THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. WITH A LIFE OF THE POET, EXPLANATORY FOOT-NOTES, CRITICAL Barvard Edition. BY THE REV. HENRY N. HUDSON, LL.D. IN TWENTY VOLUMES. VOL. XVI. BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY GINN, HEATH, & CO. 1881. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. GINN & HEATH: J. S. CUSHING, PRINTER, 16 HAWLEY STREET, ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. 'IRST printed in the folio of 1623, and entered at the Sta FIRST tioners' on the 8th of November, that year, by Blount and Jaggard, the publishers of the volume, as one of the plays “not formerly entered to other men." The same register has also an entry, dated May 20, 1608, of "A book called Antony and Cleopatra," in the name of Edward Blount, doubtless the same man who afterwards appeared in partnership with Jaggard. This latter entry was probably made with a view to publication; but, if so, it would seem that the design must have been arrested. Nor is this anywise unlikely to have been the case; for it is certain that the theatrical companies of that time used every precaution to keep their plays out of print; and we have strong ground for believing that, after the edition of Hamlet in 1604, there was no authorized issue of any of Shakespeare's dramas during his lifetime. It is but fair to state, however, that some have doubted whether Blount's entry of May, 1608, referred to Shakespeare's play; their main reason being the admitted fact, that the style of this play bespeaks the Poet's highest maturity of power. But I can by no means approve this argument; for the other supposal naturally refers the composition to the year 1607, thus placing it in the same period, from 1605 to 1610, which witnessed the production of King Lear and Macbeth: for it will hardly be questioned that, at the time of writing these dramas, the Poet's mind was equal to any achievement within the compass of human thought. Accordingly it is now pretty much agreed on all hands, that Antony and Cleopatra was written in 1607 or in the early part of 1608. I must add that the original text of this play is not very well printed, even for that time or that volume, and has a number of corruptions that are exceedingly trying to an editor. And, in |