32. The London Prodigal, 1605. There is good ground for thinking that The London Prodigal was written long before 1605; but not affording any marks to ascertain the precife time of its compofition, and not deferving any very minute inquiry, it is here afcribed to that year, in which it was published. Shakspeare's name is printed in the title page of this play, as well as in three other contefted pieces;-Pericles, Sir John Oldcastle, and A Yorkshire Tragedy. But how little the booksellers of that time fcrupled to avail themselves of his name, in order to procure a fale for their publications, appears from its being prefixed to two of Ovid's Epiftles, (which have ever fince been published among his poems) though they were tranflated by Thomas Heywood; and printed (as Dr. Farmer has obferved) in a work of his entitled Brytaine's Troy, fol. 1609', before they were afcribed to Shakspeare. 33. KING LEAR, 1605. The tragedy of King Lear was entered on the books of the Stationers' company Nov. 26, 1607, and is there mentioned to have been played the preceding Christmas, before his majesty at Whitehall. But this, I conjecture, was not its firft exhibition. It fecms extremely probable that its first appearance was in 1605; in which year the old play of K. Leir, that had been entered at Stationers' hall in 1594, was printed by Simon Stafford, for John Wright, who, we may prefume, finding Shakspeare's play fuccefsful, hoped to palm the fpurious one on the publick for his '. Our author's King Lear was not published till 1608. Harfnet's Declaration of Popish Impostures, from which Shakfpeare borrowed fome fantastick name. of fpirits, mentioned in this play, was printed in 1603. NOTES. a Thefe two epiftles, being fo pertinent to our historie, I thought neceffarie to tranflate."-Bryt. Troy, p. 211. Shakspeare has copied one of the paflages in this old play. This he might have done, though we should fuppofe it not to have been publifhed till after his K. Lear was written and acted; for the old play had been in poffeffion of the ftage for many years before 1605. 34. MACBETH, 34. MACBETH, 1606. From a book entitled Rex Platonicus, cited by Dr. Far mer, we learn that king James, when he vifited Oxford in 1605, was addreffed by three ftudents of St. John's college, who perfonated the three weird fifters, and recited a fhort dramatick poem, founded on the prediction of those sybils, (as the author calls them) relative to Banquo and Macbeth. Dr. Farmer is of opinion, that this little piece preceded Shakspeare's play; a fuppofition which is ftrengthened by the filence of the author of Rex Platonicus, who, if Macbeth had then appeared on the ftage, would probably have mentioned fomething of it. It fhould be likewife remembered, that there fubfifted at that time a fpirit of oppofition and rivalship between the regular players and the academicks of the two universities; the latter of whom frequently acted plays both in Latin and English, and feem to have piqued themselves on the superiority of their exhibitions to those of the established theatres. Wishing probably to manifest this fuperiority to the royal pedant, it is not likely that they would chufe for a collegiate interlude, a fubject, which had already appeared on the public ftage, with all the embellishments that the magick hand of Shakspeare could beftow. This tragedy contains an allufion to the union of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, under one fovereign, and alío to the cure of the king's-evil by the royal touch; but in what year that pretended power was NOTES. In Rex Platonicus it is called Lufiuncula. Ab ejufdem collegii alumnis (qui et cothurno tragico et focco comico principes femper habebantur) Vertumnus, comoedia faceta, ad principes exhilarandos exhibetur. Rex Platonicus, p. 78. Arcadiam reftauratam Ifiacorum Arcadum lectiffimi cecinerunt, unoque opere, principum omniumque fpectantium animos im menfa et ultra fidem affecerunt voluptate; fimulque patrios ludiones, etfi exercitatiffimos, quantum interfit inter fcenam mercenariam eruditam docuerunt, Ib. p. 228. See alfo the lines quoted above from the Return from Parnaffus, and Act IV. Sc. iii. of that piece, which was acted publickly at St. John's college in Cambridge. • Macbeth, A& IV. Sc. i. ii. [X2] affumed affumed by king James I. is uncertain. Macbeth was not entered in the Stationers' books, nor printed, till 1623. In The Tragedy of Cæfar and Pompey, or Cæfar's Revenge, are thefe lines: "Why think you, lords, that 'tis ambition's spur "That pricketh Cæfar to these high attempts?" If the author of that play, which was published in 1607, fhould be thought to have had Macbeth's foliloquy in view, (which is not unlikely) this circumftance may add fome degree of probability to the fuppofition that this tragedy had appeared before that year: "I have no fpur "To prick the fides of my intent, but only At the time