Shakespeare's Cousin, Thomas Greene, and his Kin: Possible Light on the Shakespeare Family Background

PMLA ◽  
1945 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupert Taylor

Since many years of threshing the same old straw have not determined the ancestry of William Shakespeare, investigation in a new direction seems wise. Genealogists, confronted with a gap they cannot cross, examine the history of families known to be related to the subject of their search but not how. Shakespearean students have long known of Thomas Greene, the solicitor, steward, and town clerk of Stratford-on-Avon from 1603 to 1617, who in his private diary called Shakespeare cousin, but they have not known much about him or his exact relationship to the poet. Since the word cousin occurs in such private and personal writing as a diary, it is more likely a term of real kinship than of friendly courtesy. This article presents the data gathered during an investigation—halted by the present war—into the ancestry of Thomas Greene. They do not reveal the ancestry of Shakespeare, but they show a chain of family connections of better economic and social status than some writers have granted the Stratford Shakespeares. Since the matter is genealogical, a fair presentation demands the inclusion of minute details of slight interest to the general reader but of possible great value to a specialist who may undertake to carry the investigation forward after the war, for in genealogy a seemingly insignificant detail may prove to be the clue to the ultimate solution.

Author(s):  
Tom Grant ◽  
Illustrations by Dominic Fanning

Since it first became known to European scientists and naturalists in 1798, the platypus has been the subject of controversy, interest and absolute wonder. Found only in Australia, the platypus is a mammal that lays eggs but, like other mammals, it has fur and suckles its young on milk. Many early biologists who visited the British colonies in Australia, including Charles Darwin, went out of their way to observe this remarkable animal. In Australia today the species is considered to be an icon, but one that many Australians have never seen in the wild. This book presents established factual information about the platypus and examines the most recent research findings, along with some of the colourful history of the investigation of its biology. This completely updated edition covers its anatomy, distribution and abundance, breeding, production of venom, unique senses, ecology, ancestry and conservation. It includes a 'Frequently Asked Questions' section for the general reader and, for those wishing to find out more detailed information, a comprehensive reference list.


1991 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
James E. Lightner

Teachers of high school geometry are confronted daily with the problem of making the subject as interesting as possible for their students. We teachers, of course, find the challenge of producing a logical deductive argument enough to keep us interested and motivated, but, unfortunately, it may be insufficient for our students. Perhaps sharing with them some of the history of the development of geometry, especially introducing them to some of the great mathematicians, will get them to appreciate the fact that mathematics is the product of human minds, created in response to human needs. Let us look at some of these early “giants” of geometry to see their role in the development of this field of mathematics and to note how each had a tremendous influence on the next generation of geometers.


The Geologist ◽  
1858 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
pp. 409-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Davidson

All that pertains to the science of Palæontology is of consequence to the geological inquirer; therefore a few notes and illustrations relative to the Brachiopoda may, perhaps, prove acceptable to the general reader, and, at the same time, stimulate some others to prosecute an inquiry upon which so much time and labour have been already expended.It was justly observed by a distinguished naturalist, that there exists a decided advantage in the same subject being investigated by a number of different observers; and the truth of this statement has been fully substantiated by the information already acquired on all that concerns the affinities, classification, and anatomical structure of the Brachiopoda. But it must also be remembered, that, although these topics may have been individually and collectively the subject of considerable investigation, much still remains to be discovered and satisfactorily explained before many of the problems relating to the character and history of the class can be considered as finally determined.All palæontologists seem to agree that the Brachiopoda should bo divided into two principal groups. The first will include all those genera and species which have their valves articulated by means of teeth and sockets; the second will comprise those forms which, being un-articulated, have their valves kept in place by means of muscular and other contrivances.


1880 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 301-304
Author(s):  
I. Bywater

Professor Bernays is among the few who possess the art of writing what can be read by men of culture as well as by professional scholars and historians; a monograph from his pen is sure to be at once a real contribution to knowledge, full of striking and original suggestions, and a work of literature, written with the attention to form and finish which we admire in some of the classic productions of a former age. The present work on Lucian and the Cynics is in every respect a worthy companion to the Theophrastus on Piety published in 1866. Though it is shorter and less elaborate in details than its predecessor, the subject is one which allows of a more consecutive mode of statement, and has perhaps in itself a more immediate interest for the general reader. Prof. Bernays now deals with an aspect of the civilization of the Roman empire, in which he demonstrates—what to many of us, I suppose, will be a sort of revelation—the existence of a popular religious movement, distinct from the established Paganism and from the philosophies of the schools. This new interpretation of Cynicism enables us to realize the fact that the Cynic of the first and second centuries was not a philosophical oddity, to be relegated to a chapter of a history of ancient philosophy, but a religious reformer at a moment when the Greek world seemed to have lost the power of religious initiative, and the spokesman of a kind of popular opposition when opposition to the existing political order of things was least to be expected.


1976 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Theilmann

Richard II, one of the most puzzling kings of late medieval England, has been the subject of controversy ever since his forced abdication in 1399. He often has been portrayed as a tyrant or, at times, as a madman by historians. Recently the trend is toward a reassessment of Richard's reign free from the biased Whig interpretation of the past. R. H. Jones took a first step in that direction in 1968 with the publication of The Royal Policy of Richard II: Absolutism in the Middle Ages. Jones viewed Richard as a king inclined toward absolutism but lacking the taint of rancorousness or despotism ascribed to him by historians since Stubbs. Subsequently two books, a Festschrift, and several articles have appeared, delineating more aspects of the reign. Since May McKisack's volume in the Oxford History of England series appeared in 1959, the number of works concerning the reign has been steadily growing. The recent publication of Anthony Tuck's Richard II and the English Nobility offers an opportunity to reexamine the place of Richard II in history. The divergence of scholarship since 1959 from the traditional interpretations will be seen as the major constitutional problems of the reign are scrutinized. After first examining the influence of William Shakespeare and William Stubbs in shaping the historiography of the reign a chronological discussion of the period from 1377 to 1399 will follow.


