OBSERVATIONS ON THE FABLE AND COMPOSITION OF RICHARD III. THIS tragedy comprifes, at moft, but the last eight years of this prince's time; for it opens with George duke of Clarence being clapped up in the Tower, which happened in the beginning of the year 1477, and clofes with the death of Richard at Bofworth-Field, which battle was fought on the 22d of August, in the year 1485. THEOBALD. This is one of the most celebrated of our author's performances; yet I know not whether it has not happened to him as to others, to be praised moft, when praife is not most deferved. That this play has fcenes noble in themfelves, and very well contrived to strike in the exhibition, cannot be denied. But fome parts are trifling, others shocking, and fome improbable. JOHNSON. L The oldest known edition of this tragedy is printed for Andrew Wife, 1597: but Harrington in his Apologie of Poetrie, written 1590, and prefixed to the tranflation of Ariofo, fays, that a tragedy of Richard the Third, had been acted at Cambridge. His words are, "For tragedies, to omit other famous tragedies, that which was played at St John's in Cambridge, of Richard the Third, would move, I think, Phalaris the tyrant, and terrifie all tyrannous minded men, &c." He moft probably means Shakespeare's; and if fo, we may argue, that there is fome more ancient edition of this play than what I have mentioned; at least this fhews how early Shakespeare's play appeared; or if fome other Richard the Third is here alluded to by Har rington, that a play on this subject preceded our author's. WARTON. It appears from the following paffage in the preface to Nafhe's Have with you to Saffron-Waldeu, or Gabriel Harvey's Hunt is up, 1596, that a Latin Tragedy of K. Rich. III. had been acted in Trinity College, Cambridge: " or his fellow codfhead, that in the Latine tragedie of King Richard, cried—Ad urbs, ad urbs, ad urbs, when his whole part was no more than -Urbs, urbs, ad arma, ad arma.' STEEVENS. The play on this fubject mentioned by Sir John Harrington in his Apologie for Poetry, 1591, and sometimes miftaken for Shakespeare's, was a Latin one, written by Dr Legge; and acted at St John's in our university, some years before 1588, the date of the copy in the Mufeum. This appears from a better MS. in our library at Emmanuel, with the names of the original performers. A childish imitation of Dr Legge's play was written by one Lacy, 1583; which had not been worth mentioning, were they not confounded by Mr Capell. FARMER. And Heywood, in his Actor's Vindication, mentions the play of K. Rich. III. " acted in St John's, Cambridge, fo effentially, that had the tyrant Phalaris beheld his bloody proceedings, it had mollified his heart, and made him relent at fight of his inhumane maffacres." in the books of the Stationers' Company, June 19, 1594, Thomas Creede made the following entry. “ An interlude, intitled the tragedie of Richard the Third, wherein is fhewn the deathe of Edward the fourthe, with the smootheringe of the twoo princes in the Tower, with the lamentable ende of Shore's wife, and the contention of the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke." This could not have been the work of Shakespeare, unless he afterwards difmiffed the death of Jane Shore, as an unneceffary incident, when he revised the play. Perhaps, however, it might be fome tranflation of Lacey's play, at the end of the first act of which is "The fhowe of the proceffion. 1. Tipstaffe. 2. Shore's wife in her petticoat, having a taper in her hande. 3. The Verger. 4. Querifters. 5. Singing-men. 6. Prebendary. 7. Bifhoppe of London. 8. Citizens." There is likewife a Latin fong fung on this occafion in MS. Harl. 2412. STEEVENS. The Latin play of Richard III. (MS. Harl. n. 6926.) has the author's name-Henry Lacey, and is dated-1586. The paffage which I would mention, is upon the appearance of Richard to Buckingham and the others who came to offer him the crown: Sed nunc duobus cinctus ecce epifcopis Apparet in fummâ domo princeps pius.— It is difficult, I think, to account for fuch a coincidence, in a circumstance of mere invention, without fuppofing that one of the poets must have profited by the other's performance. TYRWHITT. This circumstance is not an invention of either poet, but taken from Hall's Chronicle: "At the laft he came out of his chambre, and yet not doune to theim, but in a galary ouer theim, with a bishop on euery hande of hym, where thei beneth might fe hym and speke to hym, as thoughe he woulde not yet come nere them til he wift what they meante, &c." FARMER. |