you fhall fee, as I have faid, great difference betwixt our Bohemia, and your Sicilia. Cam. Fletcher;] many of which, especially thofe which they wrote first, (for even that age refined itself in fome measure,) were made up of fome ridi culous incoherent story, which in one play many times took up the bufinefs of an age. I fuppofe I need not name Pericles, Prince of Tyre, [and here, by the by, Dryden exprefsly names Pericles as our author's production, nor the historical plays of Shakspeare; befides many of the reft, as the Winter's Tale, Love's Labour's Loft, Measure for Meafure, which were either grounded on impoffibilities, or at leaft to meanly written, that the comedy neither caufed your mirth, nor the ferious part your concernment." Mr. Pope, in the Preface to his edition of our author's plays, pronounced the fame ill-confidered judgment on the play before us. "Ifhould conjecture (fays he) of fome of the others, particularly Love's Labour's Loft, THE WINTER'S TALE, Comedy of Errors, and Titus Andronicus, that only fome characters, fingle fcenes, or perhaps a few particular paffages, were of his hand." None of our author's plays has been more cenfured for the breach of dramatick rules than the Winter's Tale. In confirmation of what Mr. Steevens has remarked in another place-" that Shakspeare was not ignorant of these rules, but difregarded them," it may be observed, that the laws of the drama are clearly laid down by a writer once univerfally read and admired, Sir Philip Sydney, who in his Defence of Porfy, 1595, has pointed out the very improprieties into which our author has fallen in this play. After mentioning the defects of the tragedy of Gorboduck, he adds: "But if it be fo in Gerboducke, how much more in all the reft, where you fhall have Afia of the one fide, and Affricke of the other, and fo manie other under kingdomes, that the player when he comes in, muft ever begin with telling where he is, or elfe the tale will not be conceived.-Now of time they are much more liberal. For ordinarie it is, that two young princes fall in love, after many traverses fhe is got with childe, delivered of a faire boy: he is loft, groweth a man, falleth in love, and is readie to get another childe, and all this in two houres fpace: which how abfurd it is in fence, even fence may imagine." The Winter's Tale is fneered at by B. Jonson, in the induction to Bartholomew Fair, 1614: "If there be never a fervant-monster in the fair, who can help it, nor a neft of antiques? He is loth to make nature afraid in his plays, like thote that beget TALES, Tempefts, and fuch like drolleries." By the neft of antiques, the twelve fatyrs who are introduced at the fheep-fhearing feftival, are alluded to In his converfation with Mr. Drummond of Hawthornden, in 1619, he has another stroke at his beloved friend: "He [Jonion] faid, that Shakspeare wanted art, and fometimes fenfe; for in one of his plays he brought in a number of men, faying they had fuffered fhipwreck in Bohemia, where is no lea near by 100 miles." Drummond's Works, fol. 225, edit. 1711. When Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the king of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the visitation which he justly owes him. Arch. When this remark was made by Ben Jonfon, the Winter's Tale was not printed. These words therefore are a fufficient anfwer to Sir T. Hanmer's idle fuppofition that Bohemia was an error of the prefs for Bythinia. This play, I imagine, was written in the year 1604. See An Attempt to ascertain the order of Shakspeare's plays, Vol. I. MALONE. The Winter's Tale may be ranked among the hiftorick plays of Shakfpeare, though not one of his numerous criticks and commentators have difcovered the drift of it. It was certainly intended (in compliment to queen Elizabeth) as an indirect apology for her mother Anne Boleyn. The addrefs of the poet appears no where to more advantage. The fubject was too delicate to be exhibited on the stage without a veil; and it was too recent, and touched the queen too nearly, for the bard to have ventured fo home an allufion on any other ground than compliment. The unreafonable jealoufy of Leontes, and his violent conduct in confequence, form a true portrait of Henry the Eighth, who generally made the law the engine of his boisterous paffions. Not only the general plan of the story is moft applicable, but feveral paffages are fo marked, that they touch the real hiftory nearer than the fable. Hermione on her trial fays: "Tis a derivative from me to mine, "And only that I ftand for." This feems to be taken from the very letter of Anne Boleyn to the king before her execution, where the pleads for the infant princefs his daughter. Mamillius, the young prince, an unneceffary character, dies in his infancy; but it confirms the allufion, as queen Anne, before Elizabeth, bore a still-born fon. But the most striking paflage, and which had nothing to do in the tragedy, but as it pictured Elizabeth, is, where Paulina, defcribing the new-born princess, and her likeness to her father, fays, " She has the very trick of bis frown." There is another fentence indeed fo applicable, both to Elizabeth and her father, that I fhould fufpect the poet inferted it after her death. Paulina, fpeaking of the child, tells the king: 'Tis yours; "And might we lay the old proverb to your charge, "So like you, 'tis the worfe." The Winter's Tale was therefore in reality a fecond part of Henry the Eighth. WALPOLE. Sir Thomas Hanmer gave himself much needlefs concern that Shakfpeare fhould confider Bohemia as a maritime country. He would have us read Bythinia: but our author implicitly copied the novel before him. Dr. Grey, indeed, was apt to believe that Doraftus and Faunia might rather be borrowed from the play, but I have met with a copy of it, which Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us, we will be justified in our loves; for, indeed, Cam. 