第54章 THE SKETCH BOOK(7)

The picture which most attracted my attention was a great paintingover the fireplace, containing likenesses of Sir Thomas Lucy and hisfamily, who inhabited the hall in the latter part of Shakspeare'slifetime. I at first thought that it was the vindictive knighthimself, but the housekeeper assured me that it was his son; theonly likeness extant of the former being an effigy upon his tomb inthe church of the neighboring hamlet of Charlecot.* The picturegives a lively idea of the costume and manners of the time. Sir Thomasis dressed in ruff and doublet; white shoes with roses in them; andhas a peaked yellow, or, as Master Slender would say, "acane-colored beard." His lady is seated on the opposite side of thepicture, in wide ruff and long stomacher, and the children have a mostvenerable stiffness and formality of dress. Hounds and spaniels aremingled in the family group; a hawk is seated on his perch in theforeground, and one of the children holds a bow;- all intimating theknight's skill in hunting, hawking, and archery- so indispensable toan accomplished gentlemen in those days.*(2)* This effigy is in white marble, and represents the Knight incomplete armor. Near him lies the effigy of his wife, and on hertomb is the following inscription; which, if really composed by herhusband, places him quite above the intellectual level of MasterShallow:

Here lyeth the Lady Joyce Lucy wife of Sr Thomas Lucy of Charlecotin ye county of Warwick, Knight, Daughter and heir of Thomas Actonof Sutton in ye county of Worcester Esquire who departed out of thiswretched world to her heavenly kingdom ye 10 day of February in yeyeare of our Lord God 1595 and of her age 60 and three. All the timeof her lyfe a true and faythful servant of her good God, neverdetected of any cryme or vice. In religion most sounde, in love to herhusband most faythful and true. In friendship most constant; to whatin trust was committed unto her most secret. In wisdom excelling. Ingoverning of her house, bringing up of youth in ye fear of God thatdid converse with her moste rare and singular. A great maintayner ofhospitality. Greatly esteemed of her betters; misliked of noneunless of the envyous. When all is spoken that can be saide a woman sogarnished with virtue as not to be bettered and hardly to beequalled by any. As shee lived most virtuously so shee died mostGodly. Set downe by him yt best did knowe what hath byn written tobe true.

Thomas Lucy.

*(2) Bishop Earle, speaking of the country gentleman of his time,observes, "his housekeeping is seen much in the different familiesof dogs, and serving-men attendant on their kennels; and thedeepness of their throats is the depth of his discourse. A hawk heesteems the true burden of nobility, and is exceedingly ambitious toseem delighted with the sport, and have his fist gloved with hisjesses." And Gilpin, in his description of a Mr. Hastings, remarks,"he kept all sorts of hounds that run buck, fox, hare, otter, andbadger; and had hawks of all kinds both long and short winged. Hisgreat hall was commonly strewed with marrow-bones, and full of hawkperches, hounds, spaniels, and terriers. On a broad hearth, paved withbrick, lay some of the choicest terriers, hounds, and spaniels."I regretted to find that the ancient furniture of the hall haddisappeared; for I had hoped to meet with the stately elbow-chair ofcarved oak, in which the country squire of former days was wont tosway the sceptre of empire over his rural domains; and in which itmight be presumed the redoubted Sir Thomas sat enthroned in awfulstate when the recreant Shakspeare was brought before him. As I liketo deck out pictures for my own entertainment, I pleased myself withthe idea that this very hall had been the scene of the unluckybard's examination on the morning after his captivity in the lodge.

I fancied to myself the rural potentate, surrounded by hisbody-guard of butler, pages, and blue-coated serving-men, with theirbadges; while the luckless culprit was brought in, forlorn andchap-fallen, in the custody of gamekeepers, huntsmen, and whippers-in,and followed by a rabble rout of country clowns. I fancied brightfaces of curious housemaids peeping from the half-opened doors;while from the gallery the fair daughters of the knight leanedgracefully forward, eyeing the youthful prisoner with that pity"that dwells in womanhood."- Who would have thought that this poorvarlet, thus trembling before the brief authority of a country squire,and the sport of rustic boors, was soon to become the delight ofprinces, the theme of all tongues and ages, the dictator to thehuman mind, and was to confer immortality on his oppressor by acaricature and a lampoon!