The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, APRIL 29. 1916. SHAKESPEARE'S TERCETENARY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 April 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, APRIL 29. 1916. SHAKESPEARE'S TERCETENARY.

. Ihe dnte ol Shakespeare's birth, never ! ascertained with exactitude, 'has oeI come fogged in the minds of men i.e- ---| longing to different nations by the i alterations made in the Julian cal°n- | t]nr - during the latter Half of t-ln> Six- , f eolith Century, by t'ope Gregory . A Hi. This departure from the Old I Style reckoning was not adopted by Groat iiritaiu until 170 l A.D., many years after death. Russia and some other countries reta'.ns the Old Style of reckoning to this day, and consequently there is a difference' of eleven days between their almanac elates and ours, taking day for day. 1 hat the eastern countries have clung so long to the semi-archaic method ol reckoning is not susprising to anyone wlio has read of the manner in which the alteration was opposed in all .ho countries that did adopt Pope Gregory's eommonsense system. In England., its beginning was made the gio.mduork for riots, incited amongst the uneducated masses by certain Whig politicians who saw in the public laek ol understanding an opportunity o gain or retain administrative positions which in those days carried, tar greater emoluments than the law allowed. Such manifestations of desire to mis- , lead and cozen the people are not quite dead, even in our own times, though cleaner they are undoubtedly. Jt is in view of these facts, and in recognition of the truth that in tne times of Shakespeare the world anil its ways were even ivorse than they were In the Georgian period to which we have alluded, that The Chronicle feels moved to more than ordinary admiration for the versatile, honest, soul-stirring, charming, lusty, ennobling. passages which illumine the wonts oT the modern world's greatest writer. That he was England's by birth us England's greatest. pride, and we in this outlaying part of the empire should be in no degree behind the rest of the world in celebrating his liataf day on ilts three hundredth anniversary. Such problems as to who Shakespeare actually was, and who was the real writer of the plays, well might be put aside at this period : but in doing so we fain would let our thoughts dwell for a moment on the political career and repute of the Elizabeth;! n politician Lord Bacon who persistently is put lonvavd us the actual author; and after we have done so we perforce must dismiss from our minds his posthumous notoriety in re-

gard to this authorship. But, in any event, the works of Shakespeare stand for remembrance on their intrinsic merit; tliey were published in Shakespeare's name; the immo of «a man whose worst'crinvea seem to have been that he stole a deer in his youth and drank'beer to excess in ms'middle age. Bacon's political and statutory turpituc'io exceeds a hundredfold that oi the man whom level-headed judges still regard as the real author: the man 01 the people (toady though some ol his plays prove him to have btvn in some moods), the stong-living, self-will j d, brainy man of combined literary and •business ability, the second-rate nctor, the man of the people, Wilfam Shakespeare. Those in Great Britain wlio diesire to do honor to England's greatest dramatist and versemaker have made a commendable effort to celebrate his cenlenary fitly; and in order to suit the 1 needis of all countries they have fixed the celebrations to extend from Sunday next (30th April) throughout the week then commencing- In ordinary circumstances, Shakespeare's birthday would have been celebrate.! on Apni '_'Brd, being three days' earlier than the certified date of the registration of hi* birth (which in the Seventeenth Century was the customary period allowed to elapse between the date of a child's birth and the registration thereof). This year, however, the variable fixtures oi Easter fell in Shakespeare's week, and those in (ireat Britain who had in hand the arrangements 'or celebrating the centenary wisely decided to set it forward I rom the proper periods. Even by the calendar of Julius Caesar, the date of Shakespeare's birth (23rd April) would have fallen no later than Tuesday next''2nd May), but various exigencies have prevented the celebrations being held everywhere by that day. In Wellington City, we note, the locil celebrations are to be held on the 3rd, -Ith and sth May.- In Levin, unfortunately. the memory of the bard will be honoured in memory only if present ! appearances go for anything. There "was" a Shakespeare Society existent in this town until the war began, but it has gone the way of several other estimable institutions, and: no lead can be looked for torni that direction. The fact is regrettable, lint it remains a fact that no preparations have been made to do honour to the memory of a man who with all his faults ,ui« without- a peer in England's long line of illustrious dead. Even at this late hour, some local executive well might make a. move in tile matter and arrange a musical andi recitative program in Shakespeare's honour. What better, brighter music could we -hear than Mendelssohn's setting of Ariel's song "Faery -Joys" on the orotund (strains of l)r. Ames' composition for the song "Ingratitude" ("Blow, blow, thou winter wind"); or the gleesome setting by -Stevens of the whimsical "Sigh no more ladies." For stirring, pleasing, enrapturing, or even re-morse-stirring recitations; nowhere could better or more numerous recitations be ' got than from Shakespeare's works; nowhere could there be selected a program of musical and recitative numbers that would appeal more favourably to an average audience. For the honour of the town and district, we would like to* see Mime movement made to celebrate, even in this insufficient degree, the birthday and deathdny of England's greatest- man. Possibly the Patriotic Society will take up the matter anu give a concert in" aid of some local patriotic fund.