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"Ever among (fothly to faine)

"I fuffre noie and mochil paine."

(P. 498. n. 6.) In Marfion's Antonio and Mellida, we meet with "Doe me right, and dub me knight, Balurdo."

(P. 502. n. 6.) Dr. Johnson is right with respect to the livery, but the allufion feems to be to the great fiefb-fly, commonly call'd a blue-bottle.

I wonder no one has remarked at the conclusion of the epilogue, that it was the custom of the old players at the end of their performance, to pray for their patrons. Thus at the end of New Cuftom,

"Preferve our noble Q. Elizabeth, and her councell all.” And in Locrine,

"So let us pray for that renowned maid, &c."

And in Middleton's Mad World my Mafiers, "This shows like "kneeling after the play; I praying for my Lord Overmuch and "his good Countefs, our honourable lady and mistress.”

KING HENRY V.

(VOL. IV. p. 33. n. 9.) Iceland dog is probably the true reading; yet we often meet with island. Drayton in his moon-calfe mentions water-dogs, and iflands. And John Taylor dedicates his Sculler, "To the whole kennell of Antichriff's hounds, priests, friars, "monks, and Jefuites, maftis, mongrels, islands, blood-hounds, "bobtaile-tikes."

(P. 48. n. 6.) Old Tusser in his description of Norwich, tells us

it is

"A city trim

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"Where ftrangers well, may feeme to dwell, "That pitch and paie, or keepe their daye." John Florio fays, "Pitch and paie, and goe your waie.”

One of the old laws of Blackwell-ball, was, that, " a penny "be paid by the owner of every bale of cloth for pitching.”

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(P. 71. n. 3.) This picture of Fortune is taken from the old hiftory of Fortunatus; where he is defcribed to be a fair woman, muffled over the eyes.

(P. 109.) Signieur Dew should be a gentleman."

I cannot help thinking, that Shakespeare intended here a stroke at a paffage in a famous old book, call'd, "The gentleman's Aca"demie in Hawking, Hunting, and Armorie," written originally by Juliana Barnes, and re-published by Gervafe Markham, 1595. The first chapter of the Booke of Armorie is "the difference 'twixt "Charles and Gentleman; and it ends thus, From the of-fpring "of gentlemanly Japhet came Abraham, Moyfes, Aaron, and the "Prophets; and alfo the king of the right line of Mary, of "whom that only abfolute gentleman, Jefus, was borne:-gentle "man, by his mother Mary, princeffe of coat armor."

K. HENRY

K. HENRY VI. THREE PARTS.

I have already given some reasons, why I cannot believe, that thefe plays were originally written by Shakespeare. The question, who did write them? is at beft, but an argument ad ignorantiam. We must remember, that very many old plays are anonymous; and that play-writing was scarcely yet thought reputable: nay, feme authors exprefs for it great horrors of repentance. I will attempt, however, at fome future time, to answer this question: the difquifition of it would be too long for this place.

One may at leaft argue, that the plays were not written by Shakespeare, from Shakespeare himfelf. The chorus at the end of Henry V. addreffes the audience

"For their fake,

"In your fair minds let this acceptance take."

But it could be neither agreeable to the poet's judgment or his modefty, to recommend his new play from the merit and fuccefs of Henry VI.!His claim to indulgence is, that, tho' bending and unequal to the tafk, he has ventured to purfue the flory; and this fufficiently accounts for the connection of the whole, and the allufions of particular paffages.

(P. 157. n. 8.) Mr. Theobald might have seen his notion contradicted in the very line he quotes from. Faftolfe, whether truely or not, is faid by Hall and Holingfhead to have been degraded for cowardice. Dr. Heylin in his St. George for England, tells us, that he was afterwards, upon good reafon by him alledged in "his defence, restored to his honour.-This Sir John Falfoff, continues he, was, without doubt, a valiant and wife captain, "notwithstanding the stage hath made merry with him."

(P. 348. n. 6.) In the letter concerning 2. Elizabeth's entertainment at this place, we find, "the cafttle hath name of Kylle"lingwoorth; but of truth, groounded upon faythfull ftory, "Kenelwoorth."

(P. 355.) "Let them kifs one another."

This is from the Mirrour for Neighbours in the legend of Jack Cade.

"With these two heads I made a prety play, "For fight on poales I bore them thro' the ftrete, "And for my fport made each kille other (wete." (P. 531. n. 7.) There is no occafion for correction. "death us depart," was the expreffion in the old marriage ser vice.

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"'Till

(P. 450. n. 5.) This paffage unavoidably brings before the mind that admirable image of old age, in Sackville's Induction, "His withered fist still knocking at deathes dore," &c.

VOL. X.

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KING

KING RICHARD III.

(Vol. VII. p. 124. n. 9.) In the Scornfull Lady of Fletcher, Welford fays to Sir Roger, the curate, "I acknowledge you to "be your art's mafier." "I am but a bachelor of art, Sir," replies Sir Roger. Mr Guthrie would have done well to have informed us, how Sir Roger could poffibly have bought his title of the pope's nuncio ; when, as Abigail tells us, he had only “twenty "nobles de claro, befides his pigges in poffe."

