he was feated among fome company, who were eating, and one of them fung a fong." See the character of Adam, in As you like it, Act II. fc. ult.

---

"Verses by Ben Jonfon and Shakspeare, occafioned by the motto to the Globe Theatre-Totus mundus agit hiftrionem.

Jonfon.

If, but stage actors, all the world displays,

Where shall we find spectators of their plays?"

Shakspeare.

Little, or much, of what we see, we do; 'We are all both actors and spectators too.'

Poetical Characteristicks, 8vo. MS. Vol. I. some time in the Harleian Library; which volume was returned to its owner."

"Old Mr. Bowman the player reported from Sir William Bishop, that some part of Sir John Falstaff's character was drawn from a townsman of Stratford, who either faithlessly broke a contract, or spitefully refused to part with some land for a valuable confideration, adjoining to Shakspeare's, in or near that town."

To these anecdotes I can only add the following. At the conclusion of the advertisement prefixed to Lintot's edition of Shakspeare's Poems, it is said, "That most learned prince and great patron of learning, King James the First, was pleased with his own hand to write an amicable letter to Mr. Shakspeare; which letter, though now lost, remained long in the hands of Sir William D'Avenant, as a credible person now living can testify."

Mr. Oldys, in a MS. note to his copy of Fuller's Worthies, observes, that " the story came from the Duke of Buckingham, who had it from Sir William D'Avenant."

It appears from Rofcius Anglicanus, (commonly called Downes the prompter's book,) 1708, that Shakspeare took the pains to instruct Joseph Taylor in the character of Hamlet, and John Lowine in that of King Henry VIII. STEEVENS.

The late Mr. Thomas Ofborne, bookseller, (whose exploits are celebrated by the author of the Dunciad,) being ignorant in what form or language our Paradise Lost was written, employed one of his garretteers to render it from a French translation into English prose. Lest, hereafter, the compositions of Shakspeare should be brought back into their native tongue from the version of Monfieur le Compte de Catuelan, le Tourneur, &c. it may be necessary to observe, that all the following particulars, extracted from the preface of these gentlemen, are as little founded in truth as their defcription of the ridiculous Jubilee at Stratford, which

3

which letter, though now lost, remained long in the hands of Sir William D'Avenant,) Dr. Farmer with great probability supposes that this letter was written by King James in return for the compliment paid to him in Macbeth. The relater of this anecdote was Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham.

MALONE,

they have been taught to represent as an affair of general approbation and national concern.

They say, that Shakspeare came to London without a plan, and finding himself at the door of a theatre, instinctively stopped there, and offered himself to be a holder of horses :-that he was remarkable for his excellent performance of the Ghost in Hamlet :---that he borrowed nothing from preceding writers:-that all on a sudden he left the stage, and returned without eclat into his native country:-that his monument at Stratford is of copper:-that the courtiers of James I. paid several compliments to him which are still preserved :that he relieved a widow, who, together with her numerous family, was involved in a ruinous lawfuit:-that his editors have restored many passages in his plays, by the affistance of the manuscripts he left behind him, &c. &c.

Let me not, however, forget the justice due to these ingenious Frenchmen, whose skill and fidelity in the execution of their very difficult undertaking, is only exceeded by such a display of candour as would ferve to cover the imperfections of much less elegant and judicious writers. STEEVENS.

STRATFORD REGISTER.

BAPTISMS, MARRIAGES, and BURIALS, of the Shakspeare Family; transcribed from the RegisterBooks of the Parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.4

JONE,5 daughter of John Shakspere, was baptized Sept. 15, 1558.

Margaret, daughter of John Shakspere, was buried

April 30, 1563.

WILLIAM, Son of John Shakspere, was baptized April 26, 1564.6

Johanna, daughter of Richard Hathaway, otherwise Gardiner, of Shottery, was baptized May 9, 1566.

• An inaccurate and very imperfect lift of the baptifms, &c. of Shakspeare's family was tranfmitted by Mr. West about eighteen years ago to Mr. Steevens. The lift now printed I have extracted with great care from the Registers of Stratford; and I trust, it will be found correct. MALONE.

5 This lady Mr. West supposed to have married the ancestor of the Harts of Stratford; but he was certainly mistaken. She died probably in her infancy. The wife of Mr. Hart was undoubtedly the second Jone, mentioned below. Her fon Michael was born in the latter end of the year 1608, at which time the was above thirty-nine years old. The elder Jone would then have been near fifty. MALONE.

• He was born three days before, April 23, 1564. MALONE. " This Richard Hathaway of Shottery was probably the father to Anne Hathaway, our poet's wife. There is no entry of her baptifm, the Register not commencing till 1558, two years after she was born. Thomas, the son of this Richard Hathaway,

Gilbert, son of John Shakspere, was baptized Oct. 13, 1566.

Jone, daughter of John Shakspere, was baptized

April 15, 1569.

Anne, daughter of Mr. John Shakspere, was baptized Sept. 28, 1571.

Richard, fon of Mr. John Shakspere, was baptized March 11, 1573. [1573-4.]

Anne, danghter of Mr. John Shakspere, was buried

April 4, 1579.

Edmund, fon of Mr. John Shakspere, was baptized

May 3, 1580.

Susanna, daughter of WILLIAM SHAKSPERE, was baptized May 26, 1583.

Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Shakspere, of Hampton, was baptized February 10, 1583. [1583-4.]