Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/292

[ 276 ] his townman, perhaps his relation, and Michael Drayton was likewie born in Warwickhire; the latter was nearly of his own age, and both were in ome degree of reputation oon after the year 1590. If I were to indulge a conjecture, I hould name the middle of the year 1591, as the era when our author commenced a writer for the tage; at which time he was omewhat more than twenty-even years old. The reaons that induce me to fix on that period are thee. In Webbe's Dicoure of Englih Poetry, publihed in 1586, we meet with the names of mot of the celebrated poets of that time; particularly thoe of George Whettone and Antony Munday, who were dramatick writers; but we