The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Shakespeare garden club, by Mabel M. Moran

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The Shakespeare garden club

A fantasy

Author: Mabel M. Moran

Release Date: July 16, 2022 [eBook #68539]

Language: English

Produced by: Charlene Taylor, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN CLUB ***


The Shakespeare Garden Club

A FANTASY

—by—

Mabel M. Moran
of the
Larchmont Garden Club
Larchmont, N. Y.

Copyright 1919. By Mabel M. Moran.


CAST

Ann Hathaway
Mistress Page
Mistress Ford
Lady Macbeth
Perdita
Cordelia
Desdemona
Katherine
Jessica
Portia
Rosalind
Juliet
Titania
Ophelia
Rosaline
Cleopatra


[Pg 3]

The Shakespeare Garden Club

A FANTASY

By MABEL M. MORAN.

SCENE: A room in Ann Hathaway’s cottage at Stratford-on-Avon. Furnishing in keeping with the period.

(As curtain rises Ann is in the act of placing chairs, benches etc., in a semi-circle around the room; in center of circle is a long chest to be used as desk for the presiding officer.

Noise is heard at door. Ann runs and opens same. Enter Mistress Page and Mistress Ford,—with animated flutter).

ANN: Mistress Page (kisses) and Mistress Ford (more kisses). No finer sight ere greeted eye than you two dear ladies—nor never did I need you more.

PAGE: How now?

FORD: And why is this?

ANN: Forsooth, ’tis a meeting here to-day of the Shakespeare Garden Club—and like to be grave and solemn, so none better than you Merry Wives of Windsor to cheer me up.

PAGE: A meeting—a-lack-a-day—may we stay? We are not members.

ANN: Oh, you are my guests—and most welcome.

FORD: Do we know the ladies?

ANN: Nearly all, I trow, there’s the President, Lady Macbeth.

PAGE: She was ever all dignity—and ambition.

ANN: And the Secretary is Portia, the attorney-at-law.

FORD: A-la-la, she’ll make you toe the mark.

ANN: Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, is Treasurer.

PAGE: No one dares owe dues to her, I’ll warrant.

ANN: But sit you down, and have a merry gossip together. Methinks the ladies do arrive.

(Knock on door. Perdita enters, greeting and handshaking)

ANN: (Aside to wives as Perdita crosses stage and takes chair at end) You remember the Winters’ Tale they told of her? (Wives nod energetically)

ANN: And here comes Desdemona, wife of Othello.

Enter Desdemona. (sits by Perdita)

PAGE: (aside) How could she ever have married that horrid black man?

Enter Cordelia.

FORD: I have never met her, she’s daughter to King Lear, a cranky father and hard to please, but she’s a lovely religious woman.

[Pg 4]

Enter Katherine.

PAGE: Why that’s Petrucio’s wife, the one they called the Shrew, she hath an untamed twinkle in her eye.

Enter Jessica.

(sits at table)

FORD: Shylock’s daughter, she keeps him guessing I’ll warrant.

Enter Rosalind.

(in man’s attire)

PAGE: That must be Rosalind, she always did love the doublet and hose, but—as you like it—so do it, say I.

Enter Portia.

(Mortar-board and gown)

(Sits at center table.)

FORD: ’Tis Portia, the lawyer, and most successful. She’ll win a case tho it be for the Queen or only for a pound of flesh.

Enter Juliet.

PAGE: That’s Romeo’s wife, Juliet Capulet that was; for a run-away match I hear they’re very happy.

Enter Titania.

FORD: There’s a woman I cannot understand. She seems ever to dwell in a sort of Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Enter Ophelia.

PAGE: That girl gives me the shivers, tho some say she makes a fine wife to that melancholy Dane named Hamlet.

Enter Cleopatra.

(Regally attired in Egyptian draperies)

FORD: My word! ’Tis well our husbands are not here, that woman is a vampire.

(Enter in numbers minor characters and take seats, much chatting, laughing, etc., until)

Enter Lady Macbeth.

(All rise and bow, she takes seat at center of table and raps)

The meeting comes to order.

