older plays, with patrons of the stage, with Templars, and so on, a
man of talent could easily pick up the 'general information'--now
caviare to the general--which a genius like Shakespeare inevitably
absorbed.

We naturally come to Greene's allusion to 'Shakescene' (1592),
concerning which a schoolboy said, in an examination, 'We are tired
to death with hearing about it.' Greene conspicuously insults
'Shakescene' both as a writer and an actor. Judge Webb says: 'As
Mr. Phillipps justly observes, it' (one of Greene's allusions)
'merely conveys that Shakspere was one who acted in the plays of
which Greene and his three friends were the authors (ii. 269).'

It is necessary to verify the Judge's reference. Mr. Phillipps
writes: 'Taking Greene's words in their contextual and natural
sense, he first alludes to Shakespeare as an actor, one "beautified
with our feathers," that is, one who acts in their plays; THEN TO
THE POET as a writer just commencing to try his hand at blank verse,
and, finally, to him as not only engaged in both those capacities,
but in any other in which he might be useful to the company.' Mr.
Phillipps adds that Greene's quotation of the line 'TYGER'S HEART
WRAPT IN A PLAYER'S HIDE' 'is a decisive proof of Shakespeare's
authorship of the line.'*

*Webb, p. 57. Phillipps, ii. p. 269.

Judge Webb has manifestly succeeded in not appreciating Mr.
Phillipps's plain English. He says, with obvious truth, that Greene
attacks Shakespeare both as actor and poet, but Judge Webb puts the
matter thus: 'The language of Greene. . . as Mr. Phillipps justly