[4:1] "The Two Noble Kinsmen: presented at the Blackfriers, by the Kings Majesties servants, with great Applause: written by the memorable Worthies of their Time, Mr John Fletcher and Mr William Shakspeare, Gent. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes, for John Watersone; and are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne, in Pauls Church-yard: 1634." [4:2] page 5 [5:1] Gifford's Massinger, vol. i. p. xv. [Moxon's ed. p. xxxix, and _B. and Fl._ i. xiii. The letter is from Nat. Field, Rob. Daborne, and Philip Massinger, to Henslowe the manager: "You know there is x. _l._ more at least to be receavd of you for the play. We desire you to lend us v _l._ of that, which shall be allowd to you. Nat. Field." "The money shall be abated out of the money remayns for _the play of Mr. Fletcher and ours_. Rob. Daborne."--F.] [5:2] page 6 [6:1] page 7 [7:1] page 8 [8:1] Act II. Scene 4. The plucking of the roses. [8:2] page 9 [9:1] page 10 [10:1] Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. It would ill become me to carp at an author whom I have expressly to thank for much assistance in this inquiry, and to whom I am perhaps indebted for more than my recollection suggests. But it must be owned, that M. Schlegel's opinion loses somewhat of its weight from the fact, that he also advocates Shakspeare's authorship of some of Malone's plays, a decision in which it is neither desirable nor likely that the poet's countrymen should acquiesce. [10:2] page 11 [11:1] Weber's Beaumont and Fletcher, vol. xiii., and Lamb, as there quoted. [11:2] page 12 [12:1] Sonnet 76. [12:2] page 13 [13:1] page 14 [13:2] There are numerous instances of both these effects in the play before us. "_Counter-reflect_ (a noun); _meditance_; _couch_ and _corslet_ (used as verbs); _operance_; _appointment_, for military accoutrements; _globy eyes_; _scurril_; _disroot_; _dis-seat_," &c. _Weber._ [14:1] page 15 [15:1] t. i. _mourn them ever_ [15:2] page 16 [15:3] _ownest_ [16:1] page 17 [17:1] page 18 [18:1] page 19 [19:1] Farmer's Essay on the Learning of Shakspeare. [19:2] A singularly rich and energetic piece of colouring in this sort is near the beginning of the poem, commencing, I have been wooed, as I entreat thee now, Even by the stern and direful God of War-- and extending through three stanzas. [19:3] page 20 [20:1] page 21 [21:1] page 22 [22:1] page 23 [23:1] page 24 [24:1] The | is to show the double endings. [24:2] page 25 [25:1] page 26 [26:1] page 27 [27:1] page 28 [28:1] page 29 [29:1] page 30 [29:2] Perhaps it is worth while to direct attention to this form of speech. Verbal names expressing the agent occur, it is true, in Fletcher and others, but they are in an especial manner frequent with Shakspeare, who invents them to preserve his brevity, and always applies them with great force and quaintness. [29:3] Probably Fletcher would not have committed this false quantity. [30:1] page 31 [30:2] 3 middle-rymes, _key_, _three_, _knee_.