(P. 209. n. 5.) In the fecond part of Marfton's Antonio, " Cor"nets found a cynet."

(P. 148) A childish imitation of Dr. Legge's play was written by one Lacy; which had not been worth mentioning, were they not confounded by Mr. Capell.

KING HENRY VIII.

I intirely agree in opinion with Dr. Johnson, that Ben Jonfor wrote the prologue and epilogue to this play. Shakespeare had a little before affifted him in his Sejanus; and Ben was too proud to receive affittance without returning it. It is probable, that he drew up the directions for the parade at the chriftening, &c. which his employment at court would teach him, and Shakespeare must be ignorant of: I think, I now and then perceive his hand in the dialogue.

It appears from Stowe, that Robert Green wrote fomewhat on this fubject.

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CORIOLA NU S.

(P. 291.) "One word, good citizens.".

"We are accounted poor citizens; the patricians good.".

Good is here used in the mercantile sense.

So Touchstone in Eastward Hoe, "known good men, well mo"nied."

(P. 337. n. 3.) Cleaveland introduces this, according to his quaint manner,

"Her cheeks,

"Where roses mix: no civil war

"Between her York and Lancaster."

(P. 348. n. 1.) This ufe of the word once is found in the Suppofes by Gascoigne," Once, 24 ducattes he coft me."

(P. 353.) Coriolanus feems now, in earnest, to petition for the confulate perhaps we may better read,

"Battles

"Battles thrice fix

"I've feen, and you have heard of; for your voices
"Done many things, &c."

(P. 422. n. 5.) I fuppofe, Coriolanus means, that he had worn to give way to the conditions, into which the ingratitude of his country had forced him.

(P. 427. Whether the word perish be right or not in this place, Dr. Johnson truly obferves, that it is fometimes used actively. In the Maide's Tragedy,

"Let not my fins," fays Evadne to Amintor,

"Perish your noble youth."

JULIUS CESAR.

(VOL. VIII. p. 4.) "I meddle with no tradefman's matters, 66 nor woman's matters, but with all." This should be, "I "meddle with no trade, man's matters, nor woman's matters,

"but with awl."

(P. 6. n. 4.) Shakespeare's mistake of Decius for Decimus, arose from the old tranflation of Plutarch.

ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA.

(P. 152.)

"Octavia is

"A bleffed lottery to him."

Dr. Warburton fays, the poet wrote allottery: but there is no reason for this affertion. The ghost of Andrea in the Spanish, Tragedy, fays,

"Minos in graven leaves of lottery

"Drew forth the manner of my life and death."

(P. 154. n. 8.) Shakespeare gives us the practice of his own time and there is no occafion for in whoop'd at, or any othe alteration. John Davies begins one of his epigrams upon pro verbs,

"He fets cocke on the hoope," in, you would fay;
"For cocking in hoopes is now all the play."

TIMON OF ATHENS.

(P. 271.) It would be lefs abrupt to begin the play thus: Poet." Good day." Painter. "Good day, Sir: I am glad you're "well."

(P. 282. n. 8.) "When thou art Timon's dog."

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This is fpoken Tins, as Mr. Upton fays fomewhere:ftriking his hand on his breast.

"Wot you who named me firft the kinge's dogge?" fays Ariftippus in Damon and Pythias.

(P. 304. n. 5.) There is no occafion to fuppofe the lofs of a line. Sternnefs was the characteristic of a porter. There appeared at Killingworth Cafile," a porter, tal! of parfon, big of lim, and fearn of countinauns."

(P. 314. n. 2.) Whatever be the meaning of the present paffage, it is certain, that lying in wafte is ftill a very common phrafe.

(P. 356.) Swear against objects." Sir Tho. Hanmer reads, 'Gainst all objects: perhaps objects is here ufed provincially for abjects.

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

There is every reafon to believe, that Shakespeare was not the author of this play. I have already faid enough upon the fubject.

Mr. Upton declares peremptorily, that it ought to be flung out of the lift of our author's works: yet Mr. Warner, with all his laudable zeal for the memory of his fchool-fellow, when it may feem to ferve bis purpose, difables his friend's judgment !

Indeed, a new argument has been produced; it must have been written by Shakespeare, becaufe at that time other people wrote in the fame manner!

It is fcarcely worth obferving, that the original publisher had nothing to do with any of the rest of Shakespeare's works. Dr. Johnson obferves the copy to be as correct, as other books of the time; and probably revised by the author himself; but furely Shakespeare would not have taken the greatest care about infinitely the worst of his performances! Nothing more can be faid, except that it is printed by Heminge and Condell in the first folio: but not to infift, that it had been contrary to their intereft to have rejected any play, ufually call'd Shakespeare's, though they might know it to be fpurious; it does not appear, that their knowledge is at all to be depended upon; for it is certain, that in the first copies, they had intirely omitted the play of Troilus and Creffida.

It has been faid, that this play was first printed for G. Elves, 1594. I have feen in an old catalogue of tales, &c. the hiftory of Titus Andronicus.

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.

(VOL. IX.) Notwithstanding what has been faid by a late editor, I have a copy of the first folio, including this play. Indeed,

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