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hare in the composition of the Maid*s Tragedy, Philaster, and the King and no Kins, and pul^Usheci by players have compliinentcd the dead at the expence of their living friend, patron, and sup-porter? After two such proofs as these, general expressions or even traditional opinions of thepanei^'ric-writors thirty years after are iif;htcr than vanity itself. From these plays no dis-tinction of hands between Beaumont and Fletcher was discerned, nor any suspicion of such adistinction occinred 'till I came to the Woman-Hatcr, vol.3, which appeared visibly tohave more of J(»nson's manner than any play I had before met with, which I mentioned atnote 32 on tliat play, when deceived as Langbane had been by the first quarto Cpublishedseveral years after the death of both the authors) I verily thougnt that it had been Fletcher'sonly. 1 had not then attended to the j)Ocm of Beaumont's to Jonson, published at the end ofthe Nice Valour, and Woman-Hater, by tlie second folio. If the reader will consult thatpoem, he will find that it was sent from the country to Jonson with two of the precedentcomedies not then finished, but which Beaumont claims as his own. Ben, when these scenes are perfect, well taste wine,ni drink thy muse's health, thou shaft quaff rnine. It is plain that they hatl been his amusement during a summer vacation in the country, whenhe had no compamon but his muse to entertain him ; for all the former part of the poem is adescription of the execrable wine, and the more execrable company which he was forced toendure. Fletcher therefore cotild not be with him. So that tnere are certainly two come-dies which properly belong to Be;mmont only, which therefore we must endeavour to findout. The verses tell us that he acknowledged all he had to be owing to Jonson, there is nodoubt therefore of his imitating Jonson*s manner in these comedi(fS. Shirley in the first folio»and the publisher of the second folio, both agree in making the Nice Valour one of theseplays : now this play is extremely in Jonson's manner, as is observed in the beginning of thepreface and at note 8 on the verses to Jonson. The prologue of this play has no weight, time, like did not admire him it was their faults, not his. So tliis epilogue makes the author declare ' the play is sood. He says, * he knoies it, if well understood, [•The Author. How unlike is this to Fletcher and Shakesj)eare'8 manner, who, when they join togetherin the Two Noble Kinsmen, are even Modesty itself? See the prologue and epilogue to thatplay, vol. 3. the latter has these lines ; And yet mistake me not, I am not hold, Wevc no such cause. If the tale we have told (For Uis no other) any way content, (For to that honest purpose it was meant) }Vc have our end; and ye shall have eer long, I dare say many a better to prolong •
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