lished-"Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much again as it was, according to the new and perfect copy."

A tragedy of Goury twice acted by the King's Players, "with exceeding concourse of people" gave offence, and is noticed towards the end of the year:-" Whether the matter or manner be not well handled, or that it be thought unfit that princes should be played on the stage in their lifetime, I hear that some great councillors are much displeased with it, and so 'tis thought it shall be forbidden" (Chamberlain to Winwood).

On December 26, Measure for Measure was produced for the first time at Whitehall.

1605. Augustine Phillipps bequeathed “to my fellow, William Shakespeare, a thirty-shillings piece of gold."

On March 3, at Oxford, was baptised William D'Avenant (afterwards Sir W. D'Avenant), son of John D'Avenant, landlord of the Crown Inn, Shakespeare acting as godfather.

According to Aubrey:-" Mr. William Shakespeare was wont to go into Warwickshire once a year, and did commonly in his journey lie at this house in Oxon., where he was exceedingly respected."

In this year Shakespeare bought the unexpired lease of a moiety of the Stratford tithes.

1606. Macbeth was probably completed this year (cp. Preface).

On December 26 King Lear was produced, for the first time, before the Court at Whitehall.

1607. Shakespeare's daughter Susanna was married on June 5, of this year, to John Hall, who subsequently became "very famous" as a physician (cp. "Select Observations on English bodies, or cures both emperical and historical, performed upon very eminent persons in desperate diseases, first written in Latin by Mr.

John Hall, physician, living at Stratford-upon-Avon, in Warwickshire, where he was very famous, as also in the counties adjacent, as appeares by these Observations," etc., London, 1657).

In this year The Puritan; or, the Widow of Watling Street was published, containing a direct reference to Banquo's Ghost-" Instead of a jester we 'll have a ghost in a white sheet sit at the upper end of the table."

Shakespeare was probably at work on Antony and Cleopatra.

In this year was published Mirrha, the Mother of Adonis, or Lustes Prodegies, by William Barksted, containing the following concluding lines:

"But stay, my Muse, in thine own confines keep,
And wage not war with so dear lov'd a neighbour;
But having sung thy day-song, rest and sleepe;
Preserve thy small fame and his greater favour.
His song was worthy merit;—Shakespeare, he
Sung the fair blossom, thou, the withered tree;
Laurel was due to him; his art and wit

Hath purchased it; cypress thy brow will fit."

On November 26 King Lear was entered on the "Stationers' Registers."

1608. Two quartos of King Lear issued from the press (cp. Preface).

On February 21 Elizabeth Hall, Shakespeare's only grand-daughter, was baptised in the church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon.

On September 9, Shakespeare's mother was buried.

On October 16, of this year, Shakespeare stood godfather to William, son of Henry Walker, mercer and alderman, Stratford-on Avon.

Timon of Athens was probably being prepared for the stage during this year.

On May 20 Edward Blount entered in the "Stationers' Registers" "; a booke called Anthony and Cleopatra' (but no quarto edition was issued).

George Wilkins published in this year a novel, avowedly based on the acted drama of Pericles, with the following title-page:-" The Painful Adventures of Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Being the true History of Pericles, as it was lately presented by the worthy and ancient Poet, John Gower."

1609. Two editions of the play of Pericles were issued, "by William Shakespeare" [but evidently only in part by him, otherwise by George Wilkins: though reissued in 1611, 1619, 1630, and 1635, the play was not included in either the first or second folios, cp Preface].

1609. On January 28 Richard Bonian and Henry Walley obtained a license for "a booke called the history of Troylus and Cressida," i.e. Shakespeare's play, which soon after was published as a quarto, (i.) with a titlepage stating that the play was printed "as acted by the King's Majesties servants at the Globe," and (ii.) with a title-page omitting this reference, and adding a preface to the effect that the play was never staled with the stage, never clapper-clawed with the palms of the vulgar," etc. (cp. Preface).

66

On May 20 a license for the publication of "Shakespeare's Sonnets" was granted to the publisher, Thomas Thorpe; the volume was shortly afterwards published (cp. Preface).

Coriolanus probably belongs to this year (cp. Preface). At the end of the year, Shakespeare's Company took possession of the Blackfriars Theatre after the departure of the Children of the Chapel.

1610. [possibly an error for 1611]. On April 20 of this year Dr. Simon Forman was present at a performance of Macbeth at the Globe, and recorded the fact, with observations, in his "Book of Plays."

Dr. Simon Forman saw Cymbeline acted either this year or the next (the Diary contains reports of Shake