ABSTRACT
In Palladis Tamia, his 1598 survey of English cultural achievements, Francis Meressingles out Shakespeare for special distinction: ‘As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and Tragedy among the Latines: so Shakespeare among ye English is the most excellent in both kinds for the stage.’ Meres goes on, however, to posit a series of parallels through which Englishmen rival all the achievements of the ancient world. Just as ‘Tragicke Poets flourished in Greece . . . and . . . among the Latines’, so ‘our best for Tragedie’ include ‘the Lord Buckhurst, Doctor Leg of Cambridge, Doctor Edes, of Oxforde, master Edward Ferris, the Authour of The Mirrour for Magistrates, Marlow, Peele, Watson, Kid, Shakespeare, Drayton, Chapman, Decker, and Benjamin Johnson.’ Against ‘the best Poets for Comedy among the Greekes . . . and Latines’ Meres touts
the best for Comedy amongst us . . . Edward Earle of Oxforde, Doctor Gager of Oxforde, Maister Rowley once a rare Scholler of learned Pembrooke Hall in Cambridge, Maister Edwardes one of her Majesties Chappell, eloquent and wittie John Lilly, Lodge, Gascoyne, Greene, Shakespeare, Thomas Nash, Thomas Heywood, Anthony Mundye our best plotter, Chapman, Porter, Wilson, Hathway, and Henry Chettle.1
