Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/349

[ 333 ] had carcely unlearned the Scottih idiom, hould have been more hardy than any other poet of that age.

I am aware, it may be objected, that this writer might have formed a drama on this tory, not knowing that Shakpeare had previouly compoed the tragedy of Julius Cæar; and that, therefore, the publication of Mr. Alexander's play in 1607, is no proof that our author's performance did not then exit.—In anwer to this objection, it may, perhaps, be ufficient to oberve, that Mr. Alexander had, before that year, very wiely left the bleak fields of Mentrie in Clackmananhire, for a warmer and more courtly reidence in London, having been appointed gentleman of the privy chamber to prince Henry; in which ituation his literary curioity mut have been gratified by the earliet notice of the productions of his brother dramatits.

Lord Sterline's Julius Cæar, though not printed till 1607, might have been written a year or two before; and perhaps its publication in that year was in conequence of our author's play on the ame ubject being then firt exhibited. The ame obervation may be made with repect to an anonymous performance, called The Tragedie of Cæar and Pompey or Cæar's Revenge, which was likewie printed in 1607. The ubject of that piece is the defeat of Pompey at Pharalia, the death of Julius, and the final overthrow of Brutus and Caius at Philippi. The attention of the town being, perhaps, drawn to the hitory of the hook-noed fellow of Rome, by the exhibition of our author's Julius Cæar, the bookellers, who printed thee two plays, might have flattered themelves with the hope of an expeditious ale for them at that time, epecially as Shakpeare's play was not then publihed.

We have certain proof that Antony and Cleopatra was compoed before the middle of the year 1608. An attentive review of that play and Julius Cæar, will, I think, lead us to conclude that this latter was firt written. Not to init