The New York herald., 1874-10-11

saken rom the romance OF aRosalynde," 1890, by
Thomas Lodge, from which the principal charac-
Audrey are of shakespeare's own creation. There
is tradition that Shakespeare played the charac-
! ''MucH ADO ABouT NoTHING.1
THIS play, according TO vertue's MSS, formerly
passed under the title OF "Benedick and Beatrlx."
II IS supposed TO have been written in 1eoo. in
4 which year II was hrst' printed. OF the serious
Ariosto's "orisndo F1rioso, =" and Sponsors Faery
Queen" also In an Italian novel no by Bandello
| It is said that play called .Hamletn was known
and acted In London early as 1898. The next
reference TO the play Is an entry IN the statoners'
Tne Revenge Of Hamlet, prince OF Denmarke,' as
vt was atelie acted BY the Lord Chamberlayne his
servantes." An edition was published in 1903
IRON o surreputious copy, which differed widely
from that published in l6o4-containing scarcely
two-thrds many lines, and Its inferortty was
still more marked. Three other additions were
published. in ldo5, 1911 and an undated one
OF saxo Drammarlcus,' the Danish historian;
from flm translated into English as .The Hystorie
Of Hamblet" OF this latter WORK earlier edition
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR,
was probably written In 1901. The drst edition
ase 10 ua'o Il Sen N aoV oq probably m
An9aner quartz printed s IN 1919 lacked the com.
ton to his alteration OF this play under the title OF
"The Comcal Gallaut.n says that Shakespeare
wrote this comedy at The instance of Queen Eliza
Deth, VINO, In her eagerness to see FalstaY IN The
character OF q lover limited the production OF the
composition to two weeks, in which time 1t was
TWELFTH NIGHTn
This comedy forms the thirteenth play in the
folio OF 1929 the earliest known date Of its publica-
ton. The composition OF the play is placed IN
1000, based on an entry in MEMORANDUM book OF
Jonn Manningham, apparently a Temple student.
under date OF February 2, 1eol-2, wherein he
says; says.At "a our feast We @ had play called Twelve
! SnQaunl.3
practIse In It to make the steward believe his lady
waaowe was & IN love % Wita n MIN; oy counteraytng
him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing
his gestures. inscribng his apparale, &c, and
leeve they tooke him to be mad.n
'TRoILUs AND CREssIDAn
1902; Dr. Drake, 1901; Mr.. Chalmers. 1000. In 1909
there the e, were % two quartos printed The first bore
second the name Of the play with
editions under Shakespeare's name. Tne sources
obtained ior the material were evidently Chaucer's
Boos and axtons S
| "History OF the Destruction OF Troy"
HENRY VIII.
This play. IL is conjectured, was written about
1900 or perhaps two or three years later. Alter
having lam BY some years unacted 1t was revived
IN 1913 al the Globe Theatre under the title "Al Is
True" During Its recital the theatre caught nre
and burned down. the cause OF the fire being the
careless use OF some small ordnance in one OF the
scenes. Doubtless the manuscript copies OF many
OF ofsnakespeare's plays were consumed. Henry viii.
was first published IN 1923. Its action comprises
period OF twelve years. There is a deviation from
history n placing the death or Queen Catherine
till three years thereafter.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
was written, Malone SuppOseS, about the close OF
1903 The story was taken from Whe hetstone's "Pro-
mos and CaSSandra,n narrative so imperfect in
analysis ana SO insipid IN style tina. Was but an
beauteous Development fertile in entertainment.
OTHELLO.
n n
credited to shakespeare and republshed the fol.
Iowlng year In 1880 another agsrto edition ap
record D that that play BY ''sha1berd" lone OF the
formed at whitehall on November /, 1904. There.
fore the period OF Its composition was before that
mithi," OF which Shakespeare must have seen an
English translation, although we have no knowl-
edge tnat there was such.
Three quarto editions were published in 1905
the differences consisting in curtallments in the
early copies, made Tor stage representation. The
to 1903, and it is known to have been acted at
Court In December, 1905. Hints lor the plot are
pa9scmeo 70 nave oeen raKen rom variety OF
play extant, entitled 1.-THE True Chronicle HI story
o. King Lelr e. ana mis- Three Daughters' Gonori.l.
the subject.
MACBETH.
The composition OF this tragedy can only be
placed between 1908 and 1910, Malones conjecture
beng 1000 1t rs known to nave been acted in
1910. The historical incidents are according to
Hohnshed.
JULIUS CAESAR
NO earlier copy than the loo OF 1928. Collier
endeavors to prove 1t was written before 1908
some years earlier than the date Malone assigned
BE- BE- hs a 81 ha aama sp
embraces about three years.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.
First printed in the folio or 1929 1t Is believed
the play was written IN 1907 or 1908. The histori-
cal incidents are drawn from the same source as
Like the several last preceding plays no early
composition in 1905 Malone In 1909. The plot is OF
Italian origin, asresembance being traced TO Bo-
cacclos "Bernabo de- Genova"
Entered and hrst printed IN 1923. Malone con.
material is derived from North's .Piutarch," and
some speeches diner only In the verslficatlon.
TIAoN OF ATHENS.
There was no other copy but that OF 1923. Ma |
lone dates the period OF composition at 1909. 1t
would seem to me, from its crudeness and want OF
polish, to have been youthful production OF |
Shakespeare and much neglected.
TEMPEST.
The folio OF 1923 contained the earliest printed
copy. 1t was probably written about 1611 and |
known to have been acted early In 1613. The plot
Is derived rom no SPECIFIC source.
WINTERS TALE.
This play was first licensed in 1911 and probably
Pleasant History Of Dorastus and Fawnia," MA l5ss
by Robert Greene. Many OF the circums tances or |
the novel are omitted, neither the names
adopted, and the characters OF Antlgonus, Paullna
ana Autolycus were newly introduced.
DEDUCTIONS.
From the foregoing it Will be seen that where.
ever paucty OF evidence might seem TO raise q I
doubt as to the authorship OF any OF these plays
there Is no indication OF the slightest pretenlion
from any quarter that Bacon had anything to do |
with them BY tnus engrosslng the chronology we |
can more easily draw conclusions. We nnd that
the plots were rarely wholly Shakespeare's inven-
tons collection OF Italian and English tales, |
some books on English, Greek and Roman history,
served as foundation, and the iecundlty OF shake.
speare's mind supplied the rest. TO this aud a
lew plays OF feeble authors rewritten BY Shake
speare, and we have process OF drama making
which was az easy TO Shakespeare as rolling or /
log We can thus that much Of his special
knowledge was derived from many sources He was
not only writer out preparer Of manuscripts for
the stage and doubtless some came nLo his hands
which ne changed as not to leave anything
traceabe OF the original but the style or compost
ton. Still cannot believe that there were many