of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification
is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just;
but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to
another in the same country; he places the emperor at Milan, and
sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more;
he makes Protheus, after an interview with Silvia, say he has
only seen her picture; and, if we may credit the old copies, he
has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The
reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story
from a novel, which he sometimes followed, and sometimes forsook,
sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot.

That this play is rightly attributed to Shakespeare, I have
little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be
given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays,
except _Titus Andronicus_; and it will be found more credible, that
Shakespeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than
that any other should rise up to his lowest. (see 1765, I,259,5)





THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR

I.i.7 (194,4) [_Custalorum_] This it, I suppose, intended for a
corruption of _Custos Rotulorum_. The mistake was hardly designed by
the author, who, though he gives Shallow folly enough, makes him
rather pedantic than illiterate. If we read: