THE SHAKESPEARE-BACON CONTROVERSY: ADDRESS BY WILLIAM WILLIS. / i. OGDEN THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES GIFT Mrs. Robert H. Ward Yoch Collection THE SHAKESPEARE-BACON CONTROVERSY. THE SHAKESPEARE-BACON CONTROVERSY: A REPORT OF THE TRIAL OF AN ISSUE IN WESTMINSTER HALL, JUNE 20, 1627, READ IN THE INNER TEMPLE HALL, THURSDAY, MAY THE 29TH, 1902, AND PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION ^ BY WILLIAM WILLIS Treasurer of the Honourable Society of the Tuner Temple. LONDON : SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON AND CO., LTD. ig02. NEXT PRICE, 3s. FAKENHAM AND LONDON, MILLER, SON, AND COMPY., LTD. TRINTERS. PREFATORY NOTE. The Shakespeare- Bacon controversy involves to-day questions of character, and if it had arisen soon after the pubhcation of the Folio volume, might have involved questions of property. There is no better method for determining questions of reputation and of property than the method of judicial investigation. Entertaining this view, I have long thought that the Shakespeare- Bacon Controversy could be best determined by a trial legally conducted, particularly as such a process would exclude all hearsay evidence or second-hand information. Nothing can be more discreditable than to listen to hearsay, when it affects the character of another. If the person who speaks to the disparagement of another, professes to speak of his own knowledge, his statement should never be accepted, without an opportunity being afforded for denial or explanation. This conduct is due to the living ; in respect of the dead, it is atrocious to accept or repeat to their injury second- hand gossip, or even direct statements, which they have not had the opportunity of denying or explaining. I had rather suspend my judgment than accept such state- ments. By retailing gossip of the worst kind, some have endeavoured to make Shakespeare an adulterer and a drunkard ; some have also endeavoured to establish his youthful ignorance by retailing an anecdote which never saw the light until 137 years after Shakespeare's death. I apologize for putting into the mouth of the cross- examining: counsel questions as to Shakespeare's holding; horses at the theatre door ; no one then could have suggested such questions. I did it, because some of my hearers who had heard of this matter, might think that a question, founded on it, ought to be put. The story came in the following way. D'Avenant heard it from sodic one. D'Avenant told it to Betterton, Betterton told it to Rowe, Rowe told it to Pope, Pope told it to Newton, Newton told it to Johnson, Johnson told it to Shiels, who told it to the world. It may not be unnecessary to state that the report of the trial in the following pages is not the report of a real trial, but such a report as I believe would have come into existence if the trial had taken place at the time named. The trial, although imaginary, is a real test of the question in dispute. I hope the reader will pardon the introduction of certain passages, which do not directly advance the hearing of the cause. The paper was prepared for reading, and it seemed to me necessary to make the trial as nearly like a real one as possible. I therefore put in the interruptions of Counsel, the laughter and cheers of the spectators, and the loss of temper and indignation of witnesses, such as occur in a real trial. As the result of these imitations, some of my hearers supposed I was reading the report of a trial which had actually taken place, and asked for an inspection of the MS. they thought I had discovered. Although the history of Shakespeare's youth has, I think, little bearing upon the question of the authorship of the plays, I considered that some account of his youth should be given ; I thought some of my hearers might look for and require such information. I hoped to give the information by the examination of Mr. K. Field, a native of Stratford, well-known to Shakespeare, VI the printer of "Venus and Adonis" and " Lucrece " which Shakespeare dedicated to the Earl of Southamp- ton. I could not, however, find any evidence of Mr. Field being alive in 1627. I found he gave up business in 1624. I did not like to call him as a witness unless I was satisfied of his existence at the time of the trial. To procure the account of Shakespeare's youth and early manhood, I adopted the statement of Mr. Malone, that John Heminge, the actor, and one of the editors of the folio volume, was born within a mile of Stratford-on- Avon. Mr. Sidney Lee states that Heminge was born at Droitwich. I hope I may be pardoned, if "for this occasion only," I state that Heminge was born at Shottery, and through his mouth, get a slight sketch of the poet's early life. I fixed upon the year 1627 for the trial, because at that time both Shakespeare and Bacon were dead. With every desire to be impartial in the conduct of the trial, I could not bring myself to suppose that the historian, lawyer, and philosopher would make any claim to the authorship of the plays. By fixing the year 1627 for the trial, I lost the testimony of three or four important witnesses, such as Burbage, the fellow-actor of Shakespeare, Camden, and R. Field. The readers of this address must remember the year of the trial, 1627, or they may commit the mistakes of some of my hearers, who asked me why I did not use the quotation from Greene's "A Groat's Worth of Wit," in which a reference to Shakespeare is supposed to be made under the word " Shakescene," and why I did not call John Milton, who was in Court, and use his noble words on the dramatic author, Shakespeare. The answer is that Greene died in the year 1592, and that Milton could give no direct evidence. He was only eight years of age when Shakespeare died, and had nothing to do with the vii preparation and production of the folio volume. I have, in the Appendix, set forth the quotation from Greene, and the lines of Milton, which appeared for the first time in the second folio edition of Shakespeare's plays published in 1632. In placing the various witnesses in the box, I have assumed that men would speak in Court to the truth of that which they had written under their own hand, or which their conduct necessarily involved. Their credibility must be determined by the judgment of each reader. I hope I have not done an}' injury to the claim of Lord Bacon, when I make the Counsel state " he has no living witness he can call in support of it." I can only say that my reading did not supply me with the name of any such person. I cannot suppose that my address is free from error or defect : I shall be delighted, however, if it help in any degree to the re-establishment of the belief that William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon was the author of the greatest poetical work which, with the exception of the "Paradise Lost," has appeared in the English tongue. If the ' trial ' should not be of any service, I hope the Appendix may be useful to students of Shakespeare. Its preparation has involved considerable labour, and I do not think, with my many engagements, I could have published the Appendix, unless I had received the kind and learned assistance of Mr. Pickering, the Librarian of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. P^or this service, I tender him my sincere thanks. W. W . vin ERRATA. Page3, last line, for " Sly, Philips," read " Lowin, Taylor." Page 51, line 20, for " Polemanteia " read " Polimanteia." Pagelxiv., line 13 of note, for "semi-colon" read "full stop." preparation a' in the Appen( the lines of A the second fo in 1632. In placin assumed thai that which t which their credibility i each reader. I hope I Lord Bacor no living w only say th name of any such pcisuu. I cannot suppose that my address is free from error or defect : I shall be delighted, however, if it help in any degree to the re-establishment of the belief that William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon was the author of the greatest poetical work which, with the exception of the "Paradise Lost," has appeared in the English tongue. If the ' trial ' should not be of any service, I hope the Appendix may be useful to students of Shakespeare. Its preparation has involved considerable labour, and I do not think, with my many engagements, I could have published the Appendix, unless I had received the kind and learned assistance of Mr. Pickering, the Librarian of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. For this service, I tender him my sincere thai^ks. \V. W. vui THE ADDRESS. When I was about to enter upon my duties, as Treasurer of this Society, I received a volume, in which a claim was made on behalf of Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam, Viscount St. Alban, to the authorship of the Plays contained in the folio volume, which appeared in the year 1623, under the name of ' William Shakespeare.' The writer stated that he claimed no less for Lord Bacon, than the authorship of these Plays, and that the claim had come to stay.* I had, for some time, taken an interest in the deter- mination of the respective claims of Shakespeare and Lord Bacon, and had become, to some extent, familiar with writings passing under both these names. I knew that some of my predecessors in office had delivered addresses on purely literary questions, and I thought I might, without impropriety, deliver an address to the members of this Society on the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy. I found also, that the controversy excited considerable public interest, particularly, in connection with the establishment of the claim of Lord Bacon, by the alleged discovery of a cipher, contained in the folio volume itself. I remembered, that for nearly three centuries, Masters of this house had been familiar with the dramatic literature of our country, and intimate with the principal actors who have appeared on the English stage. *" Shakespeare Studies in Baconian Light," by R. M. Theobald. r also remembered, that Mr. Edward Malone, one of the greatest admirers of the poet Shakespeare, and the most industrious editor of the works passing under that name, was a member of this house." I resolved, therefore, to deliver, as Treasurer, an address on the subject, whether William Shakspeare, or Shakespeare, of Stratford-on-Avon, was the author of the Plays contained in the folio volume. Just as I was preparing materials for the address, a paper came to my hand, which throws considerable light upon the (Question, and will, I trust, be interesting to all who study the works which appeared under the style of ' William Shakespeare.' The paper purports to be an account of a trial which took place in Westminster Hall, in the month of June, 1627. I propose to read this paper, as a contribution to the discussion of the question. The writer says, that a man of the name of William Shakspeare, or Shakespeare, died at Stratford-upon-Avon, in the month of April 1616; that he had made his will in the month of March previously ; and that it was attested by five witnesses. The writer, further, says that it became necessary about the year 1620 to file a bill in Chancery, for the administration of the testator's estate. In the course of the administration, it became important to determine, whether the testator was the author of the plays published under the name of William Shakespeare ' in the folio volume of 1623. The Lord Chancellor, thinking it well that this ■•'■ In the Variorum Edition of 1821, the name of the Poet is invariably written Shakspcre : — even when a quotation is made, although the writer wrote and printed the name Shakespeare. Ben Jonson always wrote " Shakespeare." Mr. Malone makes him write Shakspeare. This is very misleading. The alteration occurs in numerous instances. Mr. Malone may call the poet by what name he pleases. Let others have a similar freedom. question should be determined by a jur}-, directed an issue to be sent for trial by the Court of King's Bench. The issue was in these words. "HALL V. RUSSELL, In re Shakspeare. Was William Shakspeare, the testator in the cause, the author of the plays, which appeared under the name of ' William Shakespeare ' in the folio volume published in the year 1623 ? " Accordingly, the 20th June, 1627, was appointed for the trial by the Chief Justice and a special jury. As soon as it was known, that this question was to be tried by a jury, considerable excitement prevailed, and in the City many were looking forward with interest to the trial. [It is well to note, that the proofs of the various witnesses have been preserved, and have come down with the paper. The witnesses seem to have written out their respective proofs. As frequently happens in such case, the proofs contain much which is only impliedly stated. The Counsel have, by proper questions, endeavoured to turn the implied statements into express and positive statements. The fairness of the examination can be judged, by a study of the proofs, contained in the Appendix.] On the 20th June, 1627, the Chief Justice took his seat, in Westminster Hall, at g a.m. Long before that hour the Court was well filled with persons of every rank and station. The reporter says he noticed among the early arrivals Mr. John Milton, the scrivener of Bread Street, with his son John, a youth of singular beauty and great promise. Mr. Benjamin Jonson was conspicuously present. Near him stood Mr. Selden, Mr. Vaughan, Sir John Elliott, John Hampden and Sir Thomas Wentworth. Among the divines, might be noticed the Rev. Thomas Adams, the Dean of Worcester, and Dr. Richard Sibbes ; among the actors, Heminge, Condel, Sly, Ehilips ; among the poets, Drayton, Marston, and Chapman. The Earls of Pembroke and ' Montgomery were also present. The Bar was well represented. A respectable jury of citizens was sworn. Mr. Noy appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Robert Heath for the defendant. After a short opening address of Counsel, in which he said he should call many witnesses for the establish- ment of the affirmative of the proposition, and that the question was so simple that the jury could follow the evidence without much explanation from himself, he proceeded to put in evidence the following documents : — The Will of William Shakspeare, executed 25th March, 1616. It was produced from the office of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. It began thus — In the name of God, Amen. I, William Shakspeare, of Stratford-upon-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Gent. John Hall and Susanna his wife, daughter of the Testator, were appointed executors. Thomas Russell and Francis Collins, were appointed overseers. It appeared that the Will was signed in three different places. The Chief Justice, on examining the Will, expressed the opinion that the first and second signatures were spelt " Shakspeare," and that the third and last was spelt " Shakespeare." Counsel for the plaintiff also put in evidence a petition from the Lord Chamberlain's players ' to the Right Hon. the Lords of their Majesties Most Honour- able Privee Councell,' dated 1596. The object of the petition was to entreat that they, the players, might be permitted to carry on the repairs of and to continue their performances in, a private house belonging to them in the precinct of the Blackfriars. The first five names of the Petitioners were Thomas Pope, Richard Burbage, John Heminge, Augustine PhilHps, WiUiam Shakespeare. Counsel for the plaintiff also put in evidence a grant of King James the first, dated May 17th, 1603, to Laurence Fletcher, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, John Hemmings, Henrie Condell and others, wherein they are styled the King's servants. Counsel for the plaintiff also put in a letter from Richard Twyney, of Stratford, dated 25th October, 1598, addressed "To my loving, good friend and Countryman, Mr. Wm. Shackesp'e." The Counsel for the defendant asked to put in a letter of same date from Abraham Sturley, of Stratford, to Mr. Bredon Twyney, then in London. The Judge assented. Council read from it the following : — " It seemeth to him that our Countryman, Mr. Shaksp'e"; and in another part, "our Countryman, Mr. W. Shak." In order to show how the name of Shakespeare was written, the Counsel for the plaintiff tendered in evidence a volume entitled " Remains concerning Britaine," pub- lished in 1605 by William Camden. The Court held that the book was admissible for that purpose, not to prove any fact stated therein. Counsel read from the chapter of the excellence of the English Tongue, p. 43. — "Whatsoever grace any other language carrieth in Verse or Prose, in Tropes or Metaphors, in Echoes or Agnominations, they may all be lively and exactly represented in ours. Will you have Plato's verse ? read Sir Thomas Smith. The lonicke ? Sir Thomas Moore. Cicero, Ascham. Varro ? Chaucer. Demosthenes ? Sir John Cheke. Will you read Virgil ? Take the Earl of Surrey's. Catullus ? Shakesphearc and ''"Barlovve's fraj^ment. Ovid ? Daniell." The Judge : How spelt ? Counsel : Shakcspheare. The Counsel for the plaintiff also read from the Chapter on " Poems " the following passage : — " If I were to come to our time, what a world could I present to you out of Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spencer, Samuel Daniel, Hugh Ballard, Ben Jonson, Thomas Campion, Michael Drayton, George Chapman, John Marston, William Shakespeare, and other most pregnant wits of these our times, whom succeeding ages may justly admire." The Judge : How spelt ? Counsel for the plaintiff: Shakespeare. I may say, my Lord, William Camden died the very year the folio appeared. I cannot, of course, call him. The Counsel for the plaintiff also put in evidence " Barnfield's Poems," published 1598, and read the following lines : — " And Shakespeare