the Lords spirituall and temporall, vnderstood by the Lords spirituall, the Archbishops and Bishops, as the most ancient inuested Barrons (and some of them Earles and others Graces) of this land, and therefore alwaies first in place next vnder our Soueraigne King, Queene, Emperor and Empresse, Lord and Lady (for there is no difference of sexe in Regall Maiesty). This being so, and that by the lawes Armoriall, Čiuill, and of armes, a Priest in his place in ciuill conuersation is alwayes before any Esquire, as being a Knights fellow by his holy orders: and the third of the three syrs, which only were in request of old (no Barron, Vicount, Earle nor Marquesse being then in vse) to wit, Sir King, Sir Knight, and Sir Priest; this word Dominus in Latine being a nowne substantive common to them all, as Dominus meus Rex, Dominus meus Joab, Dominus Sacerdos: and afterwards when honors began to take their subordination one vnder another, and titles of princely dignity to be hereditarie to succeeding posterity (which hapned vpon the fall of the Romane Empire) then Dominus was in Latine applied to all noble and generous harts, euen from the King to the meanest Priest or temporall person of gentle bloud, coate-armor perfect, and ancetry. But Sir in English was restraind to these foure, Sir Knight, Sir Priest, Sir Graduate, and in common speech Sir Esquire: so as alwayes since distinction of titles were, Sir Priest was euer the second. And, if a Priest or Graduate be a Doctor of Diuinity or Preacher allowed, then is his place before any ordinary Knight; if higher aduanced and authorised, then doth his place allow him a congie with esteeme to be had of him accordingly." A Decacordon of Ten Quodlibeticall Questions concerning TODD. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. THE story was originally written by Lollius, an old Lombard author, and since by Chaucer. POPE. Mr. Pope (after Dryden) informs us, that the story of Troilus and Cressida was originally the work of one Lollius, a Lombard; (of whom Gascoigne speaks in Dan Bartholmewe his first Triumph : "Since Lollius and Chaucer both, make doubt upon that glose,") but Dryden goes yet further. He declares it to have been written in Latin verse, and that Chaucer translated it. Lollius was a historiographer of Urbino in Italy. Shakspeare received the greatest part of his materials for the structure of this play from the Troye Boke of Lydgate. Lydgate was not much more than a translator of Guido of Columpna, who was of Messina in Sicily, and wrote his History of Troy in Latin, after Dictys Cretensis, and Dares Phrygius, in 1287. On these, as Mr. Warton observes, he engrafted many new romantick inventions, which the taste of his age dictated, and which the connection between Grecian and Gothick fiction easily admitted; at the same time comprehending in his plan the Theban and Argonautic stories from Ovid, Statius, and Valerius Flaccus. Guido's work was published at Cologne in 1477, again 1480: at Strasburgh, 1486, and ibidem, 1489. It appears to have been translated by Raoul le Feure, at Cologne, into French, from whom Caxton rendered it into English in 1471, under the title of his Recuyel, &c. so that there must have been yet some earlier edition of Guido's performance than I have hitherto seen or heard of, unless his first translator had recourse to a manuscript. Guido of Columpna is referred to as an authority by our own chronicler Grafton. Chaucer had made the loves of Troilus and Cressida famous, which very probably might have been Shakspeare's inducement to try their fortune on the stage.-Lydgate's Troye Book was printed by Pynson, 1513. In the books of the Stationers' Company, anno 1581, is entered "A proper ballad, dialogue-wise, between Troilus and Cressida." Again, Feb. 7, 1602: "The booke of Troilus and Cressida, as it is acted by my Lo. Chamberlain's men." The first of these entries is in the name of Edward White, the second in that of M. Roberts. Again, Jan. 28, 1608, entered by Rich. Bonian and Hen. Whalley, 'A booke called the history of Troilus and Cressida." STEEVENS. |