Contemporary Notices of Shakespeare. 193 which hath been employed for plays since it was built by his father, now near fifty years ago. The other is a man no whit less deserving of favour, and my especial friend, till of late an actor of good account in the company, now a sharer in the same, and writer of some of our best English plays, which, as your lordship knoweth, were most singularly liked of Queen Elizabeth, when the company was called upon to perform before her Majesty at Court, at Christmas and Shrovetide. His most gracious Majesty King James, also, since his coming to the crown, hath extended his royal favour to the company in divers ways and at sundry times. This other hath to name William Shakespeare; and they are both of one county, and indeed almost of one town. Both are right famous in their qualities, though it longeth not to your lordship's gravity and wisdom to resort unto the places where they are wont to delight the public ear. Their trust and suit now is, not to be molested in their way of life, whereby they maintain themselves and their wives and families (being married and of good reputation), as well as the widows and orphans of some of their dead fellows.' The authenticity of this very interesting document has been called in question by Mr. Hunter, but is stoutly maintained both by Mr. Collier and by Mr. Halliwell; and from the same source Mr. Collier furnishes the following MS. memorandum, showing the progress of the same affair. The Corporation, it would appear, failing in getting the company suppressed by authority, had begun negotiations with a view to get rid of the concern by buying it up out of the City funds; and the following is a note of the expenses that would be necessary for that object: For avoiding of the playhouse in the precinct of the Blackfriars. £ s. d. Imp. Richard Burbidge oweth the fee, and is alsoe a rateth at 7007.; that is at 7 yeares purchase Item. W. Shakespeare asketh for the wardrobe and Item. Heminges and Condell, eche 2 shares Item. Foure more playeres, with one half share to each 700 0 0 1433 6 8 933 6 0880 350 0 0 350 0 466 13 4 6166 13 'Moreover, the hired men of the companie demaund some recompense for their great losse, and the widowes and orphanes of playeres, who are paid by the sharers at divers rates and proportions; so as, in the whole, it will coste the Lo: Mayor and the citizens at the least 70007.' From the data supplied by this document, the commentators have tried to estimate Shakespeare's total income at the time when it was drawn up. His four shares, valued at 331. 6s. 8d. each per annum, would give 1331. 6s. 8d. as his income as a sharer in the Blackfriars; and if 50l. a year were added to this, for the use of the properties of the theatre (all of which seem to have belonged to him), the result, amounting to 1831. 68. 8d., would be about his total income from that theatre. Add as much again from the Globe-or (as the same properties might to some extent do for both theatres) somewhat less than as much againand his receipts from both theatres might average about 3501. a year. To this add income from the lease of the Stratford tithes. and other sources; and Shakespeare's total fortune in and about the year 1608 cannot have been less than 400l. a year, and may have been nearer 500l. A fortune of 400l. or 500l. a year then, would be equivalent to one of 1200l. or 1500l. a year now. 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, and 81. At some time or other, between the year 1608 and his death in the year 1616, Shakespeare did dispose of his property in the Globe and Blackfriars Theatres; for no such property is mentioned in his will. At whatever time the sale took place, however, it can hardly have been so early as 1609, to the very end of which year we find Shakespeare, albeit domiciled in Stratford, still mixed up with theatrical matters in London. No fewer than seven distinct reminiscences of Shakespeare belong to this year. We throw them into small type as follows: April 6, 1609-' Mr. Shakespeare' is assessed at 6d. a week for the relief of the poor of Southwark-most probably in his capacity as a sharer in the Globe Theatre. The authority is a list of persons in Southwark so assessed, discovered by Mr. Collier among the Dulwich papers. March to June 1609:- -From the archives of the Court of Records at Stratford, it appears that during these months Shakespeare had another suit for debt going on. The debtor in this case is one John Addenbrooke; the original debt is 67. On the 15th of March it is ordered that John Addenbrooke appear 'ad prox. cur. de recordo (at the next Court of Record) ad satisfaciend. Willielmo Shackspeare, gen. tam de sex libr. debit. quos prædictus Willielmus in eâdem curiâ versus eum recuperavit, quam de viginti et quatuor solid. qui ei adjudicat. fuer. ut dampnis et custag. suis quos sustinuit occasione detentionis debiti Contemporary Notices of Shakespeare. 195 prædicti (to satisfy William Shackspeare, gentleman, as well concerning six pounds of debt which the said William recovered against him in the same Court, as concerning twenty-four shillings which were awarded to him as for damages and costs undergone by him by reason of the detention of the said debt'). Unfortunately, when the bailiff goes to serve the summons on Addenbrooke, non est inventus (he is not found); in other words, he has bolted beyond the liberties of the borough. But Shakespeare is not to be done. There is a certain Thomas Horneby, of Stratford, qui devenit pleg. et manucap. præd. Johannis; scilicet quod, si prædictus Johannes in quer. ill. legitimo modo convinceretur, idem Johan. satisfaceret præfato Willielmo. Shackspeare..... vel idem se redderet prisone (who has become pledge and bail for the said John, that, if the said John should be legally convicted in the suit, the said John would satisfy the said William Shackspeare concerning &c., or else would give himself up to prison); and failing which, tunc ipse idem Thomas Horneby debit. sic recuperat. et suis et custag. sic adjudicat. eidem Willielmo satisfacere vellet (then he himself, the said Thomas Horneby, would make good to the said William the debt so recovered and the loss and costs so awarded). Accordingly, Shakespeare sues Thomas Horneby, and on the 7th of June procures an order for his appearance at the next court. How the matter ended we know not; but the whole case is one additional proof that Shakespeare, in Scottish phrase, 'keepit a good grip of the siller.' And why not, pray? 1609. This year saw the publication of those mysterious composi tions of Shakespeare-his sonnets. The title of the neat little quarto containing them ran as follows:-Shake-speare's Sonnets, never before imprinted. At London, by G. Eld, for T. T., and are to be solde by John Wright, dwelling at Christ-church gate. 1609. As appears by a previous entry in the Stationers' books (May 20), T. T. was Thomas Thorpe, a publisher of the day. The poem entitled A Lover's Complaint accompanied the Sonnets; and to the Sonnets themselves were prefixed the enigmatical dedication which has puzzled all commentators. "To 'the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets, Mr. W. H., all happiness, and that Eternity promised by our ever-living poet, wisheth the well'wishing adventurer in setting forth.