ABSTRACT
As You like It" is not only founded upon, but in some points very closely copied from, a novel by Thomas Lodge, under the title of "Rosalynde: Euphues Golden Legacie", which was originally printed in 4to, 1590, a second time in 1592, and a third edition came out in 1598. Malone relied upon a piece of internal evidence, which, if examined, seems to be of no value in settling the question when "As You Like It" was first written. Lodge's "Rosalynde" has been recently printed as part of "Shakespeare's Library", and it will be easy, therefore, for the reader to trace the particular resemblances between it and "As You Like It". Adam Spencer is a character in "The Coke's Tale of Gamelyn", and in Lodge's "Rosalynde"; and a great additional interest attaches to it, because it is supposed, with some appearance of truth, that the part was originally sustained by Shakespeare himself.
