The New York herald., 1874-09-14

10 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Although this question Is not new one 1t has
never been answered to the satisfaction of the
public. Many individuals who have given particu-
lar attention to this subject are convinced that
shakespeare did not write them. When we reflect
that there are several thousand volumes written
upon and about Shakespeare and his plays ana
tens OF thousands OF magazine articles on the
subject 1t can be seen that il is easy ques-
ton at TINS time to thoroughly examine or to
answer by furnishing proof. shall not attempt 1t
In this letter, put will present some considerations
which convince me that Shakespeare did not write
the plays that bear his name and that no one per.
son ever wrote them. From all the evidences
which examined some three years ago
| arrived at the conclusion that these plays
were written by several different persons
l. The plot OF all or nearly all of them is founded
upon some old romance, story, historical sketcn or
tradition, which, IL Is well known, were written
many years before Shakespeare's blrth.
ii. shakespeare himself never claimed to be the
author OF MS plays, and it was never so claimed
until nearly hall q century after his death. They
were called his plays because 1t was at MS theatre
where they were first brought out.
III, There Is a striking likeness and sim arity In
his his plays and all contemporary leading writers of
". ne undoubtedly caused them to be written,
ana they were brought before the world by him.
v. He undoubtedly gave directions and revised
and, perhaps pruned them, so as to make them
practical dramas for stage representation.
so much Tor what he did about them ana now
1or Wnat lie ala not 90 ABOUT them, and who dlu
that which he did not.
J. AS an enterprs!ng stage manager he natu-
rally sought the best authors OF tile day, anu per-
haps suggested that he wanted q pla written IN
some particular line In which they wele most Iaml-
liar. For instance, "Antony and Cleopatra 10
well known TO have been founded upon an ac-
count found IN "Plutarch's Lives" The following
IL abrei photography upon this brat ch Of tue
question:
4. Collier, J. Payne. Shakespeare's Library; q
collection OF the Novels, Tales anu Romances used
by shakespeare In the fabrication Of MS dramas.
q SpottOwe, A. Inquiries into the originality
OF ,he Dramatic Plots and Characters OF SNAKE
speare.
3. Hawkins, Thomas. Origin OF English Drama.
T. Percy, Bisnop. Essay on Origin OF English
stage, particularly Historical Plays OF Shakespeare.
5. Nicholas, John. Six Old Plays on which
Shakespeare founded six OF his plays.
8. CasselPs History OF the Origin ol Shakespeare's
Fables
I. Knights Stratford Edition of Shakespeare.
IL. Many OF the original plots upon when these
plays were founded had never been translated
into English, and could only be found In the itera-
ture OF several other different languages, whicn
there is no evidence that Shakespeare ever was
acquainted with
Ill The varied and perfect knowledge OF science,
history and art, and the habits ana customs OF
different classes OF society which these dramas
exhibit all show that each one was written ny
some persQn MAO laQ Waoe speclalU v kloWl'