Chapter II: Part I: Shakspeare in Stratford

CHAP. I.

Birth of Shakspeare — Account of his Family — Orthography
of his Name. _Page_ 1

CHAP. II.

The House in which Shakspeare was born — Plague at Stratford,
June 1564 — Shakspeare educated at the Free-school of
Stratford — State of Education, and of Juvenile Literature
in the Country at this period — Extent of Shakspeare's
acquirements as a Scholar. 21

CHAP. III.

Shakspeare, after leaving School, follows his Father's Trade
— Statement of Aubrey — Probably present in his Twelfth
Year at Kenelworth, when Elizabeth visited the Earl of
Leicester — Tradition of Aubrey concerning him — Whether
there is reason to suppose that, after leaving his Father,
he was placed in an Attorney's Office, who was likewise
Seneschal or Steward of some Manor — Anecdotes of
Shakspeare — Allusions in his Works to Barton, Wilnecotte,
and Barston, Villages in Warwickshire — Earthquake in
1580 alluded to — Whether, after leaving School, he
acquired any Knowledge of the French and Italian
languages. 34

CHAP. IV.

Shakspeare married to Anne Hathaway — Account of the Hathaways
— Cottage at Shottery — Birth of his eldest Child,
Susanna — Hamnet and Judith baptized — Anecdote of
Shakspeare — Shakspeare apparently settled in the
Country. 59

CHAP. V.

A View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare — Its
_Manners and Customs_ — Rural Characters; the
Country-Gentleman — the Country-Coxcomb — the
Country-Clergyman — the Country-Schoolmaster — the Farmer
or Yeoman, his Mode of Living — the Huswife, her Domestic
Economy — the Farmer's Heir — the Poor Copyholder — the
Downright Clown, or Plain Country-Boor. 68

CHAP. VI.

A View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare — _Manners
and Customs continued_ — Rural Holidays and Festivals;
New-Year's Day — Twelfth Day — Rock-Day — Plough-Monday
— Shrove-tide — Easter-tide — Hock-tide — May-Day —
Whitsuntide — Ales; Leet-ale — Lamb-ale — Bride-ale —
Clerk-ale — Church-ale — Whitsun-ale — Sheep-shearing
Feast — Candlemas-Day — Harvest-Home — Seed-cake Feast
— Martinmas — Christmas. 123

CHAP. VII.

A View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare — _Manners
and Customs_, continued — Wakes — Fairs — Weddings —
Christenings — Burials. 209

CHAP. VIII.

View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare, continued —
_Diversions_ — The Itinerant Stage — Cotswold Games —
Hawking — Hunting — Fowling — Fishing — Horse-racing —
The Quintaine — The Wild-goose Chase — Hurling —
Shovel-board — Juvenile Sports — Barley-breake —
Parish-Top. 246

CHAP. IX.

View of Country-Life during the Age of Shakspeare, continued
— An Account of some of its _Superstitions_; Winter-Night's
Conversation — Peculiar Periods devoted to Superstition —
St. Paul's Day — St. Swithen's Day — St. Mark's Day —
Childermas — St. Valentine's Day — Midsummer-Eve —
Michaelmas — All Hallow-Eve — St. Withold — Omens —
Charms — Sympathies — Superstitious Cures — Miscellaneous
Superstitions. 314

CHAP. X.

Biography of Shakspeare resumed — His Irregularities —
Deer-stealing in Sir Thomas Lucy's Park — Account of the
Lucy family — Daisy-hill, the Keeper's Lodge, where
Shakspeare was confined, on the Charge of stealing Deer —
Shakspeare's Revenge — Ballad on Lucy — Severe Prosecution
by Sir Thomas — never forgotten by Shakspeare — this
Cause, and probably also Debt, as his Father was now in
reduced Circumstances, induced him to leave the Country for
London about 1586 — Remarks on this Removal. 401