'Befeech you,- Arch. Verily, I fpeak it in the freedom of my knowledge: we cannot with fuch magnificence-in fo rareI know not what to fay. We will give you fleepy drinks ; that your fenfes, unintelligent of our infufficience, may, though they cannot praife us, as little accufe us. Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely. Arch. Believe me, I fpeak as my understanding inftructs me, and as mine honefty puts it to utterance. Cam. Sicilia cannot fhew himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were train'd together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then fuch an affection, which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities, and royal neceffities, made feparation of their fociety, their encounters, though not perional, have been royally attorney'd3, with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embaffies; that they have feem'd to be together, though abfent; fhook hands, as over a vaft; and embraced, as it were, from the ends of oppofed winds *. The heavens continue their loves! Arch. which was printed in 1588.-Cervantes ridicules thefe geographical mistakes, when he makes the princess Micomicona land at Offuna.➡ Corporal Trim's king of Bohemia "delighted in navigation, and had never a fea-port in his dominions;" and my lord Herbert tells us, that De Luines the prime minifter of France, when he was ambaffador there, demanded, whether Bohemia was an inland country, or lay "<< upon the fea.”—There is a fimilar mistake in the Two Gentlemen of Verona, relative to that city and Milan. FARMER. 2 Wherein our entertainment shall fhame us, &c.] Though we cannot give you equal entertainment, yet the confcioufnefs of our good-will thall juftify us. JOHNSON. We meet with nearly the fame fentiment in Macbeth: 3 "Our will became the fervant to defect, "Which elfe fhould free have wrought." MALONE. reyally attorney'd,] Nobly fupplied by fubftitution of embaffies, &c. JOHNSON. 4-fbook bands, as over a vaft; and embraced, as it were, from the ends of oppofed winds.] Shakspeare has, more than once, taken his imagery Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unfpeakable comfort of your young prince Mamillius; it is a gentleman. of the greatest promife, that ever came into my note. Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him: It is a gallant child; one that, indeed, phyficks the subjects, makes old hearts fresh: they, that went on crutches ere he was born, defire yet their life, to fee him a man. Arch. Would they elfe be content to die? Cam. Yes; if there were no other excufe why they fhould defire to live. Arch. If the king had no fon, they would defire to live on crutches till he had one. The fame. A Room of ftate in the Palace. [Exeunt. Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, CAMILLO, and Attendants. Pol. Nine changes of the watery star have been Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks; Go hence in debt: And therefore, like a cypher, With one we-thank-you, many thousands more imagery from the prints, with which the books of his time were ornamented. If my memory do not deceive me, he had his eye on a wood cut in Holinfhed, while writing the incantation of the weird fifters in Macbeth. There is alfo an allufion to a print of one of the Henries holding a fword adorned with crowns. In this paffage he refers to a device common in the title-page of old books, of two hands extended from oppofite clouds, and joined as in token of friendship. HENLEY. Vaftum is the ancient term for wafte uncultivated land. Over a vast, therefore means at a great and vacant diftance from each other. Vaft, however, may be used for the fea, as in Pericles Prince of Tyre: "Thou God of this great vaft, rebuke the furges." STEEV. 5-phyficks the subject,] Affords a cordial to the state; has the power of afluaging the fenfe of mifery. JOHNSON. So, in Macbeth: "The labour we delight in, phyficks pain." STEEVENS. That That go before it. Leon. Stay your thanks a while; I am question'd by my fears, of what may chance, Leon. We are tougher, brother, Than you can put us to't. Pol. No longer ftay. Leon. One feven-night longer. Pol. Very footh, to-morrow. Leon. We'll part the time between's then; and in that I'll no gain-faying. Pol. Prefs me not, 'beseech you, so; There is no tongue that moves, none, none i'the world, Do even drag me homeward: which to hinder, Leon. Tongue-ty'd, our queen? fpeak you. Her. I had thought, fir, to have held my peace, until You had drawn oaths from him, not to ftay. You, fir, Charge him too coldly: Tell him, you are fure, All in Bohemia's well: this fatisfaction The by-gone day proclaim'd; say this to him, No fncaping winds-] May there blow. JOHNSON. In an old tranflation of the famous Alcoran of the Francifcans: "St. Francis obferving the holinefs of friar Juniper, faid to the priors, That I had a wood of fuch Junipers!" FARMER. 7 This is put forth too truly!] i. c. to make me fay, I had too good reafon for my fears concerning what might happen in my abfence from home. MALONE. 8 this fatisfaction &c.] We had fatisfactory accounts yesterday of the ftate of Bohemia. JOHNSON. He's |