thou, whose hony-llowing Vaine, (Pleasing the world) thy Praises doth obtaine, Whose Venus and whose Lucrece (sweete and chaste), Thy Name in fames immortell Booke have plac't. Live ever on, at least in Fame live ever : Well may the Body dye, but Fame dies never." The Counsel for the plaintiff also put in evidence a book entitled, " Avisa " — by Henry Willobie, published 1594, ^"<^ re^id the following passage: — " He betrayeth the secrecy of his disease unto his familiar friend, Will Shakespeare, who not long before had tried the courtesy of a like passion, and was but newly recovered of the like infection." The Counsel for the defendant also put in evidence '■' As published ; should be Marlowe. two deeds executed by the Testator, the signature in each case being written "Shakspeare." Both the deeds were prepared in the name of WiUiam Shakespeare. Edward Blount was then sworn and examined. I was one of the printers and pubHshers of the foHo volume, which appeared in the year 1623. It contained thirty-seven plays ; on the title page they are said to be Mr. William Shakespeare's, Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. I am now in my sixty-seventh year. I was admitted a Freeman of the Stationers' Company, June 25th, 1588, and in that year I opened a stationer's shop at the sign of the Black Baar in Saint Paul's Churchyard. I have carried on business there ever since. Among other books, I have published Florio's Dictionary, in English and Italian ; Florio's translation of Montaigne's Essays; and the first English transla- tion of " Don Quixote " by Thomas Shelton. I have, from my commencement in business, been familiar with the principal authors of my time, and also the principal actors on the stage. I remember Mr. William Shakespeare, as an actor, from the year 1588. He was then taking part in the pieces presented b)^ the Lord Chamberlain's servants, who performed at the Theatre in Blackfriars, and subsequently, at the Globe Theatre, on Bankside. I saw him play in that year. I do not know of my own knowledge when he first began to write, but I know plays were presented about 1590 and 159 1, as having been altered and adapted by William Shakespeare. The first publication, with the name of William Shakespeare upon it, appeared in 1593. It was entitled "X'eniis ami Adonis," printed by K. 1-icl.l. K. l-'iclil was a native of Stratford-on-Avon, and was well known to Shakespeare. I do not think Mr. l^cld is alive. There is no name of any author on the title page. It was dedicate Nortii's "Translation of Plutarch's Lives," a book which I know Shakespeare read and studied. It appears twice in a few pages in the translation of Calvin's " Harmony," 1584. Shakespeare need not have gone to Bacon, nor become a Latin scholar, for the use of that word. Take the word "fact," Mr. Jonson. In the folio, the word is often mentioned and invariably means 'deed.' Thus, " I say the truth, the fact was infamous." This is quite a classical style, you know, and you can find its use in Bacon's " Life of Henry VII.," thus, " that barbarous fact," meaning deed. How can Shakespeare, who had little Latin, attain to this classical and scholarly style ? I will tell you, sir, though first reminding you that Bacon's "Life of Henry VTI." was not published until 1622. Shakespeare attained to this classical style by familiarising himself with English literature and English talk. Fifty years before Bacon used fact, meaning deed, in his " Life of Henry VII.", the word " fact," meaning deed, was in common use. You will find the word "fact "used in the sense of ' deed ' in six different places in North's "Translation," 1579. You find there also the expression " with the fact," meaning " in the deed." You will find 44 the word " fact " used with the same meaning in John Rainolds' "Lectures on Obadiah," 1.584, and in King's " Lectures on Jonah," delivered in 1594. The word "fact," meaning deed, was in common use. Take " merely," used thus in "Hamlet," "Things gross and rank in nature possessed merely," meaning com- tT" pletely. Lord Bacon uses the word in this sense. What do you say to that ? Yes, quite right, and used by North in his "Translation" in the same way, 1579, used by Hooker, 1586, and six times by Richard Sibbes, 1610 — 1624, and also by Thomas Adams. I will take another word, " facinorous." Where did Shakespeare get that word from ? In the folio you have the words " of a most facinorous spirit," meaning especially bad. Where did your friend, the moneylender, get that from ? Ben Jonson : Did he get it from Bacon ? Counsel : Do not ask me questions. I must, my Lord. I do not find it in any of Lord Bacon's writings. I cannot say where Shakespeare got it, but this I know, it has been in use for many years, and some years ago, addressing a large congregation, I heard Thomas Adams, the preacher at St. Gregory's, speaking of the conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament, describe it as a "facinorous deed." Richard Sibbes, the preacher at Gray's Inn, has the word " facinorous " in each of two sermons preached in commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot. The use of the word was not uncommon. Take " translate," Mr. Jonson, used, as \ou know, by Shakespeare in the sense of conveyance or removal — fine Latinity there — where did he get it ? 45 Common use. In 1594 I heard King, Bishop of London, say ' the first translation ' was made in Paradise, when the man put the sin on to the woman and the woman put it on to the serpent. Tliere is ' your con- veyance,' quite common. I have heard Mr. Sibbes speak of " ill translations" to others. In an Epitaph on the Earl of Warwicke, in St. Mary's Church, Warwick, you can read, ' the executors did translate worshipfully the said body into the vault aforesaid.' Let us consider the word "preposterous," Mr. Jonson. Does not Shakespeare use it in the classical sense of having the last first, or of something being in an inverted order, and do you not find the word " pre- posterous " used in the same sense by Lord Bacon ? Yes, undoubtedly, you do. How do you account for this use in common, unless Lord Bacon was the author of the folio ? I account for its use by Shakespeare, because it formed part of the current language. It has been in use in the sense you speak of, to my knowledge, for more than forty years. I find the word used in the classical sense in a Translation of Calvin's " Harmony," published in 1584, at a time when Lord Bacon had not published a line. "They objected that Christ did it preposterously"; that is, He visited all the towns of Galilee before He visited Nazareth. He visited in ' an inverted order.' I find the word ' preposterous ' in the translation of Calvin, 1584, used in the classical sense six times, in a few pages. I remember the use of the word in the same sense in Adams' sermons. Look at the word "dissemble," Mr. jonson. Shakespeare uses it in quite a classical sense, of con- cealing or feigning a thing as different from what it really is, does he not? Yes, I remember the clown, putting on a gown or 46 beard for disguise, and saying, " I'll put it on, and will dissemble myself in it." Does not Lord Bacon use the word " dissemble " in the same sense ? Yes, I think so. How do you account for this fine use of the word in Shakespeare ? Again, I tell you, common use, current language. I heard Thomas Adams, preaching on Jacob's supplanting Esau, cry out, " Here is prodigal dissembling : a dis- sembled person, a dissembled name, dissembled venison, and a dissembling answer." What do you say, Mr. Jonson, to ' gross as a mountain, open, palpable.' Is not that combination quite Baconian ? Jonson : If it is, it will go hard with Shakespeare. Mr. Heath : — Lord Bacon uses the words ' gross ' and ' palpable ' together. Thus, he speaks of ' gross and palpable darkness,' of 'gross and palpable flattery.' How do you account for this same combination of words in Shakespeare ? Are they not quite from the Baconian mint ? Jonson : Chaucer used the word gross. In the translation of Calvin's ' Harmony' I find ' gross errors,' ' gross mockers ' : ' filthy and palpable mistakes.' No doubt, said Mr. Heath, there the phrases are separate. But where do you find the combination ? In a sermon, preached 1614, Adams says, " Imagine the Egyptian's case, in that gross and palpable darkness, the longest natural night that the Book of God specifies." Whilst standing here, I have been looking through Mr. Blount's " Horae Subsecivae," published 1620, manuscript about 1615, and I find the words gross and palpable applied twice to ' flattery.' The word palpable has been in very common use. I have often heard Adams exclaim, ' The disease is palpable.' 47 Yes, sir, you have found ' sfross and palpable ' in Adams and in the " Horae Subsecivae ; " but these are in the time when Bacon had spoken and written. Can you find me an instance of it before Bacon wrote ? Yes, sir, I can I find in Hooker, 'grossly and palpably offended,' 15S6. Mr. Heath : There it is adverbial in form. Is that your refuge ? You shall not escape, for I find the words 'gross and palpable blindness ' in an address to the reader prefixed to the Translation of Calvin's sermons, published in 1582. The address is signed T. T. — no doubt a comparatively unimportant person. I am satisfied that the combination 'gross and palpable' was in common use long before Bacon was born. Shakespeare did not require ' great latinity ' to become acquainted with the words, nor was he, in any way, indebted to Lord Bacon's mint for the phrase. Lord Bacon himself was indebted to others for the com- bination ' grossand palpable,'* of which you make so much. Try again, said the Judgi£, but this really must be the last, for it is a strong order to ask the jury to find, in the absence of direct evidence, that Lord Bacon is the author of the plays because there are words and opinions common to both writings. Take " acknown," Mr. Jonson. It occurs only once in Shakespeare, and is an attempt to bring the Latin word Agnosco into our language, is it not? * Mr. Theobald (p. 264) says, " Most people use the twin a.d']eci'ives gross and palpable without thought of their origin. It is one of Bacon's many contributions to verbal currency. It was a new coin when it issued from his affluent mint. Anyone using it in the early part of the seventeenth century, would have felt almost obliged to quote Bacon while employing it. It is as well to recall our obligation to him, now that we have reached the twentieth century." This is deliciously bold. Mr. Theobald uses ' the twin adjectives gross and palpable without thought of their origin.' They are from ' the affluent mint of T. T.' 48 I know the word. I have used it myself. It has been recently used by the Dean of Worcester. It was not an attempt on the part of Shakespeare to introduce a new word. It had been in our language for two centuries and was dropping out, not coining in. Would you, sir, said Mr. Jonson, like to put me another word ? looking at the Counsel with an air of triumph. Would you, my Lord ? Not I, Mr. Jonson, said the Judge, with a smile. Then, my Lord, said Mr. Jonson, let me say that the word extenuate, which is found in the folio volume, and upon which so much stress is laid to show Shakespeare's Haiiam unusual classical diction, was used, in the sense in which Shakespeare used it, more than forty years ago. It can be found in Calvin's " Harmony," 1584. " The Majesty of God was not extenuated, although it were compassed about with the flesh." I heard Henry Smith use it in that sense in his sermon on usury, published in 1592. I have heard Thomas Adams use it, in the same sense. Shakespeare had little Latin, and less Greek ; but just before his birth and whilst he was coming to manhood, words were being introduced from the Latin into our language and first of all with the Latin meaning, and many of these words from the Latin are found in the sermons published by the great preachers of Shakespeare's age. These words must, therefore, have got into common use ; and their use by Shakespeare does not, to my mind, afford the slightest evidence of his being indebted to Lord Bacon for the knowledge of them. Now, Mr. Jonson, do you not find a number of parallel passages in the folio and in the writings of Theobald Lord Bacon which show how remarkably the ideas of Shakespeare and Bacon correspond ? 49 I cannot say I do, but perhaps you may present to me such a parallel. I will. Take the subject of " usury." Lord Bacon condemned " usury," did he not, though he thought, that it might in some cases advance merchandise, and, that if the rate of interest were moderate, the use of money might encourage industry ? Yes, I remember those opinions. They are presented in his essay on " Usury," which did not appear till 1625. Shakespeare's opinion, as expressed in " Hamlet " ismuch more strongly against " usury " than that of Lord Bacon. Theobald Ah ! but the poeVs iiimd widened ; became more generous between 1617 and 1625, did it not? By that, sir, you mean that the poet and Lord Bacon are one, which is begging the very question in dispute. In my opinion Shakespeare did not derive his condemnation or views of usury from Lord Bacon at all. Usury was most severely condemned in the pulpit between 1580 and 1620, and if Shakespeare took his view of usury from anyone, he took it from the preachers. In 1592, Henry Smith, the most popular preacher of his age, delivered two most remarkable discourses in condemnation of usury. They were printed in 1592, and in them the preacher pointed out that whilst the Jewish law allowed usury to be taken from a stranger, it did not allow usury to be taken from a friend. It was from this teaching, that Shakespeare took the view expressed in these lines in the "Merchant of Venice": " If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends ; for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend ? " I do not think Shakespeare derived his views of political economy from Lord Bacon. If ycni can show me that Bacon was the first that spoke against usury, and no 50 one else, there might be something in your suggestion ; but in my view there is nothing. Now, sir, let me ask you, don't you think Shake- speare got his views of ambition from Lord Bacon ? Shakespeare says, " Caesar's ambition, which swelled so much." Don't you think this came from Lord Bacon's statement of a fact in natural history, that Turkey cocks swell greatly when angered ? Well, if we cannot say, "There goes a man with swelling pride,' without getting it from Lord Bacon's Turkey cock, we have come to a pretty pass. I do not think the use of 'swelling,' or 'blown,' or ' swollen ' come from the natural history of the Turkey cock. The words ' swelling,' ' high pride,' ' high blown pride ' have been in common use all my life. Do you not think Shakespeare got the constant use of sweetness, sugar, and honey as applied to spirit, from Lord Bacon ? I do not — words in most common use — applied every- where to speech. In " Polimanteia," 1595, you find ' sweet Shakespeare.' Meres speaks of Shakespeare's sugared sonnets, and the honey-tongued Shakespeare, and Dr. Richard Sibbes is styled " The honey dropping, Sibbes." Chief Justice : I don't think we can have any more of your parallels, Mr. Heath, and if you have no better than these three, I do not think it will be worth while to proceed with this kind of cross-examination, for the best parallels would, in my opinion, have only a very remote bearing on the question we have to try. Let me take one other. Shakespeare speaks of love as Theobald "engendered in the eyes, with gazing fed," does he not ? Yes, he does. How would you have it engendered ? In the pocket ? Do not be rude, sir. Does not Lord Bacon state the same thing as a ' scientific fact ' ? 