ART. XII-A Note on the recently discovered Manuscript of Henry the Sixth. By J. O. HALLIWELL, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., &c. ART. XIII.—On Players and Dramatic Performances in the reign of Edward IV. By J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq., F.S.A. ART. XIV.-Reprint of an unknown Pageant, by Thomas W. HARNESS ART. XVII.-On a passage in Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar. By ART. XVIII.-On the Recusancy of John Shakespeare, and on the Inclosure of Welcombe Fields. By DRAMATICUS ART. XIX.-On the supposed origin of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. By J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq., F.S.A. ART. XX.-Plays at Court, Anno 1613 (from the accounts of Lord Harrington, Treasurer of the Chamber to James I.) By ART. XXI.-The Maiden's Dream, by Robert Greene; an un- ART. XXII.-Will of Cowley, the Poet: extracted from the THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY'S PAPERS. ART. I.-Origin of the Induction to Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." It strikes me that I have found the original of the Induction to "The Taming of the Shrew;" and my object in forwarding the present paper is that some member of the Shakespeare Society should throw farther light upon the subject. Warton, in his History of English Poetry, iv., 117, edit. 1824, informs us that a collection of comic stories by Richard Edwards, dated 1570, and printed in black letter, contained the incidents of the Induction in question. This fact does not depend upon the statement of Collins that he had the book, but upon the assertion of Warton that he himself had seen it. He adds, that the library was dispersed, and nobody seems to have heard since of the volume. It would be singular if the amusing collection made by Edwards, and published in 1570, were never reprinted; and I apprehend that I have now in my hands a portion of a reprint of it, containing the very tale on which the Induction to Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," and to the older "Taming of a Shrew," was founded. It is a mere fragment of a book, and contains no more than this story, so that we can only judge of its date by its type VOL. II. B and orthography: the type and orthography appear to me to be as old as about the year 1620 or 1630, and it begins upon p. 59, and ends upon p. 67. Of the orthography the reader will be able to form an opinion from what follows; and, having been a student of old books for the last twenty or thirty years, I think I can speak positively to the date of the type, which is rather large Roman letter, much worn and battered. The words, "the fifth event," at the commencement, show that four stories preceded it, but by how many it was followed it is impossible to decide. I should not be surprised if the old language of 1570 had been in some degree modernized in 1620 or 1630, but upon that point it is not necessary for me to offer an opinion. If my conjecture be correct, that Edwards's story-book of 1570 was reprinted fifty or sixty years afterwards, and that my five leaves are a portion of that reprint, we have arrived at the source of the Induction to "The Taming of a Shrew;" for I take it for granted that Shakespeare's comedy was constructed upon the older play, in which the Induction stands, in substance, as it is given by our immortal dramatist. I subjoin a verbatim et literatim copy of my fragment, and I shall be happy to receive any farther information regarding it, either through “The Shakespeare Society's Papers," or otherwise. H. G. NORTON. Liverpool, March 4, 1845. 66 THE WAKING MANS DREAME. "The Fifth Event. "The Greek proverbe saith, that a man is but the dreame of a shaddow, or the shaddow of a dreame: is there then anything more vaine then a shadow, which is nothing in it selfe, being but a privation of light framed by the opposition of a thicke body unto a luminous? is there any thing more frivolous then a dreame, which hath no subsistence but in the hollow nesse of a sleeping braine, and which, to speake properly, is nothing but a meere gathering together of Chimericall Images? and this is it which makes an ancient say, that we are but dust and shadow: our life is compared unto those, who sleeping dreame that they eate, and waking find themselves empty and hungry; and who is he that doth not find this experimented in himselfe, as often as he revolves in his memory the time which is past? who can in these passages of this world distinguish the things which have been done from those that have beene dreamed? vanities, delights, riches, pleasures, and all are past and gone; are they not dreames? What hath our pride and pompe availed us? say those poore miserable soules shut up in the infernall prisons: where is our bravery become, and the glorious show of our magnificence? all these things are passed like a flying shadow, or as a post who hastens to his journeyes end. This is it which caused the ancient Comicke Poet to say that the world was nothing but an universall Comedy, because all the passages thereof serve but to make the wisest laugh: and, according to the opinion of Democritus, all that is acted on this great Theater of the whole world, when it is ended, differs in nothing from what hath bin acted on a Players stage: the mirrour which I will heere set before your eyes will so lively expresse all these verities, and so truly shew the vanities of all the greatnesse and opulencies of the earth, that although in these Events I gather not either examples not farre distant from our times, or that have beene published by any other writer, yet I beleeve that the serious pleasantnesse of this one will supply its want of novelty, and that its repetition will neither bee unfruitfull nor unpleasing. "In the time that Phillip Duke of Burgundy (who by the gentlenesse and curteousnesse of his carriage purchaste the name of good) guided the reines of the country of Flanders, this prince, who was of an humour pleasing, and full of judicious goodnesse, rather then silly simplicity, used pastimes which for their singularity are commonly called the pleasures of Princes: after this manner he no lesse shewed the quaintnesse of his wit then his prudence. 66 'Being in Bruxelles with all his Court, and having at his table discoursed amply enough of the vanities and greatnesse of this world, he let each one say his pleasure on this subject, whereon was alleadged grave sentences and rare examples: walking towards the evening in the towne, his head full of divers thoughts, he found a Tradesman lying in a corner sleeping very soundly, the fumes of Bacchus having surcharged his braine. I describe this mans drunkenesse in as good manner as I can to the credit of the party. This vice is so common in both the superior and inferiour Germany, that divers, making glory and vaunting of their dexterity in this art, encrease their praise thereby, and hold it for a brave act. The good Duke, to give his followers an example of the vanity of all the magnificence with which he was invironed, devised a meanes farre lesse dangerous than that which Dionysius the Tyrant used towards Democles, and which in pleasantnesse beares a marvellous utility. He caused his men to carry away this sleeper, with whom, as with a blocke, they might doe what they would, without awaking him; he caused them to carry him into one of the sumptuosest parts of his Pallace, into a chamber most state-like furnished, and makes them lay him on a rich bed. They presently strip him of his bad cloathes, and put him on a very fine and cleane shirt, in stead of his own, which was foule and filthy. They let him sleepe in that place at his ease, and whilest hee settles his drinke the Duke prepares the pleasantest pastime that can be imagined. "In the morning, this drunkard being awake drawes the curtaines of this brave rich bed, sees himselfe in a chamber adorned like a Paradice, he considers the rich furniture with an amazement such as you may imagine: he beleeves not his eyes, but layes his fingers on them, and feeling them open, yet perswades himselfe they are shut by sleep, and that all he sees is but a pure dreame. |