O N

THE WINTER'S TALE.

T

NO the story-book, or "Pleasant Hiftory (as it is called) of Doraftus and Fawnia," written by Robert GREEN, M. A. we are indebted for SHAKESPEARE's "Winter's Tale." GREENE joined with Dr. LODGE, in writing a play, called "A Looking Glass for London and England," printed in 1598, in quarto and black letter; and many of his other works, which are very numerous, were published about that time, and this amongst the rest: it went through many impreffions, all of the fame form and letter as the play; and that fo low down as the year 1664, of which year I have a copy. Upon this occafion, I fhall venture to pronounce an opinion, that has been referved for this place, (though other plays too were concerned in it, as "Hamlet" and "Cymbeline" which if it be found true, as I believe it will, may be of ufe to fettle many disputed points in lite rary chronology. My opinion is this:-That almost all books, of the gothick or black character, printed any thing late in the feventeenth century, are in truth only re-impreffions; they having paffed the prefs before in the preceding century, or (at least) very foon after. For the character began then to be difuted in printing of new books; but the types remaining, the owners of them found a convenience in ufing them for books that had been before printed in them; and to this convenience of theirs are owing all or most of those impreffions pofterior to 1600. It is left to the reader's fagacity, to apply this remark to the book in the prefent article; and to those he finds mentioned before, in the articles-"Hamlet, and Cymbeline. CAPELL

"The Country here called Bithynia hath in all former Editions been printed Bobemia an inland kingdom, fitu ated nearly in the center of Europe, whereas many of the great incidents of the play turn upon its being a maritime country of which Polixenes was the King. This is a blụn,

der and an abfurdity of which Shakespeare in justice ought not to be thought capable; and as he hath turned quite anew, the ftory contained in the old paltry book of Doraftus and Faunia, changing most of the main circumstances and all the names of the perfons; it is probable he removed this impropriety and placed the scene in Bithynia, which the ignorance and negligence of the first Transcribers or Printers might corrupt and bring back again to Bohemia by a lefs variation in the letters than they have been guilty of in numberless other places of this Work." HANM.

This Play may be ranked among the Hiftoric, though not one of Shakespear's numerous Critics and Commentators, have difcovered the drift, of it. It was certainly intended (in compliment to Queen Elizabeth), as an indirect apology for her Mother Anne Boleyn. The addrefs of the Poet appears, no where to more advantage. The Subject was too delicate to be exhibited on the Stage without a Veik; and it was too recent, and touched the Queen too nearly, for the bard, to have ventured fo home an allufion on any other ground than Compliment, The unreasonable Jealousy of Leontes, and his violent conduct in confequence, form a true Portrait of Henry the VIII th, who generally made the Law the engine of his boisterous paffions. Not only the general plan of the Story is most applicable, but several paffages are fo marked, that they touch the real History nearer than the Fable. Hermione on her Trial fays,

-for honour,

'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only that Iftand for.

This seems to be taken from the very Letter of Anne Boleyn to the King before her execution, where the pleads for the infant princefs his Daughter Mamillius, the young prince, an unneceffary: Character, dies in his infancy; but it confirms the allufion, as Queen Anne, before Elizabeth, bore a stillbørn fon. But the most striking paffage, and which had nothing to do in the Tragedy, but as it pictured Elizabeth, is where Paulina, defcribing the new-born princefe and her likeness to her Father, fays, fbe bas the very trick of his From There is one fentence indeed fo applicable, both to Elizabib and her Father, that I fhould fulpect the Poet

inferted it after her death. Paulina fpeaking of the Child, tells the King,

CÉL KA'Tis yours;

And might we lay the old proverb to your charge,

So like you, 'Tis the worfe

The Winter Evening's Tale was therefore in reality a fecond part of Henry the Eighth. WALP. HISTORIC DOUBTS.

The Winter's Tal.] This Play, throughout, is written in the very fpirit of its author. And in telling this homely and fimple, though agreeable, country tale.

Milion.

Our sweetest Shakespeare, fancy's child, Warbles his native wood-notes wild. This was neceffary to obferve in mere juftice to the Play, as the meanness of the fable, and the extravagant conduct of it, had mifled fome of great name into a wrong judgment of its merits; which, as far as it regards fentiment and character, is scarce inferior to any in the whole collection. WARB.

