Dramatic Poetry, sketch of, from the birth of Shakspeare to the period of his commencing a writer for the stage, i. 227. Mysteries, moralities, and interludes, the first performances, ibid. Ferrex and Porrex, the first regular tragedy, ibid. Gammar Gurton's Needle, the first regular comedy, ibid. Dramatic Histories, 228. Composite drama of Tarleton, 229. Account of eminent dramatic poets during this period, 230-251. Conjectures as to the extent of Shakpeare's obligation to his predecessors, 253-255. Brief view of dramatic poetry, and its principal cultivators, during Shakspeare's connection with the stage, ii. 556. Account of the dramatic works of Fletcher, 557. Massinger, 561. Ford, 563. Webster, 564. Middleton, 565. Decker, 566. Marston, 567. Heywood, 568. Chapman, 569. Rowley, 570. Other minor dramatic poets, 570, 571. Ben Jonson, 572-580.

Drant (Thomas), a minor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. 681.

Drayton (Michael), notice of, i. 615. Critical remarks on his historical poetry, 615, 616. On his topographical, epistolary, and pastoral poems, 616, 617. And on his miscellaneous poetry, 617. Poetical description by him of the dress, &c. of young women, i. 83, 84. Of Robin Hood, 159. Of Tom the Piper, 164. Sheep-shearing, 182. Of the carbuncle, 397. Encomium on Lilly's Euphues, 442. Commendatory verses by, on Shakspeare's Rape of Lucrece, ii. 39. His tragedies, totally lost, 571. Character of his Sonnets, ii. 56.

Dreams, considered as prognostics of good or evil, i. 354, 355.

Dress of country gentlemen, in Shakspeare's time, i. 82, 83. Of farmers or yeomen, 110. Wedding dress of a rustic, 229. Proper for anglers, 293. note. Of the inhabitants of London, during the age of Shakspeare, ii. 87-89. Of Queen Elizabeth, 89, 91. Of the ladies of that time, 91, 92. 100. Of the gentlemen, 87, 88, 89.101-109. Of the citizen, 110, 111. Of servants, 138.

Drinking of healths, origin of, i. 127, 128. Drummond (William), biographical notice

of, i. 617. His merits as a poet, considered, 618.

Drunkenness, propensity of the English to, in the age of Shakspeare, ii. 128, 129. Dryden's testimony to the priority of Shakspeare's Pericles, considered, ii. 280,

281.

Duelling, prevalence of, in the age of Shakspeare, ii. 158.

Dunlop (Mr.), opinion of on the source of Shakspeare's Romeo and Juliet, ii. 360 -362. And of Measure for Measure, 453.

Durham, Easter gambols at, i. 148. note. Dyer's " Fleece," illustration of, i. 188. Dying, form of prayers for, i. 233. Superstitious notions concerning the last moments of persons dying, i. 390, 391.

E

this country, 192. note. A keen huntress, 285, 286. Touched persons for the evil, 371. Cultivated bibliography, 428. The ladies of her court skilled in Greek equally with herself, 429. Classical literature encouraged at her court, ibid. 431, 432. Notice of her Prayer-book, 432. Influence of her example, 433. Notice of her works, 451. Deeply skilled in Italian literature, ibid. Notice of her poetical pieces, 704. note. Proof that Shakspeare's Sonnets were not, and could not be addressed to her, ii. 61. 73. note. Instances of her vanity and love of dress, 90, 91. Description of her dress, 89, 90. Amount of her wardrobe, 91, 92. Silk stockings first worn by her, 98. Costly New-Year's gifts made to her, 99. Furniture of her palaces, 111, 112. Description of the mode in which her table was served, 122, 123. Her character as a sovereign, 145, 146. Her industry, 146. Instances of her vanity and coquetry, 147. Affectation of youth, 148. Artfulness, 149. Extreme jealousy, 150. Ill treatment of her courtiers, 150, 151. Excelled in dancing, 172. Delighted with bear-baiting, 176. Account of her progresses, 193-199. Passionately fond of dramatic performOrdered Shakspeare's ances, 202, 205. "As You Like It," 435. And bestowed many marks of her favour upon him,

590.

Elfland or Fairy Land, description of, ii. 318, 319.

Elves or fairies of the Scandinavians, ii. 308, Account of the Bright Elves, or benevolent fairies, 308, 309. Of the Swart Elves, or malignant fairies, 309, 310. And of the Scottish Elves, 314-336. Elviden (Edmond), a minor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. 681.

