a very strong one, though not made use of, as I ny of his commentators. It is given to him, among nich are undoubtedly his, in a little book, called

or the Second Part of Wit's Commonwealth, writMeres, Maister of Arts, and printed at London Other tragedies, enumerated as his in that book, Richard the Second, Henry the Fourth, Richard Romeo and Juliet. The comedies are, the MidDream, the Gentlemen of Verona, the Comedy of e's Labour's Lost, the Love's Labour Won, and the enice. I have given this list, as it serves so far to ate of these plays; and also, as it contains a noLy of Shakspeare, the Love's Labour Won, not inollection of his works; nor, as far as I know, at

by any other authority. If there should be a th that title, though without Shakspeare's name, d to see it; and I think the editor would be sure thanks, even if it should prove no better than ur's Lost. Tyrwhitt.

criticism on the plays of our author, is, I believe,
to extend or contract itself in proportion to the
ce under consideration; and we shall always do
desire but little should be done. I know not that
s in need of much emendation; though it
though it might
ondemned criminals are in some countries, -any
ght be justifiably made on it.
whoever he was, might have borrowed the story,
characters, &c. from an old ballad, which is en-
ks of the Stationers' Company immediately after
same subject. "John Danter] Feb. 6. 1593. A
Noble Roman Historie of Titus Andronicus.”
to him also the ballad thereof."

April 19, 1602, by Tho. Pavyer.

-ill find it in Dr. Percy's Reliques of Ancient Eng. I. Dr. Percy adds, that "there is reason to ais play was rather improved by Shakspeare with aes of his pen, than originally writ by him; for that the style is less figurative than his others ges tragedy is mentioned with discredit in the en Jonson's Bartholomew Fair in 1614, as one cen exhibited five-and-twenty or thirty years :" e the lowest number, throws it back to the year

ought to
Sared Tive
mong th
Ben's Pro
Steer on
Painter.
Titus as
Tamora:
gallusic

Whatev Matting th by their fa marks o troduce See the

1 On wha

our poet's
ascertaine
that he w
sathor, in
ing it for
venscroft
one or ot
he in his

by some riginally the only g pal parts "A bo cus was Undoubte to Langb and acted Sussex. mentione same cor titled The old Tam whom no formed.

among called

, writondon

book,

ichard

Mid

edy of. nd the

far to

s a nonot in

w, atd be a

name, e sure than

elieve, to the

ays do ot that

might -any

story, is env after 93. A

preces

surea Ine Tempest, and
among the most finished works of Shakspea
Ben's Prologue to Every Man in his Humor
sneer on him.

Painter, in his Palace of Pleasure, Tom. II, of Titus as well known, and particularly ment Tamora: And, in A Knack to know a Knave, 1 ing allusion to it:

as welcome shall you be "To me, my daughters, and my son "As Titus was unto the Roman sena

"When he had made a conquest on Whatever were the motives of Heming a mitting this tragedy among those of Shakspea by their favour is, to be delivered down to posto remarks of contempt,-a Thersites babbling: introduced only to be derided.

See the notes at the conclusion of this piec On what principle the editors of the first c our poet's plays admitted this into their volu ascertained. The most probable reason that c that he wrote a few lines in it, or gave some author, in revising it, or in some other way a ing it forward on the stage. The tradition venscroft in the time of King James II, warr one or other of these suppositions. "I hav he in his preface to an alteration of this play " by some anciently conversant with the stag originally his, but brought by a private autho he only gave some master touches to one or pal parts or characters."

"A booke entitled A noble Roman Historie cus" was entered at Stationers'-Hall, Feb. 6, undoubtedly the play, as it was printed in the to Langbaine, who alone appears to have seer and acted by the servants of the Earls of Pem Sussex. It is observable that in the entry no mentioned, and that the play was originally same company of comedians who exhibited t titled The Contention of the Houses of Yorke a old Taming of a Shrew, and Marlowe's Ki whom not one of Shakspeare's plays is said formed. See the Dissertation on King Henry F who are not conversant with his writings, if ges were examined, more words would be nesubject is worth; those who are well acquaintEs, cannot entertain a doubt on the question.mention one mode by which it may be easily asthe reader only peruse a few lines of Appius and d and Gismund, The Battle of Alcazar, Jeronimo, of the Turks, The Wounds of Civil War, The Locrine, Arden of Feversham, King Edward I, gedy, Solyman and Perseda, King Leir, the old y other of the pieces that were exhibited before speare, and he will at once perceive that Titus coined in the same mint.

- of Meres, mentioned in a preceding note, alone nsidered. His enumerating this among Shaknay be accounted for in the same way in which for its being printed by his fellow-comedians in ition of his works. Meres was in 1598, when ed, intimately connected with Drayton, and prowith some of the dramatick poets of the time, her of whom he might have heard that ShakI himself about this tragedy, or had written a author. The internal evidence furnished by the proving it not to have been the production of atly outweighs any single testimony on the other ght have been misinformed, or inconsiderately it to the rumour of the day. For six of the as mentioned, (exclusive of the evidence which on of the pieces themselves might have furperhaps no better authority than the whisper for they were not then printed. He could not ived by a title-page, as Dr. Johnson supposes; 3 name is not in the title-page of the edition o in 1611, and therefore we may conclude, was age of that in 1594, of which the other was unmpression. Had this mean performance been kspeare, can it be supposed that the booksellers endeavoured to procure a sale for it by stampon it?

high antiquity of the piece, its entry on the Staand being afterwards printed without the name s being performed by the servants of Lord Pemstately march of the versification, the whole nposition, its resemblance to several of our most

erroneously "Kud Dlav in H "Ben Je Indronicus

shelter'd al

"Sports ne-Jonso thons outsha

"Tamb might be c Kyd."

From a mer. Stee

In the li volume of first is Tit I have c of Shaksp readings, The ing collated ti of his coll pages. S

Γ

play in Hamlet. Marloe, of H. 6.

"Ben Jonson, Barthol. Fair-ranks toge Andronicus, [time and stile]-first exposed I shelter'd afterwards under another's name. "Sporting Kyd [perhaps wrote comedy] a line-Jonson. [might assist Lily,] Perhaps tions outshone.

"Tamburlaine mention'd with praise by 1 might be different from the bombast oneKyd."

From a loose scrap of paper, in the hand mer. Steevens.

In the library of the Duke of Bridgewate volume of old quarto plays, numbered R. first is Titus Andronicиз.

I have collated it with the tragedy as it s of Shakspeare, 1793: and the following re readings, are here assigned to their proper

The ingenious and accurate Mr. Todd collated this tragedy (4to. 1600) with that of his collations &c. will be found at the bot pages. Steevens.