OBSERVATIONS. THE ftory was originally written by Lollius, an old Lombard author, and fince by Chaucer. POPE. Mr. Pope (after Dryden) informs us, that the story of Troilus and Creffida was originally the work of one Lollius, a Lombard; (of whom Gascoigne fpeaks in Dan Bartholmewe his firft Triumph: "Since Lollius and Chaucer both, make doubt upon that glofe,") but Dryden goes yet further. He declares it to have been written in Latin verse, and that Chaucer tranflated 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 tranflator of Guido of Columpna, who was of Meffina in Sicily, and wrote his Hytory of Troy in Latin, after Dictys Cretenfis, and Dates Phrygiusy in 1287. On thefe, as Mr. Warton obferves, he engrafted many new romantic inventions, which the taste of his age dictated, and which the connexion between Grecian and Gothic fiction easily admitted; at the fame time comprehending in his plan the Theban and Argonautic ftories 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. fo that there must have been yet fome earlier edition of Guido's performance than I have hitherto feen or heard of, unless his firft tranflator had recourse to a manufcript. Guido of Columpna is referred to as an authority by our own chro nicler Grafton. Chaucer had made the loves of Troilus and Creffida famous, which very probably might have been Shakspeare's inducement to try their fortune on the stage.-Lydgate's Troye Boke was printed by Pynfon, 1513. In the books of the Stationers' company, anno 1581, is entered" A proper ballad, dialogue-wife, between Troilus and Creffida." Again, Feb. 7, 1602: "The booke of Troilus and Creffida, 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, A 2 Again, Jan. 28, 1608, entered by Rich. Bonian and Hen. Whalley, "A booke called the hiftory of Troilus and Creffida." STEEVENS. The entry in 1608-9 was made by the bookfellers for whom this play was published in 1609. It was written, I conceive, in 1602. MALONE. Before this play of Troilus and Creffida, printed in 1609, is a bookfeller's preface, fhowing that first impreffion to have been before the play had been acted, and that it was publifhed without Shakspeare's knowledge, from a copy that had fallen into the bookseller's hands. Mr. Dryden thinks this one of the first of our author's plays: but, on the contrary, it may be judged, from the fore-mentioned preface, that it was one of his laft; and the great number of observations, both moral and politick, with which this piece is crowded more than any other of his, feems to confirm my opinion. POPE. We may learn from this preface, that the original proprietors of Shakspeare's plays thought it their intereft to keep them unprinted. The author of it adds, at the conclufion, these words: "Thank fortune for the 'scape it hath made among you, fince, by the grand poffeffors wills, I believe you fhould rather have prayed for them, than have been prayed," &c. By the grand poffeffors, I fuppofe, were meant Heming and Condell. It appears that the rival playhouses at that timemade frequent depredations on one another's copies. In the Induction to The Malcontent, written by Webster, and augmented by Marston, 1606, is the following palage: "I wonder you would play it, anether company having interest in it." "Why not Malevole in folio'with us, as Jeronimo in decimo fexto with them? They taught us a name for our play; we call it One for another." Again, T. Heywood, in his preface to The English Traveller, 1633: "Others of them are ftill retained in the hands of fome actors, who think it against their peculiar profit to have them come in print." STEEVENS. It appears, however, that frauds were practifed by writers as well as actors. It ftands on record against Robert Greene, the author of Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, and Orlando Furiofo, 1594 and 1599, that he fold the last of these pieces to two different theatres: "Mafter R. G. would it not make you blush, &c. if you fold not Orlando Furiofo to the Queen's players for twenty nobles, and when they were in the country, fold the fame play to the Lord Admiral's men for as much more? Was not this plain Coneycatching, M. G.?" Defence of Coneycatching, 1592. This note was not merely inferted to expose the craft of authorship, but to fhow the price which was anciently paid for the copy of a play, and to afcertain the name of the writer of Orlando Furiofo, which was not hitherto known. Greene appears to have been the first poet in England who fold the fame piece to different people. Voltaire is much belied, if he has not followed his example. COLLINS. Notwithstanding what has been faid by a late editor, [Mr. Capell,] 1 have a copy of the first folio, including Troilus and Creffida. Indeed, as I have just now observed, it was at first either unknown or forgotten. It does not however appear in the lift of the plays, and is thrust in between the hiftories and the tragedies without any enumeration of the pages; except, I think, on one leaf only. It differs entirely from the copy in the fecond folio. FARMER. I have confulted at least twenty copies of the firft folio, and Troilu and Creffida is not wanting in any of them. STEEVENS. PREFACE to the quarto edition of this play, 1609. A never writer, to an ever reader. Newes. Eternall reader, you have heere a new play, never ftal'd with the ftage, never clapper-claw'd with the palmes of the vulgar, and yet paffing full of the palme comicall; for it is a birth of your [r. that] braine, that never under-tooke any thing commicall, vainely: and were but the vaine names of commedies changde for the titles of commodities, or of playes for pleas; you should see all those grand cenfors, that now ftile them fuch vanities, flock to them for the maine grace of their gravities especially this authors commedies, that are fo fram'd to the life, that they ferve for the most common commentaries of all the actions of our lives, fhewing fuch a dexteritie and power of witte, that the most difpleased with playes, are pleasd with his commedies. And all fuch dull and heavy-witted worldlings, as were never capable of the witte of a commedie, comming by report of them to his representations, have found that witte there, that they never found in them-felves, and have parted better-wittied then they came : feeling an edge of witte fet upon them, more then ever they dreamd they had braine to grind it on. So much and fuch favored falt of witte is in his commedies, that they feeme (for their height of pleasure) to be borne in that sea that brought forth Venus. Amongst all there is none more witty than this: and had I time I would comment upon it, though I know it needs not, (for fo much as will make you thinke your testerne well beftowd) but for fo much worth, as even poore I know to be ftuft in it. It deferves fuch a labour, as well as the best commedy in Terence or Plautus. And beleeve this, that when hee is gone, and his commedies out of fale, you will scramble for them, and fet up a new English inquifition. Take this for a warning, and at the perill of your pleasures loffe, and judgements, refufe not, nor like this the leffe, for not being fullied with the fmoaky breath of the multitude; but thanke fortune for the fcape it hath made amongst you: fince by the grand poffeffors wills I believe you should have prayd for them [r. ] rather then beene prayd. And fo I leave all fuch to bee prayd for (for the ftates of their wits healths) that will not praise it. Vale. PROLOGUE. IN Troy, there lies the scene. From isles of Greece With wanton Paris fleeps; And that's the quarrel. And the deep-drawing barks do there difgorge Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits, Like, or find fault; do as your pleasures are; |