The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare With the Corrections and Illustrations of Various Commentators, Vol. 5 (Classic Reprint)

It should, however, be remembered, that if our poet was at all indebted to the Italian novelists, it must have been through the medium of some old translation, which has hitherto escaped the researches of his most industrious editors. It appears from a passage inS tephen Gosson sS chool of A buse, c. 1579, that a play, comprehending the distinct plots of Shakspeare sM erchant of Venice, had been exhibited long before he commenced a writer, viz. The Jew shown at theB ull, representing the greediness of worldly choosers, and the bloody minds of usurers. These plays, says Gosson, (for he mentions others with it) are goode and sweete plays, c. It is therefore not improbable thatS hakspeare new-wrote his piece, on the model already mentioned, and that the elder performance, being inferior, was permitted to drop silently into oblivion. This play of Shakspeare had been exhibited before the year 1598, as appears fromM eres sW its Treasury, where it is mentioned with eleven more of our authors pieces. It was entered on the books of theS tationers Company, July 22, in the same year. It could not have been printed earlier, because it was not yet licensed. The old song of Gernutus the Jew of Venice, is published by Dr. Percy in the first volume of his reliques of Ancient English Poetry :and the ballad intituled, The murtherous Lyfe and terrible Death of the rich Jewe of Malta; and the tragedy on the same subject, were both entered on theS tationers books, May, 1594 .S teevens. The story was taken from an old translation ofT he Gesta Romanorum, first printed by Wynkyn deW orde. The book was very popular, andS hakspeare has closely copied some of the language :an additional argument, if we wanted it, of his track of reading. Three vessels are exhibited to a lady for her choice The first was made of pure gold, well beset with precious stones without, and within full of dea
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