1601.

The Chronicle History of Thomas Lord Cromwell was entered S. R. 11th August 1602. This is clearly a political play, in which the career of Cromwell Earl of Essex shadows forth another Earl of Essex, of much greater interest to an audience of 1601. One scene, iii. 2, reminds us strongly of scene 9 in Sir T. More; and the whole play is very like the part of Sir John Oldcastle assigned by me to Drayton. In Act iv. the Chorus apologises for the omission of Wolsey's life. That had, in fact, been treated already by Chettle in August 1601, and by Chettle, Munday, Drayton, and Smith in November 1601, in two plays for the Admiral's men. Drayton's last work for them was done in May 1602 and Cromwell was probably acted in June. The second edition, 1613, had "by W.S." on the title. This was clearly an attempt, like the "by W. Sh." in the 1611 edition of the older John, to father the play on Shakespeare after his retirement from theatrical life. It has been supposed that Wentworth Smith is indicated. This is most unlikely. Smith was a hack writer for Henslowe, 1601-3, not one scrap of whose work was ever thought worth publishing; and that he, at the same date that he was a "novice" in the Admiral's, should have been an independent author for the Chamberlain's, is one of the plausible figments that will not be received by any one acquainted with stage history. If W.S. are authentic initials, W. Sly is a more likely claimant.

1603.

The London Prodigal was published in 1605, with the name of William Shakespeare on the title-page. This surely shows some connection of Shakespeare with its authorship. It is true that in 1600 his name had been attached to Sir John Oldcastle in one of the editions then printed, and that he could not have written, or been concerned with the writing of, that play; but the peculiar relation in which it stands to his historical plays places it in a very different category from a play which was acted by his own company, and over the publication of which he may be supposed to have had some control, direct or indirect. Perhaps he "plotted" it. At the same time it should be noticed that the publisher, Butter, was the same man who issued the Quarto of Lear in 1608, which was certainly derived from an authentic copy, however carelessly printed; while Pavier, who published Oldcastle, was notoriously an issuer of surreptitious and piratical editions. This play is certainly by the same hand as the Cromwell. In iii. 3, "And where nought is the king doth lose his due," with which compare Cromwell, ii. 3, "And where nought is the king must lose his right," is taken from Nash's Unfortunate Traveller (p. 15, Grosart's reprint), "When it is not to be had the king must lose his right." Compare, also, "Pardon, dear father, the follies that are past," v. 1, with Cromwell, iv. chorus, "Pardon the errors are already past," and the passing of St. George's inn in i. 2 with the Merry Devil plot. The date of production is certainly 1603. The words "under the King," ii. 1, and the allusion to Armin the actor, who took the part of Matthew Flowerdale, "So young an armin," v. 1, forbid an earlier date. This last allusion, by the bye, has never previously been explained. On the other hand, the allusions to Cutting Dick, ii. 2, The Devil and his Dame, iv. 2 (Mar. 1600), and to "wanton Cressid," v. i. (1602), would lose much effect at a later date. The name Greenshield was adopted from this play in the "comical satire" of Northward Ho, 1605, as Frescobald was in The Honest Whore, 1603, from Cromwell.

1603.

Sejanus, by Jonson, was acted this year. Jonson had returned to the Chamberlain's men from the Admiral's, for whom he wrote after leaving the Chapel children in 1601; but this play being a political satire on Leicester got the company into trouble, and he again left them for the children of the Revels. See supra, p. [49].

1604.

The Malcontent, by Marston, was acted "with the additions played by the King's Majesty's servants" by Webster, and entered S. R. 25th July. This play belonged to the Revels' children, and was appropriated in retaliation for their playing Jeronymo, which was the property of the King's men. (See the Induction.) Compare p. [52].

1604.

Gowry, already noticed, was performed this year.