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The long and whimfical titles which are prefixed to the quarto copies of our author's plays, were undoubtedly either written by bookfellers, or tranfcribed from the play-bills of the time. They were equally calculated to attract the notice of the idle gazer in the walks at St. Paul's, or to draw a croud about fome vociferous Autolycus, who perhaps was hired by the players thus to raise the expectations of the multitude. It is indeed abfurd to fuppose, that the modeft Shakspeare, who has more than once apologized for his untutored lines, fhould in his

of plays to be performed on a future day, fimilar to those now daily published, first appeared in the original edition of the Spectators in 1711. In thefe early theatrical advertisements our author is always ftyled the immortal Shak fpeare. Hence Pope:

Shakspeare, whom you and every play-houfe bill

"Style the divine, the matchlefs, what you will,-."

7 Since the first edition of this effay I have found ftrong reason to believe that the former was the cafe. Nafhe in the second edition of his Supplication to the Devil, 4to. 1592, complains that the printer had prefixed a pompous title to the firft impreffion of his pamphlet, (publifhed in the fame year,) which he was much afhamed of, and rejected for one more fimple. "Cut off," fays he to his printer," that long-tayld title, and let mee not in the fore-front of my booke make a tedious mountebanks oration to the reader." The printer's title, with which Nafhe was displeased is as follows: "Pierce Pennileffe his Supplication to the Divell, defcribing the over-fpreading of Vice and fuppreffion of Vertue. Pleasantly interlaced with variable delights, and pathetically intermixt with conceipted reproofes. Written by Thomas Nafhe, Gent. 1592." There is a ftriking refemblance between this and the titles prefixed to fome of the copies of our author's plays, which are given at length in the next note. In the title-page of our author's Merry Wives of Windfor, 4to. 1602, (fee the next note,) Sir Hugh is called the Welch knight; a miftake into which Shakspeare could not have fallen.

Inftead of the fpurious title above given, Nafhe in his fecond edition, printed apparently under his own infpection, (by Abel Jeffes, for John Bufbie,) calls his book only-Pierce Pennileffe his Supplication to the Divell.

manuscripts have entitled any of his dramas most excellent and pleasant performances.

The titles of the following plays may ferve to justify what is here advanced:

"The most excellent Hiftorie of the Merchant of Venice. With the extreame crueltie of Shylocke the Jewe towards the fayd Merchant, in cutting a juft pound of his flesh, and obtayning of Portia by the choyfe of three cafkets. As it hath been diverfe times acted by the Lord Chamberlaine his Servants. Written by William Shakespeare. 1600."

" Mr. William Shak-fpeare his True Chronicle Hiftorie of the Life and Death of King LEAR and his three Daughters. With the unfortunate life of Edgar, Sonne and Heire to the Earle of Glotter, and his fullen and affumed humor of Toм of bedlam: As it was played before the Kings Majestie at Whitehall upon S. Stephens Night in Chriftmafs Hollidayes. By his Majefties Servants playing ufually at the Globe on the Bank-side. 1608."

"A moft Pleafant and Excellent Conceited Comedie of Syr John Falstaffe, and the Merry Wives of Windfor, Entermixed with fandrie variable and pleafing Humors of Sir Hugh, the Welch Knight, Juftice Shallow, and his wife coufin, Mr. Slender. With the Swaggering Vaine of ancient Pistoll, and Corporal Nym. By William Shakespeare. As it hath been divers times acted by the Right Honourable my Lord Chamberlaines Servants; both before her Majeftie and elsewhere. 160z."

"The Hiftory of Henrie the Fourth; With the Battel at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord Henrie Percy, furnamed Henry Hot-fpur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir John Falstaffe. Newly corrected by W. Shakspeare. 1598."

"The Tragedie of King Richard The Third. Containing his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence: The pitiful Murther of his innocent Nephews: his tiranous ufurpation: with the whole courfe of his detefted Life, and moft deferved Death. As it hath been lately acted by the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his Servants. By William Shakespeare. 1597."

"The late and much-admired Play, called Pericles Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole Hiftorie, adventures, and fortunes, of the faid Prince: As alfo, the no lefs ftrange and worthy accidents in the Birth and Life of his Daughter Mariana.

It is uncertain at what time the usage of giving authors a benefit on the third day of the exhibition of their piece, commenced. Mr. Oldys, in one of his manufcripts, intimates that dramatick poets had anciently their benefit on the first day that a new play was reprefented; a regulation which would have been very favourable to fome of the ephemeral productions of modern times. I have found no authority which proves this to have been the cafe in the time of Shakspeare; but at the beginning of the prefent century it appears to have been customary in Lent for the players of the theatre in Drury-lane to divide the profits of the first reprefentation of a new play among them."

