Another Sicilian Lord. Archidamus, a Bohemian Lord.D An Attendant on the young Prince Mamillius. Old Shepherd, reputed Father of Perdita. Hermione, Queen to Leontes. i plody and hu qak vă voi Perdita, Daughter to Leontes aud Hermione. •lond A Paulina, Wife to Antigonus. Emilia, a Lady. Two other Ladies. Mopfa, Dorcas S Satyrs for a dance, Shepherds, Shepherdeffes, Guards, and Attendants. SCENE, fometimes in Sicilia; fometimes in Bohemia. A C T I. SCENE I. An antichamber in Leontes palace. Enter Camillo, and Archidamus. Arch. If you fhall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bohe mia, on the like occafion whereon my fervices are now "The Winter's Tale.] This play, throughout, is written in the very spirit of its author. And in telling this homely and fimple, though agreeable, country tale, Our fweeteft Shakespeare, fancy's child, Warbles his native wood-notes wild. This was neceffary to obferve in mere juftice to the play as the meanness of the fable, and the extravagant conduct of it, had mifled fome of great name into a wrong judgment of its merit; which, as far as it regards fentiment and character, is scarce inferier to any in the whole collection.. WARBURTON. At Stationers' Hall, May 22. 1594, Edward White entered "A booke entitled A Wynter Nyght's Paftime." STEEVENS. The ftory of this play is taken from the Pleafant Hiftory of Doraftus and Fawnia, written by Robert Greene. JOHNSON. In this novel, the king of Sicilia whom Shakespeare names Leontes, is called Egiftus. Polixenes K. of Bohemia Mamillius P. of Sicilia Florizel P. of Bohemia Old Shepherd Hermione Perdita Mopfa - Pandofto. Garinter. Doraftus. Franion. Porrus. Bellaria. Faunia. Mopfa. The parts of Antigonus, Paulina, and Autolycus, are of the poet's own invention; but many circumstances of the novel are omitted in the play. STEEVENS. VOL. IV. None now on foot, you fhall fee, as I have faid, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia. Cam. cenfured for the None of our author's plays has been more breach of dramatic rules than the Winter's Tale. In confirmation of what Mr. Steevens has remarked in another place—“ that Shakespeare was not ignorant of these rules, but difregarded them"-it may be observed, that the laws of the drama are clearly laid down by a writer once univerfally read and admired, fir Philip Sydney, who, in his Defence of Poefy, has pointed out the very improprieties which our author has fallen into, in this play. After mentioning the defects of the tragedy of Gorboduck, he adds: "But if it be fo in Gorboducke, how much more in all the reft, where you fhall have Afia on the one fide, and Affricke of the other, and fo manie other under kingdomes, that the player when he comes in, muft ever begin with telling where he is, or elfe the tale will not be conceived.-Now of time they are much more liberal. For ordinarie it is, that two young princes fall in love, after many traverfes fhe is got with childe, delivered of a faire boy: he is loft, groweth a man, falleth in love, and is readie to get another childe, and all this in two houres fpace: which how abfurd it is in fence, even fence may imagine." This play is fneered at by B. Jonfon, in the induction to Bartholomew Fair, 1614:-- "If there be never a fervant monster in the fair, who can help it, nor a neft of antiques? He is loth to make nature afraid in his plays, like thofe that beget Tales, 'Fempefts, and fuch like drolleries." By the neft of antiques, the twelve fatyrs who are introduced at the fheep-fhearing feftival, are alluded to. MALONE. The Winter's Tale may be ranked among the hiftoric plays of Shakespeare, though not one of his numerous criticks and commentators have difcovered the drift of it. It was certainly intended (in compliment to queen Elizabeth) as an indirect apology for her mother Anne Boleyn. The addrefs of the poet appears no where to more advantage. The fubject was too delicate to be exhibited on the ftage without a veil; and it was too recent, and touched the queen too nearly, for the bard to have ventured fo home an allufion on any other ground than compliment. The unreasonable jealoufy of Leontes, and his violent conduct in confequence, form a true portrait of Henry the Eighth, who generally made the law the engine of his boisterous paffions. Not only the general plan of the story is most applicable, but feveral paffages are fo marked, that they touch the real hiftory nearer than the fable. Hermione on her trial fays: for honour, Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the king of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the vifitation which he Juftly owes him. ́ ́ ́ Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us 2, we will be juftified in our loves: for, indeed, Cam. 'Befeech you, Arch. Verily, I fpeak it in the freedom of my knowledge: we cannot with fuch magnificence-in fo "Tis a derivative from me to mine, "And only that I ftand for." This feems to be taken from the very letter of Anne Boleyn to the king before her execution, where the pleads for the infant princefs his daughter. Mamillius, the young prince, an unneceffary character, dies in his infancy; but it confirms the allufion, as queen Anne, before Elizabeth, bore a ftill-born fon. But the most striking paffage, and which had nothing to do in the tragedy, but as it pictured Elizabeth, is, where Paulina, defcribing the new-born princess, and her likeness to her father, fays: She has the very trick of his frown.' There is one fentence indeed fo applicable, both to Elizabeth and her father, that I fhould fufpect the poet inferted it after her death. Paulina, fpeaking of the child, tells the king: 'Tis yours; "And might we lay the old proverb to your charge, "So like you, 'tis the worse.". The Winter Evening's Tale was therefore In reality a second part of Henry the Eighth. WALPOLE. Cer Sir Thomas Hanmer gave himself much needlefs concern that Shakespeare should confider Bohemia as a maritime country. He would have us read Bythinia: but our author implicitly copied the fiovel before him. Dr. Grey, indeed, was apt to believe that Doraftus and Faunia might rather be borrowed from the play, but I have met with a copy of it, which was printed in 1588. vantes ridicules thefe geographical mistakes, when he makes the princess Micomicona land at Offuna.-Corporal Trim's king of Bohemia "delighted in navigation, and had never a fea-port in his dominions;" and my lord Herbert tells us, that De Luines the prime minister of France, when he was embaffador there, demanded, whether Bohemia was an inland country, or lay" upon the fea?". -There is a fimilar mistake in the Two Gentlemen of Verona, relative to that city and Milan. FARMER. 2 our entertainment &c.] Though we cannot give you equal entertainment, yet the consciousness of our good-will shall juftify us. JOHNSON. |