The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/William Shakespear
William Shakeſpear.
He was born and buried in Stratford upon Avon, in Warwickſhire. I have been told that he writ the Scene of the Ghoſt in Hamlet, at his Houſe which bordered on the Charnel-Houſe and Church-Yard. He was both Player and Poet; but the greateſt Poet that ever trod the Stage, I am of Opinion, in ſpight of Mr. Johnſon, and others from him, that though perhaps he might not be that Critic in Latin and Greek as Ben; yet that he underſtood the former, ſo well as perfectly to be Maſter of their Hiſtories, for in all his Roman Characters he has nicely followed Hiſtory, and you find his Brutus, his Caſſius, his Anthony, and his Cæſar, his Coriolanus, &c. juſt as the Hiſtorians of thoſe times describe ’em. He died on the 23d of April, 1616. and is buried with his Wife and Daughter in Stratford-Church afore-ſaid, under a Monument on which is a Statue leaning on a Cuſhion, and this Inſcription:
Ingenio Pylum, genio Socratem, arte Maronem,
Terra tegit, Populus mœrit, Olympus habet.
Stay, Paſſenger, why doſt thou go ſo faſt?
Read, if thou canſt, whom envious Death has plac’d
Within this Monument, Shakeſpear, with whom
Quick Nature died, whoſe Name doth deck the Tomb
Far more than coſt, ſince all that he hath writ
Leaves living Art, but Page, to ſerve his Wit.
Near the Wall on a plain Stone, which covers him, is this Epitaph:
Good Friend, for Jeſus Sake forbear
To dig the Duſt encloſed here.
Bleſt be the Man that ſpares theſe Stones,
And curſt be he that moves my Bones.
All’s well that ends well, a Comedy. Plot from Boccace’s Novels, Day 3. Nov. 9. Juliet of Narbona, &c.
Anthony and Cleopatra, a Tragedy, fol. Plot from Plutarch in vita Antonii.
As you like it, a Comedy, Fol.
The Birth of Merlin; or, The Child has lost his Father, a Tragi-Comedy, 4 to. 1662, Mr. Rowley join’d with our Author in this Play. Plot, Ethelword, G. Monmouth, Bede, Polidor, Virgil, Stow, Speed, &c.
A Comedy of Errors, a Comedy, fol. The Ground from Plautus, Amphitruo, and Mænechmi.
Coriolanus, a Tragedy, fol. Plot from Plutarch’s Life of Coriolanus, from Livy’s History, Dionisius Hallicarnassæus, &c.
Cromwell, (Thomas, Lord) his Life and Death, a History, fol. and 4 to. Plot from Fox’s Martyrology, Fuller’s Church Hist., Dr. Burnet’s Hist. Reformation, Wanly’s Hist. of Man., Hacwell’s Apology, and Lloyd’s English Worthies.
Cymbeline, his Tragedy; fol. Mr. Durfey’s Injured Princess; or, The Fatal Wager, is only this Play reviv’d. The Plot from Boccace’s Novels, Day 2. Nov. 9.
Henry the Fourth, Two Parts, History, fol. the first Part containing the Life of Henry Percy, sirnamed Hotspur; and the comical part the Character of Sir John Falstaff, which has been play’d by the late famous Mr. Lacey, to Admiration. In the second part you have an Act of the Death of this King, and the Coronation of his Successor. See Geoffry of Monmouth, Caxton, Harding, Hall, Grafton, Martin, Hollingshead, Stow, and other our English Chronicles.
Henry the Fifth, his Life; History, fol. A Comical part is mixt with the Historical, and contains the Reign of this King, to his Marriage with Katharine of France. See the afore-said English Chronicles.
Henry the Sixth, Three Parts, History, fol. In the Second is the Death of the good Duke Humphrey, in the Third the Death of the Duke of York; all the Parts contain the whole Reign of this King. See the same English Chronicles.
Henry the Eighth, his Life; History, fol. The part of King Henry was often in King Charles the Second’s Time extraordinary well acted by Mr. Betterton. See our English Chronicles before-mentioned.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. For the Plot see Saxo-Grammaticus, Crantzius, Pontanus, Idacius, &c.
John, King of England; History, fol. for the Plot see our English Chronicles.
John, King of England, his troublesom Reign, in two parts, History, 4 to. 1611. with the Discovery of King Richard Cæur de Lyons, Base Son (as vulgarly called) Fawcombridge; also the Death of the said King John at Swinstead Abby. These Plays were several times acted by the Queen’s Majesty’s Players, tho’ not divided into Acts, and differ much from the other Play in Folio.
