on himself. All this, however, must be received as very dubious, since we know not the exact date of this or the other plays, and cannot tell how our author might have changed his practice or opinions. JOHNSON.

I entirely agree in opinion with Dr. Johnson, that Ben Jonson wrote the Prologue and Epilogue to this play. Shakspere had a little before assisted him in his Sejanus; and Ben was too proud to receive assistance without returning it. It is probable, that he drew up the directions for the parade at the christening, &c. which his employment at court would teach him, and Shakspere must be ignorant of: I think, I now and then perceive his hand in the dialogue.

It appears from Stowe, that Robert Green wrote somewhat on this subject. FARMER.

In support of Dr. Johnson's opinion, it may not be amiss to quote the following lines from old Ben's Prologue to his Every Man in his Humour:

"To make a child now swaddled, to proceed

STEEVENS.

"Man, and then shoot up, in one beard and weed, "Past threescore years: or with three rusty swords, "And help of some few foot-and-half-foot words, "Fight over York and Lancaster's long wars, "And in the tyring-house," &c. To play histories, or to exhibit a succession of events by action and dialogue, was a common entertainment among our rude ancestors upon great festivities. The parish clerks once performed at Clerkenwell, a play which lasted three days, containing The History of the World.

JOHNSON.

It appears from more than one MS. in the British Museum, that the tradesmen of Chester were three days employed in the representation of their twentyfour Whitsun plays or mysteries. The like performances at Coventry must have taken up a longer time, as they are no less than forty in number. The exhibition of them began on Corpus Christi day, which was (according to Dugdale), one of their ancient fairs. See the Harleian MSS. No. 2013, 2124, 2125, and MS. Cott. Vesp. D. VIII, and Dugdale's Warwickshire, P. 116. STEEVENS.

THE END.

,

CORIOLANUS,

BY

WILL. SHAKSPERE:

Printed Complete from the TEXT of

SAM. JOHNSON and GEO. STEEVENS,
And revised from the last Editions.

When Learning's triumph o'er her barb'rous foes
First rear'd the Stage, immortal SHAKSPERE rose;
Each change of many-colour'd life he drew,
Exhausted worlds, and then imagin'd new:
Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign,
And panting Time toil'd after him in vain:
His pow'rful strokes presiding Truth confess'd,
And unresisted Passion storm'd the breast.

DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON.

LONDON:

Printed for, and under the direction of,

JOHN BELL, British-Library, STRAND, Bookseller to his Royal Highness the PRINCE OF WALES,

M DCC LXXXVI.