THE PLAYS OF William Shakspeare, ACCURATELY PRINTED FROM The Text of the Corrected Copy left by the late GEORGE STEEVENS, ESQ. WITH GLOSSARIAL NOTES, AND A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF SHAKSPEARE. IN EIGHT VOLUMES. VOL. I. CONTAINING THE TEMPEST....TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.... MERRY MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Stereotyped by J. Howe..N. York. PHILADELPHI PUBLISHED BY H. C. CAREY, AND I LEA, AND 1823. EN SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF SHAKSPEARE. WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE was born at Stratford-upon-Avon, in Warwickshire, on the 23d day of April, 1564. His family was above the vulgar rank. His father, John Shakspeare, was a considerable dealer in wool, and had been an officer of the corporation of Stratford. He was likewise a justice of the peace, and at one time a man of considerable property. This last, however, appears to have been lost by some means, in the latter part of his life. His wife was the daughter and heiress of Robert Arden, of Wellington, in the county of Warwick, by whom he had a family of ten children. Our illustrious poet was the eldest son, and was educated, probably, at the free-school of Stratford; but from this he was soon removed, and placed in the office of some country attorney. The exact amount of his education has been long a subject of controversy. It is generally agreed, that he did not enjoy what is usually termed a literary education; but he certainly knew enough of Latin and |