when Macbeth is fuppofed to have been written, the fubject, it is probable, was confidered as a topick the most likely to conciliate the favour of the court. In the additions to Warner's Albion's England, which were firft printed in 1606, the ftory of "the Three Fairies or Weird Elves," as he calls them, is fhortly told, and king James's defcent from Banquo carefully deduced. Ben Jonfon, a few years afterwards, paid his court to his majefty by his Mafque of Queens, prefented at Whitehall, Feb. 12, 1609; in which he has given a minute detail of all the magick rites that are recorded by king James in hist book of Damonologie, or by any other author ancient or modern. Mr. Steevens has lately difcovered a Mf. play, entitled THE WITCH, written by Thomas Middleton, which renders NOTES. Mr. Upton was of opinion that this mafque preceded Mac-" beth. But the only ground that he ftates for this conjecture, is, "that Jonfon's pride would not fuffer him to borrow from Shakefpeare, though he stole from the ancients." g In an advertisement prefixed to an edition of A Mad World my Maflers, a comedy by Thomas Middleton, 1640, the printer fays, that the author was long fince dead." Middleton probably died foon after the year 1626. He was chronologer to the city of London, and it does not appear that any mafque or pageant, in honour of the Lord Mayor, was fet forth by him after that 8 year. ders it queftionable, whether Shakspeare was not indebted to that author for the first hint of the magick introduced in this tragedy. The reader will find an account of this fingular curiofity in the note.-To the obfervations of Mr. Steevens NOTES. year*. From the dates of his printed plays, and from the enfuing verfes on his lait performance, by Sir William Lower, we may conclude, that he was as early a writer, and at least as old, as Shakspeare: "Tom Middleton his numerous iffue brings, "And his last mufe delights us when the fings: "And his white locks fhew mafter of his art." The following dramatick pieces by Middleton appear to have been publifhed in his life-time.-Your Five Gallants, 1601.Blurt Mafter Conftable, or the Spaniard's Night Walke, 1602.Michaelmas Term, 1607.-The Phanix, 1607.-The Family of Love, 1608.-A Trick to catch the Old One, 1608.-A Mad World my Mafters, 16c8.-The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurfe, 1611.Fair Quarrel, 1617.- A Chafte Maid of Cheapfide, 1620.-A Game at Cheffe, 1625-Moft of his other plays were printed, about thirty years after his death, by Kirkman and other bookfellers, into whose hands his manufcripts fell. h In a former note on this tragedy, I have faid that the original edition contains only the two first words of the fong in the 4th act, beginning-Black fpirits, &c; but have lately difcovered the entire ftanza in an unpublished dramatic piece, viz. "A Tragi-Coomodie called THE WITCH; long fince acted by his Ma.ties Servants at the Black Friers; written by Tho. Middleton." The fong is there called "A charme-fong, about a veffeil." The other fong omitted in the 5th fcene of the 3d act of Macbeth, together with the imperfect couplet there, may likewife be found, as follows, in Midd etan's performance.-The Hecate of Shakespeare, fays: "I am for the air, &c." The Hecate of Middleton (who like the former is fummoned away by aerial fpirits) has the fame declaration in almost the fame "I am fer aloft," &c. words: Song.] Come away, come away: "Hec. I come, I come, I come, "With all the fpced I may, The Triumph of Health and Prosperity at the Inauguration of the most wortby Brother, the Right Hon. Cuthbert Hafket, draper; composed by Thomas Middleton, draper, 1626, 4to. [X3] "With } Steevens I have only to add, that the fongs, beginning, Come away, &c. and Black fpirits, &c. being found at full NOTES. length above "Heere.] in the aire. "And Hoppo too, and Hellwaine too, "Hec. I will but 'noynt, and then I mount. in the aire. There's one comes downe to fetch his dues, 66 "I mufe, I mufe, "Since the air's fo fweet and good, Refufe, refufe. "Hec.] above. Now I am furnish'd for the flight. "Fire.] Hark, hark, the catt fings a brave treble in her owne Hec. going up.] Now I goe, now I flie, "Malkin my fweete fpirit and I, "Oh what a daintic pleasure 'tis "To ride in the aire, "When the moone fhines faire language. "And fing, and daunce, and toy and kiss! "We fly by night 'mongst troopes of fpiritts. "No ring of bells to our eares founds, "No howles of woolves, no yelpes of hounds; "No, not the noy fe of waters'-breache, "Or cannons' throat, our height can reache. "No ring of bells, &c.] above. "Fire.] Well mother, I thank your kindness: you must be gambolling i' th'aire, and leave me to walk here, like a foole and a mortall. Exit. Finis Actus Tercii." This Fire-flone, who occafionally interpofes in the course of the dialogue, is called, in the lift of Perfons Reprefented,—" The Clone and Heccat's fon," |