Dec. 1602. Feb. 1602-3. by Wentworth Smith, John Day, and Richard Hathwaye. The Set at Tennis, by Anthony Mundy. The London Florentine, by Thomas Heywood, and Henry Chettle. The fecond part of the London Florentine, The Tragedy of Hoffman, by Henry Singer's Voluntary, by John Singer. March The Boaft of Billinsgate, by John Day, The Siege of Dunkerk, by Charles Maffy. The Italian Tragedy, by Wentworth Pontius Pilate. Jane Shore, by Henry Chettle, and, The following notices, which I have reserved for this place, relate more immediately to our author. I have mentioned in a former page, that I had not the smallest doubt that the name of Shakspeare, which is printed at length in the title-pages of Sir John Oldcastle, 1600, and The London Prodigall, 1605, was affixed to thofe pieces by a knavish This play was printed in 1631. bookfeller without any foundation; and am now furnished with indubitable evidence on this fubject; for under the year 1599 the following entry occurs in Mr. Henslowe's folio Manufcript: "The 16th of October, 99. Received by me Thomas Downton of Philip Henflowe, to pay Mr. Monday, Mr. Drayton, Mr. Wilson, and Hathway, for The first part of the Lyfe of Sir Jhon Ouldcaftell, and in earneft of the Second Pte, for the ufe of the company, ten pound, I fay received 10lb. "Received [Nov. 1599] of Mr. Hinchelo for Mr. Munday and the refte of the poets, at the playinge of Sir John Oldcaftell, the firste tyme, xs. as a gifte." "Received [Dec. 1599] of Mr. Henslowe, for the use of the company, to pay Mr. Drayton for the second parte of Sir Jhon Ouldcafell, foure pound, I fay received per me Thomas Downton, iiijli." We have here an indifputable proof of a fact which has been doubted, and can now pronounce with certainty that our poet was entirely careless about literary fame, and could patiently endure to be made anfwerable for compofitions which were not his own, without ufing any means to undeceive the publick. The bookfeller for whom the first part of Sir John Oldcastle was printed, " as it hath bene lately acted by the Right Honourable the earl of Notingham Lord High Admirall of England his fervants," was Thomas Pavier, who however had the 2 That this fecond part of Sir John Oldcastle was performed on the stage, as well as the former, is afcertained by the following entry: 66 Dd. [delivered] unto the littel taylor, at the apoyntment of Robert Shawe, the 12 of marche, 1599, [1600] to macke thinges for the 2 pte of owldcaftell, some of xxxs. modesty to put only the initial letters of his chriftian and furname (T. P.) in the fpurious titlepage which he prefixed to it. In 1602, he entered the old copy of Titus Andronicus on the Stationers' books, with an intention (no doubt) to affix the name of Shakspeare to it, finding that our poet had made fome additions to that piece. To this perfon we are likewife indebted for the mistake which has fo long prevailed, relative to the two old plays entitled The First Part of the Contention between the two famous boufes of York and Lancaster, and The true tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, which were printed anonymously in 1600, as acted by the earl of Pembroke's Servants, and have erroneously been afcribed to our poet, in confequence of Pavier's reprinting them in the year 1619, and then for the first time fraudulently affixing Shakspeare's name to them. To thofe plays, as to Oldcastle, he put only the initial letters of his chriftian and furname. For him likewise The Yorkshire Tragedy was printed in the year 1608, and our poet's name affixed to it. The Life and Death of Lord Cromwell, published in 1602, and afcribed to W. S. and The Puritan Widow, which was published in 1607, with the fame initial letters, were probably written by Wentworth Smith, a dramatick writer whofe name has so often occurred in the preceding pages, with perhaps the aid of Anthony Mundy, or fome other of the fame fraternity. Locrine, which was printed in 1595, as newly fet forth, overfeen, and corrected by W. S. was probably revised by the fame perfon. 3 See the Differtation on the Three Parts of King Henry VI. in Vol. X. It is extremely probable from the register of dramatick pieces in a former page, that Cardinal Wolfey had been exhibited on the stage before our poet produced him in K. Henry VIII. To the lift of plays written by Shakspeare upon subjects which had already been brought upon the fcene," must also be added Troilus and Creffida, as appears from the following entries: Aprel 7. 1599. Lent unto Thomas Downton to lende unto Mr. Deckers, & harey cheattel, in earnest of ther boocke called Troyeles & Creaf fedaye, the fome of iii lb.” "Lent unto harey cheattell, & Mr. Dickers, in pte of payment of their booke called Troyelles & Creffeda, the 16 of Aprell, 1599, xxs." I fufpect the authors changed the name of this piece before it was produced, for in a fubfequent page are the following entries: "Lent unto Mr. Deckers and Mr. Chettel the 26 of maye, 1599, in earnest of a booke called Troylles and Crefeda, the fum of xxs." In this entry a line is drawn through the words Troylles and Crefeda, and "the tragedie of Agamemnon” written over them. "Lent unto Robart Shawe, the 30 of maye 1599. in fulle payment of the boocke called the tragedie of Agamemnon, the fum of iii li. vs.-to Mr. Deckers, and harey Chettell." "Paid unto the Mafter of the Revells man for lycenfyng of a boocke called the Tragedie of Agamemnon the 3 of June, 1599, vii s." We have seen in the lift of plays performed in 1593-4, by the fervants of the earl of Suffex, the old play of Titus Andronicus, in which on its revival 4 See Vol. X. p. 452. by the king's fervants, our author was induced, for the advantage of his own theatre, to make fome alterations, and to add a few lines. The old play of K. Henry VI. which was played with fuch fuccefs in 1591, he without doubt touched in the fame manner, in confequence of which it appeared in his works under the title of The First Part of King Henry VI. How common this practice was, is proved by the following entries made by Mr. Henflowe: "Lent unto the companye, the 17 of August, 1602, to pay unto Thomas Deckers, for new adycions to Owldcaftell, the fome of xxxx s." "Lent unto John Thane, the 7 of feptember, 1602, to geve unto Thomas Deckers for his adicions in Owldcaftell, the fome of xs." "Lent unto Samuel Rowley, the 14 of desember, 1600, to geve unto Thomas Deckers, for his paynes in Fayeton, [Phaeton] fome of xs. For the corte." "Lent unto Samuel Rowley, the 22 of desember, 1601, to geve unto Thomas Decker for altering of Fayton [Phaeton] for the corte, xxxs.” "Punto Thomas Deckers, at the apoyntment of the company, the 16 of janeuary 1601, towards the altering of Tasso, the fome of xxs." "Lent unto my fonne E. Alleyn, the 7 of november, 1602, to geve unto Thomas Deckers for mending of the play of Taffo, the fome of xxxxs." "Lent unto Mr. Birde, the 4 of defember, 1602, to paye unto Thomas Deckers, in pt of payment for Taffo, the fum of xxs." These two old playes of Phaeton and Taffo's Me lancholy, we have seen in a former page, had been exhibited fome years before. "Lent unto the company, the 22 of november, 1602, to paye unto William Birde, and Samuel |