51 I believe he does — it is not however scientific because he states it. If, however, it is scientific in his mouth, so it was in my grandmother's. I heard her say ' No eyes, no love,' and ' that if you took the infection, you would look again, and the more you looked, the more you would be in for it.' That is pretty much the same thing as 'fed with gazing,' is it not? In consequence of what my grandmother said, I wrote : " Drink to me only with thine eyes." The notion is quite common-place. Marlowe, in his " Hero and Leander," says: " Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight." Touch increases love, but who that had eyes, ever touched, without having first looked. Do not trifie, sir. The poet Shakespeare shows intimate acquaintance with the most subtle and recondite teachings of Plato and Aristotle, does he not ? I do not know. Every man that has lived has experienced what Shakespeare says, and it is foolish to shut us up to Plato or Aristotle for every common-place notion, or make everything scientific, which Bacon utters. You seem to think, if there is in any writings anything like that which Bacon has written, he must be the author of the writings. Now, ?vlr. Jonson, did you ever hear that Shake- speare was in a lawyer's office at any tinie ? I never did. Well then, sir, how can you account for the many references to law, and law proceedings appearing in the plays, unless he had some lawyer to assist him ? I must say for myself, I do not see any very remarkable references to law and legal proceedings in the plays. There is one thing that does make me think that Shakespeare may have been in a lawyer's office, he puts in the mouth of Jack Cade the remark 52 " that it would be well it all lawyers' throats were cut." Another thing that makes me think he may have been in a lawyer's office is, that he said a lawyer's opinion is not worth anything unless it is paid for. But where, sir, could he have got to know about " recoveries " and " fines " and " vouchees " and " sealing of bonds," and " indentures in three parts," and "Be it known unto all men by these presents," unless he had been in a lawyer's office ? Why, sir, in the common conversation and business of life. Did you, or do you know anybody, who was not a lawyer, have as great a knowledge of law as is displayed in this folio volume ? Oh, yes, many. It has been quite common for Divines, who to my knowledge have never been in any lawyer's office, to draw some of their happiest illustrations from legal proceedings. Why, there is my friend Thomas Adams. I know he has not been in a lawyer's office, because I heard him one Sunday morning in his discourse " nonsuit the devil," a thing a lawyer never would do. In the same sermon he asked every- one of the congregation whether God had acknowledged a fine to him. That's pretty technical, I think, and accurate. You ' suffer ' a recovery, and you ' acknow- ledge ' a fine. I heard him one morning, when he had not cleared a matter up quite to his satisfaction, say he must have a writ ad Jiielins inquirendum; and on another occasion he said that when God cites men to judgment there will be no return to the writ " non est inventus." Preaching at St. Paul's Cross, March 7th, 1612, to eight thousand people, he said : " If no plummets, except of unreasonable weight, can set the wheels of the lawyers' tongues a-going; and then if a golden addition can make the hammer strike to our 53 pleasure ; if they keep their ears and mouths shut, till their purses be full ; and will not understand a cause till they feel it; then to speak in their own language Noverint nniversi, he it known to all men by these presents, that these are thieves ; though I could wish rather that, Noverint ipsi, they would know it themselves and reform this deformity." On another occasion Thomas Adams said, " The inheritance is ours already, not in re but in spe. Our common law distinguisheth between two manner of freeholds: a freehold in deed, where a man hath made his entry upon lands and is therefore really seised ; a freehold in law, where a man hath a right to possession, but hath not made his actual entry." I heard him exclaim, "Do not complain, Esau: Volenti non jit injuria.'' I have heard my friend Dr. Sibbes ask whether the congregation had a " freehold " in the love of God or whether they were only " tenants at will," and whether they held all they possessed in capite of God. Not long since, I heard the Dean of Worcester, when preaching from " Buy the truth," exclaim, "Here, my friends, is a bargain and sale" — highly technical, Mr. Heath — and say that in every bargain and sale there must be a thing, a subject, which the writers on Roman Law called " merx." My Lord, I could go on, I could go on. It is absurd to suggest from Shakespeare's references to law and use of law phrases, that he must have had the assistance of such a lawyer, as my friend, the Lord Chancellor Bacon, I may say, that everybody in this court, is more or less familiar with the transactions of law ; they take place before the eyes of all of us. I could not get along Paul's chain yesterday, because of the people who had come out of their houses, to let a m.ortgage be effected by ' livery of seisin.' Right phrase, Mr. Heath, I think, and yet / was never in a lawyer's office, Mr. Heath. 54 What do you say to Shakespeare's medical knowledge and his knowledge of plants ? Very good. But such knowledge was quite common. Thomas Adams in one of his sermons sets forth nineteen diseases of the soul. He finds nineteen diseases in the body which answer to them, and he sets forth the diseases in the body with more skill than half the faculty. Adams' knowledge of plants and herbs is equally remarkable. He describes dogs, and sports as if he had been a sporting man. No man in the age of Elizabeth and the early years of James confined himself to one little portion of knowledge. Have you noticed, Mr. Jonson, that in many instances Bompas the name of Shakespeare, appearing on the books pub- hshed in Shakespeare's life time, is printed with a hyphen between the syllables ? I had not until now. On looking at the books before me, it would seem to be so. Does not the ' hyphen ' indicate that it is a nom de plume ? I should say not — only an accident — a fancy of the printer. Let me look at my own volume and see how the name Shakespeare is printed. It is remarkable. The first is printed without the hyphen, and the second is printed with the hyphen, and a capital S begins the second syllable. I gave no instructions to print it so. Of course, my actor was a real living man, the same in both plays. No nom de plume took part in one of my plays, I find in the title page of " Hamlet," 1603, a hyphen, and in the title page of " Hamlet," 1604, Shakespeare without a hyphen. It was never written with a hyphen until 1598 ; one without the hyphen, two with it. The editions of "Venus and Adonis" and " Lucrece " are without it. In 1608 you have Shakspeare with a hyphen. No one contends that Shakspeare is a nom de plume. 55 There is nothing in it, sir. Had you, before you wrote the Commendatory Verses, ever spoken to any one of Shakespeare, as the author of dramatic pieces ? I had. I mentioned his name to Drnmmond of Ilawthornden at the time of my visit to him. Was that when you went on your wild-goose chase to Scotland in 1618? Not on my wild-goose chase — a very pleasant journey on foot to Fee my relatives in Annandale. Taylor, the water-poet's journey to Scotland, on foot, was a wild-goose chase, sent after me by people of London, to cast ridicule upon my journey. He would never have got home without my assistance. During my stay in Scotland I visited Drummond, of Hawthornden. I stayed with him a considerable period, during which time we discussed the characters of many men, among others, the character of Shakespeare. Drummond brought and put on the table before us Shakespeare's " Venus and Adonis," " Lucrece," and three or four of his dramatic pieces in quarto. We spoke of Shakespeare, and among other things I stated that he wanted art, and that so hasty was he in composition, that he had placed Bohemia on the sea-coast and landed sailors there. Did you speak of Shakespeare as a real man and an author ? I did. I was speaking of my friend, whom I visited at Stratford in 1616. Can you give me any other occasion ? Yes, I spoke to Shakespeare himself about his play of " Julius Caesar." In his "Julius Caesar" he made Caesar say, "Know, Caesar doth not wrong, but with just cause; nor without cause will he be satisfied." 50 I pointed out the absurdity of doing wrong with just cause. He laughed heartily. Whether he altered the phrase or omitted it, I do not know. The Judge : Let me look at the play in the folio. Yes, here it is. It stands thus — "Know Caesar doth not wrong; nor without cause will he be satisfied ; " " but with just cause " is omitted. B}^ the Judge : Had you, Mr. Jonson, anything to do with the omission ? Not at all, my lord ; nor did I know of the omission until now. How came you to omit Shakespeare from your " Scriptorum Catalogus ? " Because I was giving a list chiefly of orators and statesmen, not of poets. I did not forget Shakespeare, or omit him from the list/ because I did not rank him among the greatest. I had only a few minutes before written my account of Shakespeare, in which I had declared I loved him as much as any one, this side idolatr5^ My account of Shakespeare is in paragraph 71 of my " Timber or Discoveries": and my " Scriptorum Catalogus " is No. 79 of the same work. I think the two paragraphs show I regarded the two men. Bacon and Shakespeare, as distinct, but equally objects of my QuvvU.^^/^ veneration and regard. If you read paragraph ']'], ^"^^ t-**^ b De Claris " Oratoribus," and paragraph 78, " Dominus 'C^"'^*^ 1^ Verulamius," you will see at once that my " Scriptorum Catalogus " was not intended to include the poets. You wrote in the Commendatory Verses, did you not — " Or, when thy socks were on, Leave thee alone for the comparison Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Rome Sent forth or since did from their ashes come." You also in " Timber or Discoveries '* wrote that Lord Bacon hath performed that in our tongue, which may be 57 compared or preferred cither to insolent Greece or haughty Rome. Did you not mean by these later words to declare that Lord Bacon wrote the plays ? Certainly not. You will notice that I expressed the opinion that Shakespeare's comedies would stand the comparison. In the "Timber or Discoveries" I was thinking of Lord Bacon's speeches, histories, and philo- sophical writings. I could not intend to state that the author of the plays was Bacon, seeing, as I have already said, I wTote of Shakespeare and Bacon as two distinct and equally eminent persons, in the course of a few pages. I applied to both a common phrase of my own. I may tell you that if I had intended to say that Shakespeare was not the author of the pla^ s in the folio '-^vivj T^*/ * rt^ volume, but that Lord Bacon was, I would have said so C^^^yl^rt^i^s c-o^yS-^ /openly, and expressed my contrition for the deception «f K'vt^ *<*^ rA^«- I Lord Bacon and myself had jointly practised. ;,«voKn "f" ^"'^ "7^^ • The reporter adds that Mr. Jonson uttered these last ' ^,. ^.o« pvu>. words with much feeling, and retired after being under , eeH^*44 tv#t ,<*«-^ examination for nearly four hours. » hjv*.d.y ^ K^^ 5jj^ Robert Chester then entered the Box. '■$ . J • , . . . „ " I am livmg m Essex. I am about sixty-one years of age. I was knighted in the year 1603. In 1601 I published a poem entitled, " Love's Martyr or Rosalin's Complaint," allegorically shadowing the truth of love in the constant fate of the " Phoenix and Turtle." I was anxious to include, in my volume, a few poetical pieces on the subject by some of the best authors. 'Yi\\ ^'^^^ '^^ '■^ 58 piece. He immediately promised, and not long after he supplied me in manuscript with a piece, signed by him- self. It was printed and published under his name, William Shakespeare, spelled with an *'e" after the k. I see, by looking at the Book, the name is printed with a hyphen between, the " e " and the " s." I did not order this ; it was purely the act of the printer. Cross-examined : Do you mean that you applied to the man of whom Mr. Jonson spoke? I do. I applied to the man who played Knowell in " Every Man in his Humour " — the member of the Lord Chamberlain's Company. I was familiar with his writings or the writings passing under his name, and from my conversation with him and what I knew of him, I felt assured he could do what I asked. I did not apply to Francis Bacon, nor hear of him in the matter. I never, until this trial, heard a suggestion that Shakespeare was assisted by Francis Bacon in the composition of his plays. I do not consider the piece Shakespeare wrote for me was of the highest class, but it indicates the command of poetical language, the possession of imagination, and the words, " threne " and "threnos" shew his acquain- tance with words of classical origin. These three verses will afford a specimen of, I believe, his genuine work : — 1. Beauty, Truth and rarity, Grace in all simplicity, Here enclosed in cinders lie. 2. Death is now the phcenix' nest, And the turtle's loyal breast To eternity doth rest. 59 3. Leaving no posterity, 'Twas not their infirmity, It was married chastity. Henry Walley : I am a stationer, carrying on business at the Spread Eagle in St. Paul's Churchyard, over against the great north door. In 1609 I was carrying on business there in partner- ship with Mr. R. Bonian. We heard that Mr. Shakespeare was just bringing out a new play called " Troilus and Cressida," and thinking we should like to procure a copy of it and print it before it was acted, we applied to William Shakespeare and asked him if we might have a copy for publication. He consented, and gave us a manuscript copy. I did not know the handwriting. There seemed to be other copies at the theatre. They were just about to place it on the stage. On getting the copy we printed and published it— date i6og. Cross-examined : You did not see him compose the play ? Certainly not. You surely did not believe that he had composed it ? Yes, we did, and stated so on the title page of our edition. You can read here — (producing a copy) "Written by William Shakespeare." Why did you not sa\' more about the play and whose it was ? We did. Read the preface, headed " A never writer to an ever reader, Nevves'. Eternal reader, you have here a new play, never stal'd with the stage, never clapper claw'd with the palms of the vulgar." I may tell you we took that word * clapper claw'd ' from the play itself. We go on to say that were " the vain names of comedies changed for the titles of commodities, you would tlock to them for the main grace of their gravities, 60 especially this author's comedies. So much and such favoured salt of witte is in his comedies, that they seem (for their height of pleasure) to be borne in that sea that brought forth Venus." What do you mean by that ? That the same man who wrote the " Venus and Adonis " wrote the play. We also said, " Believe this, that when he is gone and his commedies out of sale you will scramble for them." We heard nothing about Sir Francis Bacon during the negotiations for the play. Had not the play of " Troilus and Cressida " been acted before i6og ? Yes, a play under that title ; but different from the play we printed and published. Counsel for the plaintiff said that R. Bonian was prepared to speak to the same effect as his partner Walley. On this Counsel for the defendant said there was no occasion to call him. It should be taken that he agreed in substance with his partner. Thomas Walkley: I am a stationer and carry on business at the Eagle and Child, in Britain's Bursse. I knew William Shakespeare the actor, and as, I believe, writer or author. I have sold numbers of copies of plays purporting to be written by him. I knew the play " Othello," and have seen it performed on several occasions. It was produced under Shake- speare's name. In the year 1621 some one, I forget his name, brought me a manuscript copy of the play of " Othello." I examined it and found it to be a very fine copy, and much like what I had seen on the stage. 61 I did not know the handwriting^. I printed and pubHshed it in 1622. I put on the title page that the piece had been acted at the Globe and at the Blackfriars by his Majesty's Servants, and that it was written by William Shakespeare. It had been ac-ted frequently by his Majesty's Servants. Cross-examined : Had Othello been in print in any form before you printed your edition ? No, to the best of my belief it never had. Was there any preface to your edition ? Yes, sir. It is short ; I will read it. " To set forth a Book without an epistle, were like the old English proverbe, A blew coat without a badge ; and the author being dead I thought good to take that piece of work upon me ; to commend it I will not ; for that which is good, I hope every man will commend, without entreaty ; and I am the bolder because the author's name is sufficient to vent his work." I wrote that because I knew Shakespeare as a writer was highly esteemed. Have you compared your edition of " Othello " with that contained in the folio volume ? I have. Which do you say is the better ? I am bound to admit both in punctuation, printing, and text, the folio is far superior. The folio contains passages which are not in my edition. Mr. Jonson had nothing to do with bringing me the manuscript from which I printed, nor Lord Bacon either. I have never heard of Lord Bacon assisting Mr. Shakespeare to write, or of his being the author of, the play of " Othello." 62 I should not have written the author being dead if I had. In 1622, when my edition was pubhshed, Lord Bacon was alive, Shakespeare was dead. He was the dead author to whom I referred. Did you know of the name ' Shakespeare ' being a nom-de-plume when you printed ' Othello,' Certainly not. I believed it was Shakespeare's, the actor, and printed the name as I believe he used it. Hugh Holland : I am Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. I was educated at Westminster School under William Camden, and was a Queen's Scholar. I was a member of the Mermaid Club, and well acquainted with William Shakespeare, the actor and author. I have frequently met him at the Club. He was all that Mr. Jonson described him. I have seen Shakespeare on the stage, and was familiar with most of the pieces that came out under his name. If he was not the author of them, he ought to have been. He was so great. Cross-examined : I am myself somewhat of a poet. I have written several pieces. I wrote the lines on Shakespeare which appear in the folio volume. Did you speak of Shakespeare there as you have done to-day ? Yes, indeed, the heading would be sufficient for that. " Upon the lines and life of the famous Scenicke Poet, Master William Shakespeare." I may read a line or two — " For done are Shakespeare's days ; His days are done that made the dainty plays." Vu ft:. lU-^^ f*^ 63 Did you believe that he made the plays in the folio voluine ? Undoubtedly, a man of brighter genius I never met. ■Re-examined : You also made a prophecy, did you not ? Yes, I wrote that — " Thoufrh his line of life went soon about, The life yet of his lines shall never out." Leonard Digges : I was born in London in the year 1588. My father was a most distinguished Mathematician. I left London for University College, Oxford, in 1603. Prior to leaving London I had seen Shakespeare on the stage, and also in after years I saw pieces that were produced under his name. I proceeded B.A. 1606. After this, I travelled abroad, studying at several Universities. In consideration of my continental studies I was created M.A. at Oxford last year. I have seen the monument erected to Shakespeare at Stratford. It is a very good likeness, and represents him as an author with a pen in his hand. The plays in the folio are very much as I heard them when they were acted. They were presented under the natne of Shakespeare. I never heard a doubt cast upon his authorship. Cross-examined : Have you ever said anything like this before ? Oh, yes, frequently. Tell me one single occasion on which you have ? Open the folio volume. Do not tell me what to do, sir, said the Counsel. 