Printed for T. Longman, B. Law and Son, C. Dilly, J. Robfon, J. Johnson, T. Vernor, G. G. J. and J. Robinson, T. Cadell, J. Murray, R. Baldwin, H. L. Gardner, J. Sewell, J. Nicholls, F. and C. Rivington, W. Goldsmith, T. Payne, Jun. S. Hayes, R. Faulder, W. Lowndes, B. and J. White, G. and T. Wilkie, J. and J. Taylor, Scatcherd and Whitaker, T. and J. Egerton, E. Newbery, J. Barker, J. Edwards, Ogilvy and Speare, J. Cuthell, J. Lackington, J. Deighton, and W. Miller. M. DCC. XCIII. TWELFTH NIGHT.] There is great reafon to believe, that the ferious part of this Comedy is founded on fome old translation of the feventh history in the fourth volume of Belleforeft's Hiftoires Tragiques. Belleforeft took the ftory, as ufual, from Bandello. The comic fcenes appear to have been entirely the production of Shakspeare. It is not impoffible, however, that the circumftances of the Duke fending his Page to plead his caufe with the Lady, and of the Lady's falling in love with the Page, &c. might be borrowed from the Fifth Eglog of Barnaby Googe, published with his other original Poems in 1563: "A worthy Kxyght dyd love her longe, "And to entreate for grace to her To fe his Ladyes face. "This paffed well, tyll at the length "With many teares befechynge her Thus alfo concludes the firft fcene of the third act of the Play before us: "And fo adieu, good madam; never more "Will I my mafter's tears to you deplore," &c. I offer no apology for the length of the foregoing extract, the book from which it is taken, being fo uncommon, that only one copy, except that in my own poffeffion, has hitherto occurred. |