Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human griefs, Scorn'dst our brain's flow,1 and those our droplets, which From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city, And I will use the olive with my sword; Make war breed peace, make peace stint 2 war; make each Prescribe to other, as each other's leech.3 Let our drums strike. [Exeunt. 1 Tears. & Stop. 3 • Physician. This sanguinary and disgusting tragedy is still sutfered to retain its place among the works of our author, although it is rejected by all the commentators and critics except Capell and Schlegel. The editors of the first folio edition however have included it in that volume, which implies that they considered the play as his production. George Meres enumerates it among his works in 1598, and this author was personally esteemed and consulted by our poet. It is now generally supposed that the present drama found admission into the original complete edition of Shakspeare's works only because he had written a few lines in it, assisted in its revisal, or produced it on the stage. A tradition to this effect is mentioned by Ravenscroft in the preface to his alteration of this tragedy, as acted at Drury Lane in 1687, where he says, 'I have been told by some anciently conversant with the stage, that it was not originally Shakspeare's, but was brought by a private author to be acted; and he gave only some master-touches to one or two of the principal parts.' The events of this drama are not of historical occurrence, but were probably borrowed from an old ballad on the same subject entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in 1593, about which period it appears to have been written. Mr. Malone has marked with double inverted commas those passages, in which he supposes the hand of Shakspeare may be traced. 6 'All the editors and critics,' remarks Dr. Johnson, ' agree in supposing this play spurious. I see no reason for differing from them; for the color of the style is wholly different from that of the other plays; and there is an attempt at regular versification, and artificial closes, not always inelegant, yet seldom pleasing. The barbarity of the spectacles, and the general massacre, which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to any audience; yet we are told by Jonson, that they were not only borne, but praised. That Shakspeare wrote any part, though Theobald deciares it incontestable, I see no reason for beleving." |