he likewise enriched poor struggling soldiers with great quantity. This impropriety is now heightened by placing the thieves in one act, and the poet and painter in another: but it must be remembered, that in the original edition this play is not divided into separate acts, so that the present distribution is arbitrary, and may be changed if any convenience can be gained, or impropriety obviated by alteration. 48 the privy. JOHNSON. -drown them in a draught,] The draught is 49 In our dear peril.-] So the folios, and rightly. The Oxford editor alters dear to dread, not knowing that dear, in the language of that time, signified dread, and is so used by Shakspeare in numberless places. WARBURTON. 50 When crouching marrow, in the bearer strong, Cries of itself, no more:-] The marrow was supposed to be the original of strength. The image is from a camel kneeling to take up his load, who rises immediately when he finds he has as much laid on as he can bear. WARBURTON. 51 caitiffs-] This epitaph is found in sir Tho. North's translation of Plutarch, with the difference of one word only, viz. wretches instead of caitiffs. ON THE PLOT, THE FABLE, AND CONSTRUCTION OF TITUS ANDRONICUS. THERE is an authority for ascribing this play to Shakspeare, which I think a decisive one, though not made use of, as I remember, by any of his commentators. It is given to him, among other plays, which are undoubtedly his, in a little book, called Palladis Tamia, or the second Part of Wit's Commonwealth, written by Francis Meeres, Maister of arts, and printed at London in 1598. The other tragedies, enumerated as his in that book, are King John, Richard the second, Henry the fourth, Richard the third, and Romeo and Juliet. The comedies are, the Midsummer Night's Dream, the Gentlemen of Verona, the Errors, the Love's Labour lost, the Love's Labour won, and the Merchant of Venice. I have given this list, as it serves so far to ascertain the date of these plays; and also, as it contains a notice of a comedy of Shakspeare, the Love's Labour won, not included in any collection of his works; nor, as far as I know, attributed to him by |