It is evident that large portions of this play are not by Shakspeare's
hand. It was first attributed to him and published in 1608. But there
is an entry in Henslowe's Diary, April 7, 1599, of a sum money lent to
"Mr. Dickers and Harey Cheatell, in earneste of their boocke called
Troyeles and Creassedaye." This play of Dekker and Chettle was probably
the original which Shakspeare adopted in order to improve. Mr. Fleay,
however, attributes to Shakspeare a first form of this play as early
as 1597. The improvements are as palpable as the original defects.
The play did not receive the benefit of a thorough recasting, and was
published under Shakspeare's name with large portions of the crude,
absurd, and indecent original matter unchanged.