Robert Greene a piece of real estate, therefore, which he bequeathed to his daughter Judith. When we compare all these uncertain suppositions regarding the actor with the old and reliable sources of information which exist concerning other contemporary actors and playwriters who have chronicled their works and dramatic performances in book form, we find all these imaginary embellishments of the actor Shakspere absolutely meaningless and absurd. CONTEMPORARY PAMPHLETS WHICH ATTRACTED We would say in advance that the entry of a work at the Stationer's Office did not by any means fix the year of its printing, which often took place much later. Among the pamphlets we find two names, which, like their author, deserve attention. 1. Robert Greene, born in Norwich 1560, studied at Cambridge, and took the degree of Master of Arts, was at first a clergyman, who devoted himself to Philosophy, especially Natural Science. He published the work: "Planetomachia," but being, on account of his dissolute life, removed from his clerical office, he became at last a writer for the stage in London. As such there remain two of his known works: "Orlando furioso," and "Alphonsus, King of Arragon." At last he died in 1592 in great poverty in London, shortly before his death publishing another book: "A Quip for an upstart Courtier." It is claimed that three months after his death, another book, "Groats-worth of Wit," already published, was found among his few possessions. This claim, however, rests only upon a work entered at the Stationers' Office in 1592 entitled "Kind Heart's Dream," by H. C. Even though this book was really entered at the Stationers' in December, 1592, the year of its publication is still unknown. The preface of this "Kind Heart's Dream" by H. C. is worthy of note, signed by Henry Chettle and reading as follows: "About three months since died Mr. Robert Greene, leaving many papers in sundry book-sellers' hands, among other his Groats-worth of Wit, in which a letter written to divers play makers, is offensively by one or two of them taken; and because on the dead they cannot be avenged, they wilfully forge in their conceits a living author; and after tossing to and fro, no remedy but it must light on *Translator's Note:-(The relative dates of his marriage, his departure from Stratford and the birth of his eldest child suggest further "inducements"!-W. P.) me. How I have all the time in my conversing in printing hindered the bitter inveying against scholers it hath been very well known; and how in that I dealt I can sufficiently prove. With neither of them that take offense was I acquainted, and with one of them at that time, I did not so much spare as I since wish I had, for that I moderated the heate of living writers and I might have used my own discretion (especially in such case), the author being dead; that I did not, I am sorry as if the original fault had been my fault, because myself have seen his demeanor no lesse civill, than he excelent in qualitie he professes: Besides, divers of worship have reported his uprightness of dealing, which argues his honesty, and his facetious grace in writing, that approves his Art. For the first learning I reverence, and at the perusing of Greene's book, stroke out what then in conscience I thought he in some displeasure writ: or had it been true; yet to publish it were intollerable: him I would wish to use no worse than I deserve. I had only in copy this share; it was ill written, as sometimes Greene's hand was none the best; licensed it might be, ere it could be printed, which could never be it might not be read. To the briefe, I writ it over; and as I could I followed the copy: only in that letter I put something out, but in the whole book not a word in; for I protest it was all Greene's, not mine, nor Master Nash's, as some unjustly have affirmed." In this preface of Chettle's there is no evidence at all that the work was printed in 1592. Chettle describes only in general what Greene left and one badly written MSS. to which he added nothing but omitted some portions. He also assures us that the same was not composed either by himself or Nash, but by Greene. But meanwhile Greene was dead, and certain undesirable passages were ascribed to him, Chettle, against which he protected himself. Meanwhile this preface does not state either what work is referred to nor yet the passages which gave offense. When this preface of Chettle's was printed is nowhere to be discovered as the title page of "Kind Heart's Dream" shows neither date nor year. Also of Greene's "Groats-worth of Wit," there is no copy extant of 1592, but only of 1596. It is therefore uncertain whether it has any connection with this preface. One expression "shake-scene," printed in 1596, could easily have been changed to or from Shake-speare!! Shakespeare was first made known in 1593 in the dedication of "Venus and Adonis." Here first comes to public notice Shake-Speare with the given name of the player Shakspere "William." If a pun was intended in the change of name it could easily have been altered to "Shake-scene." But Greene up to the time of his death was ignorant of this ambiguous name, and could therefore hardly have made use of the word-play "Shake-scene." New Shake-speare Francis Meres Perhaps the writing which appeared four years after Greene's death was intended as an announcement to excite curiosity, as the use of the deceased's name could not be attacked. A second contemporary, Francis Meres (perhaps Mere Francis), who is stated to have been a country pastor, figures also as a literateur of that epoch. In his work: Palladis Tamia; Wit's Treasury, the