4 At Suakespeare was only thirty-three years of age when the may was first published, it must obrious y rank among his eary productions. But the date of publication i no er 10 determine the period when it was writer, or when i was first performed. The words on the trepare of the first edition. As it bati beer ofer WILL grem &ppines pilit publionely, by the right honourable the L of Huuston his Seruante.” Kaone considers proof that the ILLT WAS first weved in 1996, because Henry. Lord Emeton, who had the office of Lord Chamberlain, died in that year, and he soL George. Lori Husion out succeeded to the office in April, 1527. He is of opinion that the actors would only have desgusted themselves Lord Hunsdor's servants" during the inerva of these dates, because they would have been called "The Lord Chamberlain's servants at a time when the office was really held by their noble patron This argument, Mr. Engis remarks, is no doux decisive as to the past being performed before George, Lord Hunsdon; but it is not in any degree decisive as to the play not having been performed without the advantage of this notiemar's patronage. Chalmers assigns its composition to the spring of 1592; and Druke places it a year later. The beef in its production at at earlier period that that ascribed by Malone, is strengthened by the indications "Come see the Capulets and Montagues, The Popescu ant Monat, man We caret for nought! Those stuk in grief and these + The story must have been eminent popular al over Europe from at early period. 1: forms the of 2 brali pay by Lopez de Ter entled · Los Castelvies y Morteses and another by Dr Franciser de Eczas under the Lamt of Los Tandos de Teron' 1578 it Lad been adapted to the stage by Luig Grote under the title of Eachana and Arthur Brooke in the preface to the poem above mentioned, speaks off having seen the same argument lately set forth of age with more commentation that I car looks for being them much better set forth then I Love of caL QOD" &T Acsion most probably to some representatior of it abroad, for the rude condition of our Grama at the time renders it unliker that he should refer to any play of the kind performed in this country. ILLUSTRATIVE COMMENTS. АСТ І. (1) SCENE II.-They say this town is full of cozenage, &c.] This was the character attributed to Ephesus in remote ages. Steevens suggests that Shakespeare might have got the hint for this description from Warner's translation of the "Menæchmi," 1595. "For this assure yourselfe, this Towne Epidamnum is a place of outragious expences, exceeding in all ryot and lasciviousnesse: and (I heare) as full of Ribaulds, Parasites, Drunkards, Catchpoles, Cony-catchers, and Sycophants, as it can hold," &c. But it is observable that Shakespeare, with great propriety, makes Antipholus attach to the Ephesians higher and more poetical qualities of cozenage than those enumerated by the old translator. It is not merely as "catchpoles," cony-catchers," and the like, but as "darkworking sorcerers," and "soul-killing witches," that he speaks of them. And hence we are prepared to find him attribute the cross-purposes of the scene to supernatural agency, and see no inconsistency in his wooing Luciana as an enchantress : "Teach me, dear creature! how to think and speak; Or in his imagining that, to win the sibyl, he must lose himself: "Sing, syren, for thyself, and I will dote: Spread o'er the silver waves thy golden hairs, ACT III. (1) SCENE 1.-Once this.] The following note in Gifford's "Ben Jonson" (vol. iii. p. 218) helps to confirm our opinion that onte in this place, and in many other instances, is only another form of nonce, and means for the occasion, for the time being, &c. "For the nonce, is simply for the once, for the one thing in question, whatever it may be. This is invariably its meaning. The aptitude of many of our monosyllables beginning with a vowel to assume the n is well known; but the progress of this expression is distinctly marked in our early writers, 'a ones,' 'an anes,' 'for the anes,' 'for the nanes,' for the nones,' 'for the Borne on a foamy-crested wave, The reader desirous of particular information concerning the supposed existence and habits of these seductive beings, may consult Maillet's "Telliamed," Pontopiddan's "Natural History of Norway," and Waldron's "Account of the Isle of Man." (3) SCENE II.— ANT. S. Where France? DRO. S. In her forehead; arm'd and reverted, making war against her heir,] As Theobald first observed, an equivoque was, no doubt, intended between the words hair and heir; and by the latter, was meant Henry IV. the heir of France, concerning whose succession to the throne there was a civil war in the country from 1589 for several years. Henry, after struggling long against the League, extricated himself from all his difficulties by embracing the Roman Catholic religion at St. Denis, on Sunday, the 25th of July, 1593, and was crowned King of France in February, 1594. In 1591, Lord Essex was dispatched with 4,000 troops to the French king's assistance, and his brother Walter was killed before Rouen, in Normandy. From that time till Henry was peaceably settled on the throne, many bodies of troops were sent by Queen Elizabeth to his aid so that his situation must at that period have been a matter of notoriety, and a subject of conversation in England. From the reference to this circumstance, Malone imagines the " Comedy of Errors to have been written before 1594. DRO. E. Will you be bound for nothing? Be mad, good master; Cry, the devil !— Luc. God help poor souls, how idly do they talk! ADR. Go bear him hence. Sister, go you with me. [Exeunt PINCH and Assistants, with ANT. E. and DRO. E. Say, now, whose suit is he arrested at? OFF. One Angelo, a goldsmith; do you know him? ADR. I know the man. What is the sum he owes? OFF. Two hundred ducats. ADR. to-day a Came to my house, and took away my ring, (The ring I saw upon his finger now,) Straight after did I meet him with a chain. ADR. It may be so, but I did never see it. Come, gaoler, bring me where the goldsmith is; I long to know the truth hereof at large. a Whenas your husband,-] This is commonly printed when as, &c.; in some editions when, as, &c. As we remarked in note (c) p. 21, when as and when, whereas and where, were of old used interchangeably. b Exeunt, &c.] The old copy has two stage directions here. One, "Runne all out," and immediately after, "Exeunt omnes, Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse, with his rapier drawn, and DROMIO of Syracuse. Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again! ADR. And come with naked swords: let's call more help, To have them bound again. Away; they'll kill us. [Exeunt Officer, ADR. and Luc.b ANT. S. I see these witches are afraid of swords. DRO. S. She that would be your wife now ran from you. ANT. S. Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff from thence: I long that we were safe and sound aboard. DRO. S. Faith, stay here this night; they will surely do us no harm.-You saw, they speak us fair, give us gold: methinks they are such a gentle nation, that, but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still, and turn witch. ANT. S. I will not stay to-night for all the town; Therefore away, to get our stuff aboard. as fast as may be, frighted." [Exeunt. c To get our stuff aboard.] One of the meanings attached to this commonly-used word, stuff, in early times, was luggage. In the orders issued for the royal progresses, Malone says, the king's baggage was always thus denominated. |