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relating to the Saint Graal was the first romance of Lancelot of the Lake and King Arthur and his Knights. And as to the other supposed to be called Kyrie eleifon of Montauban, there is no reason to believe that any romance with that title ever exifted. This is the mistake, which, as was hinted above, Dr. W. appears to have borrowed from Huet. The reader will judge. Huet is giving an account of the romances in Don Quixote's library, which the curate and barber faved from the flames." Ceux qu'ils jugent dignes d'etre gardez font les quatre livres d' Amadis de Gaule,-Palmerin d'Angleterre, -Don Belianis; le miroir de chevalerie; Tirante le Blanc, et Kyrie éleifon de Montauban (car au bon vieux temps on croyoit que Kyrie éleifon et Paralipomenon etoient les noms de quelques faints) où les fubtilitez de la Damoiselle Plaifir-de-ma-vie, et les tromperies de la Veuve repofée, font fort louées."-It is plain, I think, that Dr. W. copied what he fays of Kyrie eleifan of Montauban, as well as the witticifm in his last sentence, from this paffage of Huet, though he has improved upon his original by introducing a faint Deuteronomy, upon what authority I know not. It is ftill more evident (from the paffage of Cervantes, which is quoted below*) that Huet was mistaken in fuppofing Kyrie éleifon de Montauban to be the name of a separate romance. He might as well have made La Damoifelle Plaifir-de-mavie and La Veuve reposée the names of feparate romances. All three are merely characters in the romance of Tirante le Blanc.-And fo much for Dr. W.'s account of the origin and nature of romances of chivalry. TYRWHITT.

No future editor of Shakspeare will, I believe, readily confent to omit the differtation here examined, though it certainly has no more relation to the play before us, than to any other of our author's dramas. Mr. Tyrwhitt's judicious obfervations upon it have given it a value which it certainly had not before; and, I think, I may venture to foretell, that Dr. Warburton's futile performance, like the pifmire which Martial tells us was accidentally incrufted with amber, will be ever preferved, for the fake of the admirable comment in which it is now enshrined.

-quæ fuerat vitâ contempta manente,

Funeribus facta eft nunc pretiofa fuis. MALONE.

*Don Quix. lib. 1. c. 6. "Valame Dios, dixo el Cura, dando una gran voz, que aqui efté Tirante el Blanco! Dadmele acà, compadre, que hago cuenta que he hallado en el un teforo de contento, y una mina de paffatiempos. Aqui eftá Don Quiricleyfon de Montalvan, valerofo Cavallero, y fu hermano Tomas de Montalvan, y el Cavallero Fonfeca, con la batalla que el valiente Detriante [r. de Tirante] hizo con el alano, y las agudezas de la Donzella Plazer de mi vida, con los amores y embuftes de la viuda Repofada, y la Señora Emperatriz, enamorado de Hippolito fu efcudero."

Aqui eftà Don Quiricleyfon, &c. HERE, i. e. in the romance of Tirante el Blanco, is Don Quiricleyfon, &c.

MERCHANT OF VENICE.*

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.] The reader will find a diftinct epitome of the novels from which the ftory of this play is fuppofed to be taken, at the conclufion of the notes. It should however be remembered, that if our poet was at all indebted to the Italian novelifts, it must have been through the medium of fome old tranflation, which has hitherto escaped the researches of his moft induftrious editors.

It appears from a paffage in Stephen Goffon's School of Abuse, &c. 1579, that a play, comprehending the diftinct plots of Shakspeare's Merchant of Venice, had been exhibited long before he commenced a writer, viz. "The Jew fhown at the Bull, representing the greedineffe of worldly choofers, and the bloody minds of ufurers." "These plays, fays Goffon, (for he mentions others with it) are goode and sweete plays," &c. It is therefore not improbable that Shakspeare new-wrote his piece, on the model already mentioned, and that the elder performance, being inferior, was permitted to drop filently into oblivion.

This play of Shakspeare had been exhibited before the year 1598, as appears from Meres's Wits Treafury, where it is mentioned with eleven more of our author's pieces. It was enter'd on the books of the Stationers' Company, July 22, in the fame year. It could not have been printed earlier, because it was not yet licensed. The old fong of Gernutus the Jew of Venice, is published by Dr. Percy in the first volume of his Reliques of ancient English Poetry: and the ballad intituled, The Murtherous lyfe and terrible death of the rich Jewe of Malta; and the tragedy on the fame fubject, were both entered on the Stationers' books, May 1594. STEEVENS.

The ftory was taken from an old translation of The Gefta Romanorum, first printed by Wynkyn de Worde. The book was very popular, and Shakspeare has closely copied fome of the language: an additional argument, if we wanted it, of his track of reading. Three veffels are exhibited to a lady for her choice-The first was made of pure gold, well befet with precious ftones without, and within full of dead men's bones; and thereupon was engraven this pofie: Whofo chufeth me, shall find that he deferveth. The fecond veffel was made of fine filver, filled with earth and worms; the fuperfcription was thus: Whofo chufeth me, shall find that his nature defireth. The third veffel was made of lead, full within of precious ftones, and thereupon was infculpt this pofie: Whofo chufeth me, fhall find that God hath difpofed for him. The lady after a comment upon each, chufes the leaden vessel.

In a MS. of Lidgate, belonging to my very learned friend, Dr. Afkew, I find a Tale of two Marchants of Egipt and of Baldad, ex Geftis Romanorum. Leland therefore could not be the original author, as Bishop Tanner fufpected. He lived a century after Lidgate. FARMER,

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