Tieck has already conjectured (" German Theatre,” S. 22), from an older English play now lost, which Ayrer has taken for the groundwork of his "Beautiful Sidea." The cotemporary accounts, too, of the latest sea voyages, and the discovery of the Bermudas, have had, according to Douce, the greatest influence upon our author's representation. The description of a newly-discovered island in Montaigne (i., 10) is found verbatim in Gonzalo's mouth. "Titus Andronicus" appears to have been remodelled by Shakespeare, in 1600, from an older piece, of which also an old German imitation has been preserved (Tieck's "German Theatre," S. 27); there is also, as is well known, a ballad on the same story in Percy. The still undiscovered source of "Love's Labour Lost" is suspected by Douce to exist in some French story. Our readers will have seen, from the second part of Tieck's life of the poet, that the Italian teacher Florio, in London, known also as a writer, must have sat for the portrait of Holofernes. The name Holofernes, according to Dunlop's remark, is derived from Rabelais' "Gargantua," where a pedant, Gargantua's tutor, bears the same name. Of "Troilus and Cressida," satisfactory accounts are found in Eschenburg. Of the "Midsummer Night's Dream," we have spoken in Chapters XII. and XIII. Grimm has shown ("Irish Fairy Tales," S. 59) that the English poets owe their Oberon, the fairy king, to the old French popular romance of "Huon and Auberon,” and that the latter again is identical with the Alberich of German popular fiction, and of the Niebelungen lied. A few remarks on the "Comedy of Errors," doubtlessly imitated from the "Menæchmi" of Plautus, will be found 1 The members of the Shakespeare Society are promised a translation of this curious drama from the pen of Mr. Thoms, who was the first to introduce the subject to English readers in an interesting article in the "New Monthly Magazine."-ED. in Chapters XII., XIII., and XIV. The alteration of Shakespeare, by which the two similar twins have servants, twins of the same remarkable resemblance, is not only excellent in itself, but also has quite the character of a popular fiction, as I hope to show in a treatise on the friendship stories. In conclusion, I consider it my duty to release my friends and fellow-labourers from any greater share of responsibility to the public and to criticism, than belongs to them, according to the proportion of their contributions. Therefore, I may be allowed to remark that the story of "Hamlet" (II.), and the novella of Giovanni Fiorentino, of the "Merchant of Venice," are by Dr. Echtermeyer; the story of Felismene, from Montemayor (XII.), and the sources of "Lear" and "Macbeth" (XV. and XVI.), are by Herr Henschel. The other pieces of this collection have been prepared by myself. In the composition of the preceding Remarks, the absence of my friends has deprived me of very desirable assistance. THE END. F. Shoberl, Jun., Printer to H.R.H. Prince Albert, 51, Rupert Street, Haymarket, London. OF KING HENRY THE FOURTH, PRINTED FROM A CONTEMPORARY MANUSCRIPT. EDITED BY JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, ESQ., F R.S., FREDERICK SHOBERL, JUNIOR, PRINTER TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT, 51, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET, LONDON. COUNCIL OF THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY. President. THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUESS OF CONYNGHAM. Vice-Presidents. THE EARL OF POWIS. THE EARL OF GLENGALL. THE EARL HOWE. THE RT. HON. LORD FRANCIS EGERTON. THE RT. HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE. THE RT. HON. LORD LEIGH. THOMAS AMYOT, ESQ., F.R.S., TREAS. S.A. J. PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ., F.S.A., DIRECTOR. PETER CUNNINGHAM, ESQ., TREASURER. THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE. SIR HENRY ELLIS, K.H., F.R.S., F.S.A. HENRY HALLAM, ESQ., F.R.S., V.P.S.A. T. J. PETTIGREW, ESQ., F.R.S. F.S.A. WILLIAM J. THOMS, ESQ., F.S.A. F. GUEST TOMLINS, ESQ., SECRETARY. EDWARD V. UTTERSON, ESQ., F.S.A. SIR FREDERICK BEILBY WATSON, K.C.H, F.R.S. THOMAS WRIGHT, ESQ., M.A., F.S.A. |