It is therefore likely that there was then a story of Vincentio Duke of Vienna, different from that of Maximine Emperor of the Romans.

Of this play, the light or comick part is very natural and pleasing, but the grave scenes, if a few passages be excepted, have more labour than elegance. The plot is rather intricate than artful. The time of the action is indefinite; some time, we know not how much, must have elapsed between the recess of the Duke and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he must have learned the story of Mariana in his disguise, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted. The unities of action and place are sufficiently preserved. JOHNSON.

The Duke probably had learnt the story of Mariana in some of his former retirements, "having ever loved the life removed." (Page 28.) "And he had a suspicion that Angelo was but a seemer, (page 32) and therefore he stays to watch him." BLACKSTONE.

The Fable of Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra, 1578.

"The Argument of the whole History."

"In the cyttie of Julio, (sometimes under the dominion of Corvinus kynge of Hungarie and Bohemia,) there was a law, that what man so ever committed adultery should lose his head, and the woman offender should weare some disguised apparel, during her life, to make her infamously noted. This severe lawe, by the favour of some mercifull magistrate, became little regarded, untill the time of lord Promos' auctority; who convicting a young gentleman named Andrugio of incontinency, condemned both him and his minion to the execution of this statute. Andrugio had a very virtuous and beautiful gentlewoman to his sister, named Cassandra: Cassandra, to enlarge her brother's life, submitted an humble petition to the lord Promos: Promos regarding her good behaviours, and fantasying her great beawtie, was much delighted with the sweete order of her talke; and doyng good, that evill might come thereof, for a time he repryved her brother: but wicked man, tourning his liking into unlawfull lust, he set downe the spoile of her honour, raunsome for her brother's life: chaste Cassandra, abhorring both him and his sute, by no persuasion would yeald to this raunsome. But in fine, wonne by the importunitye of hir brother, (pleading for life,) upon these conditions she agreed to Promos. First, that he should pardon her brother, and after marry her. Promos, as feareles in promisse, as carelesse in performance, with sollemne vowe sygned her conditions; but worse then any infydell, his will satissfyed, he performed neither the one nor the other for to keepe his auctoritye unspotted with favour, and to prevent Cassandra's clamors, he commaunded the gayler secretly, to present Cassandra with her brother's head. The gayler [touched] with the outcryes of Andrugio, (abhorryng Pro

:

mos' lewdenes,) by the providence of God provided thus for his safety. He presented Cassandra with a felon's head newlie executed; who knew it not, being mangled, from her brother's, (who was set at libertie by the gayler). [She] was so agreeved at this trecherye, that, at the point to kyl her self, she spared that stroke, to be avenged of Promos: and devysing a way, she concluded, to make her fortunes knowne unto the kinge. She, executing this resolution, was so highly favoured of the king, that forthwith he hasted to do justice on Promos: whose judgment was, to marry Cassandra, to repaire her crased honour; which donne, for his hainous offence, he should lose his head. This maryage solempnised, Cassandra tyed in the greatest bondes of affection to her husband, became an earnest suter for his life: the kinge, tendringe the generall benefit of the comon weale before her special case, although he favoured her much, would not graunt her sute. Andrugio (disguised amonge the company) sorrowing the griefe of his sister, bewrayde his safety, and craved pardon. The kinge, to renowne the vertues of Cassandra, pardoned both him and Promos. The circumstances of this rare historye, in action livelye followeth."

Whetstone, however, has not afforded a very correct analysis of his play, which contains a mixture of comick scenes, between a Bawd, a Pimp, Felons, &c. together with some serious situations which are not described. STEEVENS.

One paragraph of the foregoing narrative being strangely confused in the old copy, by some carelessness of the printer, I have endeavoured to rectify it, by transposing a few words, and adding two others, which are included within crotchets. MALONE.

OTHELLO.

THE

story is taken from Cynthio's Novels. POPE.

I have not hitherto met with any translation of this novel (the seventh in the third decad) of so early a date as the age of Shakspeare; but undoubtedly many of those little pamphlets have perished between his time and ours.

It is highly probable that our author met with the name of Othello in some tale that has escaped our researches ; as I likewise find it in Reynolds's God's Revenge against Adultery, standing in one of his Arguments as follows: She marries Othello, an old German soldier." This History (the eighth) is professed to be an Italian one. Here also occurs the name of lago.

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It is likewise found, as Dr. Farmer observes, in "The History of the famous Euordanus Prince of Denmark, with the strange Adventures of Iago Prince of Saxonie; bl. 1. 4to. London, 1605."

It may indeed be urged that these names were adopted from the tragedy before us: but I trust that every reader who is conversant with the peculiar style and method in which the work of honest John Reynolds is composed, will acquit him of the slightest familiarity with the scenes of Shakspeare.

This play was first entered at Stationers' Hall, Oct. 6, 1621, by Thomas Walkely. STEEVENS.

I have seen a French translation of Cynthio, by Gabriel Chap puys, Par. 1584. This is not a faithful one; and I suspect, through this medium the work came into English. FARMER.

This tragedy I have ascribed to the year 1604. See An Attempt to Ascertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, vol. ii. MALONE. The time of this play may be ascertained from the following circumstances: Selymus the Second formed his design against Cyprus in 1569, and took it in 1571. This was the only attempt the Turks ever made upon that island after it came into the hands of the Venetians, (which was in the year 1473,) wherefore the time must fall in with some part of that interval. We learn from the play that there was a junction of the Turkish fleet at Rhodes, in order for the invasion of Cyprus, that it first came sailing towards Cyprus, then went to Rhodes, there met another squadron, and then resumed its way to Cyprus. These are real historical facts which happened when Mustapha, Selymus's general, attacked Cyprus in May, 1570, which therefore is the true period of this performance. See Knolles's History of the Turks, p. 838, 846, 867.

REED.