LADY MACBETH: (rising and speaking with much dignity) Ladies of the Shakespeare Garden Club: We have a long and arduous meeting before us. Do I impose too much upon the milk of human kindness when I beg that the minutes of the previous meeting be omitted?

PORTIA: (Jumping to her feet) I do protest, Madam, there is no power in Stratford that can alter a decree established.

KATHERINE: How now! Must we listen to the law again to-day, Portia? Go to—let’s get on!

LADY MACBETH: Oh well, what were done, when ’tis done then ’twere well it were done quickly. Madam Secretary—the minutes.

PORTIA: (reading) The 12th meeting of the Shakespeare[Pg 5] Garden Club was held on March 15th (interruption from a member) Oh the Ides of March! The Ides of March. (grows faint and is fanned by companions.)

MISTRESS PAGE: Poor soul, that is Caesar’s wife.

PORTIA: (continues) The meeting was at the home of Juliet Montague and was addressed by Will Shakespeare himself, who hath told us in strong words of the unsightly condition of the banks of the River Avon. Willow trees uprooted, old rushes strewn about; broken flagons, and stray odds and ends of all unsavory things, even unto defunct felines, lie on the edge of our lovely waterway, and it was urged by our most beloved leader that this Club take the matter in hand and clear away the filth and grow Plants, Flowers and Fruits along the river’s banks. ’Twas moved by Desdemona, seconded by Rosalind, and carried that our Garden Club should attend unto this work.

LADY MACBETH: (rising) Enough! Thus thou must do, if thou’d have it, let us hear what our members have in mind.

PORTIA: Madam President, there is more to read.

JESSICA: Sit you down, Portia, and let me read my report upon the ducats in our treasury.

PORTIA: Jessica, thou art indeed thy father’s child. Shylock ever thought upon the ducats.

LADY MACBETH: Ladies, enough of this. Ambition for our Club is our dear wish. Let’s on with business. Who hath considered this matter and can name some fair flowers to carpet Avon’s banks?

(looks about questioningly, a member rises)

Ah Titania!

TITANIA: Madam President, my suggestions come from realms of fairy land as I dream, half-waking, on a bank where the wild thyme blows; where oxlips and the nodding violet grows. Quite over canopied with luscious woodbine, with sweet musk roses, and with eglantine. I dream of pease blossoms and mustard seed and canker roses (tho some call them wild) and honeysuckle and ivy—(which I trow is feminine because it requires support). I give you dewberries and apricots, and love-in-idleness, and there is cupid’s flower and Dian’s bud, which is but an herb, but brewed will keep men and women chaste.

MISTRESS FORD: (aside) Best brew some for Cleopatra.

TITANIA: (continues) These, Madam President, are what I would grow on Avon’s marshy banks. (sits down)

LADY MACBETH: Titania hath named a worthy list, let all in favor signify in the usual way.

(Members applaud and murmur “aye, aye”)

LADY MACBETH: (looking about) Juliet, do I see you wish to speak?

[Pg 6]

JULIET: Madam President, Romeo says the plaintain leaf is most excellent for healing bruises, why not grow that? And Friar Lawrence knows many precious juic-ed flowers that kill the poisons of baleful weeds. Such weeds as the mandrake that shrieks like living mortals when torn from the earth. And surely we must have a pomegranate tree, for Romeo and I both know that the nightingale loves to sing in the branches, and the nightingale sings far sweeter than the lark.

JESSICA: Oh you romantic child, still thinking of your honeymoon.

LADY MACBETH: Ladies, your approval? (Applause and “ayes”)

OPHELIA: (very timidly) Madam President?

KATHERINE: (aside) Have we to listen to Ophelia? Everyone knows she hath bats in her belfry.

ROSALIND: Hush, Kate, Hamlet hath changed her mind since they were wed, she’s sane enough now.

KATHERINE: Hamlet and Petrucio must be of the same kin, Petrucio made me change some, forsooth.

OPHELIA: (in louder tones) Madam President.

LADY MACBETH: Ah Ophelia, speak up my child.

