The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: With the Corrections and Illustrations of Dr. Johnson, Vol. 2 (Classic Reprint)

Measure forM easure.] The story is taken from Cinthiols JS fovtls, Decad. 8, Novel 5. pope. We are sent to Cintbio for the plot of Measure forM easure, andS hakespeare sjudgment hath been attacked for some deviations from him in the conduct of it when probably all he kneiv of the matter was fromM adam I sabella, inT he I leptameron of fV htstone, Lond. 4to. 1582. She reports, in the fourth dayes Exercise, the rare Historic ofF romos and Cassandra. A marginal note informs us, ihat Whetstone was the author of the Comedie on that subject; which likewise had probably fallen into the hands of Shakespeare. Farmer. There is perhaps not one of Shakespeare splays more darkened than tiiis by the peculiarities of its author, and the unskilfiilncss of its editors, by distortions of phrase, or negligence of transcription. Jounson. Dr. Johnson sremark is so just respecting the corruptions of this play, that I shall not attempt much reformation in its metre, which is too oA eu rough, redundant, and irregular. Additions and omissions (however trifling) cannot be made without constant notice of tliem; and such notices, in the present instance, would so frequently occur, as to become equally tiresome to the commentator and the reader. Shakespeare took the fable of this play from the Proinos and Cassandra of George Whetstone, published in 1578. See Theobald snote at the end. A hint, like a seed.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

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