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that of some classmate, or through that of the master, some of these notes of Manutius are almost certain to have percolated to Shakspere. For on the .Aeneid Manutius had in his marginal annotations run the parallel between Homer and Virgil, and thus had furnished an outstanding instrument for teaching proper modes of imitation.
Consequently, William Kempe in 1588 praises this work most highly.
As we see Virgil to haue imitated Homer in method: to wit, in beginning with the middest of the matter, in reciting of things past by occasion, and in concluding with a notable issue, euen as Homer hath disposed his Ilias: then in generall matter, namely, in setting forth Aeneas like to Ulysses, and sometime like Achilles: in particular matter & arguments, as the cornming of Aeneas to Carthage and Dido, like to the commingof V1ysses to AI-cinous and Calypso, Aeneas going to hell, like to Ylysses going to hell, Aeneas games of rowing, running, whorlebatting, shooting, and skirmishing on horsebacke at the graue of Anchises his father, like to Achilles games of riding, whorlebatting, running, sword playing, hurling the stone, shooting and casting the darte at the Tombe of Patroclus his deare friend: the harnesse of Aeneas, made by Vulcan, like to the harnesse of Achilles made by him also. And in diuers places, but not euery where, he cloth imitate Homers descriptions, similitudes, phrases and words, as Manutius, and other Iearned men haue both noted and quoted.'
The notes of Manutius furnished Kempe and his fellow-schoolmasters a suitable instrument for teaching the boys proper methods of imitation in poetry. This being the demand, the English printers furnished a supply by various editions containing these notes of Manutius.
Manutius was modelling on Macrobius, whom Aschant found unsatisfactory, as doubtless he would have found even Manutius imperfect also.
Erasmus, the ornament of learning, in our tyme, cloth wish that som man of learning and diligence, would take the like paines in Demosthenes and Tullie, that Macrobius hath done in Homer and Virgill, that is, to write out and ioyne together, where the one doth imitate the other. Erasmus, wishe is good, but surelie, it is not good enough: for Macrobius gatherings for the Aeneodos out of Homer, and Eo6anus Hessus more diligent gatherings for the Bucolikes out of Theocritus, as they be not fullie taken out of the whole heape, as they should be, but euen as though they had not sought for them of purpose, but fownd them scatered here and there by chance in their way, euen so, onelie to point out, and nakedlie to ioyne together their sentences,
9 Kempe, Education, pp. [G4jv-Hi r, Kempe has bprr'owed much of this from Ascham (ScAslemaster (isso), p. sor and v),
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