favourite comedy, attributed to Shakespeare, but probably the work of Wentworth Smith, who was Peele's contemporary, and doubtless his acquaintance*.

Peele's Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First is one of our most ancient Chronicle Histories' in blank-verset, and deserves attention rather on this account than because it possesses much merit as a theatrical production. It is in every point of view inferior to Marlow's Edward II., which seems to have set the pattern in this species of composition. The characters are not distinct, and only that of the king. can be said to be drawn with any degree of spirit and fidelity the truth of history is most grossly violated as far as regards the queen, for the purpose of gratifying the popular antipathy to the Spaniards. This, however, is not a point of much importance, if the abandonment of historical accuracy had improved the play; but it renders it more incongruous, and makes the devoted attachment of Edward to his queen a preposterous infatuation. The serious portions of

* The earliest known edition of Peele's Jests is dated in 1607, and a copy of it was sold among the books of Major Pearson: the edition which Mr. Dyce used, that of 1627, was last sold, I believe, in the Gordonstoun library. The Puritan, or the Widow of Watling-street, in which Peele figures under the name of George Pieboard, was printed in the same year.

It was first printed in 1593, and again in 1599; the death of the author, shortly before the last-mentioned year, having perhaps attracted fresh attention to it. It may be reasonably conjectured that it was played some years before it was published. It is reprinted in the last edition of Dodsley's Old Plays,

the play are endeavoured to be relieved by some comic scenes, most of which are destitute of humour and full of grossness: from this censure we must however except what relates to Lluellen, Prince of Wales, and his adherents, who diversify the progress of the story by assuming the characters of Robin Hood and his merry foresters.

The only part of Edward the First that has a fair claim to the epithet good is its opening, which relates to the arrival of the king from Palestine, and the reception of him by the queen mother. There is a degree of royalty and splendour about the air of this scene which leads us to expect more from the conclusion. It is, nevertheless, but fair to remark, that the later portions have been handed down to us in a state so mutilated that it is impossible to know in what shape they came from the pen of the author. The only specimen I shall give is from a speech by the queen mother in the first scene; and here it will be observed that Peele has rather mounted himself upon stilts, than acquired dignity from the natural elevation of his capacity.

Illustrious England, ancient seat of kings

"Whose chivalry hath royaliz'd thy fame,

That, sounding bravely through terrestrial vale,

Proclaiming conquests, spoils, and victories,

Rings glorious echoes through the farthest world!

What warlike nation, train'd in feats of arms,

'What barbarous people, stubborn or untam'd;

'What climate under the meridian signs,

'Or frozen zone under his brumal stage,

Erst have not quak'd and trembled at the name
Of Britain and her mighty conquerors?

Her neighbour realms, as Scotland, Denmark, France,
Aw'd with their deeds and jealous of her arms,

'Have begg'd defensive and offensive leagues.

Thus Europe, rich and mighty in her kings,

'Hath fear'd brave England, dreadful in her kings.

'And now, to eternize Albion's champions,

'Equivalent with Trojan's ancient fame,

'Comes lovely Edward from Jerusalem,

'Veering before the wind, ploughing the sea;
'His stretched sails fill'd with the breath of men

That through the world admire his manliness.

And lo, at last arriv'd in Dover road,

Longshank, your king, your glory, and our son, With troops of conquering lords and warlike knights, 'Like bloody-crested Mars, o'erlooks his host,

6

Higher than all his army by the head,

Marching along as bright as Phoebus' eyes!

And we, his mother, shall behold our son,

'And England's peers shall see their sovereign.'

It will be observed, that these lines are no improvement upon Peele's versification: he seems studious not to admit any variety, as if the excellence of blankverse consisted only in its sounding rotundity.

The best of Peele's dramas, The Love of King David and fair Bethsabe, I think, has been overpraised in my view, it has little to recommend it but harmonious versification. It is quite needless to enter into the story, which is inartificially conducted, the author, not feeling warranted in deviating from Scripture history. It is only in this instance that Peele has appeared to be at all sensible that verse,

deprived of the ornament of rhyme, required any variety of modulation to make it attractive; but in this respect he has not given himself much trouble, and most of the lines run as monotonously as in his less mature productions. In this respect Marlow outstripped all his rivals and contemporaries.

In the year when David and Bethsabe was printed, 1599, the contest regarding the immoral tendency of theatrical performances having been renewed, it was carried on with increased vigour, and Dr. Rainold's Overthrow of Stage-Plays was then published *. Peele was then dead; but perhaps one reason for printing David and Bethsabe, was to counteract the argument of the unscriptural tendency of dramatic productions, and several religious plays by Chettle, Dekker, Rowley, and others appear to have been brought out about this date or shortly afterwards. It unquestionably places the character of Israel's sweetest singer' in as favourable a light as possible, and the author deserves credit for omitting nothing that could advance his object. When it was written we have no information, but if before 1590, when the first three books of Spenser's Fairy Queen were printed, Peele, like Marlow, must have had access to them in MS. He was without Marlow's excuse for the following plagiarism; and, where there is such a decided inequality between the two poets,

The copy at Bridgewater House however is dated 1600. It was printed at Middleburg, by Richard Schilders. It was reprinted in London in 1629.

we cannot hesitate a moment in giving the priority to Spenser. Joab is speaking of David :

'Beauteous and bright is he among the tribes,
'As when the sun, attir'd in glistering robe,
'Comes dancing from his oriental gate,

And, bridegroom-like, hurls through the gloomy air 'His radiant beams.'

Spenser's lines, in Fairy Queen, L. i., c. 5, st. 2, are

these:

At last the golden oriental gate

Of greatest heaven 'gan to open fair ;

'And Phoebus, fresh as bridegroom to his mate, 'Came dancing forth, shaking his dewy hair,

"And hurl'd his glistering beams through gloomy air.'

There can be no doubt of the identity of the two quotations, and Spenser had in his recollection the well-known passage in the Psalms describing the sun coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber.' This is an instance in which Peele has been the plagiary; but in the subsequent example he is clearly the injured party. In the Chorus which probably closed the first Act of David and Bethsabe (for the old copy is not divided), we find this simile :

'Like as the fatal raven, that in his voice

Carries the dreadful summons of our deaths, 'Flies by the fair Arabian spiceries,

Her pleasant gardens, and delightsome parks,

Seeming to curse them with his hoarse exclaims,

And yet doth stoop with hungry violence

Upon a piece of hateful carrion;

So wretched man,' &c.