Shakspeare's Acting

There is a tradition üiat Shakspeare played the part of a King with a peculiar grace and majesty. In confirmation of this a prctty story is told. It is said that one day wiien the Queen was in the theater, Shakspeare ïnimicked royalty so well that Elizabeth, yho was always ready to havo a little fun with a clever man, even tjiough he. was a poor player, whiepereiS to lier ladies that sho wouk! try if she could not make this pretended monarch turn into an awkward i'ellow enough at a momen-t's aotk-o. Accordmgly, at a, critieal poiut in the scène, the (úeen, who was sitting just over the Ktage, which was then held to be the place of honor, let her handkerchief fall at the feet of Shakspeare, who was just then standing close beloT? her. Her mischievous Majesty expeeted to see the actor start and reuden and lose his cue. Iusfcead of that he ünished his speech with his usuiil power, and, without seeraing to notice tlu liandkerchief. Then stooping and picking it up, he gave it back to the Queen with a bow, in which there was an indescribable mixture of diguity and homage, saying, as he did so, these words to his tram oí' stage eourtiers : But ere we gofc to borst1 ;iurt ridr aw;ïy Let us piek up our sistcrii nandkerchtef.