From D'Avenant, indeed, we learn, that in the latter part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the poet had his benefit on the second day. As it was a general practice, in the time of Shakspeare, to fell the copy of the play to the theatre, I imagine, in fuch cafes, an author derived no other advantage from his piece, than what arose from the fale of it. Sometimes, however, he found it more beneficial to retain the copy-right in his own hands; and when he did fo, I fuppofe he had a benefit. It is certain that the giving authors the profits of the third exhibition of their play, which seems to have

As it hath been divers and fundry times acted by his Majefties Servants at the Globe on the Bank-fide. By William Shakespeare. 1609."

9 Gildon's Comparison between the Stages, 1702, p. 9.

2 See The Play-Houfe to be Let:

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Players.

There is an old tradition,
"That in the times of mighty Tamberlane,
"Of conjuring Fauftus and the Beauchamps bold,
"You poets us'd to have the fecond day;

"This fhall be ours, fir, and to-morrow yours.

"Poct. I'll take my venture; 'tis agreed."

been the ufual mode during a great part of the last century, was an established cuftom in the year 1612; for Decker, in the prologue to one of his comedies, printed in that year, fpeaks of the poet's third day.'

The unfortunate Otway had no more than one benefit on the production of a new play; and this too, it seems, he was fometimes forced to mortgage, before the piece was acted.+ Southerne was the first dramatick writer who obtained the emolu

3

"It is not praife is fought for now, but pence,

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Though dropp'd from greafy-apron'd audience.
Clapp'd may he be with thunder, that plucks bays
"With fuch foul hands, and with fquint eyes doth gaze
"On Pallas' fhield, not caring, fo he gains

"A cram'd third day, what filth drops from his brains!" Prologue to If this be not a good Play, the Devil's in't, 1612. Yet the following paffages intimate, that the poet at a subsequent period had fome intereft in the second day's exhibition:

"Whether their fold fcenes be diflik'd or hit,

"Are cares for them who eat by the stage and wit;
"He's one whofe unbought mufe did never fear

"An empty fecond day, or a thin share."

Prologue to The City Match, a comedy, by J. Mayne,
acted at Blackfriars in 1639.

So, in the prologue to The Sophy, by Sir John Denham, acted at Blackfriars in 1642:

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Gentlemen, if you diflike the play,

Pray make no words on't till the fecond day

"Or third be paft; for we would have you know it,
"The lofs will fall on us, not on the poet,

"For he writes not for money.-'

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In other cafes, then, it may be prefumed, the lofs, either of the fecond or third day, did affect the author.

Since the above was written, I have learned from Sir Henry Herbert's office-book, that between the year 1625 and 1641, benefits were on the fecond day of reprefentation.

"But which amongst you is there to be found,
"Will take his third day's parun, for fifty pound?"

Epilogue to Caius Marius, 1680.

ments arifing from two reprefentations; and to Farquhar, in the year 1700, the benefit of a third was granted; but this appears to have been a particular favour to that gentleman; for for feveral years afterwards dramatick poets had only the benefit of the third and fixth performance.7

The profit of three reprefentations did not become the established right of authors till after the year 1720.8

5" I muft make my boaft, though with the most acknowledging refpect, of the favours of the fair fex-in fo vifibly promoting my intereft on those days chiefly, (the third and the fixth,) when I had the tendereft relation to the welfare of my play."

Southerne's Dedication of Sir Antony Love, a comedy, 1691.
Hence Pope:

"May Tom, whom heaven fent down to raise

"The price of prologues and of plays," &c.

It should feem, however, to have been fome time before this custom was uniformly eftablifhed; for the author of The Treacherous Brothers, acted in 1696, had only one benefit:

"See't but three days, and fill the house, the laft,

"He shall not trouble you again in hafte." Epilogue.

6 On the reprefentation of The Conftant Couple, which was performed fifty-three times in the year 1700. Farquhar, on account of the extraordinary fuccefs of that play, is faid by one of his biographers, to have been allowed by the managers, the profits of four reprefentations.

7 "Let this play live; then we ftand bravely fixt!
"But let none come his third day, nor the fixth."

Epilogue to The Island Princess, 1701.
"But fhould this fail, at leaft our author prays,
"A truce may be concluded for fix days.'

Epilogue to The Perplex'd Lovers, 1712. In the preface to The Humours of the Army, printed in the following year, the author fays, " It would be impertinent to go. about to justify the play, becaufe a prodigious full third night and a very good fixth are prevailing arguments in its behalf."

8 Cibber in his Dedication to Ximena or the Heroick Daughter, printed in 1719, talks of bad plays lingering through fix nights. At that time therefore poets certainly had but two benefits.

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