64 Then hand it me, sir. The usher handed the foho to the witness. He opened it and read — " To the memorie ot the Deceased Author, Maister W. Shakespeare." So much did I believe it, sir, that I wrote — " This Book, When Brass and Marble fade, shall make thee looke Fresh to all ages." You were referring to the book, not to the man ? Certainly not. Re-examined. Did you prophecy, Mr. Digges ? Yes, I think I did. I wrote — "Be sure, our Shakespeare, thou canst never dye, But crown'd with laurel, live eternally." William, Earl of Pembroke, sworn and examined. I am forty- seven years of age. I am Lord Chamberlam to the King. I succeeded to the Earldom when I was twenty-one. I have always delighted in the society of men of letters. Before I was of age, I knew Shakespeare the actor. I became intimate with him, and admired his writings very much. I have seen most of his plays acted, and have received from Shakespeare many of them in manuscript, in order that I might read them privately. My brother and I conferred some favours on Shake- speare, but they are scarcely worth mentioning. I never heard a suggestion of Lord Bacon being the author of the plays, or his assisting Shakespeare to write them. 65 I was as much impressed by Shakespeare as I was by the plays, and saw in him everything to make me believe he was their author. W^hen asked by Mr. Blount, I at once consented to allow the volume to be dedicated to myself and my brother, the Earl of Montgomery. He was not cross-examined. Earl of Montgomery, examined and sworn. I am the brother of the last witness, and can say that what he has just said is substantially true, John Selden. I am a barrister-at-law, of the Inner Temple, I became acquainted with Shakespeare about 1608. I had previously been introduced to Mr. Benjamin Jonson. I was a member of the Mermaid Club, and frequently met Shakespeare there. He was one of the most brilliant men it has been my lot to meet. I can see in the plays the characteristics of the man I knew. The man and the plays seem tome identical. I saw the play of " The Tempest " about 161 1 ; it was announced as Shakespeare's. I saw in it the genius of Shakespeare, and said to some of my friends he had not only found out a new character in his Caliban, but also devised a new manner of language. I knew Lord Bacon intimately towards the close of his life. He asked me if I would, after his death, advise as to the preservation or destruction of his manuscripts. I said I would, and he named me in his will as the person to be consulted by his executors. I saw a great many of his manuscripts. I did not see a paper that had a scrap of dramatic poetry on it. This witness was not cross-examined. Mr. Nov said : My Lord, I have a number of gentlemen here to speak to Shakespeare having the 66 reputation of authorship, but, I have told them, reputation in this case of private matter is inadmissible ; if it were admissible, I could call nearly all the citizens of London. This is my case, my Lord. Thereupon the Judge said to the Counsel for the defendant, Mr. Heath: I have watched with very great care your cross-examination of the witnesses. I have not noticed any questions, which indicate to me that you have any witnesses to call in opposition to the testimony which has been given. Will you tell me, is there a living witness you can \ call who will give evidence of any fact relevant to the claim of Lord Bacon ? The Counsel for the defendant hesitated, looked surprised by the question, and said : I must say, my Lord, your Lordship's question gives rise — Judge : I want yes or no, Mr. Heath. Then I must say I cannot call any such witness, said Mr. Heath. Further, Mr. Heath, I do not want this question sent down for trial again, because evidence has been improperly rejected. Can you produce a piece of paper, printed or written, which contains a statement by any man, dead or living, which is relevant to such a claim ? I cannot, said the Counsel for the defendant. Can you produce any book containing a play or plays, or any portion of a play, upon which the name of Francis Bacon, or Lord Bacon, or Viscount St. Albans appears as the author ? I cannot. Have you any manuscript found in Lord Bacon's possession, whether in his handwriting or not, that has any bearing upon his claim ? 67 Mr. Heath : I have none, in\- Lord, nor can I produce any. Have )0u any person, whom you could call, to speak to Shakespeare's ij^morance as a young man, or to his having held horses at the theatre door? I have not, my Lord, The Learned Judge: You can address the jury, then, Mr. Heath. Mr. Heath: My Lord, I propose to put in evidence the whole of Lord Bacon's published works. The Judge: What for, Mr. Heath ? Mr. Heath : To establish, b}' a careful examination of them, so many close parallels between passages in the folio volume and passages in Bacon's works, in- volving such profound reflection and insight, as shall lead the jury to conclude that the plays were written not by the man of no education, but by Bacon the philosopher and thinker. The Learned Judge: In the absence of all direct evidence, I think such parallelisms could only have a very remote bearing on the question we have to try, especially in the face of the affirmative evidence adduced by the plaintiff. However, I will allow you to put in evidence the works of Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam, Viscount St. Alban. The learned Counsel for the defendant here began to hand in several volumes. The Judge, interposing, said : Mr. Heath, what are you doing ? You cannot put these books in without some evidence they were written by Lord Bacon ? ' Mr, 1Ii:atii : Will not the name on the title-page be '' * ^\* sufficient ? ^. - The Judge: Yes, I should have thought so, "but ^ ' sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander." 68 What do ycu say to the forty-two volumes lying before me with the name of Shakespeare upon them ? If the name is sufficient to establish authorship, you know the consequence, Mr. Heath. After a pause the Judge said : They can all go in, Mr. Heath, without any other evidence of authorship, than what the title page supplies, only do not be too long in your examination, and use only your best instances. Mr. Heath then put in evidence printed copies of Lord Bacon's works, and a manuscript copy of the ' Con- ference of Pleasure,' composed by Francis Bacon, 1593. The learned Counsel for the defendant and for the plaintiff, respectively addressed the jury. THE SUMMING UP. Gentlemen of the Jury, The question, you have to determine, is one of the simplest kind, and the evidence bearing upon it may be easily and readily appreciated. You have nothing to do with the faults or beauties of the works in question ; nothing to do with the meaning of some of the words employed therein ; nor are you called upon to fix the text of the various plays, in respect of which there has even now arisen a difference of opinion. Neither are you called upon to determine with what object or purpose the plays or any of them, were written. You are not called upon to determine the facts of Shakespeare's early life or the extent of Shakespeare's learning in his youth, except so far, that extreme ignorance on his part as a young man, would not be favourable to the suggestion of his being the author. You will not, however, forget, that a man may have had in early life a defective education and yet in the course of a few years, by study and natural taste and gifts, become a most distinguished author. You will also remember 'ft' 69 that the Grammar Schools of our country have produced youths, of such excellent knowledge and rare mental capacity, that they have passed direct from the school to the University as ' Poor Scholars.' The only question, you have to determine, is, whether the plays which are found in the folio volume before you, were written by William Shakespeare, by whom I mean the man who died at Stratford-on-Avon, April, 1616, The affirmative of this proposition rests on the plaintiff, and unless he has made it out to your satisfaction, you ought to find that William Shakespeare was Jiot the author. If you find that Lord Bacon was the author, the claim of William Shakespeare is from the very nature of that finding, rejected; but although you may be of opinion that Lord Bacon was not the author of the plays, you may still think that the evidence is so unsatisfactory that you cannot find that Shakespeare was. I ought to tell you, that you may properly come to the conclusion that William Shakespeare, the testator in the cause, was the author, although he did not, in your opinion, invent any of the fables of the plays, and although you may think he was — I do not say he was — a plagiarist and took and appropriated material for constructing the plays, wherever he could find it. You may think that many of his plays were fashioned out of plays previously written, or out of stories and histories found ready to his hand. He may have used much that he heard in conversation, saw in life passing before him, or things found in manuscripts l)laced at his disposal. If you think the idea and design of these plays, with the arrangements of the parts and the language, for the most part, are Shakespeare's, you are entitled to find, and ought to find, that he was the author, without any regard as to where and how he obtained the materials. If you think the method, the 70 style, and the compilation be his, although he had the matter from others, you may still justly find that he was the author. " A poet," as an ancient writer has said, " may be compared to one walking in a garden and making a poesy of flowers which he culls and plucks from divers beds and banks. Now though the flowers be none of his, yet the choice of them and the twisting of them together to give the fragrance, is solely his own work." If you think that William Shakespeare, the testator, culled from other writers, the various beauties found in the folio volume, twisted them together, and arranged them ; that he gave shape and form to the plays before you ; you may find that he was the author of them although the material were none of his, and that others even assisted in the selection and arrangement. The fact that he borrowed from other writers may detract from his originality, but not from his claim to be the author. Let me give you an illustration from the plays before you. Mr. Jonson in his evidence called your attention to the distinction between the Chronicle history of King Lear, published in 1605 and the play of " King Lear " under the name of William Shakespeare, published in 1608. He told you there was a dramatic power in the play of 1608 which only Shakespeare could supply. I myself have read those two plays, and I think, gentlemen, no one can read the play of 1605, and the play of 1608, without feeling in this latter play the presence of a dramatic power and energy of which there is scarcely any trace in the former. It is clear also that the man who created the play of 1608, used the material of the play of 1605, or was indebted to that play for most important sugges- tions. Yet whoever was the man who prepared and brought into existence the play of 1608, he may claim 71 to be, and should justly be, regarded as the author, although perhaps without the play of 1605, the play of 1608 would never have been written. You mav take this case as an illustration of the direction I have given you ; and you may dismiss from your mind much that the learned counsel for the defendant has addressed to you as to the materials out of which the plays were composed. His claim of authorship for Lord Bacon, you must not and cannot disregard ; for if you should be of opinion that Lord Bacon was the author of these plays in the sense in which I have directed you, the claim of William Shakespeare is necessarily excluded. Indepen- dent authors of the plays you can scarcely conceive possible. Two writers working independently of each other, and producing substantially identical arrangement, thought and language, in thirty-seven plays, is beyond human conception. Two persons have worked together in the production of plays, as Beaumont and Fletcher, with whose names and writings some of 3'ou are doubt- less familiar. If you think these plays, or any of them, were the joint production of William Shakespeare and Lord Bacon ; that Lord Bacon assisted to such an extent as to be deemed a co-worker, you will say so by your verdict. The learned counsel for the defendant says that he regrets that Lord Bacon is not alive to be called. He has speculated very largely on what Lord Bacon would say if he were here, and intimated that his Lordship would claim the authorship of all or some of the plays. On the other hand, the monosyllable " No," which might fall from his lips, would destroy the whole case of the defendant. He might also express, in bitter terms, his repudia- tion of the attempt to make him the author of the plays by implicating himself and others in fraud and falsehood. 72 The learned counsel for the plaintiff has speculated as to what Shakespeare would say if Jie were here. Dismiss these things from your mind. These parties are not here. Their presence would perhaps in a moment put an end to this cause ; but we must determine this question in their absence. The learned counsel for the defendant says he has placed demonstrative proof before you that Lord Bacon is the author. In such inquiries, as we are undertaking, there can be no "demonstrative" proof; for the whole question is resolved into one of probability, and Courts of Justice are obliged to act upon probabilitv together with proper inferences from facts placed before them. The only reason why Courts of Justice act upon the evidence of men, is because, from long experience, it has been found, men do as a rule speak the truth, or what they believe to be the truth. The probability is in favour of their so doing. This probability rests upon the unbroken experience of centuries, and is the ground on which human testimony is accepted. Courts of Justice cannot knoiv that the thing stated is true, for even if one of the jury were to say that he knew that what a witness had said was true, there would only be a probability in favour of its truth, and it might turn out, after all, that he was mistaken, as manv a witness has been in Courts of Justice. Even if Lord Bacon were to come into court and sav he was the author of these plays, we should only have a probability in his favour, to be met by opposing probabilities; and the same observation would apply, if Shakespeare also could be called as a witness. If they were in opposition, we should have to conduct the very enquiry which has been conducted before you to-day. Perhapsas interested parties, they could not be examined, and we must proceed, without any consideration as to what they might say, if prcFent. Theobald 'VM-^v^ 73 Perhaps, f!^entlcmcn, I should do best, if I hrstdeal with the claim that is made on behalf of Lord Bacon. I do not think I make an unfair observation when I say, that with the exception of the argument founded upon parallel passages, identical thought and similarity of language, and the use of legal phraseology in the plays, not a particle of evidence has been produced in support of his Lordship's claim. No one has been called to speak to any fact which could justify such a conclusion, and I can only say, tliat I think the suggestion, which I now make, that it would be scarcely wise for you to rest your decision that Lord Bacon was the author, upon the similiarity of language and such parallelisms as have been offered to you by the learned counsel, is not beyond my province. Mr. Jonson in his evidence showed conclusively — it is a question however entirely for you — that there is no evidence that Shakespeare derived his classical and refined language from Lord Bacon, but as Mr. Jonson said, from the common use of the language. ■-' Direct evidence that Lord Bacon supplied the language, it is certain, there is none. I think also the parallel passages did not produce much effect on your minds, and the learned counsel was quite willing to retire from a further prosecution of such comparisons. It appears to me that it would want a much more close identification^ Jj^^ "^ A of thought and language in the folio volume and the works of Bacon, in order to justify you in finding that Lord Bacon was the author of the plays, especially in the face of the evidence in support of Shakespeare's claim. The passages the learned counsel read from the the " Conference of Pleasure," composed by Francis Bacon, 1593, had not a trace of dramatic quality. "Of the classical words set forth by Mr. Theobald as being in Bacon's Works and in the folio, my narrow reading has supplied mc with proof that seventy of them were in common usage. 