author calls himself Master of Arts from Cambridge and Oxford on the title page. He treats of the literary men of his day, and compares the old classics with the historical works of his period. He mentions twelve plays of Shake-speare, using the name as here written. Whence had he in 1598 knowledge of twelve Shakespeare plays? Up to that time, but two, Richard II and Richard III, had flowed from the pen of the poet, "Shakespeare.” Nor had the Sonnets of Shake-speare yet been printed at that time; still he speaks of these as being the creations of the author of Venus and Adonis. He takes for granted that these also had flowed from the pen of the poet, "Shake-speare." This again may be regarded as advertising praise for the new poet. And many years later, in 1623, Ben Jonson repeats the praise of Greene's "Groats-worth of Wit" and Meres' "Palladis Tamia" with the word-play "Shake a Stage" in the lines of his Eulogy: "From thence to honour thee, I would not seeke And shake a Stage; Or, when thy Socks were on, Of all that insolent Greece, or haughtie Rome* Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please." *Jonson used exactly the same words in his eulogy of Bacon printed in the "Discoveries" nine years after Bacon's official death. See page 73. W. P. ARGUMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PLAYS. To make a close examination of all the Shake-speare Plays is not the purpose of this book, but only to bring forward such as, in the selected plot, as well as in the development of the same, reveal a tone-an echo from the soul of the poet, and in harmony with his own life. As such we will first consider the Play of "Dr. Faustus," published under the pseudonym of Marlowe. Here it must be noted that possibly neither Marlowe nor Francis Tudor Bacon knew the German language, and could perhaps hardly have become familiar with the tale of Faust, until the first English translation of the "Faust-book" of Frankfurt-am-Main in 1592. As Marlowe, however, reached the end of his degraded life on June 6, 1593, he could scarcely in this short time, after the appearance of the English translation, have been able to master the problems of philosophy as does Dr. Faustus. All branches of science with which Francis had from youth made himself familiar, pass in review before the intellect of the English dramatizer of Faust, under the pseudonym of Marlowe, each judged according to its value. The first struggle of Francis' youth is told in the soliloquy in the first scene: SCENE 1-FAUST'S STUDY. "Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin To sound the depths of that thou wilt profess, And live and die in Aristotle's works." Here the poet still stands in the first experience of youth hemmed in by the scholastic doctrines of Aristotle, which he later replaces with his own philosophy-that of the far-seeing, mature man of keenest perceptions. And note another passage! Irony, sharp and drastic, speaks in the following lines: SCENE 1-MONOLOGUE. "Si una eademque res legatur duobus Alter rem, alter valorum rei, etc. A petty case of paltry legacies. Ex heriditari filium non protest pater nisi, etc., Such is the subject of the Institute And universal Body of the Law. This study fits. the mercenary drudge Who aims at nothing but external trash Too servile and illiteral for me." Here lies the whole bitterness of his knowledge of unjust fate his disinheritance of the crown. And still more clearly sounds the self-instilled moral teaching in the Epilogue of the Chorus, which appears for the first time in the third rewriting and publication: "Thus is the branch that might have grown full straight And burned is Apollo's laurel bough That sometimes grew within this learned man. Faustus is gone: regard his hellish fall Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise Only to wonder at unlawful things Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits To practice more than heavenly power permits." Here we see one of the metaphors so often found in the Shakespeare Plays. It is a warning: "Exhort the wise Only to wonder at unlawful things." As it refers apparently to the fate which overtook Dr. Faustus as a consequence of his trials of magic, so the poet here reminds himself of his own dangerous inquiries regarding his birth, since the day when, after the death of Sir Nicholas Bacon, his fate was first whispered to him. How willingly would he have searched this out until fully certain of the truth! "Then broke the branch that might have grown full straight, And burned was Apollo's laurel bough." Such a bough was he himself, sprung from the first glowing passion of Elizabeth and Leicester. In ripe manhood he recognized the bounds which fate had set for him, and knew that he must spend his life in the depths of subjecthood. And to be fully conscious of the truth, that was the hardest fate of his existence,-undone,-disinherited. This play which, owing to the lack of an English translation of the Faust story, could hardly have come to the knowledge of Marlowe, was published under this pseudonym after his death, and was subjected at all events to a peculiar, careful and repeated rewriting, such as Francis was in the habit of giving to those of his early productions which were written with an important purpose. Though the Play was entered at "Stationers' Hall" Jan. 7, 1601, under the pseudonym of the deceased Marlowe, the first published edition appeared in 1604 perceptibly improved. In 1616, however, appeared a third edition, materially amplified. What friend would thus have undertaken such a rewriting of the drama for Marlowe.-dead these three and twenty years? |