E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Allen Siddle,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
THE MIRROR
OF
LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.
| Vol. 12. No. 332. | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1828. | [PRICE 2d. |
ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE.
This is another of Mr. Rider's beautiful "Views to Illustratethe Life of SHAKSPEARE,"1—itbeing the exterior of the cottage in which the poet's wife (whosemaiden name was Hathaway) is said to have resided with herparents, in the village of Shottery, about a mile fromStratford-upon-Avon.
Neither the exterior nor interior of this humble abode, says Mr.Rider, appears to have been subjected to any renovating process;and as there exists no reasonable ground for distrusting the factof its having been the abode of Anne Hathaway, previous toher marriage with Shakspeare, it must ever be regarded as one ofthe most interesting relics connected with his history. Theoccupier of the cottage in July, 1827, was an old woman, the widowof John Hathaway Taylor, whose mother was a Hathaway, and the lastof the family of that name.
The widow Taylor showed Mr. Rider the old carved bedstead,mentioned by "Ireland," and assured him she perfectly recollectedhis purchasing of her mother-in-law the piece of furniture whichhad always been known by the designation of Shakspeare'sCourting-Chair. From the wood-cut of this chair, given byIreland in his "Views on the Avon," Mr. Rider has been enabled tointroduce it in his representation of the interior of thecottage.
We have accordingly detached it for a vignette, and as thethrone where
The lover,
Sighing like furnace, with woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eye-brow—
it will probably be acceptable to the most enthusiastic ofShakspeare's admirers; not doubting that scores of our lady-friendswill provide themselves with a chair of the same construction, ifthey would insure the fervour and sincerity of the poet's love, orby association become more susceptible of his inspirations of themaster-passion of humanity.
THE NOVELIST.
ANTONELLI;
(A Tale, from the German of Goethe.)
When I was in Italy, Antonelli, an opera-singer, was thefavourite of the Neapolitan public. Her youth, beauty, and talentsinsured her applause on the stage; nor was she deficient in anyquality that could render her agreeable to a small circle offriends. She was not indifferent either to love or praise; but herdiscretion was such a