"Cursed" tomb of Shakespeare gets a makeover

[trekz 7]

'Cursed' tombstone of Shakespeare gets a makeover

AFP - Wednesday, May 28 01:41 pm

 

LONDON (AFP) - William Shakespeare's tombstone is to undergo a makeover, the church where the grave is located said on Wednesday, though renovators will not risk the "curse" of moving the legendary English playwright's remains.

 

The tombstone in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, west central England, is beginning to disintegrate.

 

Stratford draws tourists from all over the world to see sites associated with Shakespeare, including his grave, birthplace, the childhood home of his wife, Anne Hathaway, and the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre troupe.

 

The writer was baptised at Holy Trinity on April 26, 1564 and buried there on April 25, 1616. He is thought to have penned the warning words inscribed on the tombstone which read:

 

"Good friend for Jisus sake forbeare,

 

"To digg the dust inclosed here,

 

"Blest be the man that spares these stones,

 

"Curst be he that moves my bones."

 

The Friends of Shakespeare's Church group are trying to raise four million pounds (7.9 million dollars, five million euros) to renovate Holy Trinity, which receives thousands of visitors every year.

 

"Part of the reason these stones need work is that while the public do not walk on them, the clergy do while giving communion," said Josephine Walker, from the fundraising group.

 

"We are planning to move the altar rail forward a bit so that we don't have to walk on them any more."

 

Walker said the work would be carried out on site to minimise disruption.

 

"We are not going to disturb the grave, we are not going underneath, so we are not going to worry about the curse."

Edited June 1, 2008 by trekz