HISTORICAL NOTICE

OF THE

WINTER'S TALE.

The story of this play is taken from Robert Greene's Pleasant History of Dorastus and Fawnia, which was published in 1588. Shakspeare has, however, changed the names of the characters, and added the parts of Antigonus, Paulina, and Autolycus from his own invention.

The Winter's Tale was not entered on the Stationers' books, or printed till 1623, while we learn from Vertue's manuscripts, that it was acted at court in 1613. Malone attributes the composition to the year 1611; but Lord Orford assigns to it a much earlier date, and conjectures that it was written during the life-time of Elizabeth, and that it was intended as an indirect apology for Anne Boleyn; in which light it might be considered as a sequel to King Henry VIII.

Much censure has been cast on our author by Dryden and Pope for his disregard of the classical unities, which are no where so daringly violated as in this production, where we meet with a young woman becoming a bride, who, but a few minutes before had been deposited on the sea-shore, a new-born infant.

6

Schlegel has observed of this drama, that its title is happily adapted to its subject, being one of those tales which are peculiarly calculated to beguile the dreary

leisure of a long winter evening, which are even attractive and intelligible to childhood, and which, animated by fervent truth in the delineation of character and passion, invested with the decoration of a poetry lowering itself, as it were, to the simplicity of the subject, transport even manhood back to the golden age of imagination.'

This play,' says Dr. Johnson, 'is, with all its absurdities, very entertaining. The character of AutoIvcus is naturally conceived and strongly represented.'

ARGUMENT.

Polixenes, king of Bohemia, during a visit to his friend Leontes, king of Sicily, awakens the jealousy of his host, who unjustly suspects him of an intrigue with his wife Hermione, and endeavors to prevail on a courtier, named Camillo, to poison his guest: instead however of complying with his request, Camillo informs the unsuspecting monarch of his danger, and accompanies him in his flight to Bohemia. Leontes now vents his rage on the innocent Hermione, who is debarred from the society of her son, and confined in prison, where she is delivered of a daughter named Perdita, who is considered as spurious, and ordered to be exposed by her inhuman father. Antigonus, to whose custody the infant is committed, reaches the Bohemian territories, and during his progress is strangled by a bear, while the child is found by a poor shepherd, who rears it as his own. In the mean time, the character of Hermione is completely vindicated by the answer of the oracle of Delphi, which informs Leontes that he shall want an heir to his kingdom till the lost infant is found; and in confirmation of its truth, his son suddenly expires immediately after the arrival of the commissioners. The spirits of the queen are unable to sustain this last shock, and the intelligence of her death is soon after conveyed to her repentant husband. At the age of sixteen, Perdita captivates the affections of Florizel, the son of Polixenes, who contrives to escape from Bohemia with his affianced bride, and reaches the coast of Sicily, whither he is pursued by his enraged father: the apparel and jewels, which were found with the infant at the time of its exposure, are now produced by the shepherd, and Perdita is recognised as the daughter of Leontes, and bestowed in marriage on her lover. Paulina, the widow of Antigonus, invites her master and his guests to inspect a statue of Hermione, which excites unbounded admiration as a triumph of art, when the supposed marble becomes animated, and Leontes recovers his amiable wife, who had in retirement awaited the fulfilment of the oracle.

SHAK.

V.

R

Another Sicilian Lord.

ROGERO, a Sicilian gentleman.

An Attendant on the young prince Mamillius.
Officers of a court of judicature.

POLIXENES, king of Bohemia.
FLORIZEL, his son.

ARCHIDAMUS, a Bohemian lord.
A MARINER.

JAILER.

An old SHEPHERD, reputed father of Perdita.
CLOWN, his son.

Servant to the old Shepherd.

AUTOLYCUS, a rogue.

TIME, as chorus

HERMIONE, queen to Leontes.

PERDITA, daughter to Leontes and Hermione.

PAULINA, wife to Antigonus.

EMILIA, a lady,

Two other Ladies, attending the queen.

Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Satyrs for a dance; herds, Shepherdesses, Guards, &c.

SCENE, Sometimes in Sicilia, some 'nes in Bohemia.