OPHELIA: Madam, I move we plant rosemary, that’s for remembrance and a chosen emblem for weddings and funerals. And pansies, they’re for thought, tho Madam Titania called them “love-in-idleness.” Fennel, too, we should have, that’s for flatterers, tho some say the gladiators mixed it with their daily food, to make them fierce and rude. Columbine is pretty, but it means unfaithfulness—and forsaken lovers—let’s not plant that. Then we must have rue, for its other name is herb of grace—we all need that. And daisies, shall we plant those? They mean to “dissemble.” But oh dear Madam, I pray you let us have violets—and violets and violets, for they mean faithfulness. (sits down)

KATHERINE: Madam President, I move we cheer Ophelia, she hath told us useful things. (Members—“Aye, aye, aye!”)

LADY MACBETH: (Raps for quiet) Peace ladies, time passes, we must hasten, are there more suggestions?

PERDITA: Madam President—Now Jove give me courage, I do so tremble when I speak—we should plant lavender and mint, and savory, and marjoram, and pale primroses—fairest flowers of their season would show star-like on Avon’s banks, while the flower-de-luce and crown imperial would rear their lily heads in majesty gainst the foliage of willows. We could also have carnations and gillyvors, tho I like them not.

(sits down hastily)

KATHERINE: Madam President. Perdita is so shy she will not tell why she likes not the carnation and the gillyvors, but I know ’tis because they both are streaked[Pg 7] with red and white and look like painted women.

MISTRESS FORD: (aside) Let’s call Cleopatra “gilly” for short.

CORDELIA: Madam President.

LADY MACBETH: Cordelia has the floor.

CORDELIA: Ladies, I ask your indulgence while I tell you a short but sweet tale of the Crown Imperial. This flower, which we sometimes call the Canterbury Bells, was first made white and erect and grew to its full beauty in the Garden of Gethsemane where it was oft noted and admired by our Lord, but on the night of the Agony, as he passed through the Garden, all the other flowers bowed their heads in sorrowful adoration, save the Crown Imperial, which alone remained with its head unbowed, but not for long. Sorrow and shame soon took the place of pride, and tears and painful blushes followed, and so hath she ever remained with bent blossoms unto this very day. (Murmurs and nods from members)

MISTRESS FORD: (aside) Did I not say Cordelia was a fine religious woman?

ROSALINE: Madam President?

LADY MACBETH: Rosaline, my dear, I rejoice to hear you speak.

ROSALINE: Dear Madam, I recall a sweet song of my childhood, learned before I knew that sometimes Love’s Labor’s Lost. It paints a picture of springtime. (Sings)

When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smocks all silver white
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight.

Surely this would apply to Avon’s banks as well.

LADY MACBETH: Quite likely, child, ’tis a pretty chant, we thank you. (looks slowly around circle) Ah, Cleopatra, have you no suggestions?

(Cleopatra rises languidly and poses)

CLEOPATRA: Madam President, age cannot wither, nor custom stale the infinite variety of my memories of Egypt’s bounteous blooms; but alas! They would shrivel and die in your cold clime. Would that you might see green figs grow, and ripe luscious olives. And Oh for a glimpse of the date trees on the Nile, or a whiff of the orange blossoms’ perfume. Could you but imagine the beauty of the lemon tree heavy with golden fruit, or the loveliness of the lime. The dusky purple of Egypt’s wine-like grapes lies ever in mine eye, and I dream of the wondrous green of the Aspic vine. Yet perchance that which I love most is the polished sheen of laurel leaves, for Anthony and I wore laurel chaplets on our brows throughout the year. (Sinks back into seat)

MISTRESS PAGE: My word, she treats us English like[Pg 8] 30 farthings.

LADY MACBETH: My lady Cleopatra hath told us what we may not have.

OPHELIA: (rising hastily) Dear lady, let me tell you what we must not have, ’tis aconite, bracken, bramble and brier, burs, burdock and cockle, duckweed and hemlock, insane-root, nettles and opium. All these are evil things. Let’s none of them.

(Members murmur and shiver)

PORTIA: The law would call this a process of elimination.