" England's Helicon," a collection of poems, critical notice of, i. 721-723.

English Language but little cultivated prior to the time of Ascham, i. 439. Improved by the labours of Wilson, 440. Corrupted by Lilly, in the reign of Elizabeth, 441. And by the interlarding of Latin quotations in that of James I., This affectation satyrised by Sir Philip Sidney, 444, 445. And by Shak

speare, 445, 446. The English language improved by Sir Walter Raleigh and his contemporaries, 446, 447. Remarks on the prose writers of the reign of James I., 447, 448. Notice of Mulcaster's labours for improving it, 455. And of Bullokar's, ibid. 456.

English Mercury, the first newspaper ever published, i. 508. Specimen of, ibid. English nation, character of, ii. 154. "Epicedium," a funeral song on the death of Lady Branch, ii. 38. note. Extract from, in commendation of Shakspeare's Rape of Lucrece, 39. note.

Epilogue, concluded with prayer in the time of Shakspeare, ii. 222, 223.

Epitaph on Shakspeare, in Stratford church,

ii. 619.

Fairies, superstitious traditions concerning,

fairy mythology introduced from the Ita-
lians, 303. Origin of the Gothic system
of fairy mythology, 304. Known in
England in the eleventh century, 306.
Scandinavian system of fairy mythology,
308-312. Scandinavian system current
in England in the thirteenth century, 313.
Scottish elves, ibid. 314. Their dress and
weapons, 315. Lowland fairies, 316. Al-
lusions to fairy superstitions by Chaucer,
313. 317. Description of Elf or Fairy-
land, 318, 319. Allusions to it by va-
rious poets, 319-321. Fairy processions
at Roodsmass, 322. Fairies in Scotland
supposed to appear most commonly by
moonlight, 323. Their supposed in-
fluence on pregnant women, 324. Chil-
dren said to be stolen and changed by
them, 325, 326. Expedients for reco-
vering them, 326, 327. Their speech,
food, and work, 328, 329. Account of
the malignant fairy called the Wee Brown
Man of the Muirs, 329, 330. Tradi-
tions relative to the benevolent sprite,
Brownie, 330-336. The fairy mytho-
logy of Shakspeare, though partly found-
ed on Scottish tradition, yet, from its
novelty and poetic beauty, meriting the
title of the English System, 337, 338.
Critical illustrations of his allusions to
fairies and Fairy-land, 337-353. Scan-
dinavia the parent of our popular fairy
mythology, which has undergone various
modifications, 353-355.

Fairs, how celebrated antiently, i. 214-

216.

His

Falconer, an important officer in the house-
holds of the great, i. 265, 266.
qualifications, 266.

Shakspeare, i. 445. Appointed reader
of the Italian language to the Queen of
James I., 451.

Flowers, antiently scattered on streams at
sheep-shearing time, i. 185. Garlandsof
flowers carried at funerals, and buried
with the deceased, 240-242. Graves
in Wales still decorated with flowers, 242
-244. Allusions to this custom by Shak-
speare, 243.

Fools of Shakspeare's plays, &c. remarks on,
i. 587. ii. 550. Description of their ap-
parel and condition, ii. 141, 142. Apes
or monkies kept as companions for them,
145, 146.

Ford, merits of, as a dramatic poet, consi-
dered, ii. 563, 564.

Forks, when introduced into England, ii. 126.
Fortescue's (Thomas), "Forest of Histo-
ryes," a popular collection of novels,
notice of, i. 543.

"Fortune my Foe," a popular song, quoted
by Shakspeare, i. 477.

Fountains and wells, why superstitiously
visited, i. 391. Supposed to be the
haunts of fairies and spirits, 392. Pil-
grimages made to them, 393.

Fowling, how pursued in the sixteenth cen-
tury, i. 287-289.

Fox's "Acts and Monuments," character
of, i. 482.

Fraunce (Abraham), notice of his "Arca-
dian Rhetoricke," i. 464.
List of his
poetical works, 682, 683.

Freeman (Thomas), a minor poet of the age
of Shakspeare, i. 683.
French Language, Shakspeare's knowledge
of, when acquired, i. 53, 54. Proofs
that he had some acquaintance with it,
55, 56. List of French grammars which
he might have read, 57.

