The scene of this play lies at Athens, in the time of Theseus, but we find the mention of guns; of French-crowns and French-crown-coloured beards; of church-yards and coats in heraldry; of clean linen, new ribbons to pumps, and masks; of Jack and Gill, the nine-mens morris, and blessing the bridal bed. Carols, inasmuch as they are applicable to songs in general, and, in an antiquated sense, to dances, may be doubtful, though the allusion was in all probability to Christmas carols. Hermia is made to speak of the fire which burned the Carthage queen.
MERCHANT OF VENICE.
English juries are introduced into the Venetian republic.
WINTER'S TALE.
The transactions of this play arise in Sicily and Bohemia; and though the characters are imaginary, they are supposed to exist in Pagan times. Notwithstanding this we have Whitson pastorals, Christian burial, a hobby-horse, an emperor of Russia, and an Italian printer of the fifteenth century.
COMEDY OF ERRORS.
In the ancient city of Ephesus we have ducats, marks, and guilders, and the abbess of a nunnery. Mention is also made of several modern European kingdoms, and of America; of Henry the Fourth of France, of Turkish tapestry, a rapier, and a striking clock; of Lapland sorcerers, Satan, and even of Adam and Noah. In one place Antipholis calls himself a Christian. As we are unacquainted with the immediate source whence this play was derived, it is impossible to ascertain whether Shakspeare is responsible for these anachronisms.
MACBETH.
The errors here are confined to the introduction of cannon and of dollars.