Central High School - Almanac Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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My lord, methought I heard you say but a moment gone that rules of rhetoric were of no use, and more, that I have ' never used them, I could not then forbear but that I should speak to you against the matter, for hark you, 'twere not for my little note-book Wherein are kept the ' pro- perties of style,' I never had Written the like of I-Iamletf' an in ,, 1, il N if Q 'fri-IE SHADE OF SHAKESPEARE. Then, my dear Shakespeare, you mean to say that I-Iamlet's Soliloquy and Antony's Oration Were Written by rule? Marry, my lord, that Was the manner of it. For oft have I paused when I Would Write a Word that I might counsel with my note-book copied full of the Wise sayings of myipreceptress, Dame Ritchie, a Wonderful Woman! She-

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embrace of my favorite arm-chair, I had no light but the glowing coals in the grate, for light is crude, and disturbs the imagination, and dims the memory pictures, my hookah With its fragrant breath Was inviting repose, and all Was peace Without and all Within. Then- Ecce deus ramum Lethaeo rore madentem Vique soporatum Stygia super utraque quassat Tempora cunctantique natantia lumina solvitf' Ah, the solitary happiness of such a time, with no sight nor sound of man to break in upon one's meditations, nor frighten his spirit friends away-for they are easily fright- ened, these spirit friends. Hmm-Ballon-must be quite an old man by this time -and Brown-how old that fellow is getting to look-Why, he's as gray as-as gray as-as I am-Wonder if he remem- bers hovv he used to tumble around in Greek. Hm-m-Vance-havenit heard from the old boy since he left for Athens-six-eight-ten years ago-Miss Ritchie used to-I Wonder if she still advocates those Rules of Rhetoric -never remembered them five minutesmabsurd- as if a literary style were ever built on such a foundation- Hamlet, for instance, or Paradise Lost. Mm-m-Shakespeare-I can imagine him conning rules-absurd-extremely absurd-ah! good evening, who- ever you are-come a little closer, the light is very dim, and be sides you are so thin that I can look right through you and see the book-case yonder-ah, Mr. Shakespeare of England, I believe. You doubtless are acquainted With my name, perhaps Bacon may have mentioned me to you. Bacon was here last evening along With Elizabeth and Ra- leigh-and I-Iomer-you have met Homer, of course-no?- you have had a chance to make some acquaintances in four hundred years. But to What happy cause am I to attribute this extraordinary honor?

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Who! Miss Ritchie? H The same. f'Miss Ritchie your teacher! It cannot be the same! Why she Was my teacher some forty years ago. I'is strange, Very strange. She was Wise? Yes. She was forcible, in mindw- Yes. -and in body. Yes She was diiiicult of deception. Exceedingly so. It can be no other! It can not be the same! H 'Tis strange, exceeding strange. But continue, you were saying, I believe, that- Yes, my lord, I Would consult my book. and having found the rule, Would say to myself, 'William, Write not 'there's the trouble,' but 'there's the rub,' for hath not thy preceptress told thee to 'use the strong homely idioms of the language? And again have I Written 'bodkin' at the end of the line as being the most important Word in the sentence, for hath not thy preceptress said, 'give important Words important positions '? But see here, William, a poet like yourself does not confine himself to grammars and rhetorics and note-books, he soars above such paltry thingsg he sings because he must, because his soul is on tire, because he is inspired. When he gets started on a thing like that Soliloquy, nothing can stop himg he does not think of Words or expressionsg they fly to his lips and run off the point of his pen. Come now, my lord, you are Wrong, all Wrong. Of grammars and rhetorics in truth I had none, nothing save only the priceless note-book Which my preceptress- Yes, I know about the preceptressg go on. -and as to my singing, I don't remember of singing but once in my life, and I never did it again. It Was With