is visible in many scenes throughout the play. But it follows not from thence that he is answerable for its worst part, though the our author's property, they stand so constantly in our way, that we must adjudge the whole literary estate to him. I hope no one will be found who supposes our duumvirate sat down to correct what each other wrote. To such an indignity Fletcher could not well have submitted; and such a drudgery Shakspeare would as hardly have endured. In Pericles it is no difficult task to discriminate the scenes in which the hand of the latter is evident. I say again, let the critick try if the same undertaking is as easy in The Two Noble Kinsmen. The style of Fletcher on other occasions is sufficiently distinct from Shakspeare's, though it may mix more intimately with that of Beaumont : Ὃς τ ̓ ἀποκιδνάμενος ποταμε κελαδοντος Αράξεω From loud Araxes Lycus' streams divide, But, that my assertions relative to coincidence may not appear without some support, I proceed to insert a few of many instances that might be brought in aid of an opinion which I am ready to subjoin. The first passage hereafter quoted is always from the Two Noble Kinsmen, edit. 1750. 2 2 Dear glass of ladies. P. 9. vol. x. Wherein the noble youths did dress themselves. blood-siz'd field- P. 9. as ospreys do the fish, Subdue before they touch. P. 11. King Henry IV. P. II. Hamlet. as is the osprey to the fish, who takes it By sovereignty of nature. Coriolanus. 1 His ocean needs not my poor drops. P. 20. 2 as petty to his ends 2 As is the morn-dew on a myrtle leaf To his grand sea. Antony and Cleopatra. - 1 Their intertangled roots of love. P. 22. Grief and patience, rooted in him both, Mingle their spurs together. Cymbeline. best it contains may be, not dishonourably, imputed to him. Both weeds and flowers appear in the same parterre, yet we do S1 Lord, lord, the difference of men! 2 O, the difference of man and man. 1 Like lazy clouds-. P. 30. 2 1 P. 30. the lazy-pacing clouds-. Romeo and Juliet. 2 Or, like the Parthian, I shall flying fight. Cymbeline. Mr. Seward observes that this comparison occurs no where in Shakspeare. 1 Banish'd the kingdom, &c.- P. 41. 2 See the speech of Romeo on the same occasion. 1 He has a tongue will tame Tempests-. P. 42. 2 Romeo and Juliet. she would sing the savageness out of a bear. Othello. 1 Theseus.] To-morrow, by the sun, to do observance To flowery May. P. 47. 2 Theseus.] -they rose up early to observe The rite of May. Midsummer-Night's Dream, 1 Let all the dukes and all the devils roar, He is at liberty-. P. 48. 2 And if the devil come and roar for them, He shall not have them. King Henry IV. P. I. in thy rumination That I, poor man, might eftsoons come between. P. 50. 2Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd! Hamlet. 1 Dear cousin Palamon 2 1 Pal. Cozener Arcite. P. 51. Gentle Harry Percy, and kind cousin, The devil take such cozeners. King Henry IV. P. I. this question, sick between us, By bleeding must be cur'd. P. 54. 2 Let's purge this choler without letting blood. K. Richard II. 1 swim with your body, And carry it sweetly-. P. 61. 2 Bear your body more seemly, Audrey. As You Like It. not infer from their being found together, that they were planted by the same hand. 1 And dainty duke whose doughty dismal fame. P. 64. 2 Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade. And then she sung Midsummer-Night's Dream. Nothing but willow, willow-. P. 79. 2 -sing willow, willow. Othello. O who can find the bent of woman's fancy! P. 84. 2 O undistinguish'd space of woman's will! King Lear. 2 -like the great-ey'd Juno's, but far sweeter. P. 84. -sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes. The Winter's Tale. better, o' my conscience, Was never soldier's friend. P. 86. 2 A better never did itself sustain Upon a soldier's thigh. Othello. -his tongue Sounds like a trumpet. P. 87. 2 Would plead like angels trumpet-tongued. Macbeth. 2 this would shew bravely, Fighting about the titles of two kingdoms. P. 89. -such a sight as this Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. Hamlet. 1 Look where she comes! you shall perceive her behaviour. P. 89. 2 Lo you where she comes! This is her very guise. Macbeth. the burden on't was down-a down-a. P. 90. 1 2 You must sing down-a down-a: oh how the wheel becomes it! Hamlet. 1 How her brain coins! P. 90. 12 This is the very coinage of your brain. Hamlet. 1 Doctor.] not an engrafted madness, but a most thick and profound melancholy-. p. 91. 2 Doctor.] not so sick, my lord, 2 As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies. Macbeth. Doctor. I think she has a perturbed mind, which I cannot minister to. P. 91. -perturbed spirit! Hamlet. Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas'd? Doctor. therein the patient Must minister to himself. Macbeth. Were I disposed, with controversial wantonness, to reason against conviction, I might add, that as Shakspeare is known to 2 -bends up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Macbeth. thy female knights-. P. 99. -thy virgin knight. Much Ado About Nothing. with that thy rare green eye P. 99. 2 Hath not so quick, so green, so fair an eye. Romeo and Juliet. His eyes were green as leeks. Midsummer-Night's Dream. 1 His costliness of spirit look'd through him. P. 110 12 Your spirits shine through you. Macbeth. N. B. I have met with no other instances of the use of this word. 1 Disroot his rider whence he grew. ~P. 115. 2 This gallant grew unto his seat. Hamlet. It will happen, on familiar occasions, that diversity of expression is neither worth seeking, or easy to be found; as in the following instances: have borrowed whole speeches from the authors of Darius, King John, the Taming of a Shrew, &c. as well as from novellists and Cer. Look to the lady. Pericles. Macd. Look to the lady. Macbeth. Cap. Look to the bak'd meats. Romeo and Juliet. Pal. Look to thy life well, Arcite! Two Noble Kinsmen. Dion. How chance my daughter is not with you ? Pericles. Dion. How now, Marina? why do you keep alone? Pericles. Coun. Macbeth. have with you, boys! Two Noble Kinsmen. Bel. Have with you, boys! Cymbeline. Daugh. Yours to command, i' th' way of honesty. Two Noble Kinsmen. Faulc. For I was got i' th' way of honesty. King John. Thal. —if I can get him within my pistol's length. Pericles. an if he come but within my vice. Phang. King Henry IV. P. II. All such examples I have abstained from producing; but the peculiar coincidence of many among those already given, suffers much by their not being viewed in their natural situations. Let the criticks who can fix on any particular scenes which they conceive to have been written by Shakspeare, or let those who suppose him to have been so poor in language as well as ideas, that he was constrained to borrow in the compass of half the Noble Kinsmen from above a dozen entire plays of his own composition, advance some hypothesis more plausible than the following; and yet I flatter myself that readers may be found who will concur with me in believing this tragedy to have been written by Fletcher in silent imitation of our author's manner. No other circumstance could well have occasioned such a frequent occurrence of corresponding phrases, &c, ; nor, in my opinion, could any particular, but this, have induced the players to propagate the report, that our author was Fletcher's coadjutor in the piece.-There is nothing unusual in these attempts at imitation. Dryden, in his preface to All for Love, professes to copy the style of Shakspeare. Rowe, in his Jane Shore, arrogates to himself the merit of having pursued the same plan. How far these poets have succeeded, it is not my present business to examine; but Fletcher's imitation, like that of many others, is chiefly verbal; and yet |