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PMFACE
from SHAKESPEARE TO COCKTAILS.
By Sir Seymour Hicks.
WHEN Mr. William Shakespeare—
who has had so many of his parts
murdered that Scotland Yard has long
ceased to arrest dull "Dogberrys" and
funny "Hamlets"—welcomed hungry guests
to one of his historic banquets, he did so,
not only with a generous gesture of hospi
tality, but with something more delightful
still—solicitude for their well-being on the
morning after.
From the mouth of a gaily decked out
page he, probably remembering the culin
ary efforts of Anne Hathaway, cried, "May-
good digestion wait on appetite and
health, or both." It may, however, be
unfair to blame his lady's pasties for this
kindly wish, so let us be charitable for
once to the wife of a man of genius
(though the world is well aware that the
majority of these unfortunate women have
never been anything but profoundly stupid
individuals) and suppose it likely that as
the Bard sat scribbling in an almost inde
cipherable hand immortal verse for mortal
"Rogues and Vagabonds," he dipped his
goose quill into some local potent liquor,.