THOMAS, LORD
CROMWELL, and SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE, are biographical dramas, and
models in this species: the first is linked, from its subject, to
HENRY THE EIGHTH, and the second to HENRY THE FIFTH. The second part
of OLDCASTLE is wanting; I know not whether a copy of the old
edition has been discovered in England, or whether it is lost. THE
YORKSHIRE TRAGEDY is a tragedy in one act, a dramatized tale of
murder: the tragical effect is overpowering, and it is extremely
important to see how poetically Shakespeare could handle such a
subject.
'There have been still farther ascribed to him: 1st. THE MERRY DEVIL
OF EDMONTON, a comedy in one act, printed in Dodsley's old plays.
This has certainly some appearances in its favour. It contains a
merry landlord, who bears a great similarity to the one in the MERRY
WIVES OF WINDSOR. However, at all events, though an ingenious, it is
but a hasty sketch. 2nd. THE ACCUSATION OF PARIS. 3rd. THE BIRTH OF
MERLIN. 4th. EDWARD THE THIRD. 5th. THE FAIR EMMA. 6th. MUCEDORUS.
7th. ARDEN OF FEVERSHAM. I have never seen any of these, and cannot
therefore say anything respecting them. From the passages cited, I
am led to conjecture that the subject of MUCEDORUS is the popular
story of Valentine and Orson; a beautiful subject which Lope de Vega
has also taken for a play. ARDEN OF FEVERSHAM is said to be a
tragedy on the story of a man, from whom the poet was descended by
the mother's side.
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