ROSALIND: Madam President, I speak for the greenwood tree, for trees are my delight. ’Twas but a while ago that I found a man haunting the forest and abusing our young plants with carving “Rosalind” on their bark. Hanging odes on Hawthornes, and elegies on brambles—forsooth deifying the name of Rosalind. I soon stopped that.

KATHERINE: Brave girl, what did you do?

ROSALIND: (laughing) I married him.

LADY MACBETH: Mistress Ford, have you a thought to add to our growing list?

MISTRESS FORD: (rising and bowing low) My lady, I thank you for your courtesy to one outside your club, and being a good housewife I would speak for grains. You should plant barley, corn and oats, rye and wheat. Then too, there’s spices, ginger, nutmeg and mace—oh yes, and mustard, thyme and savory.

MISTRESS PAGE: (rising quickly) Dear Madam, I, too, am a good housewife, pray let me speak for what we can never neglect, good vegetables. There’s cabbage and carrots, beans and peas, lettuce and mushrooms, and onions, garlic and leeks.

LADY MACBETH: Ladies! Mine ears are weighted with sounds of food. Pray let us not consider onions—garlic and leeks—or all the perfume of Arabia will not sweeten this little land.

CORDELIA: Dear Madam, I fear to annoy, but would the name of berries fall heavy on thine ear? We should grow some of these along the bank; say blueberries and blackberries, currants, and dewberries, gooseberries, mulberries and strawberries, and if we grow strawberries we must remember that our own King Henry the Fifth hath said: “The strawberry grows underneath the nettle, and wholesome berries thrive and ripen best, neighbored by fruit of baser quality.” Are we humans like that, I wonder?

LADY MACBETH: (Turning to Portia) Madam Secretary, are you able to make notes—these thoughts come in thick and fast.

PORTIA: Aye, Madam, and I crave your mercy, and beg that the quality of mercy is not strained, for Ann Hathaway has asked that we leave not out of our discussion[Pg 9] the trees that Master Shakespeare loves so well. If a suggestion from me comes not amiss, it would seem wise that our members now sitting in this half circle should try, as in our childhood games, to name the trees in order, alphabetical, each taking her turn according to the letter, what say you, Madam?

LADY MACBETH: Most admirable. Shall we begin at this end with Mistress Page?

MISTRESS PAGE: Do I understand that I am to name all trees I canst remember beginning with the letter ‘A?’

PORTIA: That is my thought, and when you have finished just tap your neighbor and she will start with ‘B.’

MISTRESS PAGE: (Thoughtfully) Almond, ash, aspen, apple, that’s all. (taps Mistress Ford)

MISTRESS FORD: Balsam, bay, birch, box.

(much excitement among members, all trying to think, etc.) (Much original business)

NEXT: Cherry, chestnut, crabapple, cypress.

NEXT: Elm and elder.

NEXT: Fig, filbert and fir.

NEXT: Hazlenut and holly.

NEXT: Lemon, lime and linden.

NEXT: Oak, olive, orange.

NEXT: Mistletoe and mulberry.

NEXT: Palm, peach, pear, pine, plum, pomegranate.

NEXT: Quince.

NEXT: Sycamore.

NEXT: Walnut and willow.

NEXT: Yew-tree.

ANN HATHAWAY: Will Shakespeare would love that game, and thank the players, ’tis a goodly list of trees to cast welcome shade on Avon’s banks.

LADY MACBETH: Ladies, we may rest content, our meeting hath accomplished much, is there further discussion for our Garden Club?

DESDEMONA: Madam, my husband’s friend, Iago, (tho I like nor trust him not) hath a pretty wit and hath likened us to gardens in these words: “Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners, so that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop, and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry, why the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills.” (sits down)

LADY MACBETH: True, child, very true. Ladies, let me prophesy, that when our members have died, and worms have eaten them and Master Shakespeare himself hath become but ancient history—garden clubs in times to come will remember fair Avon’s shores made lovely by your sweet suggestions.

CLEOPATRA: (languidly) Madam, I move we adjourn.

Curtain.


TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.

Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.

The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber and is entered into the public domain.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN CLUB ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.