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I am possibly singular in thinking that Shakespeare was not under the slightest obligation, in forming this comedy, to Warner's translation of the Menæchmi. The additions of Erotes and Sereptus, which do not occur in that translation, and he could never invent, are, alone, a sufficient inducement to believe that he was no way indebted to it. But a further and more convincing proof is, that he has not a name, line, or word, from the old play, nor any one incident but what must, of course, be common to every translation. Sir William Blackstone, I observe, suspects "this and all other plays where much rhyme is used, and especially long hobbling verses, to have been among Shakespeare's more early productions." But I much doubt whether any of these “long hobbling verses" have the honour of proceeding from his pen; and, in fact, the superior elegance and harmony of his language is no less distinguishable in his earliest than his latest production. The truth is, if any inference can be drawn from the most striking dissimilarity of style, a tissue as different as silk and worsted, that this comedy, though boasting the embellishments of our author's genius, in additional words, lines, speeches, and scenes, was not originally his, but proceeded from some inferior playwright, who was capable of reading the Menaechmi without the help of a translation, or, at least, did not make use of Warner's. And this I take to have been the case, not only with the three Parts of King Henry VI. (though not, perhaps, exactly in the way, or to the extent, maintained by a late editor,) but with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Lost, and King Richard II. in all which pieces Shakespeare's new work is as apparent as the brightest touches of Titian would be on the poorest performance of the veriest canvass spoiler that ever handled a brush. The originals of these plays were never printed, and may be thought to have been put into his hands by the manager, for the purpose of alteration and improvement, which we find to have been an ordinary practice of the theatre in his time. We are therefore no longer to look upon the above "pleasant and fine conceited comedie," as entitled to a situation among the "six plays on which Shake

speare founded his Measure for Measure," &c. of which I should hope to see a new and improved edition.

RITSON.

This comedy, I believe, was written in 1593. See An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakespeare's Plays, Vol.

II.

MALONE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

SOLINUS, duke of Ephesus.
EGEON, a merchant of Syracuse.

ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus,
ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse,

DROMIO of Ephesus,
DROMIO of Syracuse,
BALTHAZAR, a merchant.

ANGELO, a goldsmith.

twin-brothers, and sons to Egeon and Emilia, but unknown to each other. twin-brothers, and attendants on the two Antipholus's.

A merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse.
PINCH, a schoolmaster, and a conjurer.

EMILIA, wife to Egeon, an abbess at Ephesus.
ADRIANA, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus.

LUCIANA, her sister.

LUCE, her servant.
A Courtezan.

Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants.

SCENE-Ephesus.

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