Shakspere wrote his Sonnets and gave them to his friends, which Meres proves. He wrote his poems, printed them, signed and dedicated them to Southampton, which was never considered less than proof he composed them. He wrote his plays and sold them to his company, which credited him with them by giving him place and power, and publishing them with his name after his death. He acted his own plays and others, so that he knew just what would tell on an audience, and thence he won his fame; and he must have spoken to many of his plots and his alterations.

A claim of three hundred years ago can only be proved by inference. But if the premises are good, the inference can be sound. If all of the works named as Shakspere's were not definitely claimed by him in his lifetime, some were, and that is quite sufficient for the purpose in hand.

The earliest signed work was his Venus and Adonis, 1593.

In 1592 the Plague had been in London, and the players were not allowed to play often, lest the concourse of people should spread infection.

Doubtless Shakspere found thereby more leisure to write a poem unconnected with the stage, or at least to correct, beautify, and expand one he had in hand.