About the age of thirty, even men of an introspective disposition are apt to turn their gaze outwards. When Shakespeare approaches his thirtieth year, he begins to occupy himself in earnest with history, to read the chronicles, to project and work out a whole series of historical plays. Several years had now passed since he had revised and furbished up the old dramas on the subject of Henry VI. This task had whetted his appetite, and had cultivated his sense for historic character and historic nemesis. Having now given expression to the high spirits, the lyrism, and the passion of youth, in lyrical and dramatic productions of scintillant diversity, he once more turned his attention to the history of England. In so doing he obeyed a dual vocation, both as a poet and as a patriot. Shakespeare's plays founded on English history number ten in all, four dealing with the House of Lancaster (_Richard II._, the two parts of _Henry IV._ and _Henry V._) four devoted to the House of York (the three parts of _Henry VI._ and _Richard III._), and two which stand apart from the main series, _King John,_ of an earlier historic period, and _Henry VIII._, of a later. The order of production of these plays is, however, totally unconnected with their historical order, which does not, therefore, concern us. At the same time it is worthy of remark that all these plays (with the single exception of _Henry VIII._) were produced in the course of one decade, the decade in which England's national sentiment burst into flower and her pride was at its highest. These English "histories" are, however, of very unequal value, and can by no means be treated as standing on one plane. _Henry VI._ was a first attempt and a mere adaptation. Now, in the year 1594, Shakespeare attacks the theme of _Richard II.;_ and in this, his first independent historical drama, we see his originality still struggling with the tendency to imitation. There were older plays on the subject of _Richard II._, but Shakespeare does not seem to have made any use of them. The model he had in his mind's eye was Marlowe's finest tragedy, his _Edward II._ Shakespeare's play is, however, much more than a clever imitation of Marlowe's; it is not only better composed, with a more concentrated action, but has also a great advantage in the full-blooded vitality of its style. Marlowe's style is here monotonously dry and sombre. Swinburne, moreover, has done Shakespeare an injustice in preferring Marlowe's character-drawing to that of _Richard II_.