Cricket 1901

462 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. Nov. 28, 1901. SHAKESPEARE AND CRICKET. B y 0 . A . F r e d e r ic k s . It will probably surprise the majority of cricket enthusiasts to be told that the works of Shakesp are contain a mine of information concerning the early history of the game. Unfortunately, details of the very early matches are unknown. Very possibly they were never published, for we are told “ O ur forefathers had no other hooks hut the score.” — 2 Henry 6, iv ., 7. Long descriptions of (he games apparently did not appeal to the early enthusiasts : their motto was “ The p la y ’ s the thing.” Calchas was evidently a famous player, as his name is specially mentioned. He was a wicket-keeper, and claims with Cerberus (who kept the Styx) the honour of being one of the first stumpers of whom there is any record. A selection of Shakespeare’s references to the game are set forth below :— B . A b e l: “ H e is not so b ig as the end of his clu b .” Love's Labour Lost, v . 1. A ccid en ts: “ H elp, hold his b ro w s; he’ll sw oon !” Love's Labour Lost, v ., 11. “ W ith the help of a surgeon he m ight y e t recover.” Midsummer Night's Dream, v ., 1. “ 0 , m y back, m y back ! ” Romeo and Juliet, ii., 5. “ Brother of G loster, at St. A lh an ’ sfield T h is la d y ’s husband, S ir John G rey, was slain .” 3 Henry 6, iii., 2. “ I bruised m y shin the other day w ith p layin g .” Merry Wives of Windsor, i., 1. A d v ic e : “ B u n , boy, ru n , ru n .” Two Gen­ tlemen of Verona, iii., 1. A dvice to B atsm en : “ H it the ground you step on .” Twelfth Night, iii., 4. “ D o not run, scorn ru n n in g.” Merchant of Venice, ii., 2. (Shakespeare evidently forepaw the days of boundaries and billiard-table wickets.) “ B u n barefoot up and dow n.” Hamlet, ii., 2. “ Scorn run n in g w ith th y h eels.” Mer­ chant of Venice, ii., 2. A d vice to B ow lers : “ K n o w little bu t bow l­ in g .” A Winter’s Tale, iv ., 3. A dvice to F ield sm en : “ B u n lik e swallow s o’ er the p lain.” Titus Andron, ii., 2, A dvice to U m p ires: “ Speak tru e .” Love's Labour Lost, v ., 11. M r. B en jam in A islab ie : “ I t m ade m e lau gh to see the villa in ru n .” 2 Henry 6, ii., 1. (Curing the latter part of his career Mr. AMabie -weighed nineteen or twenty stones. An old poem says:—“ But he still takes the bat, and there’s no better fun. than to Bee him when batting attempting to run.” ) M r. C . W . A lco ck : “ I love the sport w e ll.” Merry Wives of Windsor, i., 1. “ H eaven prosper our sport.” Merry Wives of Windsor, v ., 2. A n A p p e a l: “ Speak, sirs; how w as i t ? ” 1 Henry IV ., ii., 4. A n U nnecessary A p p e a l: “ W h y ask y o u P ” Love's Labour Lost, v ., 2. A p p lau se: “ W e ll done, H e rcu le s!” Love's Labour Lost, v ., 1. “ W e ll run, T h is h e ! ” Midsummer Night's Bream, v ., 1. “ W e ll ru n .” — Love's Labour Lost, v., 2. T h e A u stralian s: “ M en of peace, w ell en ­ countered.” Love's Labour Lost, v., 1. Y is it o f A ustralian s : Princess : “ B u t w hat, but w h at, come th ey to visit u s f ” B oyet: “ T h e y do, th ey d o .” Love's Labour Lost, v ., 2. A d ju stin g the B a ils: “ F in e ly pu t on, in ­ deed.” Love's Labour Lost, iv ., 1. A G ood B a ll: Rosaline : 1‘ T h ou canst not h it it, h it it, h it it, T h ou canst not h it it m y good m an .” Boyet: ‘ ‘ A n I cannot, cannot, cannot, A n I cannot, another can .” Love's Labour Lost, iv ., 1. A T ria l B a ll: “ T h u s the bow l shall ru n .” Taming of the Shrew, iv ., 5. T h e B a ll: “ A carbuncle entire, as b ig as thou art, W ere n ot so rich a je w e l.” Corio- lanus, i., 4. T h e U nfortunate B atsm an : “ 0 , th at your face w as not so fu ll of O ’ s.” Love’s Labour Lost, v ., 2. U n fortun ate B atsm an (to U m p ire): “ Im u st needs be friends w ith th ee.” Love's Labour Lost, v ., 2. A Y icio u s Batsm an : “ I ’ll slay more gazers than the basilisk.” 3 Henry 6, iii., 2. T h e B e lle : “ T h e fairest goddess on the groun d.” Love’s Labour Lost, v ., 2. B e n tle y’s B ook of M atch es: O ur forefathers had no other books bu t the score.” 