him by Morian, who seeks thereby to save his child. follows the revenge of Titus, with all its horrible in After Titus has killed Etiopissa, the emperor kills Then Vespasian "leaps over the table" and k emperor. After which, says his uncle Victoriad woeful, woeful! most harrowing sight. Ah, I sha!" be happy again. Now, Vespasian, the empire bel you; place the crown on your head, and rule in And so the play ends with Vespasian, son of Tit dronicus, Emperor of Rome.

Thus we have restored to us, in mangled form, t' play of "Titus and Vespasian," with absolute certain it was the original of "Titus Andronicus." We find all those crude horrors which Shakespeare himself never have invented, but which were delightful to audiences that divided their attention between play bear-baiting, until the poets worked with finer magic c minds of men.

Now, in the days when Shakespeare was a player, ing old plays with ready pen but not yet known dramatic poet, there was the play of "Titus and pasian," greatly delighted in for its entanglement of ho Even the players might consider it absurd to associate ‹ like this with the early life of the Roman Emperor Vespa notwithstanding the very bold use of emperors' names i tales of the Gesta Romanorum. Shakespeare got rid of absurdity. He distributed the business of Vespasian. tween Titus's brother Marcus and his son Lucius. struck out other crudities, and gave here and there 1 poetical form to the sound and fury of the lines, ta good care rather to concentrate than to dilute the hor which were the main features of the play. One he those early Elizabethans had not reached, and that is misuse of the word "sensational," by which some mod would describe plays of this kind. The play was to be,.

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him by Morian, who seeks thereby to save his child. follows the revenge of Titus, with all its horrible incidents. After Titus has killed Ætiopissa, the emperor kills Titus. Then Vespasian "leaps over the table" and kills the emperor. After which, says his uncle Victoriades, "O woeful, woeful! most harrowing sight. Ah, I shall never be happy again. Now, Vespasian, the empire belongs to you; place the crown on your head, and rule in peace." And so the play ends with Vespasian, son of Titus Andronicus, Emperor of Rome.

Thus we have restored to us, in mangled form, the old play of "Titus and Vespasian," with absolute certainty that it was the original of "Titus Andronicus." We find in it all those crude horrors which Shakespeare himself could never have invented, but which were delightful to rough audiences that divided their attention between plays and bear-baiting, until the poets worked with finer magic on the minds of men.

Now, in the days when Shakespeare was a player, altering old plays with ready pen but not yet known as a dramatic poet, there was the play of "Titus and Vespasian," greatly delighted in for its entanglement of horrors. Even the players might consider it absurd to associate a tale like this with the early life of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, notwithstanding the very bold use of emperors' names in the tales of the Gesta Romanorum. Shakespeare got rid of that absurdity. He distributed the business of Vespasian between Titus's brother Marcus and his son Lucius. He struck out other crudities, and gave here and there more poetical form to the sound and fury of the lines, taking good care rather to concentrate than to dilute the horrors which were the main features of the play. One horror those early Elizabethans had not reached, and that is the misuse of the word "sensational," by which some moderns would describe plays of this kind. The play was to be, and

was, of its kind thorough, after as before revision. It was no invention of Shakespeare's; it is not reconstructed upon Shakespeare's lines; but, as we see, characters were renamed, some of the matter was recast, crudities were struck out, here and there the writing was touched over, and some fresh lines were inserted, We find lines in which we feel young Shakespeare's touch, and while the whole construction of the play that Shakespeare worked upon is thoroughly unlike the inventions of Shakespeare himself, its crude horrors are, no doubt, felt the more intensely for his removal of absurdities in the first way of telling them, and for touches of his that gave more pomp of words' and more force to the style, with now and then some small hint of a grace beyond the reach of the inventor and first writer of the play.

the first

First Part of "King Henry VI."

The Three Parts of King Henry VI. were placed by his fellow-actors Heminge and Condell, in 1623, in collected edition of Shakespeare's Plays. The list of his plays given, in 1598, in "Palladis Tamia," hereafter to be considered, does not include "Henry VI.," but it does include "Titus Andronicus," which is also contained in the first folio of 1623. Shakespeare's earliest original piece may have brought a reputation that, after his comedy had been acted, gave interest to what else had been done by him.

Henslowe.

Philip Henslowe, who died in the same year as Shakespeare, was the son of a Sussex Master of the Game, and he began life as servant to the bailiff of Viscount Montague, owner of Cowdray House, at Mid- Philip hurst, and of Battle Abbey. Lord Montague's town house was in Southwark, where young Philip Henslowe took part in the care of his house-property. Henslowe was living in 1577 in the liberty of the Clink, Upon the death of Lord Montague's bailiff-Woodward -whom he had served, Henslowe married the bailiff's