years ago, when our drawing was made, a butcher's shop. The window over it belongs to the room in which Shakespeare was born, and which is designated by his initial S. The southern half of the house is now a respectable public-house, bearing the sign of the Swan and Maidenhead; and where many a bumper has been drank with sincere devotion to the memory of its immortal occupant. The father of Shakespeare was a respectable dealer in wool, and a member of the corporation; but it is said that he was unfortunate in business, and afterwards became a butcher.

After the death of Shakespeare's grand-daughter, Lady Barnard, his houses at Stratford-on-Avon reverted to the descendants of Shakespeare's sister Joan, as heirs at law, and continued in their possession during several generations. About twenty-five years ago, Mrs. Harte, one of those descendants, sold them to the occupier of the Swan. and Maidenhead, for 2301.; they having been previously so deeply mortgaged, that Mrs. Harte had only 30l. to receive.

The house and room in which Shakespeare was born, now occupied by Mrs. Hornby, are visited annually by upwards of a thousand respectable persons, who come to pay their devotions at the shrine of their favourite bard. A few years since, the conductors of the public library at Stratford confided to Mrs. Hornby a blank folio, for the purpose of receiving the signatures of visitors; and it has already received those of British and Foreign Princes, the Duke of Wellington, nearly the whole of the British Peerage, and a variety of persons distinguished by their rank and talents. Some of these signatures are accompanied by original verses, suggested by the scene, and possessing, as may be supposed, various degrees of merit. Most of them, however, are well described in the following lines, which some person has inscribed among the rest :

:

The following is one of the best o these inscriptions: "Here gentle Shakespeare, Nature's sweetest child,

First warbled forth his native wood. notes wild;

Beneath this humble roof he first drew breath,

Inclosed within this space he lies in death.

A pleasing fancy still attaches to the
place,

A sacred awe-a reverential grace;
A pleasing consciousness, a fond desire,
That almost listens to the poet's lyre,
With searching eye looks round, in
hope to find

Some sacred relic of the poet's mind.
Vainly it strives the vision to prolong,
Mute is the eye, and silent Shake-
speare's tongue.

A barren list of names supply this
place,

The sad memorial of their own disgrace,
That only strike the stranger's eye to

Though Shakespeare's bones in this here place do lie, Yet that there fame of his shall never die."

The life of Shakespeare is too well known for us to enter into a detailed biography of him. He was educated

at the free-school of Stratford, and, after making some progress in Latin, he was called home to assist his father in the business. Before he was nineteen years of age, he married Anne Hathawaye, the daughter of a respectable yeoman of the neighbourhood. It is said, that having broken into the park of Sir Thomas Lucy, for the purpose of taking deer, he was obliged to quit Stratford. The killing of deer was not, however, then considered either disgraceful or criminal. Shakespeare was, however, driven from his native spot by the severity of Sir Tho

THE EMIGRANT'S FAREWELL, Home of our heart-our father's home

EPITAPH IN ISLINGTON

CHURCH-YARD.

To the Editor of the Mirror. SIR,-Seeing that you are desirous of inserting any thing curious or interesting in the Mirror, and, amongst other matter, Epitaphs, &c. I take the liberty of sending you the following inscription, which was found in Islington Church, whilst it was being demolished in order to build a new one, about the year 1751. It was written in Gothic characters, on a plate of brass, and placed on the floor in the middle aisle, near the entrance into the chancel. It contains six lines, the end of each thus marked I, and appears to have been laid down during the lifetime of Robert Middleton. Neither the year, day, nor month, are set down, but spaces are left for that purpose. It cannot, however, have been placed there previous to the year 1529, because, until the 2d of December in that year, Sir George Hastings was not created Earl of Huntingdon. I shall now write the Epitaph, with all the marks and contractions.

I am, your's, &c. J. W. L.

I pye the Crysten man that hast gee to see this; to pye for the Soulls of them that here buryed is I

And remember that in Cryst we be bretherne: the wich hath comaunded eu'ry man to pye for other I

This sayth Robert Midleton and Johan his Wyf. Here wrappid in claye. Abiding the m'cy I

Of Almyghty god till domesdaye.
Wch was sutyme s'unt to s'george
hasting knyght I

Erle of huntingdunt passed this tnscitory
lyf. in the yere of our Lord god
(m.ccccc...I
And the ......

..........

day of the moneth of On whose Soull Almyghty

god have m'cy amen I

Note. For the benefit of such of our readers as may be more profitably employed than in studying antiquarian subjects, we subjoin a modern version of this Epitaph :

I pray the Christian man that hath
grace to see this,
To pray for the souls of them that
here buried is.