"Friar of Orders Grey," a beautiful ballad,
notice of, i. 579, 580. Quoted by Shak-
speare, 589, 590.

Friend, absence from, exquisitely pour-
trayed by Shakspeare, ii. 78.
Friendship, beautiful delineation of, ii. 389.
Fulbeck's account of Roman factions, i. 476.
Fulbroke Park, the scene of Shakspeare's
deer-stealing, i. 402, 403.
Fuller (Thomas), character of Shakspeare,
i. 29.; and of Dr. Dee, and his asssistant
Kelly, ii, 512, 513.

Fullwell (Ulpian), aminor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. 683.

Funeral ceremonies described, i. 232-237. Entertainments given on those occasions,

238.

Furniture, splendid, of Queen Elizabeth's palaces, ii. 111, 112. Of the inhabitants of London, 112-120. Of the halls of country gentlemen, i. 77-79.

Fuseli's picture of the night-mare, description of, i. 348. note.

G

Gale (Dunstan), a minor poet of the age of
Shakspeare, i. 683.

Gamage (William), a minor poet of the age
of Shakspeare, i. 684, and note. +
Games (Cotswold), account of, i. 252-254.
Gaming, prevalence of, in the age of Shak-

speare, ii. 157, 158. "Gammer Gurton's Needle," illustration of, i. 106. The earliest comedy ever written or performed in England, ii. 227. Critical remarks on, 233.

Garlands, anciently used at funerals, and buried with the deceased, i, 240-242. Garnier's Henriade probably seen by Shakspeare, i. 54, 55.

Garter (Barnard), a minor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. 684.

Garter (Thomas), a dramatic poet in the reign of Elizabeth, character of, ii. 235. Gascoigne (George), notice of the "Posies" of, i. 461. Biographical sketch of, 623, 624. Remarks on his poetry, 624, 625. Character of, as a dramatic poet, ii. 233,

234.

Gastrell (Rev. Francis), purchases Shakspeare's house at Stratford, ii. 584. note. Cuts down his mulberry tree, ibid. And destroys the house itself, 585.

note.

Gay's Trivia, quotation from, on the influence of particular days, i. 323. note. Poetical description of spells, 332. Genius of Shakspeare's drama considered, ii. 536-541.

Gentlemen, different sorts of, in the age of Shakspeare, i. 69. Their virtues and vices, ibid. 70. Description of the mansion houses of country gentlemen, 7274. Their usual fare, 79, 80-82. Em

ployments and dress of their daughters, 83, 84. Character of country gentlemen towards the commencement of the 17th century, 84, 85. When they began to desert their halls for the metropolis, 85. Portraits of, in the close of the 17th, and at the beginning of the 18th century, 86, 87. notes. Dress of gentlemen in the metropolis, ii. 87, 88, 89. 101-109.

Gerbelius (Nicholas), rapturous declamation of, on the restoration of some Greek authors, i. 435.

Gerguntum, a fabulous Briton, notice of, i. 192. note.

Germans, fairy mythology of, ii. 312. Gesta Romanorum, a popular romance in Shakspeare's time, i. 534. Different translations of the continental Gesta, ibid. 535. Critical account of the English Gesta, 535, 536. ii. 386. Notice of its different editions, i. 537,538. Long continuance of its popularity, 538. Ghosts, superstitious notions concerning, prevalent in the age of Shakspeare, i. 318, 319. Remarks on the supposed agency of ghosts, as received at that time, ii. 399-405. Considerations on the introduction of the ghost in Hamlet, and its strict consonance to the popular superstitions shewn, 411-417. Its superiority over all other ghostly representations, ancient or modern, 417, 418. Gifford (Humphrey), a minor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. 684. Gifford (Mr.), conjecture of, on the date of Shakspeare's Henry VIII. ii. 442, 443. Observations on the excellent plan of his notes on Massinger, 561. note. His estimate of the merits of Ben Jonson, as a dramatic poet, 575, 576. Vindicates Jonson from the cavils of Mr. Malone, 578.

note.

Gilchrist (Mr.) on the character of Puttenham's "Arte of English Poesie," i. 466. Gleek, a fashionable game at cards, notice of, ii. 170.

Glen Banchar, anecdote of a peasant of, i. 233, 234.

Globe Theatre, license to Shakspeare for, ii. 207, 208. Account of it, 208, 209 Description of its interior, 210-214. Gloves, costly, presented to Elizabeth, ii, 99.