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Merry Wives of Windſor) it had been enlarged to almoſt twice its original ſize.
The Caſe is altered, a comedy, attributed to Ben Jonſon, and written before the end of the year 1599[1], contains a paſſage, which ſeems to me to have a reference to this play:
Angelo. “ But firſt I’ll play the ghost; I’ll call him out[2].”
In the ſecond act of Hamlet, a conteſt between the children of the queen’s chapel[3], and the actors of the eſtabliſhed theatres, is alluded to. At what time that conteſt began, is uncertain. But, ſhould it appear not to have commenced till ſome years after the date here aſſigned, it would not, I apprehend, be a ſufficient reaſon for aſcribing this play to a later period; for, as we are certain that conſiderable additions were made to it after its firſt production, and have ſome authority for attributing the firſt ſketch of it to 1596, till that authority is ſhaken, we may preſume, that any paſſage which is inconſiſtent with that date, was not in the play originally, but a ſubſequent inſertion.
With reſpect to the alluſion in queſtion, it probably was an addition; for it is not found in the quarto of 1604, (which has not the appearance of a mutilated or imperfect copy,) nor did it appear in print till the publication of the folio in 1623.
The ſame obſervation may be made on the paſſage produced by Mr. Holt, to prove that this play was not written till after 1597. “ Their inhibition comes by means of the late innovation.” This, indeed, does appear in the quarto of 1604, but, we may preſume, was added in the interval be-
- ↑ This comedy was not printed till 1609, but it had appeared many years before. The time when it was written, is aſcertained with great preciſion by the following circumſtances. It contains an alluſion to Meres’s Wit’s Treaſury, firſt printed in the latter end of the year 1598, (Ante p. 176.) and is itſelf mentioned by Naſhe in his Lenten Stuff, 4to. 1599.—“ It is right of the merry cobler’s ſtuff, in that witty play of the Caſe is Altered.”
- ↑ Jonſon’s works, vol. VII. p. 362. Whalley’s edit.
- ↑ Between the years 1595 and 1600, ſome of Lilly’s comedies were performed by theſe children. Many of the plays of Jonſon were repreſented by them between 1600 and 1609;.—From a paſſage in Jack Drum’s Entertainment, or the Comedy of Paſquil and Catherine, which was printed in l601, we learn that they were much followed at that time.
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