The people however ftill retained a relish for their old Myf teries and Moralities, and the popular dramatic poets seem to have made them their models. The graver fort of Moralities appear to have given birth to our modern TRAGEDY; as our COMEDY evidently took its rife from the lighter interludes of that kind. And as most of these pieces contain an absurd mixture of religion and buffoonery, an eminent critic || has well deduced from thence the origin of our unnatural TRAGICOMEDIES. Even after the people had been accustomed to Tragedies and Comedies, Moralities fill kept their ground: one of them intitulea The New Custom † was printed fo late as 1573 at length they affumed the name of MASQUES 4, and with fome claffical improvements, became in the two following reigns the favourite entertainments of the court. As for the old Myfteries, which ceafed to be acted after the reformation, they seem to have given rife to a third fpecies of ftage exhibition, which, though now confounded with Tragedy or Comedy, were by our firft dramatic writers confidered as quite diftinct from them both: these were Hiftorical Plays, or HISTORIES, a Species of dramatic writing, which resembled the old Myfteries in reprefenting a series of biftorical events fimply in the order of time in which they happened, without any regard to the three great unities. These pieces feem to differ from Tragedy, just as much as Hiftorical poems do from Epic as the Pharfalia does from the Eneid. What might contribute to make dramatic poetry take this turn was, that foon after the Myfieries ceafed to be exhibited, there was publifbed a large collection of poetical narratives, called Che Mirrour for Magistrates §, wherein a great number of the moft The general reception the old Moralities bad upon the flage will account for the fondness of all our firft poets for allegory. Subjects of this kind were familiar to every body. Bp. Warburt. Shakefp. V. 5. † In Dodf. Old Plays, V. 1. In fome of thefe appeared characters full as extraordinary as in any of the old Moralities. In Ben. Jonson's masque of Christmag 1616, one of the perfonages is MINCED PYE. § The first part of which was printed in 1559. moft eminent characters in English history are drawn relating their own misfortunes. This book was popular and of a dramatic caft, and therefore, as an elegant writer has well obferved, might have its influence in producing Hiftoric Plays. Thefe narratives probably furnished the fubjects, and the ancient Myfteries fuggefted the plan. That our old writers confidered Hiftorical Plays as fomewhat diftinct from Tragedy and Comedy, appears from numberless paffages of their works. "Of late days, fays Stow, inftead of thofe ftage-playes have been ufed Comedies, Trage"dies, Enterludes, and HISTORIES both true and fained." Survey of London ↑.. Beaumont and Fletcher, in the pro logue to The Captain, say, * "This is nor Comedy, nor Tragedy, "Nor HISTORY." 30 Polonius in Hamlet commends the actors, as the best in the world" either for Tragedie, Comedie, HISTORIE, Paftorall," &c. And Shakespeare's friends, Heminge and Condell, in the first folio edit. of his plays, in 1623, have not only intitled their book "Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, "HISTORIES, and Tragedies:" but in their Table of Contents have arranged them under thofe three feveral heads: placing in the clafs of HISTORIES, "K. John, Richard II. Henry IV. 2 pts. Henry V. Henry VI. 3 pts. Richard III. and Henry VIII. This diftinction deferves the attention of the critics: for if it be the firft canon of found criticifm to examine any work by thofe rules the author prescribed for his obfervance, then we ought not to try Shakespear's HISTORIES by the general laws of Tragedy or Comedy. Whether the rule itself be vicious or not, is another inquiry: but certainly we ought to examine a " work only by thoje principles according to which it was compofed. This would fave a deal of impertinent criticism. We Catal. of Royal and Noble authors, vol. 1. p. 166, 7. The Creation of the world, acted at Skinners-well, in 1409. † See Mr. Warton's Obfervations, vol. 2. p. 109,, As a MR. 04t, from Tom Najke, on us pamphlet arite india wrena's Bertiniamex-Far shabry. Frol is Hrn, auf-Leaum. and Fietet. Frih to Grytarn, and to the Mad bever. The PIT probably had its name from one of the Play boufes barsing been a Cock-fit. an afer ↑ Bunge, Brit. L. 117. n. Overbury's Charact, of Beven in the reign of Cha. II. plays began at 3 in the afternsce. & Puttenham tells us they used Vizards in his time," parily to jupply thenuant of players, when there were moe parts then there *quere perfoms, or that it was not thought meet to trouble "princes chambers with too many folkes." [Art of Eng. Poef. * p. 26.) From the last claufe, it should feem that they were chiefly fed in the MASQUES at Court. I. ADAM I. DAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY, were three noted outlaws, whofe fkill in archery rendered bem formerly as famous in the North of England, as Robin Hood and his fellows were in the midland counties. Their place of refidence was in the foreft of Englewood, not far from Carlifle, (called in the ballad English-wood, which is probably the true etymology.) When they lived does not appear. The author of the common ballad on "THE PEDI68 GREE, EDUCATION, AND MARRIAGE OF ROBIN. "HOOD," makes them contemporary with Robin Hood's father, in order to give him the honour of beating them. This Seems to prove that they were generally thought to have lived before the popular hero of Sherwood. Our northern archers were not unknown to their fouthern countrymen, their excellence at the long-bow is often alluded to by our ancient poets. Shakespeare, in his comedy of "MUCH adoe about nothing," A&t. makes Benedicke confirm his refolves of not yielding to love, by this proteftation," If "I do, bang me in a bottle like a cat and shoot at me, and "he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder and called "ADAM :" meaning ADAM BELL, as Theobald rightly obVOL. III. K * Jerves *Bottles formerly were of leather; though perhaps a wooden bottle might be bere meant. It is fill a diverfion in Scotland to bang up a cat in a fmall cafk or firkin, half filled with foot: and then a parcel of clowns on horseback try to beat out the ends of it, in order to fhew their dexterity in efcaping before the contents fall upon them. irves, suka refers to one or two other passages in our old des wherein he is mentioned. The Oxford editor has also kayectarea that “ Abraham Cupid” in Romeo and Ju42.6.x, bauld be ADAM Cupid," in allufion to 3 Tinin bas mentioned CLYM O' THE Clotan in his devenit, dit 1. fc. 2. And Sir Wil■ Navenant, in a mock poem of his, called “THE long Caca, an in ""mion," de cribes the Atorneys and Proctors, as than 15 m22065 sa mest in Finsbury fields, " 2 unes in canvas bor-cafe tyde; «Ilan arrite flick with mickle pride; Lize ghats of ADAM BELL and CLYMME. ** Sul sta par far they'l (hoot at bim' W ́arks, p. 291. fol. 1673. maloru g Fanzas will be judged from the file, ortho/ S. 2a se very ancient: they are given parts. Imprinted at London in Lothde de Wrigam Copland (no date): corried in fome plaMUCH AN A e caitor's folio MS. In that volume ized by another, intitled YouNGE CLOUa continuation of the prefent fery, and recit» arcerares of William of Cloudefly's jon: but greatly skje er a tots, beth in merit and antiquity. 411 M PART THE FIRST. ERY it was in grene forèst To ryfe the dere out of theyr denne; As by thre yemen of the north countrèy, By them it is I meane. 5 The |