William Shakespeare as He Lived

William Shakespeare as He Lived carries the subtitle An Historical Tale. The preface says that the most interesting portions of the career of Shakespeare are brought forward in a pleasing narrative, the dialogue being in the style of the Elizabethan period. The preface adds that the writer has endeavoured, amidst a great deal of stirring incident and a subordinate tale of much interest, to place the Poet constantly before the reader.

A chapter headed A Domestic Party in Elizabeth's Day says that on the evening of the day on which the accident had happened to Charlotte Clopton, she, her father, her cousin Walter and young Shakespeare were assembled in an ample apartment at Clopton Hall. The text says that in proportion to the pleasure young Shakespeare took in a certain society was the dislike entertained for it by his wife. The text says the good Walter became a sort of dreamy person who would stand for hours in the long gallery at Shottery and contemplate the picture of Clara de Mowbray.