74 I think it is clear that Shakespeare never was in a lawyer's office. After the evidence shewing how common legal knowledge was among laymen, it seems scarcely wise to draw the inference that Lord Bacon supplied the small portions of law that appear in the plays. The question whether Lord Bacon was the author of the plays, however, is one for you. Before you can come to that conclusion you must believe that ' Shake- speare ' was a false name. That Southampton knew %*tA he was receiving a dedication from Bacon under the name of 'Shakespeare.' That Shakspeare himself, the '^^■^- actor, knew of the use of * Shakespeare.' That twelve or fourteen printers or publishers, who printed and published works under the name of ' Shakespeare ' were ^^^ told by Shakspeare or Bacon so to print the name. Under such circumstances how could the secret be kept ? Nor can you come to a conclusion in favour of Lord Bacon without finding that the production of the folio volume and the placing of Shakespeare's portrait therein, involved conduct, on the part of Blount, Heminge, Condell, Jonson, and Lord Bacon himself, to which no decent mind would be a party. They played with the very dead. Take, however, into your serious consider- ation all that the learned counsel has urged. Assuming you do not come to a conclusion favour- able to Lord Bacon's claim, the question then arises, Was Shakespeare, the testator, the author of the plays ? Gentlemen, it is not my province to determine this question. It is a question entirely of fact. I shall not read over to you the evidence to which you have listened with great attention. I would point out to you, the fact of composition or authorship must be found by you. You may find it as a fact inferred from other facts established to your satisfaction. It is not necessary you should have direct evidence of authorship ; and even if you 75 7lf» had such evidence, you would have to consider whetlier you could accept it as true. Circumstantial evidence may sometimes afford as ^'ood ground for a decision as tiic most direct evidence. Before drawing or attempting to draw the inference of authorship, I should, if I were in your place, endeavour to answer certain questions. The first would be, To what extent, if au}', were the plays, contained in the folio volume, printed from manuscript? If I accepted the ; K^j^ Hw«^J>^ evidence/Of,iMr. Blount, Mr. Heminge and Mr. Condcll, I ^1 should find that all the plays were so printed. Even if I ^UO. ♦rJU R ^ flij not accept their evidence in its entirety, I should from ^j.r>V^C» tli^ necessity of the case find that the whole of twenty plays and large portions of the remaining seventeen, which compose the volume, were so printed. Of the twenty plays, no portion of them, as far as can be known, was in print before the folio, and of the remain- ing seventeen, considerable portions also were never in print until the folio appeared. A very large portion, there- fore, of the folio must have been printed from manuscript. This conclusion is arrived at, apart from the determination of the question, From whom did Mr. Blount receive the manuscripts? nor is the conclusion as to the printing of the folio from manuscript in any way affected by the non-production of the manuscripts ; they must have existed, or the book could not have been printed. Mr. Blount has not preserved the manuscripts of the plays, nor has he preserved the manuscripts of the dedication, or preface or of any of the commendatory verses. Even if the manuscripts were preserved, they might not be in the handwriting of Shakespeare, as manuscripts were often reproduced by men who were called 'poor Scribes.' You have been told by two or three witnesses that manuscripts have often been re-copied and passed into circulation. Lord Bacon, we know, caused some of his manuscripts 76 to be copied, and he himself possessed a manuscript copy of " Camden's Britannia." If the manuscripts of the plays in the folio were in the handwriting of Shakespeare, still the question would remain, Did he compose or was he the author of the manuscripts ? In such a case the presumption that he was the author would be very strong, but still, in the absence of Shakespeare's evidence, you would have to find the fact by inference, if at all. If you think the manuscripts were destroyed for the purpose of concealing, if possible, all trace of the authorship, you might hesitate before you arrived at a decision in favour of Shakespeare's claiin. Of the destruction of the manuscripts with any such intention, there is not a particle of evidence. If I found that the whole or the greater portion of the folio volume was printed from manuscripts, the next question I should put to myself would be, How did these manuscripts reach the hands of the printer ? The only evidence is, that they came into the hands of the printers from the hands of Heminge and Condell, the' ^^ ■♦v^A*^''''- , i^ friends and the fellow-actors of Shakespeare. They have ^ /'' ^ sworn that they delivered the manuscripts to Mr. Blount, and Mr. Blount has sworn he received from them the manuscripts. There is no evidence of their having been delivered to Mr. Blount, or any of his associates, by any other person or persons. Heminge and Condell in their dedication and preface to the folio, stated the facts to which they subsequently deposed. Mr. Blount was a party to their statement by printing it, and must be taken to be implicated thereby, so far as the facts contained therein come within his knowledge. Against this evidence, it is suggested by the counsel for the defendant, that the Bompo manuscripts, or some portion of them, came directly into the hands of Mr. Blount from Mr. Benjamin Jonson ; that the printer and supposed editors were so ignorant they 77 Pas could not have written the dedication and preface : that Mr. Jonson must have written both the dedication and preface; that he suggested the fictitious statements contained therein, and in fact edited the volume at the instance and in the interest of Lord Bacon. There is not, it appears to me, any evidence of any one of these statements. The examination and cross-examination of Mr. Blount shewed you that he is a man of considerable literary ability, and did not need, and would not need, the assistance of Mr. Jonson in order to get the dedication and preface written. The suggestion that the manuscripts came from Lord Bacon and that Mr. Jonson edited the volume for him, involves Lord Bacon and Mr. Jonson in a series of untruths. Mr. Jonson has denied he brought to Mr. Blount any portion of the manuscript from which the folio was printed ; that neither he nor Lord Bacon had anything to do with putting manuscript copy into the hands of the printer or any other person. Mr. Jonson has told you he did not bring to Mr. Blount any portion of the manuscript of the play of " Henry the Eighth," and that Lord Bacon did not write any portion of that play, still less resort to any trick for the purpose of getting papers into his possession from which to compose it. If you can accept the evidence of Heminge and Condell and Mr. Blount, then the manuscripts from which the folio was printed in whole or in the greater part, came to the hands of Mr. Blount from Mr. Heminge and Mr. Condell. Ifyou can accept the evidence of Mr. Jonson, not any portion of the manuscripts was supplied or handed over by himself, or, as far as his knowledge goes, by Lord Bacon. The employments of Lord Bacon between Tune, 1621, and the close of the year (March) 1622, are quite inconsistent with the^production of any one of the plays contained in the folio volume. On one of the folio volumes is the date 1622. 78 Assuming you do accept this evidence, the next question for you to ask yourselves is, How did Heminge and Condell come by the manuscripts? Up to this point you believe that Mr. Blount, Mr. Heminge, and Mr. Condell have told you the truth. Believing Mr. Heminge and Mr. Condell thus far, you will the more readily accept their statements, when they stand alone, supported, however, in some important particulars by other witnesses. Mr. Heminge and Mr. Condell have told you that the manuscripts they took to Mr. Blount had been for a longer or shorter period in the possession of the Company of Actors, of which Shakespeare was a member ; that these plays were all produced and acted under the name of William Shakespeare, their fellow-actor, and that some, in a more or less perfect state, had been printed and published in his life-time as ' by William Shakespeare,' and some as ' written by William Shakespeare ' ; that although they cannot speak to the manuscripts as being all in his handwriting, they have seen him in possession of manuscript plays and sometimes engaged in writing or composition; they have told you that the manuscripts they handed to Blount were all originally in possession of Shakespeare ; that they did not receive any of the manuscripts from Lord Bacon, or receive any communication from him respecting them. The learned counsel for the defendant did not .suggest that Heminge and Condell wrote the plays or any portion of them. Mr. Jonson and Mr. Blount tell you that all the manuscript plays appeared on the stage under the name of William Shakespeare, as their author, and that they saw the greater number of the plays acted. Mr. Jonson pointed out that the plays ' written by William Shakes- peare ' are said quite correctly in point of time to have been played by the Lord Chamberlain's servants or the King's servants, of whom he was one. You will 79 remember the very important evidence Mr. Meres gave of the existence of some of the manuscript plays as written or composed by Shat:cspeare. He saw some of the manuscript plays in the possession of Shakespeare, the actor, and gave in 1598 a list of twelve plays as having been written by Shakespeare, the actor. At that time, only four of these eleven plays had been printed in an}- form, and printed without the name of Shakespeare. Three of them were subsequently printed with his name, but one of them, "Romeo and Juliet," never appeared under the name of Shakespeare until it was printed in the folio volume. Of the remaining eight, four were printed, subsequently, with Shakespeare's name, in Shakespeare's life-time. One, "Titus Andronicus," appeared in 1600-1611, without any name until it appeared in the folio volume. " Love's Labour Lost" is supposed to be the play " All's Well That Ends Well," which did not appear in print until it appeared in the folio volume. Two others, the " Gentle- men of Verona " and the " Comedy of Errors," did not appear in print until they appeared in the folio volume, twenty-five years after Meres had spoken of them as being in manuscript. That these two plays with " All's Well That Ends Well " were printed in the folio volume from manuscripts, is manifest. No copies of these plays have been subsequently printed, nor is there a suggestion of manuscripts of these two plays being now in existence. It is clear, if you accept the evidence of Blount, Hemingeand Condell, tliat Hemingeand Condell took the manuscripts of these three plays to Blount. If so, have you any doubt that the manuscripts of these three plays, which Heminge and Condell took to Blount, were the very manuscripts of which Meres wrote in 1598 ? If you have no doubt of their identity, have you any doubt that Heminge and Condell, who, so to speak, were 80 in the line of possession, and came into possession of the manuscripts of the " Gentlemen of Verona," the " Comedy of Errors," and "Love's Labour Won," did come into possession of all, or nearly all, the manuscripts of the plays which passed under Shakespeare's name ? Heminge and Condell were the first to print " Romeo and Juliet" and "Henry the Fifth" under the name of Shakespeare. Several editions in quarto had appeared without any name. On this evidence, you may find, that Shakespeare brought all the plays contained in the folio volume in manuscript to the theatre, and placed them at the disposal of the Company of which he was a member, and that they subsequently passed into the possession of Heminge and Condell. Assuming you do, the next question you should ask yourselves, is. Was the William Shakespeare, the fellow- actor of Heminge and Condell, in the opinion of those who knew him, capable of the production of these plays ? If you accept the evidence of Jonson, Selden, Digges, Holland, Basse, Meres, Chester, the question can only be answered in the affirmative. Never was such lofty praise bestowed on any man, as was bestowed by them on Shakespeare, the actor. You will not forget the evidence of Mr. Jonson, that in the plays he sees the race of Shakespeare's mind, and that in them Shakespeare's manners brightly shine. Assuming you find that Lord Bacon was not the author of the plays, the next thing to bear in mind is, that if Shakespeare was not the author, there is no evidence to show that anybody else was. From all these findings, and facts proved in evidence, what inference do you draw ? Do you draw the inference that Shakespeare was the author of the plays ? If you do, there is, in my opinion, ample evidence to justify your finding. I would point out to you that many of the plays, and KM 8i all the poems, have appeared under the name of William Shakespeare as the author. You might properly infer from that fact itself, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that William Shakespeare, the testator, was the author of such plays and poetry. There are forty- two such volumes before you. If you believe he was the author of these plays and poetry, in the sense in which I have directed you to use that word, you may, in my opinion, very readily find he was the author of those plays which appeared for the first time in the folio volume, under his name. Theobald The learned Counsel has constantly reiterated that Shakspeare is the name of the actor. If so, he is in some difficulty, for in the year 1608, " King Lear " is published under the name of " Shakspeare." I need scarcely say that if the actor wrote or composed " King Lear " there is an end of the defendant's case. In the same year, there is an edition under the name of " Shakespeare," and the names in both editions are with the hyphen. Subject to your better opinion, it seems to me that Shakspeare and Shakespeare both described the actor. I do not attach much weight to the will being signed " Shakspeare," without the " e " after the " k." - Gentlemen, I asked the counsel for the defendant, during his address, if he admitted that anyone of these productions in print with the name of Shakespeare on them was the offspring of the actor's intellect. He felt the force of my observation, for I could not find out from the whole of his address, whether he denied the author- ship of all the plays and poems printed in his life-time, or whether he admitted the authorship of Shakespeare, * The learned Judge's view is sustained by the fact that the preacher at Gray's Inn dedicated some of his works under the style "Sibbes." He signed his will " Sibbs," without the " e," in the year 1635. 82 the actor, in respect of any one of them, or any portion of one of them. It is a question entirely for you, but if I had to decide this matter, and the learned counsel for the defendant admitted that " Venus and Adonis " was written by Shakespeare the actor, who could not have been more than twenty-eight years of age when it was written, I should without difficulty find that in the course of years he was capable of writing any of the plays which are before us. If I believed that Shakespeare, the actor, wrote the " Venus and Adonis," I certainly should dismiss at once all the observations of the learned counsel about the rusticity and ignorance of Shakespeare. If he admitted " Lucrece " was written by Shakespeare, the actor, I should have then still less difficulty, for in portions of that work I see indications of every quality possessed by the great dramatist who composed the plays. If you think, after the evidence of Mr. Walkley, that William Shakspeare, or Shakespeare, wrote " Othello," then it appears to me the case for the defendant is gone — that all argument derived from neglected education and rustic manners is absurd. The man who wrote " Othello " could write all the plays. The " Othello " of 1622 never came, as far as I can see, from Lord Chancellor Bacon nor Mr. Jonson. The evidence as to the " Troilus and Cressida," published in i6og, seems to me to lead to the same conclusion. I asked. Gentlemen, you will remember, the Counsel for the defendant, if he really claim.ed for Lord Bacon the authorship of the " Venus and Adonis." He stood perplexed for a moment or two, and then said he did not think he did ; but with the utmost boldness he claimed it Bompas for Anthony Bacon, the brother of Lord Bacon. I pointed out to him there was not a scrap of evidence in support of such a claim. It appears to me, upon the evidence of Sir Robert 83 Bompas Chester, you may come to the conchision, that Shakespeare, the actor and testator, wrote, when about thirty-six years of age, the piece attached to " Love's Martyr," entitled "The Phrenix and the Turtle." He wrote his own name, William Shakespeare, under it. It is certain that Chester applied to Shakespeare the actor, as to a poet. He did not apply to Francis Bacon. No one ever knew of Francis Bacon in connection with any of the pieces published under the name "Shakespeare." The suggestion that the actor Shakespeare did not write the lines he gave to Chester but got them from Francis Bacon appears to me ridiculous ; there is no evidence of it, I do not think Bacon could have composed them. It is a matter, however, entirely for your consideration. If you believe Shakespeare wrote that piece, his poetical taste, command of language, and acquaintance with words of classical origin are completely established. Moreover, if Shakespeare, the actor, wrote the piece entitled, "The Phoenix and the Turtle," then it is clear that this is not his first piece of poetry. It is too good for a first attempt. Where are his previous works ? Are they the "Venus and Adonis," " Lucrece," and some of the plays which had appeared under his name? You cannot give too much consideration to Sir Robert Chester's evidence. If true, it supplies, as it seems to me, a