CHAPTER XX 



SHAKESPEARE AND ARCHITECTURE ^ 



Shakespeare was a wonderfully many-sided 

 man ; and many books have been written to 

 show his intimate knowledge of almost every 

 science or craft, a knowledge in some instances 

 so minute as to lead to the conclusion that he 

 must have passed his life, or a large part of it, in 

 that particular business or profession. A good 

 list, but not a complete one, of such books may 

 be found in Professor Bayne's masterly biography 

 of Shakespeare in the Encyclopcedia Britannica. 

 But because he has written more or less on every 

 subject, and has shown his knowledge in almost 

 every art, science, and handicraft, we feel that 

 there must have been a good reason when he 

 entirely omits some subject on which we should 

 like to have had his opinion, and which we feel 

 sure must have passed under his notice. But 



^ Some of my readers may see no connection between this chapter 

 and the foregoing chapters on flowers. There may not be much, 

 but I publish it, partly on the advice of others whose judgment 

 weighs much with me, and partly because to me flowers and 

 Shakespeare are closely united. I tried to show this in my little 

 book on the " Plant-Love of Shakespeare," and every day I feel 

 that the two are my very close companions and friend*;, and as such 

 I find it hard to say which I value most. 

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