Paleobiology ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 6 (02) ◽  
pp. 146-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Oliver

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic coral Order Scleractinia has been suggested to have originated or evolved (1) by direct descent from the Paleozoic Order Rugosa or (2) by the development of a skeleton in members of one of the anemone groups that probably have existed throughout Phanerozoic time. In spite of much work on the subject, advocates of the direct descent hypothesis have failed to find convincing evidence of this relationship. Critical points are:(1) Rugosan septal insertion is serial; Scleractinian insertion is cyclic; no intermediate stages have been demonstrated. Apparent intermediates are Scleractinia having bilateral cyclic insertion or teratological Rugosa.(2) There is convincing evidence that the skeletons of many Rugosa were calcitic and none are known to be or to have been aragonitic. In contrast, the skeletons of all living Scleractinia are aragonitic and there is evidence that fossil Scleractinia were aragonitic also. The mineralogic difference is almost certainly due to intrinsic biologic factors.(3) No early Triassic corals of either group are known. This fact is not compelling (by itself) but is important in connection with points 1 and 2, because, given direct descent, both changes took place during this only stage in the history of the two groups in which there are no known corals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Brandon W. Hawk

Literature written in England between about 500 and 1100 CE attests to a wide range of traditions, although it is clear that Christian sources were the most influential. Biblical apocrypha feature prominently across this corpus of literature, as early English authors clearly relied on a range of extra-biblical texts and traditions related to works under the umbrella of what have been called “Old Testament Pseudepigrapha” and “New Testament/Christian Apocrypha." While scholars of pseudepigrapha and apocrypha have long trained their eyes upon literature from the first few centuries of early Judaism and early Christianity, the medieval period has much to offer. This article presents a survey of significant developments and key threads in the history of scholarship on apocrypha in early medieval England. My purpose is not to offer a comprehensive bibliography, but to highlight major studies that have focused on the transmission of specific apocrypha, contributed to knowledge about medieval uses of apocrypha, and shaped the field from the nineteenth century up to the present. Bringing together major publications on the subject presents a striking picture of the state of the field as well as future directions.


Author(s):  
John Chambers ◽  
Jacqueline Mitton

The birth and evolution of our solar system is a tantalizing mystery that may one day provide answers to the question of human origins. This book tells the remarkable story of how the celestial objects that make up the solar system arose from common beginnings billions of years ago, and how scientists and philosophers have sought to unravel this mystery down through the centuries, piecing together the clues that enabled them to deduce the solar system's layout, its age, and the most likely way it formed. Drawing on the history of astronomy and the latest findings in astrophysics and the planetary sciences, the book offers the most up-to-date and authoritative treatment of the subject available. It examines how the evolving universe set the stage for the appearance of our Sun, and how the nebulous cloud of gas and dust that accompanied the young Sun eventually became the planets, comets, moons, and asteroids that exist today. It explores how each of the planets acquired its unique characteristics, why some are rocky and others gaseous, and why one planet in particular—our Earth—provided an almost perfect haven for the emergence of life. The book takes readers to the very frontiers of modern research, engaging with the latest controversies and debates. It reveals how ongoing discoveries of far-distant extrasolar planets and planetary systems are transforming our understanding of our own solar system's astonishing history and its possible fate.


GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206
Author(s):  
SAJITHA M

Food is one of the main requirements of human being. It is flattering for the preservation of wellbeing and nourishment of the body.  The food of a society exposes its custom, prosperity, status, habits as well as it help to develop a culture. Food is one of the most important social indicators of a society. History of food carries a dynamic character in the socio- economic, political, and cultural realm of a society. The food is one of the obligatory components in our daily life. It occupied an obvious atmosphere for the augmentation of healthy life and anticipation against the diseases.  The food also shows a significant character in establishing cultural distinctiveness, and it reflects who we are. Food also reflected as the symbol of individuality, generosity, social status and religious believes etc in a civilized society. Food is not a discriminating aspect. It is the part of a culture, habits, addiction, and identity of a civilization.Food plays a symbolic role in the social activities the world over. It’s a universal sign of hospitality.[1]


Author(s):  
Vera V. Serdechnaia ◽  

The article is devoted to the analysis of the concept of literary romanticism. The research aims at a refinement of the “romanticism” concept in relation to the history of the literary process. The main research methods include conceptual analysis, textual analysis, comparative historical research. The author analyzes the semantic genesis of the term “romanticism”, various interpretations of the concept, compares the definitions of different periods and cultures. The main results of the study are as follows. The history of the term “romanticism” shows a change in a number of definitions for the same concept in relation to the same literary phenomena. By the end of the 20th century, realizing the existence of significant contradictions in the content of the term “romanticism”, researchers often come to abandon it. At the same time, the steady use of the term “romanticism” testifies to the subject-conceptual component that exists in it, which does not lose its relevance, but just needs a theoretical refinement. Conclusion: one have to revise an approach to romanticism as a theoretical concept, based on the change in the concept of an individual in Europe at the end of the 18th century. It is the newly discovered freedom of an individual predetermines the rethinking for the image of the author as a creator and determines the artistic features of literary romanticism.


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