Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/314

[ 298 ] hall, not printed, till 1613; but probably is the play mentioned by Meres, in 1598, under the title of Love’s Labour Won. This comedy was, I believe, alo ometimes called A Bad Beginning makes a Good Ending; for I find that a play with that title, together with Hotpur, Benedict and Beatrix, and everal others, was acted at court, by John Heminge’s company in the year 1613: and no uch piece is to be found, in any collection however complete or extenive, nor is uch a title preerved in any lit or catalogue whatoever. As the titles of Hotpur, and Benedict and Beatrix, were ubtituted in the place of the firt part of K. Henry IV. and Much Ado about Nothing, it is probable that the other was only a new name for All’s Well that Ends Well. By an entry in the hand writing of king Charles I. in a copy of the econd edition of our author’s plays in folio, which formerly belonged to that monarch, and is now in the poSS undefinedeSS undefinedion of Mr. Steevens, it appears, that this play was alo ometimes called Mr. Parolles.

20. Sir John Oldcatle, 1598,

This play was entered at Stationers’ hall, Augut 4, 1600, and printed in the ame year. It was acted very early in that year, by the Lord Chamberlain’s ervants, before Mon. Vereiken, ambaSS undefinedador to Queen Elizabeth from the Archduke and the Infanta. The prologue to this piece furnihes a {(ls}}trong argument to hew that it was not written by Shakpeare. The following lines particularly deerve our attention:

“ The doubtfull title, (gentlemen) prefixt “ Upon the argument we have in hand “ May breed upence “ To top which cruple let this breee uffice: “ It is no pampered glutton we preent, “ Nor aged councellour to youthfull inne; “ But one whoe vertue hone above the ret, “ A valiant martyr, and a vertuous peere “ Let fair truth be grac’d, “ Since forg’d invention former time defac’d.”