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to any thing like proof on this head. Little then remains, but to collect into one view, from his several dramas, and from the ancient tracts in which they are mentioned, or alluded to, all the circumstances that can throw any light on this new and curious inquiry. From these circumstances, and from the entries in the books of the Stationers-Company, extracted and now first published by Mr. Steevens (to whom every admirer of Shakspere has the highest obligations), it is probable, that the plays attributed to our author were written nearly in the following succession; which, though it cannot at this day be ascertained to be their true order, may yet be considered as approach. ing nearer to it, than any which has been observed in the various editions of his works. The rejected pieces are here enumerated with the rest, but no opinion is thereby meant to be given concerning their authenticity.

Of the nineteen genuine plays which were not printed in our author's life-time, the majority were, I believe,

* They are, King Henry VI. Part I. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Winter's Tale, The Comedy of Errors, King John, All's Well that Ends Well, As You Like It, King Henry VIII. Measure for Measure, Cymbeline, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, Julius Cæsar, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens, Othello, The Tempest, and Twelfth-Night. Of these nineteen plays, four, viz. The First Part of K. Henry VI. King John, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Comedy of Errors, were certainly early compositions, and are an exception to the general truth of this observation. Perhaps, the ill success of the two latter, was the occasion

that

lieve, late compositions*. The following arrangement is in some measure formed on this idea. Two reasons may be assigned, why Shakspere's late performances were not published till after his death. 1. If we suppose him to have written for the stage during a period of twenty years, those pieces which were produced in the latter part of that period, were less likely to pass through the press in his life-time, as the curiosity of the publick had not been so long engaged by them, as by his early compositions. 2. From the time that Shakspere had the superintendence

that they were not printed so soon as his other early performances. Two others, viz. The Winter's Tale, and All's Well that Ends Well, though supposed to have been early productions, were, it must be acknowledged, not published in Shakspere's life-time; but for the dates of these we rely only on conjecture.

*This supposition is strongly confirmed by Meres's list of our author's plays, in 1598. From that list, and from other circumstances, we learn, that of the sixteen genuine plays which were printed in Shakspere's life-time, thirteen were written before the end of the year 1600.—The sixteen plays published in our author's life-time, are Love's Labour Lost. The Second and Third Parts of K. Henry VI. A Midsummer-Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, K. Richard II. K, Richard III. The First Part of K. Henry IV. The Merchant of Venice, The Second Part of K. Henry IV. K. Henry V. Much Ado about Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Troilus and Cressida, K. Lear.

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of a playhouse, that is, from the year 1603*, when he and several others obtained a licence from King James to exhibit comedies, tragedies, histories, &c. at the Globe-Theatre, and elsewhere, it became strongly his interest to preserve those pieces unpub. lished, which were composed between that year and the time of his retiring to the country; manuscript plays being then the great support of every theatre. Nor were the plays which he wrote after he became a manager, so likely to get abroad, being confined to his own theatre, as his former productions, which probably had been acted on many different stages, and of consequence afforded the players at the several houses, where they were exhibited, an easy opportunity of making out copies from the separate parts transcribed for their use, and of selling such copies to

* None of the plays which in the ensuing list are supposed to have been written subsequently to this year, were printed till after the author's death, except K. Lear, the publication of which was probably hastened by that of the old play with the same title, in 1605.-The copy of Troilus and Cressida, which seems to have been composed the year before K. James granted a licence to the company at the Globe-Theatre, appears to have been obtained by some uncommon artifice. "Thank fortune (says the Editor) for the scape it hath made amongst you; since, by the grand possessors' wills, I believe, you should have pray'd for them, rather than been pray'd.”—By the grand possessors, Shakspere and the other managers of the GlobeTheatre, were clearly intended.

Printers;

Printers; by which means, there is great reason to believe, that they were submitted to the press, without the consent of the author.

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4. SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI. 5. THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI. 6. THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA 7. THE WINTER'S TALE

8. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

9. ROMEO AND JULIET

10. THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

11. HAMLET

12. KING JOHN

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1. TITUS ANDRONICUS, 1589.

In what year our author began to write for the stage, or which was his first performance, has not been hitherto ascertained. And indeed, we have so few lights to direct our inquiries, that any speculation on this subject may appear an idle expence of time. But the method which has been already marked out, requires that such facts should be mentioned as may serve in any manner to elucidate these points.

Shakspere was born on the 23d of April 1564, and was probably married in, or before, September 1582, his eldest daughter, Susannah, having been baptized on the 26th of May 1583. At what time he left Warwickshire, or was first employed in the play-house, tradition does not inform us. However, as his son Samuel, and his daughter Judith, were baptized at Stratford,

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