combining power to all the other evidence before you, which can only lead to one conclusion. I ought also to tell you there is cogent evidence before you that Shakespeare, the actor, wrote the Sonnets. If you come to that conclusion, you will be materially assisted in determining the question of the authorship of the plays. The learned counsel during his address to you, frequently said the play of " Hamlet" was in existence in 1589, and that it was in the highest degree improbable 84 that Shakespeare the actor could be the author of it. If this were so, I confess it would be a serious impeach- ment of Shakespeare's claim. I pointed out to him, however, that all he could say was that a play of "Hamlet" appeared in 1589, and that there was no evidence that the play of 1589 was the same play as the play of 1603, His answer was, there was a ghost in both plays ; a rather ghostly argument, pardon the expression. It is idle to draw from such a fact the inference that the plays were the same. Of the rudeness and ignorance of Shakespeare when he came to town there is no evidence, and no evidence of his holding horses at the stage or theatre door. One further observation, gentlemen, before I cease to address you. The case for the defendant presents a most remarkable state of things. For thirty years there are poems and plays set forth as the plays and poems of William Shakspeare the actor, and thousands of people, you and I amongst them, believed him to be the author of them. According to the case of the defendant, he is not the author. He dies, and the secret is not disclosed. Seven years after his death, thirty-seven plays are collected as his works and ushered in with most kind and affectionate greetings from his literary friends ; and the secret is not yet disclosed. Lord Bacon is really the author, says the counsel for the defendant, but his name is not mentioned or disclosed, in connection with these works. Lord Bacon dies in 1626, and in no scrap of paper, memorandum, or private writing is there a reference to his author- ship of either the whole or any part of these writings, or to his connection therewith. Neither has anyone come before you to-day to say he has heard a whisper of such a suggestion. This seems to me a story characterized by the highest degree of improbability. But more 85 than that, if the defendant's case be true, here is a man, who, accordinj^ to the counsel for the defendant, in mental capacity was a mere money-lender, and a second-rate actor, in morals an adulterer and a drunkard, has been deemed all through life as capable of producing such plays as these ; that as the plays have manifested the presence of increasing mental qualities and endowments, so Shakespeare, as to those who knew hiin, increased in mental power and greatness. If he did to his friends appear to have these qualities — and I think you cannot doubt he had them — then you have this remarkable circumstance : that this man, who had the most various gifts and the highest qualities, never wrote or published anything. Nor is this the only marvel created by this defence. The learned counsel says that " William Shakespeare " was a nom de plume, chosen by Francis Bacon in the year 1593, under which should appear all the great poetical works he contemplated. If he did, he chose the name of a person actually living and well known, for I believe the name by which the actor at the Blackfriars ' was known, was "Shakespeare," with the "e" after .. ,. the " k." Everybody, with two or three exceptions, •^-^^"^ C*wfrw'tU , ^^,j.j|.^5 l^jg r\2iXVi& thus, and the deeds prepared for his ^^^ w execution, were in that style. Francis Bacon selects as a noiii de plume the name of a living person, and one well and widely known. He selects the name of this person with such marvellous insight and success, that every one believes that William Shakespeare, the actor, at the Blackfriars and the Globe, is really the author of the plays and poetry, and capable of their production. Never was there such a venture; yet so successful was the choice, that suspicion never turned her glance on Bacon, and neither during the lifetime of Shakespeare, nor of Bacon, was the secret 86 C*/^ discovered. Never before was the true author so completely and miraculously hidden. The learned counsel for the defendant says he shall by your verdict lead Lord Bacon to the heights of Parnassus. Gentlemen, if he does, it will be only by leading Shakespeare down. He says he hopes that no one will cast any dirt upon or asperse the character of Lord Bacon. Gentlemen, the learned counsel need not be afraid of anyone speaking unkindly of the great Chancellor, whose many rare qualities and bright intellect we all remember and revere. But he must never forget he has degraded Shakespeare almost to the lowest point of human existence — that he has charged Mr. Jonson, and Mr. Blount, and Mr. Heminge with conspiracy and perjury, and to secure a verdict for his client he has not hesitated to suggest conspiracy on the part of Lord Bacon himself, which, if true, will present his character in a most doubtful light to coming ages. Gentlemen, do not be influenced by anything I may have said. Do not let your feelings prompt your judgment. You may indulge your feelings after you have pronounced your verdict. Examine carefully the whole of the evidence before you, and pronounce that verdict which your conscience and judgment approve. The jury asked leave to retire. They were absent about a quarter of an hour. There was a buzz of conversation during which some could be heard to say that they thought the jury would not agree. The usher announced that the jury had agreed, and they came into Court. The Associate asked them whether they were all agreed, and the foreman said they were. The Associate : What do you find, gentlemen ? The Foreman : We find that William Shakespeare, the testator and actor, was the author of the plays 87 contained in the volume of 1623. My Lord, we desire to add, and it was for the purpose of preparing this rider that we retired, that Lord Bacon was in no sense the author of these plays, nor, as far as we can see, did Shakespeare derive any marked assistance from Lord Bacon. We wish to state that the name by which the Testator was generally known, was * William Shakespeare.' We desire to say that we believe that John Heminge and Henry Condell, in the account they gave of the preparation and production of the folio volume, spoke the truth. We desire to express our sense of gratitude to John Heminge and Henry Condell for their precious gift to us and to all men to come, by publishing the remains of their dear and beloved friend, William Shakespeare. The Chief Justice said : Gentlemen, I thoroughly concur in the verdict you have given and also in the opinions and expressions contained in your rider. I thank you for the faithful discharge of your duty ; I dismiss you from further attendance. We can now leave William Shakespeare, whom many of us admired and loved, to the eternal substance of his greatness. THE END. 88 APPENDIX. Bi VENUS AND ADONIS Vilia mireiur vtilgus : uiihi flauus Apollo Poctila Castalia plena niinistret aqua. LONDON Imprinted by Richard Field, and are to be sold at the signe of the white Greyhound in Paules Church-yard. 1593- (i) TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Henrie Wriothesley, Earle of Southampton, and Baron of Titchfield. I^^ht Honourable, I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my nnpolisht lines to your Lordship, nur lioii) the worlde will censure mee for choosing so strong a proppe to support so weake a burthen, onelye if your Honour feenie but pleased, I ac- count my selfe highly praised, and vowe to take aduantage of all idle houres, till I liaue honoured yon with some grauer labour. But if the first heire of my inuention prone deformed, I shall be sovie it had so noble a god-father : and neuer after care so barren a land, for feare it yceld me still so bad a haruest, I leaue it to your Honou- rable suruey, and your Honor to your hearts content which I wish may alwaies answere your owne wish, and the worlds hope- full expectation. Your Honors in all dutie, William Shakespeare. (ii) B2 LUCRECE LONDON. Printed by Richard Field, for John Harrison ; and are to be sold at the signe of the white Greyhound in Faules Churh-yard. 1594. (iii) TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, HENRY Wriothesley, Earle of Southampton, and Baron of Titchfield. HE loue I dedicate to 5'our Lordship is without end : wherof this Pamphlet without beginning is but a superfluous Moity. The warrant I haue of your Honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutord Lines makes it assured of acceptance. What I haue done is yours, what I haue to doe is yours, being part in all I haue, denoted yours. W^ere my worth greater, ni}' duety would shew greater, meane time, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship ; To whom I wish long life still lengthned with all happinesse. Your Lordships in all duety, William Shakespeare. (iv B' The Rape of Lucrece. By Mr. William Shakespeare. Newly Reuised. London: Printed by T. S. for Roger lackson, and are to be solde at his shop neere the Conduit in Fleet-street. 1616. (V) The Rape of Lucrece. By Mr. William Shakespeare. Newly Reuised. London. Printed by /. E. for Roger lackson, and are to be sold at his shop neere the Conduit in Fleet-street. 1624. (vi) A PLEASANT Conceited Comedie CALLED, Loues labors lost. As it was presented before her Highnes this last Christmas. Newly corrected and augmented By W . Shakespere. Imprinted at London by W. W. for Cuthert Burhy. 1598. (vii) THE B« TRAGEDIE of King Richard the third. Conteining his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence : the pitiful murther of his innocent Nephewes : his tyrannicall usurpation: with the whole course of his detested life, and most deserued death. As it hath beene lately Acted by the Right honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his sernants. By William Shake-speare. LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede, for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Church-3'ard, at the signe of the Angell. 1598. ( viii ) B7 THE Tragedie of King Ri- chard the second. As it hath beene publikely acted by the Right Ho- nourable the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. By William Shakespeare. LONDON. Printed by Valentine Simmes for Andrew Wise, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules church3'ard at the signe of the Angel. 1598. (ix) THE HISTORY OF HENRIE THE FOVRTH ; With the battell at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henry Hot- spur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir lohn Falstalffe. Newly corrected b}- IT. Shakespeare. AT LONDON, Printed by S. S. for Andrew Wise, dweUing in Paules Churchyard, at the signe of the Angell. 1599. (X) B'J The most excellent Historie of the Merchant of Venice. With the extreame crueltie of Shylocke the lewe towards the sayd Merchant, in cutting a iust pound of his flesh : and the obtayning of Portia by the choyse of three chests. As it hath beene diners times acted by the Lord Chamberlaine his Seruants. Written by Wilham Shakespeare. AT LONDON., Printed by I. R. for Thomas Heyes, and are to be sold in Paules Church-vard, at the signe of the Greene Dragon. 1600. (xi) BIO THE EXCELLENT History of the Mer- chant of Venice, With the extreme cruelty of Shylocke the lew towards the saide Merchant, in cut- tmg a iust potind of his flesh. And the obtaining of Portia, by the choyse of three Caskets. Written by W. Shakespeare. Printed by J. Roberts, 1600. (xii) B" A Midsommer nightvS dreame. As it hath beene sundry times pub- likely acted ^ by the Right Honoura- ble, the Lord Chamberlaine his sertiaiits. Written by William Shakespeare. Printed by lames Roberts, 1600. ( xiii ) B12 A Midsommer nights dreame. As it hath beene sundry times pub- lickely acted, by the Right honoura- ble, the Lord Chamberlaine his seruaitfs. Written by William Shakespeare. H Imprinted at London, for Thomas Fisher, and are to be soulde at his shoppe, at the Signe of the White Hart, in Fleetestreete. 1600. f xiv ) B13 THE Second part of Henrie the fourth, continuing to his death, and coronation of Henrie the fift. With the humours of sir lohn Fal staffe^ and swaggering Pistoll. As it hath been sundrie times publikely acted by the right honourable, the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. Written by William Shakespeare. LONDON Printed by V. S. for Andrew Wise, and WiUiam Aspley. 1600. ( XV) Much adoe about Nothing. BH As it hath been sundrie times pub likely acted by the right honourable, the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. Written by William Shakespeare. LONDON Printed by V. S. for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley. 1600. ( xvi ) B15 A Most pleasaunt and excellent conceited Co- medie, of Syr lolin Falstaffe, and the merrie Wiues of Windsor. Entermixed with sundrie variable and pleasing humors, of Syr Hugh the Welch Knight, Justice Shallow, and his wise Cousin M. Slender. With the swaggering vaine of Auncient *•&>& Pistoll, and Corporall Nym. By Williaui Shakespeare. As it hath bene diuers times Acted by the right Honorable my Lord Chamberlaines seruants. Both before her Maiestie, and else-where. LONDON Printed by T. C. for Arthur lohnson, and are to be sold at his shop in Powles Church-}ard, at the signe of the Flower de Leuse and the Crowne, 1602. ( xvii ) B16 THE TRAGEDIE of King Richard the third. Conteining his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence • the pittifuU murther of his innocent Ne- phewes : his tyrannicall usurpation: with the whole course of his detested Hfe, and most deserued death. As it hath bene lately Acted by the Right Honourable the Lord Chauiberlaine his seruants. Newly augmented, By William Shakespeare. LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede, for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Church-yard, at the signe of the Angell. 1602. ( xviii ) B" THE Tragicall Historie of HAMLET Prince of Denmarke. By William Shake-speare. As it hath beene diuerse times acted by his Highnesse ser- uants in the Cittie of London : as also in the two V- niuersities of Cambridge and Oxford, and else-where. At London printed for N, L. and lohn Trundell. 1603. ( xix) B" THE Tragicall Historic of HAMLET, Prince oj Denmarke. By William Shakespeare. Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much againe as it was, according to the true and perfect Coppie. AT LONDON, Printed by I. R. for N. L. and are to be sold at his shoppe under Saint Dunstons Church in Fleetstreet. 1604. (xx) B19 The Tragicall Historic of HAMLET, Prince of Denmarke. By William Shakespeare. Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much again as it was, according to the true and perfect Coppie. AT LONDON, Printed by I. R. for N. L. and are to be sold at his shoppe under Saint Dunstons Church in Fleetstreet. 1605. ( xxi ) THE TRAGEDIE of King Richard the Third. Conteining his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence : the pittifull murther of his innocent Ne- phewes : his tyrannicall usurpation : with the whole course of his detested hfe, and most deserued death. As it hath bin lately Acted by the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. Newly augmented, By William Shakespeare. LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede, and are to be sold by Mathew Lawe, dwelling in Paules Church-yard, at the Signe of the Foxe, neare S. Austins gate, 1605. ( xxii ) THE Tragedie of King Richard the second. As it hath been pubHkely acted by the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his seruantes. By William Shakespeare. LONDON, Printed by W. W. for Mathcw Law, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, at the signe of the Foxe. 1608. ( xxiii ) B^ M. William Shake-speare, HIS True Chronicle History of the Hfe and death of King^ Lear^ and his three Daughters. With the unfortunate life of EDGAR, Sonne and heire to the Earle of Glocestcr, and hh sullen and assumed humour of TOM of Bedlam. As it was plaid before the Kings Maiesty at White-Hall, up- pon S. Stephens night, in Christmas Hollidaies. By his Maiesties Seruants, playing usually at the Globe, on the Banck-side. Printed for Nathaniel Butter. 