor appears, leaning on a pedestal, and pointing to the bust of the mighty master of the Drama, whose scenes he so truly and powerfully depicted. It is a fine painting; but the costume is considered as very inappropriate.

STRATFORD had the honor of giving birth to three dignitaries of the church, all of the same family, and who all flourished in the reign of EDWARD III. These were JOHN, ROBERT, and RALPH DE STRATFORD. The first was Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England; the second, his younger brother, was Bishop of Chichester, and also Lord Chancellor; and the third was the nephew of the two former, and was consecrated Bishop of London in 1539. A chantry, for five priests, was founded by the first of these distinguished prelates; and a house, called the College, for their residence, was built by the last; which was taken down only about sixteen years ago.

BUT the great name, which gives its proud and pre-eminent distinction to Stratford, is yet to be more distinctly noticed; and the writer feels his pen move with almost awful reverence, as he approaches it. He need not say-it is SHAKESPEARE the first poetical genius of the world-whose connection with this favoured town, it is. now his duty to trace. They, whom the enthusiasm of admiration, in any degree, touches, which the rare productions of that mighty genius so powerfully awaken— who hasten hither, as to a sacred spot, with the devotion of an ancient pilgrim, to the shrine of his saint-whom the thought pleases or enraptures of treading the same

Birth-place of Shakespeare-Place of his early Education.

ground, which he trod ;* and of beholding the scenes, from which his mind took its earliest impressions-will naturally begin their inquiries with eagerly asking where Shakespeare was born? The answer they receive will conduct them to a lowly mansion, still subsisting much as it then was, situated in a small street, called HenleyStreet. Till the year 1806, it appears, that these premises were occupied by the family of HARTE, the seventh in descent from JONE, the sister of SHAKESPEARE, to whom they were bequeathed, by his will. At that time, they were sold; and, instead of a single habitation, as formerly, they are now divided into two. One part has been new-fronted with brick; but the other part still retains its old front of timber plastered. The rooms are of scanty of scanty dimensions and, now at least, of dreary appearance. Yet, in one of these rooms, April 23, 1564, the immortal Bard of England drew his first breath!

;

His father, JOHN SHAKESPEARE, was a respectable woolstapler, who enjoyed a small hereditary estate : his mother's name was ANNE ARDEN. They had ten children. Of these, WILLIAM, the Poet, was the eldest; and for his education, as the best, which they could afford, with so large a family, he was sent to the Free Grammar School, in this town. This building still remains, much in its ancient form; and hither the curious enquirer will naturally follow him. It is situated over the Guildhall; and, here, in a large unfurnished chamber, it is said, was formerly the school. In that room, therefore, most probably, did SHAKESPEARE receive his early instruction: which in

Movemur enim nescio quo pacto locis ipsis, in quibus eorum quos diligimus aut admiramuradsunt vestigia.-Crc.