Stratford, February 2, 1584-5, we may presume that he had not left the country at that time. He could not have wanted an easy introduction to the theatre; for Thomas Greene *, a celebrated comedian was his townsman, perhaps his relation, and Michael "There was not (says Heywood in his preface to Greene's Tu quoque, a comedy) an actor of his nature in his time, of better ability in the performance of what he undertook, more applauded by the audience, of greater grace at the court, or of more general love in the city." The birth-place of Thomas Greene is ascertained by the following lines, which he speaks in one of the old comedies, in the character of a clown: "I pratled poesie in my nurse's arms, "And, born were late our swan of Avon sung; Chetwood quotes this passage, in his British Theatre, from the comedy of the Two Maids of Moreclack; but no such passage is there to be found. He deserves but little credit, having certainly forged many of his dates; however, he probably met these lines in some ancient play, though he forgot the name of the piece from which he transcribed them. Greene was a writer as well as an actor. There are some verses of his prefixed to a collection of Drayton's poems, published in the year 1613. He was, perhaps, a kinsman of Shakspere's. In the register of the parish of Stratford, Thomas Greene, alias Shakspere, is said to have been buried March 6, 1589. He might have been the actor's father. Drayton Drayton was likewise born in Warwickshire; the latter was nearly of his own age; and both were in some degree of reputation soon after the year 1590. If I were to indulge a conjecture, I should name the middle of the year 1591, as the æra when our author commenced a writer for the stage; at which time he was somewhat more than twenty-seven years old. The reasons that induce me to fix on that period are these. In Webbe's Discourse of English Poetry, published in 1586, we meet with the names of most of the celebrated poets of that time; particularly those of George Whetstone* and Antony Munday †, who were *The author of Promos and Cassandra, a play which furnished Shakspere with the fable of Measure for Measure. This poet is mentioned by Meres, in his Wit's Treasury, as an eminent comick writer, and the best plotter of his time. He seems to have been introduced under the name of Don Antonio Balladino, in a comedy that has been attributed to Ben Jonson, called The Case is Altered ; and from the following passages in that piece appears to have been city-poet; whose business it was to compose an annual panegyrick on the Lord-Mayor, and to write verses for the pageants: an office which has been discontinued since the death of Elkanah Settle in 1722: Onion. "Shall I request your name? Ant. My name is Antonio Balladino. Oni. Balladino! You are not pageant-poet to the city of Milan, Sir, are you? Ant. |