hall. But this, I conjecture, was not its firft exhibition. It seems extremely probable that its first appearance was in March or April, 1605; in which year the old play of King Leir, that had been entered at Stationer's hall in 1594, was printed by Simon Stafford, for John Wright, who, we may prefume, finding Shakspeare's play fuccessful, hoped to palm the fpurious one on the publick for his.“ The old King Leir was entered on the Stationers books, May 8, 1605, as it was lately acted.

Harfnet's Declaration of Popish Impostures, from which Shakspeare borrowed fome fantaftick names of fpirits, mentioned in this play, was printed in 16.03. Our author's King Lear was not published

This play is afcertained to have been written after the month of October, 1604, by a minute change which Shakspeare made in a traditional line, put into the mouth of Edgar:

His word was ftill, Fie, foh, fum,

I fmell the blood of a British man.

The old metrical faying, which is found in one of Nafhe's pamphlets, printed in 1596, and in other books, was,

6 Shakspeare has copied one of the paffages in this old play. This he might have done, though we fhould fuppofe it not to have been publifhed till after his King Lear was written and acted; for the old play had been in poffeffion of the ftage for many years before 1605; and without doubt he had often feen it exhibited; nor could he have found any difficulty in procuring a manufcript copy of it, when he fat down to write his own tragedy on the fame fubject. I fufpect, however, the old play had been published in 1594.

Though a complete union of England and Scotland, which was projected in the firft parliament that met after James's acceffion to the English throne, was not carried into effect till a century afterwards, the two kingdoms were united in name, and he was proclaimed king of Great Britain, October 24, 1604.

27. CYMBELINE, 1605.

Cymbeline was not entered in the Stationers' books nor printed till 1623. It stands the last play in the earliest folio edition; but nothing can be collected from thence, for the folio editors manifeftly paid no attention to chronological arrangement. Nor was this negligence peculiar to them for in the folio collection of D'Avenant's works printed after his death, Albovine, King of the Lombards, one of his earliest plays, which had been published in quarto, in 1629, is placed at the end of the

volume.

I have found in Cymbeline little internal evidence by which its date might be ascertained. Such evidence, however, as it furnishes, induces me to ascribe it to 1605, after Shakspeare had composed King Lear, and before he had written Macbeth. The character of Edgar in King Lear is undoubtedly formed on that of Leonatus, the legitimate fon of the blind king of Paphlagonia, in Sydney's Arcadia. Shakspeare having occafion to turn to that book while he was writing King Lear, the name of Leonatus adhered to his memory, and he

.

has made it the name of one of the characters in Cymbeline. The ftory of Lear lies near to that of Cymbeline in Holinfhed's Chronicle; and fome account of Duncan and Macbeth is given incidentally in a fubfequent page, not very diftant from that part of the volume which is allotted to the history of thofe British kings. In Holinfhed's Scottish Chronicle we find a ftory of one Hay, a. husbandman, who, with his two fons, placed himself athwart a lane, and by this means ftayed his flying countrymen; which turned the battle against the Danes. This circumftance, (which our poet has availed himself of in the fifth act of the play before us,) connected with what has heen already mentioned relative to Sydney's Arcadia, renders it probable that the three plays of King Lear, Cymbeline, and Macbeth, were written about the same period of time, and in the order in which I have placed them. The hiftory of King Duff, Duncan, and Macbeth, which Shakspeare appears to have diligently read, extends from p. 150 of Holinfhed's Scottish Chronicle to p. 176; and the ftory of Hay occurs in p. 154 of the fame Chronicle.

Mr. Steevens has obferved, that there is a paffage in Beaumont and Fletcher's Philafter, which bears a ftrong resemblance to a speech of Jachimo in Cymbeline:

66

I hear the tread of people: I am hurt:'
The gods take part against me; could this boor
Have held me thus, elfe?" Act IV. fc. i.
I have bely'd a lady,

"The princefs of this country; and the air of't
Revengingly enfeebles me; or could this carle,
A very drudge of nature's, have fubdued me
In my profeffion?" Cymbeline, A&t. V. fc. ii.

Philafter had appeared on the ftage before 1611, being mentioned by John Davies of Hereford, in his Epigrams, which have no date, but were publifhed according to Oldys, in or about that year.7 Dryden mentions a tradition, (which he might have received from Sir William D'Avenant,) that Philafter was the firft play by which Beaumont and Fletcher acquired reputation, and that they had written two or three lefs fuccefsful pieces, before Philafter appeared. From a prologue of D'Avenant's their firft production fhould feem to have been exhibited about the year 1605. Philafter, therefore, it may be prefumed, was reprefented in 1608 or 1609.

One edition of the tract called Weftward for Smelts, from which part of the fable of Cymbeline is borrowed, was published in 1603.

In this play mention is made of Cæfar's immeasureable ambition, and Cleopatra's failing on the Cydnus to meet Antony: from which, and other circumstances, I think it probable that about this time Shakspeare perufed the lives of Cæfar, Brutus, and Mark Antony.

28. MACBETH, 1606.

'Guthrie afferts in his Hiftory of Scotland, that' King James," to prove how thoroughly he was emancipated from the tutelage of his clergy, defired Queen Elizabeth in the year 1599 to send him · a company of English comedians. She complied, and James gave them a licence to act in his capital and in his court. I have great reafon to think,

Additions to Langbaine's Account of dramatick Poets, MS.

(adds the hiftorian,) that the immortal Shakspeare was of the number. But his drama, which finds accefs at this day to the moft infenfible hearts, had no charms in the eyes of the prefbyterian clergy. They threatened excommunication to all who attended the playhouse. Many forebore to attend the theatrical exhibitions. James confidered the infolent interpofition of the clergy as a fresh attack upon his prerogative, and ordered thofe who had been moft active, to retract their menaces, which they unwillingly did; and we are told that the playhoufe was then greatly crowded."

I know not to what degree of credit this anecdote is entitled; but it is certain, that James, after his acceffion to the English throne, was a great encourager of theatrical exhibitions. From 1604 to 1608 he devoted himfelf entirely to hunting, mafques, plays, tiltings, &c. In 1605 he vifited Oxford. From a book entitled Rex Platonicus. cited by Dr. Farmer, we learn, that on entering the city the king was addreffed by three ftudents of St. John's college, who alternately accofted his majefty, reciting fome Latin verfes, founded on the prediction of the weird fifters relative to Banquo and Macbeth."

Dr. Farmer is of opinion, that this performance preceded Shakspeare's play; a fuppofition which is ftrengthened by the filence of the author of Rex

8 If the writer had any ground for this affertion, why was it not ftated? It is extremely improbable that Shakspeare fhould have left London at this period. In 1599 his King Henry V. was produced, and without doubt acted with great applaufe.

• See Vol. XI. p. 270.