n English. What can
be more probable, than that he who copied that, would have copied more,
but that those which were not translated were inaccessible?

Whether he knew the modern languages is uncertain. That his plays have
some French scenes proves but little; he might easily procure them to be
written, and probably, even though he had known the language in the common
degree, he could not have written it without assistance. In the story of
_Romeo and Juliet_ he is observed to have followed the English
translation, where it deviates from the Italian; but this on the other
part proves nothing against his knowledge of the original. He was to copy,
not what he knew himself, but what was known to his audience.

It is most likely that he had learned Latin sufficiently to make him
acquainted with construction, but that he never advanced to an easy
perusal of the Roman authors. Concerning his skill in modern languages, I
can find no sufficient ground of determination; but as no imitations of
French or Italian authors have been discovered, though the Italian poetry
was then in high esteem, I am inclined to believe that he read little more
than English, and chose for his fables only such tales as he found
translated.

That much knowledge is scattered over his works is very justly observed by
Pope, but it is often such knowledge as books did not supply. He that will
understand Shakespeare, must not be content to study him in the closet, he
must look for his meaning sometimes among the sports of the field, and
sometimes among the manufactures of the shop.

There is however proof enough that he was a very diligent reader, nor was
our language then so indigent of books, but that he might very liberally
indulge his curiosity without excursion into foreign literature. Many of
the Roman authors were translated, and some of the Greek; the Reformation
had filled the kingdom with theological learning; most of the topicks of
human disquisition had found English writers; and poetry had been
cultivated, not only with diligence, but success. This was a stock of
knowledge sufficient for a mind so capable of appropriating and improving
it.

But the greater part of his excellence was the product of his own genius.
He found the English stage in a state of the utmost rudeness; no essays
either in tragedy or comedy had appeared, from which it could be
discovered to what degree of delight either one or other might be carried.
Neither character