_Shakspere and the English Press_ (Vol. iv., p. 344.).--The _Second part
of Henry the Sixt_, ascribed to Shakspere by Heminge and Condell, is
founded on a play entitled _The first part of the contention betwixt the
two famous houses of Yorke and Lancaster_, which was first printed
anonymously in 1594. It was reprinted anonymously in 1600; and, as the
work of Shakspere, about 1619. The amended play first appeared in the
folio of 1623. The passage in which Jack Cade reproaches lord Say with
having promoted education, stands thus in the editions of 1594 and 1623:
"Thou hast most traitorously erected a grammer schoole, to infect
the youth of the realme, and against the kings crowne and
dignitie, thou hast built vp a paper-mill."--1594. (J. O. H.)
"Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in
erecting a grammar-school: and whereas, before, our forefathers
had no other books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused
printing to be used; and, contrary to the king, his crown, and
dignity, thou hast built a paper-mill."--1623. (J. P. C.)
Fabian gives no information on the charges made against lord Say; nor do
the subsequent chroniclers. The received text contains two undoubted
anachronisms--to what extent, it would require a volume to decide. On
comparing the extracts, it appears that we must ascribe the anachronism
on paper-making to the earlier dramatist, and that on printing to
William Shakspere--who also borrowed the allusion to _the score and the
tally_ from a former speech in the work of his unknown precursor.
Malone, when he edited _The plays and poems of William Shakspere_,
undertook to distinguish by inverted commas the lines of this play which
the poet "retouched and greatly improved," and by asterisks, those which
were "his own original production." The design was commendable, but in
the execution of it he committed numerous oversights.