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ect and spirit of the compofition, which he thinks inferior to the other hiftorical plays.

From mere inferiority nothing can be inferred; in the productions of wit there will be inequality. Sometimes judgment will err, and fometimes the matter itfelf will defeat the artist. Of every author's works one will be the beft, and one will be the worft. The colours are not equally pleafing, nor the attitudes equally graceful, in all the pictures of Titian or Reynolds.

Diffimilitude of ftile and heterogeneousness of sentiment, may fufficiently show that a work does not really belong to the reputed author. But in thefe plays no fuch marks of fpurioufnefs are found. The diction, the vefification, and the figures, are Shakespeare's. Thefe plays, confidered, without regard to characters and incidents, merely as narratives in verfe, are more happily conceived and more accurately finished than those of king John, Richard II. or the tragick fcenes of Henry IV. and V. If we take these plays from ShakeSpeare, to whom fhall they be given? What author of that age had the fame cafinefs of expreffion and fluency of numbers? Havingconfideredthe evidence given by the plays themfelves, and found it in their favour, let us now enquire what corroboration can be gained from other teftimony. They are afcribed to Shakespeare by the first editors, whofe atteftation may be received in queftions of fact, however unkilfully they fuperintended their edition. They feem to be declared

VOL. V.

genuine by the voice of Shakepeare himself, who refers to the fecond play in his epilogue to Henry V. and apparently connects the first acts of Richard III. with the laft of the third part of Henry VI. If it be objected that the plays were popular, and therefore he alluded to them as well known; it may be anfwered, with equal probability, that the natural paffions of a poet would have disposed him to feparate his own works from thofe of an inferior hand. And indeed if an author's own teftimony is to be overthrown by fpeculative criticism, no man can be any longer fecure of literary reputation.

Of thefe three plays I think the fecond the best. The truth is, that they have not fufficient variety of action, for the incidents are too often of the fame kind; yet many of the characters are well difcriminated. King Henry, and his queen, king Edward, the duke of Gloucefler, and the earl of Warwick, are very ftrongly and diftinctly painted."

The old copies of the two latter parts of Henry VI. and of Henry V. are fo apparently imperfect and mutilated, that there is no reason for fuppofing them the first draughts of Shakespeare. I am inclined to believe them copies taken by fome auditor who wrote down, during the reprefentation, what the time would permit, then perhaps filled up tome of his omiffions at a second or third hearing, and when he had by this method formed fomething like a play, fent it to the printer.

THE

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KING Edward IV.

Edward, Prince of Wales, after

wards Edward V.

Richard, Duke of York,

Sons to Edward IV,

George, Duke of larence, Brother to Edward IV.

Richard, Duke of Gloucefter, Brother to Edward IV, afterwards King Richard III.

Cardinal, Archbishop of York.

Duke of Buckingham.

Duke of Norfolk. Earl of Surrey.

Marquis of Dorfet, Son to Queen Elizabeth.
Earl Rivers, Brother to the Queen.

Lord Gray, Son to Queen Elizabeth,

Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry VII,
Bishop of Ely,

Lord Haftings.

Sir Thomas Vaughan,

Sir Richard Ratcliff.

Lord Lovel.

Catesby.

Sir James Tyrrel.

Thomas, Lord Stanley,
Earl of Oxford.

Blount.

Herbert.

Sir Will. Brandon.

Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower,
Two Children of the Duke of Clarence.
Sir Chriftopher Urfwick, a Prieft.
Lord Mayor.

Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV.

Queen Margaret, Widow of Henry VI.

Anne, Widow of Eward Prince of Wales, Son to Henry VI. afterwards married to the Duke of Gloucester. Dutchess of York, Mother to Edward IV. Clarence, and Richard III.

Speri, Purfuivant, Citizens, Ghofts of those murder'd by Richard III. with Soldiers, and other Attendants,

THE

LIFE and DEATH of

King RICHARD III.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The COURT.

Enter Richard Duke of Gloucefter, folus.
OW is the Winter of our Difcontent

N

Made glorious Summer by this Sun of York,
And all the clouds, that lowr'd upon our
House,

In the deep bofom of the Ocean bury'd.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments,
Our stern Alarums chang'd to merry meetings,
Our dreadful Marches to delightful measures.
Grim vifag'd War hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds
To fright the fouls of fearful adversaries,

The Life and Death of King Richard III.] This Tragedy, though it is called the Life and Death of this Prince, comprizes, at most, but the last eight Years of his Time: For it opens with George Duke of Clarence being

clap'd up in the Tower, which happen'd in the beginning of the. Year 1477; and clofes with the Death of Pichard at Pofworthfield, which Battle was fought on the 22d of Auguft in the Year 1485. THEOBAID

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