l6 
LAND & WATER 
April 20, 1916 
mental receptivity rendered him sensitive to well-nigli 
every form of thought and emotion, and he assimilated 
foreign forms of thouglit and emotion, with whicii he met 
in foreign bool<s, as readily and as completely as the 
thought and emotion which he observed in the streets of 
London or the Warwickshire lanes. There is no evidence 
that he ever went abroad. But while his largeness of 
outlook jnohibited any narrow insular prejudices, there 
was fused with his tolerant sympathy for all human hope 
or suffering, there was welded with his comprehensive 
insight into all human aspiration, an intuitive faith in 
the destinies of his own country, an affectionate and an 
enthusiastic recognition of her virtues, combined with 
an alert perception of her failings. 
Shake^.jieare has left on ample record proofs of his 
interest in his country's history, chiefly in the great 
series of history plays. The influence which that part 
of his work has exerted on his fellow countrymen in 
rpreading historical knowledge of and interest in English 
history is almost sufhcicnt in itself to entitle him to 
an imperial demonstration of honour at the moment. 
Two of the greatest ligu'res in our history — one the greatest 
of our past generals, the Duke of Marlborough ; and the 
other the greatest of our imperial Statesmen, the Earl of 
Chatham — both acknowledged that all that they knew 
of Enghsh history they learned from Shakespeare's 
jxiges. 
No morbid cosmopolitan tendency could live in the 
air of these history plays. Yet it may not be the in- 
struction they furnish in historic fact that gives them 
their main value. Their importance lies to-day at any 
rate, in the broad illustration they offer of the virtuous 
or beneficent working of the patriotic instinct. That 
theme Shakespeare presents in every light ; he does not 
neglect the malevolent symptoms incident either to its 
exorbitant or its defective growth, nor is he wanting in 
suggestions as to how its healthy development may be 
. best secured. 
Although many other passages call equally well for 
citation, Shakespeare's principle of patriotism is summed 
up for his fellow-countrymen and fellow-countrywomen, 
as clearly and as pointedly as anywhere, in his familiar 
warning : 
" This England never did, nor ever shall. 
Lie at tiie proud foot of a conqueror. 
But when it first did help to wound itself. 
. . . Nought shall make us rue. 
If England to itself do rest but true." 
in. 
On every phase of our present situation Shakespeare 
offers us words of good cheer and good counsel. Here 
is one rousing assurance of his which may be offered our 
new married levies in his name : 
"If you fight against God's enemy, 
God will in justice ward you as his soldiers ; 
If you do swear to put a tyrant down. 
You sleep in peace, the tyrant being slain ; 
If you do fight against your country's foes. 
Your country's foe shall pay your pains the hire ; 
If you do fight in safeguard of your wives. 
Your wives shall welcome home the conquerors ; 
If you do free your children from the sword. 
Your children's children quit it in your age." 
» None saw more clearly than Shakespeare England's 
destiny to command the seas, " which he hath given 
for fence impregnable." In Shakespeare's sight the sea 
was lli(! " natural bravery " of this island : 
" Which stands 
As Neptune's park, ribbed and paled in, 
With rocks imscaleable and roaring waters ; 
With sands that will not bear your enemies' boats, 
But sink them up to the topmast." 
Shakespeare has much to say of the horrors of war 
and the blessings of peace ; but be insists with all his 
angelic strength on the prudent creed that the best 
preventive of war (human nature being what it is) is 
ureparcdness in time of peace : 
" Peace itself should not so dull a kingdom 
(Tlio' war nor no known quarrel were in question) 
]iut that defences, musters, preparations 
Should be maintained, assembled and collected. 
As were a war in exoectation." 
In the same vein the dramatist [offers^ such sage pieces 
of advice as these ; 
" Beware 
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in 
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee." 
" In peace tiiere's nothing so becomes a man 
.■\s modest stillness and humility. 
But when the blast of War blows in his ears. 
Then imitate the action of the tiger." 
Above all is it worthy of remembrance that, highly 
as Shakespeare rates courage, he declares repeatedly that 
wars are won by " wisdom," seconded by " valour " 
and never by " valour " alone. 
" The better part of valour is discretion." 
" When valour preys on reason 
It eats the sword it fights with " 
are invaluable coinages from the Shakespearean mint. 
Shakespeare illumines with a piercing irony his denuncia- 
tion of those who 
" Count wisdom as no member of the war 
. . . . and esteem no Ect 
But that of hand." 
With magical insight does the dramatist extol 
" The still and mental parts 
That do contrive how many hands shall strike 
When fitness calls them on, and know by measure 
Of their observ'ant toil the enemy's weight." 
Military victory, according to the Shakespearean 
dispensation, only attends 
" Those. that with the fineness of their souls 
By reason guide the course of war." 
IV. 
Shakespeare's words are accessible to all mankind. 
Our German foe is making many arrogant and unvcr- 
acious claims, among which his boast of identity with 
Shakespeare's spirit is the most ludicrous. Shakespeare 
is free of the Prussian taint, and no Teutonic quibbling 
can rob Britons of their exclusive racial affinity with him. 
" Yes, this Shakespeare is ours ; we produced him ; we 
speak and think by him ; we are of one blood and kind 
with him." In English ears Shakespeare's poetry of war 
has, by virtue of its animating vigour and ripe wisdom, no 
rival. Englishmen have but to study their Shakespeare 
in order to recognise that, if a nation's poetry can now, 
as in older times, lead armj^ and navy to victory, this 
country stands small risk of faihu-e in to-day's mighty 
conflict. It is well for the English-speaking peoples to 
recall this week Carlyle's moving words, now seventy- 
four years old, and to try to realise their significance. 
" This King Shakespeare, does he not shine in crowned 
sovereignty, over us all, as the noblest, gentlest, yet 
strongest of rallying signs ; indestructible ; really more 
valuable in that point of view than any other means or 
appliance whatsoever ? " 
Active Service Exhibition 
When fifty Grenadier Guardsmen, who have been to the 
front, are told off to make real trenches for all England to 
explore, it seems a pity that such a permanent effort should 
last but a month. Therefore one rejoices to know that the 
Active Service Ivxhibition, promoted by the Daily Mail 
in aid of the Red Cross and St. John Societies, is to be continued 
(luring the. summer at the Kniglitsbridge Hall. ' 
In addition to the trenches, the attractions include a 
wonderful collection of war* relics, shells, grenades, trench 
mortars, trench catapults, and other weapons loaned by H.M. 
Board of Munitions, and a most interesting display of inven- 
tions which have been created as a result of the great war. 
The complete gallery of signed artists' proofs of Louis 
Raemaekers' wonderful war cartoons has been retained and 
added to. Then there are the scenes of battlefields viewed 
through trench periscopes, and the very realistic sniper's 
post with its machine-gun in working-order. 
Eacli day all these object-lessons on the war are to be seen 
for a shilling from ir a.m. to 5 p.m., and for sixpence from 
5 to 8 p.m. The only extra charge is sixpence for viewing Mr. 
Arthur CoUins's vivid representation of the Bombardment of 
Ypres. The public not only gains full value for money in 
\isiting the Active Service Exhibition, but obtains an actual 
idea of the conditions under which our soldiers live ind fight. 