Julius Cæsar, a Tagedy, fol. and 4 to. Founded on History. It was reviv’d and acted divers times in the Reign of the late King Charles II. For the Prologue, which was highly commended, see a small Book, called Covent-Garden Drollery, pag. 9. and for the History, see Plutarch, Livy, Suetonius.
Lear, King of England; a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. This Play has been reviv’d with Alterations by our present Poet Laureat. For the true Story, see Milton’s Hist. of England, beginning pag. 17. see also Leland, Monmouth, Gloucester, &c.
Locrine, Eldest Son to King Brutus, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. For the Plot, see Milton’s Hist. of England, and the afore-said Authors.
London Prodigal, a Comedy, fol. and 4 to.
Love’s Labour lost, a Comedy, fol.
Mackbeth, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. revived and re-printed with Alterations and Songs, and now often acted. For the Plot consult Buchanan, and others who have written Scottish Affairs; see also Heywood of Angels, p. 508. Heylin’s Cosmography, Book 1.
Measure for Measure, a Comedy, fol. For the Plot see Cynthio Giraldi, Dec. 8. Nov. 5. Lipsii Monita, p. 125. Histoirs Admirabiles de nôtre temps, p. 216.
The Merchant of Venice, a Tragi-Comedy, fol.
Midsummer-Nights Dream, a Comedy, fol. The comical part hereof is printed 4 to. under the Title of Bottom the Weaver, and acted by small Parties at Bartholomew Fair, and other Places: and since publish’d under the Name of The Fairy Queen.
Much ado about nothing, a Comedy, fol. Sir William D’avenant made use of this Play, and Measure for Measure, in composing his Law against Lovers. For the Plot see Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, Book 5. and Spencer’s Fairy Queen, Book 2.
Oldcastle, Lord Cobham’s Life and Death, a Tragedy, fol. See Fuller’s Church Hist. and Fox’s Book of Martyrs, where you may find Sir John Oldcastle’s Life at large.
Othello, Moor of Venice, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. This is still often acted, and esteemed one of the best of our Author’s Plays. Plot from Cynthio’s Novels, Dec. 3. Nov. 7.
Pericles, Prince of Tyre, History, fol. This Play was much admired in the Author’s Life time and published before his Death.
The Puritan; or, The Widow of Watling-Street, a Comedy, fol. This was accounted a very diverting Play.
Richard the Second, History, fol., 4 to. Our Poet Laureat, Mr. Tate, altered it, An. 1681. he and Mr. Dryden have much applauded this Play. Plot from English Chronicles.
Richard the Third, with the Landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the Battle of Bosworth-Field, History, fol. for the Plot consult our English Chronicles.
Romeo and Juliet, a Tragedy, fol. Plot from Bandello’s Novels.
The Taming of the Shrew, a Comedy, fol. The Story of the Tinkar, so diverting, may be found in Goulart’s Hist. Admirabiles and Pontus Heuterus, Rerum Burdicarum.
The Tempest, a Comedy, fol. and 4 to. This has been reviv’d and alter’d by Mr. Dryden, who brought it much in esteem, and is of late Days often acted.
Titus Andronichus, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. This Play has been reviv’d and altered by Mr. Ravenscroft.
Timon of Athens, a Tragedy, fol. and 4 to. This Play, as publish’d first by our Author, was not divided into Acts, but has been reviv’d with Alterations, by Mr. Shadwell, and for a few Years past, as often acted at the Theatre Royal, as any Tragedy I know.
Troilus and Cressida, a Tragedy, fol. This was reviv’d with Alterations, by Mr. Dryden; who added divers new Scenes. Plot from Chaucer’s Troilus and Cressida.
Twelfth-Night; or, What you will; a Comedy, fol. Plot from Plautus, Amphitruo, Mænechmi, &c.
Two Gentlemen of Verona, a Comedy, fol.
A Winters Tale, a Tragi-Comedy, fol. Plot from Dorastus and Fawnia, 4 to.
The York-shire Tragedy, fol. When this Play was first printed, the Title then told you, the Story was new, lamentable, and true. The Play, being but very short, is not divided into Acts, and may rather be accounted an Interlude than a Tragedy.
The Arraignment of Paris, which you may find among the Anonymous Plays, has been by Kirkman ascribed to this Author, but not being in any Edition of Shakespear, I much question whether it be any of his.
Our Author writ little else, we find in print only two small pieces of Poetry publish’d by Mr. Quarles, viz. Venus and Adonis, 8 vo. 1602. and The Rape of Lucrece, 8 vo. 1655.