2 Henry 6, iv ., 7. A B o a st: “ O n fair ground I could beat fo rty .” Coriolanus, iii., I. A Boundary P : Prince Henry : ‘ ‘ W h at, four p thou said’st but tw o, even n ow .” Falstaff: “ F o u r, H a l; I told thee fo u r.” Poins : “ A y , ay, he said fo u r.” 1 Henry IV ., ii., 4. B ow led b y a L o n g-H op : “ I m eant not so.” Love's Labour Lost, iv ., 1. B o w ler (to batsm an at his own e n d ): “ Stand aside, good Pom pey.” Love’s Labour Lost, v ., 2. A G ood B ow ler : “ H e is a m arvellous good neighbour, in so o th ; and a very good bow ler.” Love’s Labour Lost, v ., 2. A “ H e a d ” B o w le r: “ D eceive m ore slily than U lysses could.” 3 Henry 6., iii., 2. B o w lin g : “ T h is is an a r t.” A Winter’s Tale, iv ., 3. F ast B o w lin g on F ie ry W ic k e t: Falstaff: “ A rt thou not h orribly afraid p doth not th y blood th rill at it P” Prince Henry : “ N o t a w h it i’ fa ith .” 1 Henry 4, ii. 4. M r. W . M . B ra d le y : “ . . . oft I have struck those that I never saw .” 2 Henry 6, iv. 7. Joh n ny B r ig g s : Imogen: “ Is he disposed to m irth ? I hope he is .” Ichimo: “ E xceed in g p leasa n t; none a stranger there so m erry and so gam e­ some : he is ca ll’d the B riton re ­ veller.” Cymbeline, i. 7. Anne Bullen: Y o u are a m erry gam e­ ster.” Lord Sands : “ Y es, if I m ake m y p la y .” Henry 8, i. 4. C allin g a B u n : Ulysses: “ Come, m y lord.” Troilus: “ I p ray thee sta y .” Troilus and Cressida, v , 2. “ B ein g call’d a hundred tim es, and oftener, in m y sleep b y good Saint A lban ; w ho said— ‘ Sim pcox, come ; com e.’ ” 2 Henry 6, ii. 1. “ Come, come, come, com e.” Macbeth iv . 1. C anterbury: “ T h e tented field.” Othello i. 3. T h e V ictorious C a p ta in : “ I w ill now be m erry.” Love's Labour Lost, v . 2. T h e P avilio n C a t : Theseus : “ A v e ry gentle beast, and of a good conscience.” Demetrius: “ T h e very best at a beast, m y lord, th at e’ er I saw .” Mid­ simmer Night’s Dream, v . 1. A C a tch : Polonius: “ Y o u h ave m e, have you not ? ” Reynaldo: “ M y lord, I h ave.” Hamlet, ii. 1. A C h allen ge: “ B y the north pole, I do challenge thee.’ ’ Love's Labour Lost, v. 2. A Cham pion: “ I w ill p lay th ree m yself.” “ Love's Labour Lost, v . 1. Costard: “ I Pom pey am , Pom pey sur- named the b ig .” Dumain : “ T h e great.” Costard: “ I t is great, s ir; Pom pey sur- nam ’d the great th at oft in field . . . did m ake m y foe to sw eat.” Love's Labour Lost, v . 2. A Change of B o w lin g : “ W h a t change is this p ” Midsummer Night's Dream, 7 iii. 2, “ W ou ld he would ch an ge!” Midsummer Night’s Dream, v. i. Choosing the Team : “ D ear boy, name more ; and, sweet m y child, let them be men of good repute and courage.” Love’s Labour Lost, i. 2. Close of P la y : Pandarus: “ H ark , th ey are com ing from the fie ld : Sh all we stand up here, and see them , as th ey pass tow ard Ilium p good niece, d o ; sweet niece, Cressida.” Cressida: “ A t yo u r pleasure.” Pandarus: “ H ere, then, here’s an excel­ lent p lace; here w e m ay see them most bravely ; I ’ll tell yo u them all h y their nam es as th ey pass b y ; but m ark T roilus about the rest.” Troilus and Cressida, i. 2. T h e Clow n C ricketers: “ I do not lik e this fo olin g.” Troilus and Cressida, v. 2. A C oach: “ A n d now , fo rw ard .” Love's Labour Lost. v . 2. “ Sons are w ell tutored b y you, and daughters profit very greatly under y o u : you are a good m em ber of the comm onw ealth.” Love's Labour Lost, iv. 2. “ T here’s the point, sir.” Merry Wives of Windsor, i. 1. “ T o oiler strokes. 2 Henry 4, iv. 1. “ I, prythee, boy, ru n .” Julius Ccesar, ii. 4. T h e C o lt: ‘ -N o w H eaven send thee good fortune.” Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 4. “ W h y dost thou quiver, man ?” 2 Henry 6, iv . 7. A C on fession : “ T h e naked tru th of it is, I have no sh irt.” Love's Labour Lost, v. 2. Country H ouse C rick et: Rosaline-. “ B u t shall w e dance, if th ey desire us to ’ t ? ” Princess: “ N o ; to the death w e w ill not m ove a fo o t.” Love's Labour Lost, v. 2. B e v . J .C . C raw ford: “ Good m aster parson. ” Love's Labour Lost, iv . 2. M r. V . F . S. Craw ford : “ H e has h is health, and am pler strength, indeed, than most have of his ag e.” A Winter’s Tale, iv . 3. “ Is he so you n g a m an, and so old a lifter ?” Troilus and Cressida, i. 2. C rick e t: “ V e ry reverent sport, tru ly .” Love’s Labour Lost, iv. 2. “ Sport B oyal, I w arrant yo u .” Twelfth Night, ii. 3. “ T h is is excellent sport, i ’ faith . 1 Henryk, ii. 4.