Page:Observations on an autograph of Shakespeare, and the orthography of his name.djvu/16



The corresponding passage of Montaigne occurs in Book i. chap. 30, p. 102, where he is speaking of a newly discovered country, which he calls Antartick France, and thus proceeds:—

The words marked in italics will sufficiently point out the close imitation; for, in truth, Shakspere has scarcely done more than copy Florio's translation, with just sufficient alteration to cause the sentences to fall into rhythm. Warburton has noted, that throughout the dialogue Shakspere's aim is to convey a satire on the various Utopian treatises of government; but in the original, Montaigne is speaking seriously of the newly discovered country of Brasil, where Villegaignon first landed in 1555. Malone infers, with great probability, that it was from the perusal of this chapter that Shakspere was