And remember that in Christ we be
brethren, the which hath commanded
every man to pray for another. This
saith Robert Middleton and Joan his
wife, here wrapped in clay, abiding

"LEX TALIONIS,"

BY AN IRISH ADVOCATE.

To the Editor of the Mirror.
SIR,-Accept the following from
Your's,
A. R.

An Irishman bold (so the story is told)
Was attacked by a dog in the street,
So out of mere fun, Sir, he levell'd his
gun, Sir,

And laid him down dead at his feet. Says a fellow," you must to the servants of just

-ice be brought for this cruel affair;" So he took him before what the folks call a Quor

-um of Magistrates (no one knows where).

"What! shoot at a dog! why, you harden'd young rogue,

The butt-end would the business have
done,'
Said the chief of the quorum, while
Pat stood before 'em,

And this pithy jingle begun:
"Don't it plase ye to know, that
O'Meara Mayo

Has a heart, has a mind that can fale

The butt-end of ma gun, Sir, would shourely have done,

Had he bit me poor dog with his tail."

A PEEP INTO FUTURITY. "On the 23d inst. (May, 1917) the first stone of the south abutment of that most stupendous work, the Gravesend Iron Bridge of tenacity, was laid with great solemnity by his Imperial Majesty, who was accompanied on the occasion by 27 of his sons, and a large concourse of nobility. Among the latter we counted 79 dukes, and 315 martaken to complete the bridge within the quisses. The contractor has underelegant, and its span the largest at preyear. Its construction is remarkably of 5,000 feet. It is expected they will sent in the known world, being upwards begin the north abutment at Tilbury in

the course of next month."

al Charlotte Balloon blew up as it was "On the 20th, the Edinburgh Roypassing over the Tyne, at the heighth of 7034 feet, from the bursting of the

steam engine which directed its course. There were 32 passengers on board; but owing to the balloon being furnished with one of Aircastle's improved parachutes, the whole of the party descended in perfect safety, and experienced no other inconvenience than that of being a little wetted by their falling into the river Tyne."

"The subscription of the bridge of three arches between Dover and Calais is filling rapidly. It is intended to be built upon the principle of tenacity, and when completed, will be one of the wonders of the world, as the arches are constructed upon the strongest and most unerring principles, although the span of each will be little less than 7 miles."

"The plan for the amelioration of the human race, which was suggested about a century ago, has, notwithstanding the illiberal opposition to it, completely verified the predictions of the projector. The whole of the county of Kent is now devoted to these establishments, which are as thriving as the most sanguine promoter could desire. It is said, that the gentleman, to whom the world was originally indebted for this most admirable plan, first took the idea from many years of persevering and unwearied attention to a large flock of sheep, in the course of which he discovered that the system of penning was beyond all doubt the best system for improving and increasing both the mutton and the wool."

"Mr. Turmerick respectfully informs his friends and the public, that the sale of the pocket-gas-apparatus is removed from his late manufactory in Grosvenor Square to his former residence in PallMall. The retort gasometer, necessary stock of coals, &c. for a month's consumption, are all contained in a moderate sized snuff-box."

has arrived at the satisfactory conclusion that the potatoe possesses the quality of increasing in specific gravity in proportion as it is distant from the place of its growth. The experiment is very simple, and consists merely in immersing the potatoe in a bowl of treacle, about 15 inches in depth, when, for every degree, it is found to sink a French line exactly. Mr. Muggins has just received the Parliamentary reward."

"The new tunnel under the Alps is going on rapidly. The workmen are now working under Mont Blanc. It is supposed that this undertaking will throw considerable light upon the internal structure of the globe, and it is not unlikely but it may be a forerunner of a road to the Antipodes."

N tells you that Nothing's oft true love's reward,

O Oaths, to which lovers have little regard.

P stands for Pity, Pangs, Passion and Pain,

Q Quiet, which lovers do hope for in

vain.

Rove,

"It will be recollected, that in consequence of the discovery of the soapmine at the Giant's-causeway, about 30 years since, the whale fishery entirely ceased; and such has been the multipli- R begins Rapture, and Raging and cation of that once useful fish, that the North Sea is absolutely impassable; and it is supposed, that in the course of a very few years, it may be possible to establish a turnpike-road upon the backs of these fishes, from Yarmouth to Gottenburgh."

S Sighs, words much us'd in making of
love.

T tells us the ladies Torment us and
Tease,

V tells us Variety always will please.
W for Woman, Wounds, Wonder,
and Woe.

XI think is like love, it crosses me so.
Y ends the love-letter in writing of
Your,

"The discovery of the longitude, so long desired by the nautical world, is at length accomplished. Professor Muggins, of the University of Salisbury-plain, by a series of experiments, % 2

-ds cries the lover, who his pain can't endure.