[14] W.W. Greg's edition, i 19-20, ii. 168. Henslowe's dates for the performances are 17 September, 16 and 27 October, and November, 1594. Against the first entry are the much-discussed letters "ne," which appear to mark a new play. It will be seen that according to the theory that _A Midsummer-Night's Dream_ belongs to the winter of 1594-5, this Palamon and Arcite play was performed immediately before. [15] Professor Gollancz considers that Shakespeare had no hand in the play. [16] Cf. I. i. 167 and IV. i. 129-30. [17] It is perhaps fantastic to interpret too literally Arcite's song to May--"I hope that I som grene gete may"--but, however little of their primitive significance now remains, celebration of the rites of May is by no means extinct. See E.K. Chambers, _The Mediaeval Stage_, I. 117: "their object is to secure the beneficent influence of the fertilization spirit by bringing the persons or places to be benefited into direct contact with the physical embodiment of that spirit." Shakespeare's apparent confusion of a May-day with a Mid-summer-night may seem pardonable to the folk-lorist in the light of the fact that various folk-festivals appear to take place indiscriminately on May-day or Midsummer-day. See Chambers, _op. cit._ i. 114, 118, 126. [18] Cf. III. ii. 331 and 401, _etc_. [19] Cf. IV. i. 100-183. [20] In V. i. 51. [21] Reprinted in this book, p. 135. [22] He might have added _Lucius the Ass_, a similar tale by Lucian of Samosata. [23] Reprinted in this book, p. 139. [24] Ovid, _Met._ iv. 55, sqq. [25] See p. 73. [26] Addl. MS. 15227, f. 56b. [27] _Faerie Queen,_ II. i. 6, II. x. 75. [28] See A.W. Ward's _English Dramatic Literature_, i. 400, ii. 85. [29] _The Marchantes Tale_, 983 (Skeat, E. 2227). [30] A.H. Bullen's edition of Campion (1903), p. 20. [31] _Metamorphoses_, iii. 173. Ovid, in the same work, uses "Titania" also as an epithet of Latona (vi. 346), Pyrrha (i. 395), and Circe (xiv. 382, 438). The fact that Golding gives "Phebe" as the translation of "Titania" in iii. 173, is a strong piece of evidence that Shakespeare sometimes at least read his Ovid in the Latin. [32] Ed. Brinsley Nicholson, p. 32. Book III, chap. ii. (See p. 135.) [33] _Romeo and Juliet_, I. iv, 53, sqq. [34] In II. i. 40, "sweet puck" is no more a proper name than "Hobgoblin"; so also in l. 148 of the same scene. In neither case should the name be printed with a capital P. [35] II. i. 34. [36] V. i. 418, 421. [37] Wright, _English Dialect Dictionary_, s.v. Puck, gives Scotland, Ireland, Derby, Worcester, Shropshire, Gloucester, Sussex and Hampshire as localities where the name is recorded. [38] Text H in Child's _Ballads_, I. 352. [39] Campbell's _Popular Tales of the West Highlands_ (1890), vol. ii, tales xxv, xxvi, etc. [40] _Ballads_, I. 314, and note. [41] _M.N.D._, II. i. 40. (See note on p. 37.) [42] _The Wyf of Bathe's Tale_, at the beginning; and elsewhere.