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the earliest copy now extant is dated in 1604. In the title-page of that copy, the play is faid to be "newly imprinted, and enlarged to almost as much again as it was, according to the true and perfect copy;" from which words it is manifeft that a former lefs perfect copy had been iffued from the prefs.

In a tract entitled Wits Miferie or the World's Madneffe, difcovering the incarnate Devils of the Age, by Thomas Lodge, which was published in quarto in 1596, one of the devils (as Dr. Farmer has obferved) is said to be “a foule lubber, and looks as pale as the vizard of the ghost, who cried fo miferably at the theatre, Hamlet, revenge." If the allufion was to our author's tragedy, this paffage will ascertain its appearance in or before 1596; but Lodge may have had the elder play in his contemplation. We know however from the teftimony of Dr. Gabriel Harvey, that Shakspeare's Hamlet had been exhibited before 1598.3

The Cafe is altered, a comedy, attributed, to Ben Jonfon, and written before the end of the year 1599, contains a paffage, which feems to me to have a reference to this play:

Perhaps it may be faid, that our author in the fame manner may be proved to have been equally converfant with the terms of divinity, or phyfick. Whenever as large a number of inftances of his ecclefiaftical or medicinal knowledge fhall be produced, what has now been ftated will certainly not be entitled to any weight.

3 See Vol. X. [Mr. Malone's edition] p. 71.

This comedy was not printed till 1609, but it had appeared many years before. The time when it was written, is afcertained with great precifion by the following circumftances. It contains an allufion to Mcres's Wit's Treasury, firft

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In the fecond act of Hamlet, a conteft between the finging boys of St. Paul's, and the actors of the established theatres, is alluded to. At what time that conteft began, is uncertain. But, fhould it appear not to have commenced till fome years after the date here affigned, it would not, I apprehend, be a fufficient reafon for afcribing this play to a later period; for, as additions appear to have been made to it after its first production, and we have fome authority for attributing the firft fketch of it to 1596, or to an earlier period, till that authority is fhaken, we may prefume, that any paffage which is inconfiftent with that date, was not in the play originally, but a fubfequent infertion.

With refpect to the allufion in queftion, it probably was an addition; for it is not found in the quarto of 1604, (which has not the appearance of a mutilated or imperfect copy,) nor did it appear in print till the publication of the folio in 1623.

The fame obfervation may be made on the paffage produced by Mr. Holt, to prove that this play was not written till after 1597. "Their

printed in the latter end of the year 1598, (See p. 98, n. 5.) and is itfelf mentioned by Nathe in his Lenten Stuff, 4to. 1599." It is right of the merry cobler's ftuff, in that witty play of The Cafe is altered."

5 Jonfon's works, Vol. VII. p. 362. Whalley's edit.

6 Between the years 1595 and 1600, fome of Lilys comedies were performed by thefe children. Many of the plays of Jonfon were reprefented by them between 1600 and 1609.

From a paffage in Jack Drum's Entertainment, or the Comedy of Pafquil and Catharine, which was printed in 1601, we learn that they were much followed at that time.

inhibition comes by means of the late innovation." This indeed, does appear in the quarto of 1604, but, we may prefume, was added in the interval between 1597, (when the ftatute alluded to, 39 Eliz. ch. 4. was enacted,) and that year.

Heywood in his Apology for Actors, 1612, complains of the fcurrility introduced lately by the younger brood of players, in their theatrical exhibitions. This may ferve to afcertain the time when the paffage which relates to them was inferted in Hamlet.

11. KING JOHN, 1596.

This hiftorical play was founded on a former drama, entitled The Troublefome Raigne of John King of England, with the Pifcoverie of King Richard Cordelion's bafe Son, vulgarly named the Baftard Fawconbridge: alfo the Death of King John at SwinStead Abbey. As it was (fundry times) publikely alled by the Queenes Majeflies Players in the honourable Citie of London. This piece, which is in two parts, and was printed at London for Sampfon Clarke, 1591, has no author's name in the title-page. On its republication in 1611, the bookfeller for whom it was printed, inferted the letters W. Sh. in the title-page; and in order to conceal his fraud, omitted the words-publikely in the honourable Citie of London, which he was aware would proclaim this play not to be Shakspeare's King John; the company to which he belonged, having no publick theatre in London: that in Blakfriars being a private play-houfe, and the Globe, which was a publick theatre, being fituated in Southwark. He alfo,

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probably with the fame view, omitted the following lines addreffed to the Gentlemen Readers, which are prefixed to the first edition of the old play :

"You that with friendly grace of smoothed brow
"Have entertain'd the Scythian Tamburlaine,
"And given applaufe unto an infidel;
"Vouchfafe to welcome, with like curtefie,
"A varlike Chriftian and your countryman.
"For Chrift's true faith indur'd he many a ftorme,
"And fet himfelfe againft the man of Rome,
"Until bafe treafon by a damned wight
"Did all his former triumphs put to flight.
"Accept of i, fweete gentles, in good fort,
"And thinke it was prepar'd for your difport."

Shakspeare's play being then probably often acted, and the other wholly laid afide, the word lately was fubftituted for the word publickly: "as they were fundry times lately acted," &c.

Thomas Dewe, for whem a third edition of this old play was printed in 1622, was more daring. The two parts were then publifhed, "as they were fundry times lately added;" and the name of William Shakspeare inferted at length. By the Queen's Majeflies players was wifely omitted, as not being very confiftent with the word lately, Elizabeth being then dead nineteen years.

King John is the only one of our poet's uncon tefted plays that is not entered in the books of the Stationers' company. It was not printed till 1623, but is mentioned by Meres in 1598, unless he miftook the old play in two parts, printed in 1591, for the compofition of Shakspeare.

It is obfervable that our author's fon, Hamnet, died in August, 1596. That a man of such sensibility, and of fo amiable a difpofition, fhould have

loft his only fon, who had attained the age of twelve years, without being greatly affected by it, will not be eafily credited. The pathetick lamentations. which he has written for Lady Conflance on the death of Arthur, may perhaps add fome probability to the fuppofition that this tragedy was written at or foon after that period.

In the firft fcene of the second act the following lines are fpoken by Chatillon, the French ambaffador, on his return from England to King Philip :

"And all the unfettled humours of the land-
"Rafh, inconfiderate, fiery voluntaries,
"With ladies' faces and fierce dragons' fpleens,-
"Have fold their fortunes at their native homes,
Bearing their birth-rights proudly on their backs,
"To make a hazard' of new fortunes here.

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"In brief, a braver choice of dauntlefs fpirits
"Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er,
"Did never float upon the fwelling tide,

To do offence and feathe to Chriftendom."

Dr. Johnfon has juflly obferved in a note on this play, that many paffages in our poet's works evidently fhew that "he often took advantage of the facts then recent, and the paffions then in motion." Perhaps the defcription contained in the laft fix lines was immediately fuggefted to Shakspeare by the grand fleet which was fent against Spain in 1696. It confifted of eighteen of the largest of the Queen's fhips, three of the Lord Admiral's, and above one hundred and twenty merchant-fhips and victuallers, under the command of the carls of Nottingham and Effex. The regular land-forces on board amounted to ten thousand; and there was alfo large body

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