-T. T.' 1609. The famous historie of Troylus and Cresseid, excellently expressing the beginning of their loves, with the conceited wooing of Pandarus, Prince of Licia; written by William Shakespeare. London, imprinted by G. Eld, for R. Bonian and H. Walley, and are to be sold at the Spread Eagle, in Paule's Churchyard, over against the great North doure.-1609.' 1609. A second edition of the same, with the title slightly altered. 1609. The late and much admired play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre, with the true relation of the whole historie, adventures and fortunes of the said Prince. As also, the no lesse strange and worthy accidents in the birth and life of his daughter, Mariana. As it hath been divers and sundry times acted by his Majestie's servants at the Globe and the Banck-side. By William Shakespeare. Imprinted at London, for Henry Gossen, and are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne, in Paternoster Row.-1609.' Jan. 4, 1609-10. Of this date is the draft of a privy seal warrant, discovered among the Egerton papers, by Mr. Collier, appointing Robert Daiborne, William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Field, and Edward Kirkham, from time to time, to provide and bring up a convenient number of children, and them to instruct and exercise in the quality of playing tragedies, comedies, &c., by the name of the Children of Revels to the Queene;' it being provided that no plays should be acted which had not been previously authorized by the Master of the Revels for the time being. A note stayed' added to the draft seems to intimate that the warrant never went forth; at all events, it was never acted on. The year 1609, to which all these notices belong, is an epoch in the life of Shakespeare in this respect, that, from that time forward, no new publication of his was given to the world during his life. Everything of his that was published during his lifetime was published prior to the year 1610. It may be interesting, therefore, at this point, to take stock, as it were, of what had come from him. I. THE MINOR POEMS. 1. Venus and Adonis: 5 editions, viz., in 1593, 1596, 1600, 1602, and 1607. 2. The Rape of Lucrece: 4 editions, viz., in 1594, 1598, 1600, and 1607. 3. The Passionate Pilgrim: 1 edition, viz., in 1599. 4. Shakespeare's Sonnets: 1 edition, viz., in 1609. II. THE PLAYS. 1. Romeo and Juliet: 3 editions, viz., in 1597, 1599, and 1609 (all without the author's name). 2. Richard the Second: 3 editions, viz., in 1597, 1598, and 1608 (the first without the author's name, the others with it). 3. Richard the Third: 4 editions, viz., in 1597, 1598, 1605, and 1608 (the first without the author's name, the others with it). 4. Love's Labour Lost: 1 edition, viz., in 1598 (with the author's name). 5. Henry the Fourth, Part I.: 4 editions, viz., in 1598, 1599, 1604, and 1608 (the first without the author's name, the others with it). 6. Henry the Fourth, Part II.: 1 edition, viz., in 1600 (with the author's name). 7. A Midsummer's Night's Dream: 2 editions, both in 1600 (both with author's name). 8. The Merchant of Venice: 2 editions, both in 1600 (both with author's name). Contemporary Notices of Shakespeare. 197 9. Much Ado about Nothing: 1 edition, viz., in 1600 (with author's name). 10. Henry the Fifth: 3 editions, viz., in 1600, 1602, and 1608 (all without author's name). 11. Titus Andronicus: 1 edition, viz., in 1600 (without author's name). 12. The Merry Wives of Windsor: 1 edition, viz., in 1602 (with the author's name). 13. Hamlet: 3 editions, viz., in 1603, 1604, and 1605 (all with author's name). 14. King Lear: 3 editions, all in 1608 (all with author's name). 15. Troilus and Cressida: 2 editions, both in 1609 (both with author's name). 16. Pericles, Prince of Tyre: 1 edition, viz., in 1609 (with the author's name). There were thus in circulation in Britain, before the end of the year 1609, no fewer than forty-six distinct issues of works of Shakespeare, thirty-six of which bore the author's name on their front. Assuming the number of copies of each impression printed to have been 500, there were abroad by this time, in Britain, 23,000 quartos of Shakespeare's writings, 18,000 of which bore his name. It is to be remembered, however, that about eighteen more of his entire thirty-seven plays, besides the sixteen given in the above list, can be proved to have been in existence in manuscript, and to have been known to the theatrical public at the time under notice, if, indeed, some of them were not also in print. 82, 83, 84, 85, and 86. But though no new publications of Shakespeare's were given to the world between 1609 and his death in 1616, there were, in the course of that time, several reprints of works of his already published. We shall present in one paragraph a list of these reprints, reminding the reader that each counts individually as a fact in the life of Shakespeare, and the mention of each individually as a contemporary relic of his personality: Fourth and fifth editions of Hamlet (both with the author's name); the one dated 1611, 'printed for John Smethwicke, and are to be sold at his shoppe in Saint Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleet-street ;' the other undated, and probably earlier, printed by W. S. for the same publisher. A second edition of Titus Andronicus (without author's name), 1611. A second edition (calling itself a third') of the Passionate Pilgrim, with title-page as follows:- The Passionate Pilgrim, or certaine amorous Sonnets betweene Venus and Adonis, newly corrected |