ARCHIDAMUS.] This is a character of that fort, which the old cricks have called πόσωπον προταλικόν; one entirely out of the action and argument of the Play, and introduced only to open fomething, neceffary to be known, trevious to the action of the fable. Donatus, in his preface to Terence's Fait Andrian, explains this character thus "By a Protatick character weare to understand fuch a one, as is introdaced in the beginning, and never after appears in any part of the fable. THEOB.* P. 99, 1.8. — our entertainment, &c.] Though we cannot give you equal entertainment, yet the confcioufhefs of our good-will Thall justify us.

JOHN'S.

P. 100, 1. 5. royally attornied.] Nobly Tupplied by subftitution of embaffies, &c.

JOHNS.

L. 14. Phyficks the fubject,] Affords a cordial to the ftates has the power of afluaging the fenfe of milery.

JOANS. L 23. The Shepherd's hote.] i. e. 1 ufe the Shepherd' reckoning.

WARB. Ibid.] Dr. W. by putting these words in a parenthefis, has made the clear common reading, nonfenfe and falfe English. For how do the words barb been, come to fignify,

baving paffed over our beads?.

REVISAL.

P. 101, 17. THAT MAY blow. No freaping winds at bome, &c.] This is nonsense, we should read it thus,

MAY THERE bla, &c.

He had faid he was apprehensive that his presence might be wanted at home; but, left this fhould prove an ominous Speech, he endeavours, as was the cultom, to avert it by a deprecatory prayer.

- may there blow

No fneaping winds

to make us fay,

This was put forth too truly.

But the Oxford Editor, rather than be beholden to this corsection, alters it to

there may blow

Some neaping winds

and fo destroys the whole fentiment.

WARE.

L. 8. Read, Some fneaping winds at home, to make us say, This is put forth too tardily.

CAP. P. 102, 1. 10. – I give нïм my commission.] We should read,

I'll give you my commiffion,

The verb let, or hinder, which follows, fhews the neceffity of it: for fhe could not fay fhe would give her husband a commiffion to let or hinder himself. The commiffion is given to Polixenes, to whom she is speaking, to let or hindder her husband. WARB.

L. 11.

bebind the geft,

Preferib'd for's parting:] I have not ventured to alter the text, though I freely own, I can neither trace, nor underftand, the phrafe: I have fufpected, that the poet wrote; behind the juft

Prefcrib'd for's parting.

i.e. the juft, precife, time; the instant.

THEOB.*

L. II. - bebind the geft] Mr. Theobald, fays, "he can neither trace, nor understand the phrafe," and therefore thinks it should be juft: but the word geft is right, and fignifies a stage or journey. In the time of Royal Progreffes the King's ftages, as we may fee by the journals of them in the Herald's office, were called his GESTS; from the old French word GISTE, Diverforium. WARB.

Ibid.] Geft as interpreted by Dr. W. leaves the paffage as much nonfenfe as ever. I read, lift, that is beyond the limit, in which fense Shakespeare hath feveral times used that word. RIVISAL. The Gift, CAP.* L. 12.- -yet, good beed, Leontes,] i, e. yet take good heed, Leontes, to what I fay. Which phrafe, Mr. Theobald not understanding, he alters it to, good deed.

Ibid.] Good deed.

P. 103, l. 17.

WARB.

CAP.*

th' impofition clear'd, Hereditary ours.] i. e. fetting afide original fin, bating the impofition from the offence of our first parents, we might have boldly protested our innocence to

heaven.

L. 26. Grace to boot!

THEOB.*

Of this make no conclufion, left you say, &c.] Polixenes had faid, that fince the time of childhood and innocence, "temptation had grown to them;" for that in that interval, the two Queens were become women. To each part of this obfervation the Queen anfwers in order. To that of temptation the replies, "Grace to boot !" though the temptations have grown up, yet I hope grace too has kept pace with them, "Grace to boot," was a proverbial expreffion on these occafions. To the other part, the replies, as for our tempting you, pray take heed you draw no conclufion from thence, for that would be making your Queen and me devils, &c. WARB.

Ibid] No fuch proverb ever existed, nor if it did would it bear the fenfe Dr. W. has put upon it. The text is certainly corrupt, and I believe we should read "Grace to both!" . e. fpare your reflections on us both, your Queen as well as myself.

REVI.

P. 104, 1. 14. With Spur we heat an acre, but to th' geal.] Thus this paffage has been always pointed; whence it appears, that the Editors did not take the Poet's conceit. They imagined that But to th' goal, meant "but to come to the purpose;" but the fenfe is different, and plain enough when the line is pointed thus,

ere

With Spur we heat an acre, but to th' goal."

i. c. good ulage will win us to any thing; but, with ill, we