Of the latter I only observed what, if I knew, I had forgotten, that the room where Shakespeare was born has been an object of devotion only for forty years.

England has learned much of her appreciation of Shakespeare from the Germans.

In the days of innocence, I fondly supposed that every one who could understand English, and was not a cannibal, adored Shakespeare and read him on Sundays always for an hour or more, and on week days a considerable portion of the time.

But I have lived to know some hundreds of persons in my native land, without finding ten who had any direct acquaintance with their greatest benefactor, and I dare say in England as large an experience would not end more honorably to its subjects.

So vast a treasure is left untouched, while men are complaining of being poor, because they have not toothpicks exactly to their mind.
At Stratford I handled, too, the poker used to such good purpose by Geoffrey Crayon.