The
following passage exhibits a freedom of thought more characteristic of
this writer's reputation than are most of his known works:--
"And custom-free, you marchants shall commerce
And interchange the profits of your land,
Sending you gold for brasse, silver for lead,
Casses of silke for packes of wol and cloth,
To bind this friendship and confirme this league."
_Six Old Plays_, p. 204.
A short account of the process by which I came to a conclusion which,
if established, must overthrow so many ingenious theories, will not,
I trust, be uninteresting to your readers. In the relationship between
these two plays there always seemed to be something which needed
explanation. It was the only instance among the works of Shakspeare in
which a direct copy, even to matters of detail, appeared to have been
made; and, in spite of all attempts to gloss over and palliate, it
was impossible to deny that an unblushing act of mere piracy seemed
to have been committed, of which I never could bring myself to believe
that Shakspeare had been guilty.
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