1608. ( xxiv ) B23 M. William Shak-speare: HIS True Chronicle Historie 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 Gloster, and his sullen and assumed humor of Tom of Bedlam : /Is it was played before the Kings Maiestie at Whitehall tt,pon S. Stephans night in Christmas Hollidayes. By his Maiesties seruants playing usually at the Gloabe on the Bancke-side. LONDON, Printed for Nathaniel Butter, and are to be sold at his shop in Panls Church-yard at the signe of the Pide Bull neere St. Austins Gate. 1608. ( XXV ) B34 THE HISTORY OF Henr}^ the fourth, With the battell at Shrewseburie, betweene the King, and Lord Henry Percy, Surnamed Henry Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceites of Sir lohn Falstalffe. Newly corrected by W. Shakespeare. LONDON Printed for Mathew Law, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, neere unto S. Augnstines gate, at the signe of the Foxe. 1608. ( xxvi ) B25 THE LATE, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre With the true Relation of the whole Historie, Aduentures, and fortunes of the said Prince : As also, The no lesse strange, and worthy accidents, in the Birth and Life, of his daughter MARIANA As it hath been diuers and sundry times acted by his Maiesties Seruants, at the Globe on the Banck-side. By William Shakespeare. Imprinted at London for Henry Gosson, and are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Pater-noster row, &c. 1609. ( xxvii ) THE Historie of Troylus and Cresseida. As it was acted by the Kings Maiesties seruants at the Globe. Written by William Shakespeare. LONDON Imprinted by G. Eld for R. Bonian and H. Walley, and are to be sold at the spred Eagle in Paules Church-yeard, over against the great North doore. i6og. ( xxviii ) THE Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. Excellently expressing the beginning of their loues, with the conceited wooing of Pandariis Prince of Licia. Written by William Shakespeare. London Imprinted by G. Eld for R. Bonian and H. W alley, and are to be sold at the spred Eagle in Paules Church-yeard, ouer against the great North doore. i6og. ( xxix ) A NEUER WRITER. TO AN EUER READER. NEWES. Eternall reader, you haue heere a new play, neuer stal'd with the stage, neuer clapper-clawd with the palmes of the vulger, and yet passing full of the palme comicall ; for it is a birth of your braine, that neuer undertooke any thing commicall, vainely : and were but the vaine names of commedies changde for the titles of commodities, or of playes for pleas ; you should see all those grand censors, that now stile them such vanities, flock to them for the maine grace of their grauities : especially this authors commedies, that are so fram'd to the life, that they serue for the most common commen- taries, of all the actions of our Hues, shewing such a dexteritie, and power of witte, that the most displeased with playes, are pleased with his commedies. And all such dull and beauy-witted worldlings, as were neuer capable of the witte of a commedie, comming by report of them to his representations, haue found that witte there, that they neuer found in them-selves, and haue parted better wittied then they came : feeling an edge of witte set vpon them, more then euer they dreamd they had braine to grinde it on. So much and such fauored salt of witte is in his commedies, that they seeme (for their height of pleasure) to be borne in that sea that brought forth Venus. Amongst all there is none more witty then this : and had I time I would comment vpon it, though I know it needs not (for so much as will make you thinke your testerne well bestowd) but for so much worth, as euen poore I know to be stuft in it. It deserues such a labour, as well as the best commedy in Terence or Plautus. And beleeue this, that when hee is gone, and his commedies out of sale, you will scramble for them, and set vp a new English inquisition. Take this for a warning, and at the perrill of your pleasures losse, and iudgements, refuse not, nor like this the lesse, for not being sullied, with the smoaky breath of the multi- tude ; but thanke fortune for the scape it hath made amongst you. Since by the grand possessors wills I beleeue you should haue prayd for them rather than beene prayd. And so I leaue all such to bee prayd for (for the states of their wits healths) that will not praise it. Vale. ( XXX ) B28 THE LATE, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the sayd Prince ; As also, The no lesse strange, and worthy accidents, in the Birth and Life, of his Daughter Mariana. As it hath beene diuers and sundry times acted by his Majestyes Seruants, at the Globe on the Banck-side. By Williaiii Shakespeare. Printed at London by S. S. i5ii. ( xxxi ) THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET Prince oj Denmarke. BY William Shakespeare. Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much againe as it was, according to the true and perfect Coppy. AT LONDON, Printed for lohn Smethwicke and are to be sold at his shoppe in Saint Dunstons Church yeard in Fleetstreet Under the Diall. 1611. ( xxxii ) B30 The Firft and Second PART OF THE Troublefome RAIGNE of John King of England. WITH THE Difcouerie of King RICHARD Cor de lions bafe Sonne (Vulgarly named, the Baftard Fawconhvidge :) ALSO, The Death of King lokn at Swinftead Abbey As they were (fundry times) lately acted by the Oueenes Majesties Players. Written by W. Sh. Imprinted at Londun by Valentine Siuiuics, for lolin Hehue, and are to be fold at his Shop in Saint Dun/ions Church-yard in Fleetftveet, 1611. ( xxxiii ") Bsi THE TRAGEDIE of King Richard the third. Containing his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence : the pittifull murther of his innocent Ne- phewes : his tyrannicall usurpation : with the whole course of his detested life, and most deserued death. As it hath beene lately Acted by the Kings Maiesties seruants. Newly augmented, By William Shake-speare. LONDON, Printed by Thomas Creede, and are to besold by Mathevv, Pauls Church-3ard at the Si^^n i^i6i2| ( xxxiv ) B32 THE HISTORY OF Henrie the fourth, With the Battel! at Shrewseburie, betweene the King, and Lord Henrie Percy, sur- named Henrie Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceites of Sir luhn Falstaffe. Newly corrected by W. Shakespeare. LONDON Printed by W. W. for Mathew Law, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, neere unto S. Augnstines Gate, at the signe of the Foxe. 1613. ( XXXV ) THE Tragedie of King Richard the Se- cond: With new additions of the Parliament Sceane, and the deposing of King Richard. As it hath been lately acted by the Kinges Maiesties seruants, at the Globe. By William Shake-speare. At LONDON, Printed for Mathew Law, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, at the signe of the Foxe. 1615. ( xxxvi ) B34 THE LATE And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relatioti of the whole Hi- story, aduentures, and fortunes of the saide Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare. Printed for T. P. i6ig. ( xxxvii ) K 35 Most pleasant and ex- cellent conceited Comedy, of Sir lohn Falstaffe, and the merry Wiues of Windsor. With the swaggering vaine of An- cient Pistoll, and Corporall Nyni. Written by w. Shakespeare. Printed for Arthur Johnson, i5ig. ( xxxviii ) The Whole Contention betweene the two Famous Houses, Lancaster and YORKE. With the Tragicall ends of the good Duke Humfrey, Richard Duke of Yorke, and King Henrie the sixt. Diuided into two Parts: And newly corrected and enlarged. Written by Williain Shake- speare, Gent. Printed at London, for T. P. [i6igj ( xxxix ) M BS7 THE TRAGEDIE OF KING RICHARD THE THIRD. Contayning his treacherous Plots against hh brother Clarence : The pittifull murder of his innocent Nephewes: his tyrannicall Usurpation: with the whole course of his detested life, and most dcserued death. As it hath been lately Acted by the Kings Maiesties ■eruants. Newly augmented. B}^ William Shakespeare. LONDON, Printed by TJiomas Purfoot, and are to besoldbyMa^/i^ze' Law, dwelling In Paul's Church-yard, at the Signe of the Foxe, neere S- Austines gate. 1622. (xl) B38 THE Tragoedy of Othello, The Moore of Venice. As it hath beene dizierse times acted at the Globe, and at the Black Friers, by his Maiesties Seruants. Writtefi by William Shakespeare. LONDON, Printed by iV. O. for Thomas Walkley and are to be sold at his shop, at the Eagle and Child, in Brittans Bursse, 1622. (xli) The vStationer to the Reader. To set forth a book without an Epistle, were Hke to the old English proverbe ' A blew coat witlwut a Badge,' and the author being dead, I thought good to take that piece of work upon me : to commend it, I will not, for that which is good, I hope everyone will commend without entreaty : and I am the bolder, because the author's name is sufficient to vent his worke. Thus leaving every one to the liberty of Judgment : I have ventured to print this play and leave it to the generall censure. Yours, Thomas Walkley. (xhi ) B39 THE HISTORIE of Henry the Fourth. With the Battell at Shrewseburie, betweene the King, and Lord Henry Percy, surnanried Henry Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir lohn Falstaffe. Newly corrected, By William Shakespeare. LONDON 51 Printed by T. P. and are to be sold by Mathew Law, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard, at the Signe of the Foxe, near S. Austines gate. 1622. ( xliii ) SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS Neuer before Imprinted. AT LONDON By G. Eld for T. T. and are to be solde by lo/in IJ 'right, dwelling at Christ Church gate. 1 609. ( xliv ) &> TO . THE . ONLIE . BEGETTER . OF THESE . INSUING . SONNETS . Mr. W. H. all . HAPPINESSE . AND . THAT . ETERNITIE . PROMISED . BY . OUR . EVER-LIVING . POET WISHETH . THE . WELL-WISHING . ADVENTURER . IN . SETTING . FORTH . T. T. (xlv) A Lovers complaint. By WILLIAM ShAKE-SPEARE. 329 lines — Printed at the end of the 154th sonnet. ( xlvi ) SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS. Neuer before Imprinted. AT LONDON By G. Eld for T. T. and are to be solde by William Aspley. 1609. ( xlvii ) THE PASSIONATE PILGRIME. By W. Shakespeare. AT LONDON Printed for W. laggard, and are to be sold by W. Leake, at the Grey- hound in Paules Churchyard. 1599- ( xlviii ) TO THE READER. This Figure, that thou here seest put, It was for gentle Shakespeare cut ; Wherein the Grauer had a strife with Nature, to out-doo the hfe : O, could he but haue drawne his wit As well in brasse, as he hath hit His face; the Print would then surpasse All, that was euer writ in brasse : But, since he cannot. Reader, looke Not on his Picture, but his Booke. B. I. ( xlix ) M^^- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARES COMEDIES, HISTORIES, &' TRAGEDIES. Published according to the True Originall Copies. [PORTRAIT] LOiNDON Printed by Isaac laggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623. * One copy in the British Museum has this printed in full " and." (1) To the most Noble and Incomparable pair of Brethren, William Earl of Pembroke, &c Lord Chamberlain to the Kings most Excellent Majesty ; AND Philip E. of Montgomery, &c. Gentleman to his Majesties Bed-Chamber. Both Knights of the most Noble Order of the Garter, and our singular good Lords, Right Honourable, WHILST we study to be thankful in our particular, for the many Favours we have received from your L.L. we are fain upon the ill fortune, to mingle two the most diverse things that can be, fear, and rashness, in the enterprise, and fear of the success: For, when we value the places your H.H. sustain, we cannot but know their dignity greater, than to descend to the reading of these trifles : and while we name them trifles, we have depriv'd our selves of the defence of our Dedication. But since your L.L. have been pleas'd to think these trifles something heretofore, and have prosecuted both them, and their Author living, with so much favour : we hope, (that they out living him, and he not having the fate, common with some, to be Executor to his own writings) you will use the same indulgence toward them, you have done unto their parent. There is a great difference, whether any Book chuse his Patrons, or find them : This hath done both. For, so much were your L.L. likings of the several parts, when they were Acted, as before they were published, the Volume ask'd to be yours. We have but collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his Orphans, Guardians ; without ambition either of self-profit, or fame : only to keep the memory of so worthy a Friend and Fellow alive, as was our Shakespeay, by humble offer of his Plays, to your Most Noble Patronage : Wherein as we have justly observed, no man to come near your L.L. but with a kind of religious address ; it hath been the height of our care, who are the Presenters, to make the Present worthy of your H.H. by the Perfection : But there we must also crave our abilities (ll) abilities to be considered, my Lords. We cannot go beyond our own powers : Countrey hands reach forth Milk, Cream, Fruits, or what they have: and many Nations (we have heird) that had not Gums and Incense, obtained their requests with a leavened Cake ; it was no fault to approach their gods, by what means they could ; And the most, though meanest of things, are made precious, when they are dedicated to Temples. In that name therefore, we most humbly consecrate to your H.H. these Remains of your servant Shakcspear : that what delight is in them, may be ever your L.L. the reputation his, and the faults ours, if any be committed by a pair so careful to shew their gratitude both to the living, and the dead, as is Your Lordships most boundcn, JOHN IIEMINGE, HENRY CONDELL. (Ill) TO THE Great Variety OF Readers, FROM the most able, to him that can but spell. There you are numbred. We had rather you / were weighed. Especially, when the fate of all Books depends upon your capacities : and not of j your heads alone, but of your Purses. Well, it is now publick, and you will stand for your privi / ledges, we know : to read, and censure. Do so, but buy it first ; that doth best commend a j Boook, the Stationer says. Then how odd soever your brains be, or your wisdoms, make your / silence the same, and spare not. Judg your six-penny worth, your shillings-worth, your five shillings-worth / at a time, or higher, so you rise to the just rates, and welcome. But, whatever you do, Buy. Censure will / not drive a trade, nor make the Jack go. And tho you be a Magistrate of Wit, and sit on the stage at / Black-Fryers, or the Cock-pit, to arraign Plays daily ; know, these Plays have had their tryal already, / and stood out all Appeals ; and do now come forth quitted rather by a Decree of Court, than any pur j cJias'd Letters of Comendation. (liii) It had been a thing, we confess, worthy to have been wished, that the Author himself had lived to have set forth, / and overseen his own Writings; But since it hath been ordain\l otlicnvise, and lie by death departed from thai / right, we pray you do not envy his Friends the office of their care and pain, to have collected and published thcui ; I and so to have piiblishW tlicm, as where (before) you were abus\l with divers stoln a)id surreptitious Copies, / maimed and deformed by the frauds and stealths of injurious Impostors, that exposed them : even those, are noiv / offered to your view cured, and perfect of their limbs ; and all the rest, absolute in their numbers as he con j ceived them. Who, as he was a happy imitator of Nature, was a most gentle expresser of it. His mind / and hand went together : And what he thought, he uttered with thai easiness, that we have scarce received j from him a blot in his Papers. But it is not our Province, who only ga'hcr his Works, and give them / you to praise him. It is yours that read him. And there we hope, to your divers capacities, you will find / enough, both to draw, and hold you : for his wit can no more lie hid, than it could be lost. Read him / therefore, again and again : And if then you do not like him, surely you are in some manifest danger, not j to understand him. And so we leave you to other of his Friends, who, if you need, can be your guides : ;/ / you need them not, you can lead your selves, and others. And such Readers we wish him. J. HEMINGE. H. CONDELL. (Hv) TO THE MEMORY OF MY BELOVED, THE AUTHOR, MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, AND WHAT HE HATH LEFT US. To draw no envy, {Shakespeare,) on thy name, Am I thus ample to thy book, and fame ; While I confess thy writings to be such, As neither Maii, nor Muse, can praise too much. 