Here you see that the same Shake-spear whom we saw in
the left-hand picture is now riding on a courser. That he is the same
man is shewn by the sprig of bay in his hat, but he is no longer a
Shake-spear, he is a Shake-_spur_. Note how much the artist has
emphasised the drawing of the spur. It is made the one prominent thing
in the whole picture. We refer our reader to "The Returne from
Pernassus" (see pp. 47-48) where he will read,
"England affordes those glorious vagabonds
That carried earst their fardels on their backes
Coursers to ride on through the gazing streetes."
Now glance at the top picture on the title page (see Plate 27, Page
115,) which is enlarged in Plate 30, Page 122. Note that the picture is
enclosed in the magic circle of the imagination, surrounded by the masks
of Tragedy, Comedy, and Farce (in the same way as Stothard's picture of
the "Merry Wives of Windsor," Plate 32, Page 127).
[Illustration: Plate XXXII. Scene from "The Merry Wives of Windsor,"
painted by Thomas Stothard.]
The engraving represents a tempest with beacon lights; No; it represents
"The Tempest" of Shakespeare and tells you that the play is filled with
Bacon lights.
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