Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/312

( 296 ) It hould alo be oberved, that “ hamlets,” in the foregoing paSS undefinedage, is not printed in Italicks, though the word Seneca, in the ame entence, is; and all the quotations, authors’ names, and books mentioned in this epitle, are ditinguihed by that character.

This is the only one of the unconteted plays of Shakpeare, that is not entered in the book’s of the Stationers’ company. It was not printed till 1623, but is mentioned by Meres in 1598, unles he mitook the old play in two parts, printed in 1591, for the compoition of Shakpeare.

In the firt act of King John, an ancient tragedy, entitled Salyman and Pereda, is alluded to. The earliet edition of that play, now extant, is that of 1599, but it was written, and probably acted, many years before; for it was entered on the Stationers’ books, by Edward Whyte, Nov. 20, 1592.

Marton’s Inatiate Countes, printed in 1603, contains a paSS undefinedage, which, if it hould be condered as an imitation of a imilar one in King John, will acertain this hitorical drama to have been written at leat before that year:

“ Then how much more in me, whoe youthful veins, “ Like a proud river, overflow their bounds.” So in King John: “ Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum, Like a proud river peering o’er his bounds.”

King Richard II. was entered on the Stationers’ books, August, 29, 1597, and printed in that year.

Dr. Farmer uppoes that there was a former play on this subject, becaue when Sir Gilly Merricke, one of the fol-