'Tis true, and all men's suffrage. But these ways Were not the paths I meant unto thy praise : For seeliest ignorance on these may light, Which, when it sounds at best, but eccho's right; Or blind Affection, which doth ne'er advance The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance; Or crafty malice, might pretend this praise, And think to ruin where it seem'd to raise. These are, as some infamous Bawd, or Whore, Should praise a Matron. What could hurt her more? But thou art proof against them, and indeed Above th' ill fortune of them, or the need. I therefore will begin. Soul of the Age, The applause ! delight ! the wonder of our Stage, My Shakespear, rise ; I will not lodg thee by Chaucer, or Spenser, or bid Beaumont lie A little further, to make thee a room : Thou art a Monument without a Tomb, And art alive still, while thy Book doth live, And we have wits to read, and praise to give. That I not mix thee so, my brain excuses ; I mean with great, but disproportion'd Muses: For if I thought my judgment were of years, (Iv I should commit thee surelx- with th\' Peers; And tell how far thou didst our Lily out-shine, Or sporting Kid, or Mixrlow's mij^hty Line. And tho thou hadst small Laline, and less Creek, From thence to honour thee, I would not seek For names; but call forth thund'ring JEschylns, Euripides, and Sophocles to us, Pacuvius, Acciiis, him o( Cordova dead, To live again, to hear thy Hnskin tread, And shake a Stage : Or, when thy Socks were on. Leave thee alone for the comparison Of all, that insolent Creece, or haughty Rome, Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come. Triumph, my Britain ! thou hast one to show. To whom all Scenes of Europe homage owe. He was not of an age, but for all time ! And all the Muses, still were in their prime. When like Apollo he came forth to warm Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm ! Nature herself was proud of his designs. And joy'd to wear the dressing of his Lines ; Which were so richly spun, and wov'n so fit, As, since, she will vouchsafe no other wit. The merry Creek, tart Aristophanes, Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please; But antiquated and deserted lie As they were not of Natures family. Yet must I not give Nature all ; Thy Art, My gentle Shakespear must enjoy a part. For tho the Poets matter Nature be, His Art doth give the Fashion. And, that he, ( Ivi ) Who casts to write a living line, must sweat, (Such as thine are) and strike a second heat Upon the Muses Anvile : turn the same, (And himself with it) that he thinks to frame ; Or for the Lawrel, he may gain a scorn, For a good Poefs made, as well as born. And such wert thou. Look how the Fathers face Lives in his Issue, even so the race Of Shakespear's mind, and manners brightly shines In his well turned, and true filed lines : In each of which, he seems to shake a Lance, As brandish't at the eves of Ignorance. Sweet Sti'an of Avon ! what a sight it were To see thee in our water yet appear. And make those flights upon the Banks of Thames, That so did take Eliza, and our James ! But stay, I see thee in the Hemisphere Advanc'd, and made a Constellation there ! Shine forth, thou Star of Poets, and with rage. Or influence, chide, or chear the drooping Stage, Which, since thy flight from hence, hath mourn'd like night. And despairs day, but by thy Volumes light ! BEN JOHNSON. ( Ivii ) TO THE MEMORY OF THE DECEASED AUTHOR, MASTER W. SHAKESPEARE. Shakespear, at length thy pious Fellows give The World thy Works ; thy Works, by which, out live Th}' Tomb, thy Name must : when that stone is rent. And Time dissolves thy Stratford Monument, Here we alive shall view thee still. This Book, When Brass and Marble fade, shall make thee look Fresh to all Ages ; when posterity Shall loath what's new, think all is prodigy That is not Shakespear's ; ev'ry Line, each Verse Here shall revive, redeem thee from thy Herse. Nor Fire, nor cankring Age, as Naso said Of his, thy wit-fraught Book shall once invade. Nor shall I ere believe, or think thee dead, (Tho mist), until our bankrout Stage be sped (Impossible) with some new strain t'out-do Passions oi Juliet, and her Romeo; Or till I hear a Scene more nobly take. Than when thy half sword parlying Yeomans spake. Till these, till any of thy Volumes rest Shall with more fire, more feeling be expresst, Be sure, our Shakespear, thou canst never die, But crown'd with Lawrel, live eternally. L, DiGGES. ( Iviii ) UPON THE LINES, AND LIFE, OF THE FAMOUS SCENICKE POET, MASTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Those hands, which you so clapt, go now, and wring You Britaincs brave ; for done are Shakcspeares da}s ; His dayes are done, that made the dainty Playes, Which made the globe of heau'n and earth to ring : Dry'de is that veine, dry'd is the Thespian Spring, Turn'd all to teares, and Phcehns clouds his rayes ; That corp'e, that coffin, now besticke those bayes, Which crown'd him Poe-i first, then Foets' King. If Tragedies might any Prologue haue, All those he made would scarce make one to this; Where Fame, now that he gone is to the graue, (Death's publique tyring-house) the Nimcius is : For, though his line of life went soone about, The life yet of his lines shall neuer out. Hugh Holland. ( lix ) TO THE MEMORY OF MR. W. SHAKESPEAR. We wonder {Shakespear) that thou went'st so soon, From the World's-Stage, to the Graves-Tyring-room. We thought thee dead, but this thy Printed worth Tells thy Spectators, that thou went'st but forth To enter with applause. An Actors Art, Can dye, and live, to act a second Part. That's but an Exit of Mortality; This, a Re entrance to a Plaudite. J. M. (Ix ) FINIS. Printed at the Charges of W. laggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke and \V. Aspley, 1623. ( Ixi ) Palladis Taiiiia. WITS TREASVRY Being the Second part of Wits Common wealth. BY Francis Meres, Maifter of Artes of both Uni- uersities. Viuitur ingenio, ccetera mortis erunt. AT LONDON Printed by P. Short, for Cuthbert Burbie, and are to be folde at his fhop at the Royall Exchange. 1598. ( Ixii ) f 2801 ^s ^]-,g Greeke tongue is made famous and eloquent by Homer, Hefiod, Euripedes, AcscJiilus, Sophocles, Pindarus, Phocylides and A n'ftophanes ; and the Latine tongue by Virgin, Onid, Horace, Silius lialicus, Lucamis, Lucretius, Aufonius and Claudianus : fo the English tongue is mightil}- enriched, and gorgeouflie inuested in rare ornaments and refplendent abiliments by fir Philip Sidney, Spencer, Daniel, Drayton, Viarner, Shakefpeare, Marloiv and Chapman. f. 28jb As the foule of Euphorbus was thought to Hue in Pythagoras : fo the fweete wittie foule of Quid Hues in mellifluous and hony-tongued SJiakefpeare, witnes his Venus f. 282^^ and Adonis, his Lucrcce, his fugred Sonnets among his priuate friends, &c. As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and Tragedy among the Latines : fo Shakefpeare among y*^ English is the moft excellent in both kinds for the ftage ; for Comedy, witnes his Getleme of Verona, his Errors, his Loue labors loft, his Lone labours wonnc, his Midfummers nigJit dreame, and his Merchant of Venice : for Tragedy his Richard the 2, Richard the 3, ( Ixiii ) f. 283' Henry the 4, Kiu^ John, Titus Audru)iicns and his Romeo and lulietr' As Epiiis Stolo fiiid, that the Miifcs would fpcakc with Plaidus tongue, if they would fpeake Latin : fo I fay that the Mufes would fpcak with Shake/peat es fine tiled phrafe, if they would fpeake English. (. 282'' As Pindarns, Anacreon and Callimachns among the Greekes; and Horace and Catullus among the Latines are the bcft Lyrick Poets : so in this faculty the beft amog our Poets are Spencer (who excelleth in all kinds) Daniel, Drayton, Shakcfpeare, Brctto. As thefe Tragicke Poets flourifhed in Greece, Aefchylns, Euripedes, Sophocles, Alexander Actolus, Acha'us Erithvia-us, AJtydamas Athenie/is, Apollodorus Tarfenfis, Niconiachns Phry gills, Thejpis Atticus, and Tinion Apolloniates ; and thefe *0f these plays mentioned by Mere?, four were in print at tlie time of his enumeration, if we assume his " King John "' to be " The Troublesome Reign of King John," dated 1591: the other three are '• Richard II.," " Richard III.," and " Romeo and Juliet." These three were published in 1597. All four were without any name of author. " King John " was published under the title of W. Sh., 161 1 ; '' Richard II." appeared under name of William Shakespeare, 1608, and " Richard III." 1600; "Romeo and Juliet," 1599; one undated. Of the remaining eight four were subsequently published under the name of Shakespeare in his lifetime — (i) "Love's Labour Lost," 1598; (2) "Midsummer Night's Dream," 1600; two editions "Merchant of Venice," 1600, " Henry IV. " first portion, 1598, 1613 (newly corrected) second part, 1600, " Love's Labour Won " is supposed to be the play " All's Well That Ends Well," which did not appear in print until it appeared in the folio volume. "Titus Andronicus" apj eared 1600, 161 1, but without the name, till it appeared in the folio volume. " Two Gentlemen of Verona" and the "Comedy of Errors" were not published until they appeared in the folio volume. ( l.xiv ) f- 283^ among the Latines, Acciiis, M. Attilius Pomponius Sccundus and Seneca : fo these are our beft for Tragedie, the Lorde Buckhurst, Doctor Leg of Cambridge, Doctor Edes of Oxforde, maifter Edward Ferris, the Authour of the Mirrour for Magiftrafes, Marlow, Peek, Watfon, Kid, Shakefpeare, Drayton, Chapman, Decker and Beniamin Johnfon. The beft Poets for Comedy among the Greeks are thefe, Menandcr,. Aristophanes, Eiipolis Athenienfis, Alexis Terius, Nicoftratus, Auiipfias Athenienfis, Anaxadrides Rhodius, £.28315 Aristonymus, Archippns Atheniefis and Callias Athenienfis; and among the Latines, Plautus, Terence, Nceuins, Sext, Turpilius, Licinius Imbrex, and Virgilius Romanus : so the best for Comedy amongft us bee, Edward Earle of Oxforde, Doctor Gager of Oxforde, Maifter Rowley once a rare Scholler of learned Pembrooke Hall in Cambridge, Master Edwardes one of her Maiefties Chappell, eloquent and wittie lohn Lilly, Lodge, Gafcoyne, Greene, Shakefpeare, Thomas Nasli, Thomas Heywood, Anthony Mundye our beft plotter, Chapman, Porter, Wilfon, Hathway and Llenry Chettle. f. 283b As thefe are famous among the Greeks for Elegie, Melanthus, Mymnerus Colophonius, Olympius, Myfius, f. 284--> Parthcnitts Nicceus, Philetas Cons, Theogenes Megarenfis, and (Ixv) Figres Halicixruajfaus ; and these among the Latines, f 28411 Meccemn, Quid, Tibiilliis, Prupcrtius, T. Valgius, Caffins Seueriis and Clodius Sabinus : fo thefe are the moft palTionate among vs to bewaile and benioanc the per[)lc.\itics of Loue, Henrie Howard Earle of Surrey, fir Thuuias ]Vyal the elder, fir I'ruinis Brian, iir Philip Sidney, fir Walter Raivlcy, fir Edward Dyer, Spencer, Daniel, Draytun, Shakef-pcare, Whet/tone, Gajcoyne, Sainiiell Page fometimes fellowe of Corpus Chiijti Colledge in Oxford, Churchyard, Breiton. ( Ixvi ) LOVES MARTYR: OR ROSALINS COMPLAINT. Allegorically fhadowing the truth of Loue, in the constant Fate of the Phoenix and Ttcrtle. A Poeme enterlaced with much varietie and raritie; iwrv first translated out of the venerable Italian Torquato Caehano, by Robert Chester. With the true legend of famous King Arthur, the last of the nine Worthies, being the firft Efsay of a new Brytifh Poet : collected out of diuerse Authenticall Records. To these are added some neiv compositions, of seiierall moderne Writers whose names are subscribed to their seucrall workes, vpon the first fnbiect : viz. the Phcenix and Turtle. Mar : — Mutare dominum nan poteft liber notus. LONDON Imprinted fcM" E.B. I 60 I . ( Ixvii ) HEREAFTER FOLLOW DIVERSE Poeticall Effaies on the former Sub- iecft ; viz. : the Turtle and Phoenix. Done by the beft and chief eft of our moderne writers, with their names fub- fcribed to their particular workes : neuer before extant. And (now firft) confecrated by them all generally, to the lone and merite of the true-noble Knight, Sir lohn Salisburie. Digmnn laude virum Mufa vetat mori. Anchova Spei. MDCI. ( Ixviii ) T Et the bird of lowdeft lay, On the fole Arabian tree, Herauld fad and trumpet be : To whofe found chafte wings obay. But thou fhriking harbinger, Foule precurrer of the fiend, Augour of the feuers end, To this troupe come thou not neere. From this Seffion interdift Euery foule of tyrant wing, Saue the Eagle feath'red King, Keepe the obfequie fo ftrift. Let the Prieft in Surples white. That defunftiue Muficke can, Be the death-deuining Swan, Left the Requiem lacke his right. And thou treble dated Crow, That thy fable gender mak'ft, With the breath thou giu'ft and tak'ft, Mongft our mourners fhalt thou go. Here the Antheme doth commence, Loue and Conftancie is dead, Phcenix and the Turtle fled. In a mutuall flame from hence. So they loued as loue in twaine. Had the effence but in one, ( Ixix ) Two \ Two diftintfts, Diuifion none, Number there in lone was flainc. Hearts remote, yet not afunder ; Diftance and no fpacc was fccnc, Twixt this Turtle and his Queene But in them it were a wonder. So betweene them Loue did fhine, That the Turtle faw his right, Flaming in the Phccnix fight ; Either was the others mine. Propertie was thus appalled, That the felfe was not the fame Single Natures double name, Neither two nor one was called. Reafon in itfelfe confounded, Saw Diuifion grow together, To themfclues yet either neither, Simple were fo well compounded. That it cried, how true a twaine, Seemeth this concordant one, Loue hath Reafon, Reafon none, If what parts, can fo remaine. Whereupon it made this Throne, To the Phccnix and the Done, Co-fupremes and ftarrcs of Loue, As Chorus to their Tragique Scene. (Ixx) Tkrenos. "DEautie, Truth, and Raritie, Grace in all fimplicitie, Here enclofde, in cinders lie. Death is now the Phoenix neft, And the Turtles loyall breft, To eternitie doth rest. Leaning no pofteritie, Twas not their infirmitie, It was married Chaftitie. Truth may feeme, but cannot be, Beautie bragge, but tis not fhe, Truth and Beautie buried be. To this vrne let thofe repaire, That are either true or faire, For thefe dead Birds, figh a prayer. William Shake-fpeare. ( Ixxi ) From folio Edition of Ben Jonson published 1616. Every Man in his Humour. [ at end ] This Comoedie was first Acted, in the yeere 1598. By the then L, Chamberlayne his Seruants. The principall Comoedians were, Will. Shakespeare. . Ric. Burbadge. Aug. Philips. Joh. Hemings. Hen. Condel. Tho. Pope. Will. Slye. Chr. Beeston. Will. Kempe. Joh. Duke With the Allowance of the Master of Re veils. ( Ixxii ) From folio edition of Ben Jonson published 1616. Sejanus. [ at end ] This Traocedie was first acted, in the yeere 1603. By the King s Majesties Servants. The Principall Tragoedians were, Ric. Burbadge. Will. Shake-Speare. Aug. Philips. Joh. Hemings. Will. Sly. Hen. Condel. Joh. Lowin. Alex. Cooke. With the allowance of the Master of Revells. ( Ixxiii ) FROM BEN JONSON'S TIMBER OR DISCOVERIES. Cunningham's Edition, gth vol., p. 155. De Shakspeare nostrat. — Augustus in Hat. I remember, the players have often mentioned it as an honour to Shakespeare, that in his writing (whatsoever he penned) he never blotted out a line. My answer hath been. Would that he had blotted a thousand. Which they thought a malevolent speech. I had not told posterity this, but for their ignorance, who chose that circumstance to commend their friend by, wherein he most faulted ; and to justify mine own candour : for I loved the man, and do honour his memory, on this side idolatry, as much as any. He was (indeed) honest, and of an open and free nature ; had an excellent phantasy, brave notions, and gentle expressions; wherein he flowed with that facility, that sometimes it was necessary he should be stopped : Sufflaniinandus erat, as Augustus said of Haterius. His wit was in his own power, would the rule of it had been so too. Many times he fell into those things, could not escape laughter : as when he said in the person of Caesar, one speaking to him, " Caesar, thou dost me wrong." He replied, " Caesar did never wrong but with just cause," and such like; which were ridiculous. But he redeemed his vices with his virtues. There was ever more in him to be praised than to be pardoned. ( Ixxiv ) " Is it not strange that I, to whom they have all been beholding ; is it not like that you, to whom they all have been beholding, shall (were ye in that case that I am now) be both of them at once of them forsaken ? Yes, trust them not : for there is an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's Heart Wrapt in a Player's Hide supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke verse as the best of you ; and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit, the only Shake-scene in a countrie. Greene, Groat's-worth of Wit. ( Ixxv ) ON SHAKESPEARE, 1630. What needs my Shakespeare for his honoured bones The labour of an age in piled stones ? Or that his hallowed reliques should be hid Under a star-ypointing pyramid ? Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name ? Thou in our wonder and astonishment Hast built thyself a livelong monument. For whilst, to the shame of slow-endeavouring art, Thy easy numbers flow, and that each heart Hath from the leaves of thy unvalued book Those Delphic lines with deep impression took, Then thou, our fancy of itself bereaving, Dost make us marble with too much conceiving, And so sepulchred in such pomp dost lie That kings for such a tomb would wish to die. '?=>' Milton (Edit. Masson, 1874.) ( Ixxvi ) SHAKESPEARE. EDITIONS OF POEMS AND PLAYS PUBLISHED BEFORE 1627. Those marked a have the author's name in full. b W. S. on the Title. c W. Sh. d no name ( Ixxvii ) shakp:speare. Editions of Poems and Plays before 1627. d KING JOHN. (Capell Coll.) 1591 c 4to 1611 a 4to 1622 d VENUS and ADONIS. Tide and 4to 1593 dedication. 2 11. (Bodleian) d (B.M.) 4to 1594 d sm. 8vo 1596 d (Sir C. Isham's i599 copy) d (Bodleian) sm. 8vo 1600 d i6mo 1602 d (Bodleian) i2mo 1617 _^ (Bodleian) i8mo 1620 d a LUCRECE. Title and dedication. 2 11. 4to 1594 (Mentioned, not seen by 1596 M alone) d (Capell Coll. Camb.) iSmo 1598 d (Bodleian) 24mo 1600 d (Capell Coll.) sm. 8vo 1607 a 8vo 1616 a i6mo 1624 a Author's name in full. b W. S. c W. Sh. d No name. ( Ixxviii ) b LOCRINE 4to 1595 d ROMEO and JULIET 410 1597 ^ 4to 1599 d 4to 1607 d 4to i6og d KING RICHARD II. (Capell Coll.) ... 4to 1597 « 4to 1598 « 4to 1608 ci (another copy, different Title, Capell) 1608 a 4to 1615 d KING RICHARD III 410 1597 « 4to 1598 * 4to 1602 ^ 4to 1605 ^ 4to 1612 « _ (Doubtful 1621 Lowndes.) a (B.M., Capell 4to 1622 and Bodleian) a (Doubtful 4to 1624 Lowndes.) a LOVE'S LABOUR LOST 4to 1598 a Author's name in full. b W. S. c W. Sh. d No name. ( Ixxix ) d KING HENRY IV. Parti 4to 1598 ^ ~ 4to 1599 ^ (Bodleian) 1604 ^ - 4to 1608 ^ 4to 1613 ^ ____(another copy 4to 1613 different in text only) ^ 4to 1622 a PASSIONATE PILGRIM. (Capell Coll.) 4to 1599 ^ 2nd edition. (No copy known Lowndes) a (Bodleian) 4to 1612 a KING HENRY IV. Part 2 4to 1600 a iMERCHANT OF VENICE 4to 1600 a (different 4to 1600 Title) a MIDSaMMER NIGHT'S DREAM 4to 1600 a (different printer) 4to 1600 a MUCH ADOE ABOUT NOTHING .... 4to i5oo a SIR JOHN OLDCASfLE 4to 1600 a Author's name in full. b W. S. c W. Sh. d No name. ( Ixxx ) d KING HENRY V 4I0 1600 ^ - (Devonshire Coll. 410 1602 and Capell) ^^ 4to 1608 d KING HENRY \'I. Parts 4to 1600 « . Part 2 and 3 4to i6ig d TITUS ANDRONICUS 1600- '^ 4to 1611 a MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. 1602 (Bodleian) a 4to 1619 a HAMLET 4to 1603 ^ (Devonshire Coll.) 4to 1604 ^ 4to 1605 ^ 4to 1609 ^ 4to 1611 a LONDON PRODIGAL 4to 1605 h THE PURITAN 410 1607 a KING LEAR 4to 1608 ^ (another edition with 4to 1608 differences) a Author's name in full. b \V. S. c W. Sh. d No name. ='= A facsimile of this edition is in the B. M. Loinides. ( Ixxxi ) a YORKSHIRE TRAGEDY 4to 1608 a 4to i6ig a SONNETS 4to 1609 a (different imprint) 4to i6og a TROILUS and CRESSIDA 4to 1609 a (different 4to i6og Title) a PERICLES 4^0 1609 a (another edition, variations 4to 1609 in Text) a . 4to i6ii a 4to 1619 b LIFE OF LORD CROMWELL 4to 1613 a OTHELLO ^to 1622 a WORKS. Editio princeps folio 1623 a (different Title) folio 1623 a Author's name in full. b W. S. c W. Sh. d No name. ( Ixxxii ) LMVERSITV OF CALIFORNIA LIllRARV Los Angeles 1 lii.s tjuuk is i)L L on the l.isi tiatc .slaiiUJcil l)clo\v. 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