I have followed the regulations propofed by Sir T. Hanmer and Dr. Farmer; and confequently, instead of knaves, thieves, beds, and heads, have printed knave, thief," &c. Dr. Farmer might have obferved, that the alterations of the titles are in his Majefty's own hand-writing, materially differing from Sir Thomas Herbert's, of which the fame volume affords more than one fpecimen. I learn from another manuscript note in it, that John Lowine acted King Henry VIII. and John Taylor the part of Hamlet. The book is now in my poffeffion. To the concluding remark of Dr. Farmer, may be added the following paffage from An Appeal to all rational Men concerning King Charles's Trial, by John Cooke, 1649: "Had he but ftudied fcripture half fo much as Ben Jonfon or Shakspeare, he might have learnt that when Amaziah was fettled in the kingdom, he fuddenly did juftice upon those servants which killed his father Joafh," &c. With this quotation I was furnished by Mr. Malone. quarto volume of plays attributed to Shakspeare, with the cypher of King Charles II. on the back of it, is preferved in Mr. Garrick's collection. Though we are well convinced that Shakspeare has written flight ballads for the fake of difcriminating characters more ftrongly, or for other neceffary purposes, in the course of his mixed dramas, it is scarce credible, that after he had cleared his stage, he should exhibit his Clown afresh, and with fo poor a recommendation as this fong, which is utterly unconnected with the fubject of the preceding comedy. I do not therefore hefitate to call the nonfenfical ditty before us, fome buffoon actor's compofition, which was accidentally tacked to the Prompter's copy of Twelfth Night, having been cafually fubjoined to it for the diverfion, or at the call, of the loweft order of fpectators. In the year 1766, I saw the late Mr. Wefton fummoned out and obliged to fing Johnny Pringle and his Pig, after the performance of Voltaire's Mahomet, at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. STEEVENS. This play is in the graver part elegant and eafy, and in fome of the lighter fcenes exquifitely humourous. Ague-cheek is drawn with great propriety, but his character is, in a great measure, that of natural fatuity, and is therefore not the proper prey of a fatirist. The foliloquy of Malvolio is truly comic; he is betrayed to ridicule merely by his pride. The marriage of Olivia, and the fucceeding perplexity, though well enough contrived to divert on the ftage, wants credibility, and fails to produce the proper inftruction required in the drama, as it exhibits no juft picture of life. JOHNSON. MEASURE FOR MEASURE.] The ftory is taken from Cinthia's Novels, Decad. 8, Novel 5. РОРЕ. We are fent to Cinthio for the plot of Meafure for Meafure, and Shakspeare's judgment hath been attacked for fome deviations from him in the conduct of it, when probably all he knew of the matter was from Madam Ifabella, in The Heptameron of Whetstone, Lond. 4to, 1582.-She reports, in the fourth dayes Exercife, the rare Hiftorie of Promos and Caffandra. A marginal note informs us, that Whetstone was the author of the Comedie on that fubject; which likewife had probably fallen into the hands of Shakspeare. FARMER. There is perhaps not one of Shakspeare's plays more darkened than this by the peculiarities of its author, and the unfkilfulness of its editors, by diftortions of phrafe, or negligence of tranfcription. JOHNSON. Dr. Johnfon's remark is fo juft refpecting the corruptions of this play, that I fhall not attempt much reformation in its metre, which is too often rough, redundant, and irregular. Additions and omiffions (however trifling) cannot be made without conftant notice of them; and fuch notices, in the prefent inftance, would so frequently occur, as to become equally tiresome to the commentator and the reader. Shakspeare took the fable of this play from the Promos and Caffandra of George Whetstone, published in 1578. See Theobald's note at the end. A hint, like a feed, is more or lefs prolific, according to the qualities of the foil on which it is thrown. This ftory, which in the hands of Whetstone produced little more than barren infipidity, under the culture of Shakspeare became fertile of entertainment. The curious reader will find that the old play of Promos and Caffandra exhibits an almost complete embryo of Menfure for Meajure; yet the hints on which it is formed are fo flight, that it is nearly as impoffible to detect them, as it is to point out in the acorn the future ramifications of the oak. Whetstone opens his play thus: Act I. Scene i. "Promos, Mayor, Shirife, Sworde bearer: one with a bunche of keyes: Phallax, Promos Man. "You officers which now in Julio ftaye, "Know you your leadge, the King of Hungaric, "That ftyll we may to Juftice have an eye. "And now to fhow my rule and power at lardge, Phallax, reade out my Soveraines chardge. Phal." As you commaunde I wyll give heedeful eare. Phallax readeth the Kinges Letters Pattents, which must be fayre written in parchment, with fome great counterfeat zeale. Pro." Loe, here you fee what is our Soveraignes wyl, "Loe, heare his wifh, that right, not might, beare swaye: "Loe, heare his care, to weede from good the yll, "To fcoorge the wights, good lawes that disobay. "Such zeale he beares, unto the common weale, "(How fo he byds, the ignoraunt to fave) "As he commaundes, the lewde doo rigor feele, &c. &c. &c. Pro." Both fwoorde and keies, unto my princes use, "We poynt a tyme of councell more at lardge, "To treate of which, a whyle we wyll depart. Al. Speake. "To worke your wyll, we yeelde a willing hart. Exeunt." The reader will find the argument of G. Whetstone's Promos and Caffandra, at the end of this play. It is too bulky to be inferted here. See likewise the piece itself among Six old Plays on which Shakspeare founded, &c. published by S. Leacroft, Charing-crofs. STEEVENS. Measure for Measure was, I believe, written in 1603. See An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. I. MALONE. |