The form, the characters, the language, and the shows of the _English_ drama are his, _He seems_, says _Dennis, to have been the very original of our_ English _tragical harmony, that is, the harmony of blank verse, diversified often by dissyllable and trissyllable terminations.

For the diversity distinguishes it from heroick harmony, and by bringing it nearer to common use makes it more proper to gain attention, and more fit for action and dialogue.

Such verse we make when we are writing prose; we make such verse in common conversation_.
I know not whether this praise is rigorously just.

The dissyllable termination, which the critic rightly appropriates to the drama, is to be found, though, I think, not in _Gorboduc_ which is confessedly before our author; yet in _Hieronnymo_, of which the date is not certain, but which there is reason to believe at least as old as his earliest plays.

This however is certain, that he is the first who taught either tragedy or comedy to please, there being no theatrical piece of any older writer, of which the name is known, except to antiquaries and collectors of books, which are sought because they are scarce, and would not have been scarce, had they been much esteemed.
To him we must ascribe the praise, unless _Spenser_ may divide it with him, of having first discovered to how much smoothness and harmony the _English_ language could be softened.